| Title | : | We Will Reign (Wicked Boys of BCU, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 271 |
| Publication | : | First published March 10, 2023 |
An escape from my parents who insist I follow in their footsteps as a Guardian of the Society.
Keep the members safe—that’s what I’m supposed to do.
But how can I safeguard the students when I can’t even protect myself?
Someone has been watching me.
His eyes burn into my soul like a branding iron. At night, he haunts my dreams and transforms them into nightmares.
And sometimes when I wake, he’s there.
Standing at the foot of my bed in awe of my existence.
He isn’t the one I fear most, though.
His best friends—Maddox and Lev— have their eyes on me, too.
Only their obsession runs deeper than Ridge’s and I fear if I fall under their thumbs, I won’t make it out of here alive.
There once was a sicko who lurked in the mist.
He preyed on my soul baring a closed iron fist.
His stare made me itch while his eyes locked me under his spell.
But taking his hand may be my only escape from this hell.
We Will Reign (Wicked Boys of BCU, #1) Reviews
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3.5
I sincerely don't know where to begin with this review. The author has me feeling all kinds of strong emotions right now. I'm frustrated, angry, hurt, invested, intrigued, and aggravated. I finished this entire book in one sitting, and I would have went straight into the next book if it was available. I can't wait to see what happens next. That being said, I'm not currently a fan of the heroine or one of the heroes. A lot of the strong emotions I felt weren't good ones, and I don't enjoy one of the romantic connections yet.
Luckily for me, I'm not a reader that has to love everything about a book to enjoy it overall. I'm a wait and see kind of chick, especially when it comes to a first book in a series. I enjoy a story with significant character growth and relationships that develop and evolve over time. I don't want everything to be the same in the end as it was in the beginning. Because of that, I'm patiently waiting to see what the author has in store for us next, how she's going to change my mind on certain characters, and how she's going to sell me on their romance. I have faith that the majority of my opinions will be completely transformed by the time I finish reading the next installment in this series.
A character I hope I don't change my opinion on is Ridge. Being the slightly unhinged dark romance reader that I am, I'm a sucker for a weirdo antihero, and Rachel Leigh delivered on that big time with his character! Sure, he's violent, merciless, and creepy af at times, but he's also loyal to a fault, protective, caring, romantic, and sweet. IMHO, at this point in time, I don't think Riley deserves him! Call me crazy if you want, but those are my sincere feelings.
Despite the extremely small amount of time we spent getting to know Lev in this book, I already love him, too. How could I not when almost everything that came out of his mouth was exactly what I was thinking? I am Lev. He is me. That's all I'm going to say about that.
Dark romance and RH fans, this one's for you!
*We Will Reign is set in the same world as The Bastards of Boulder Cove series. If you haven't already, I recommend reading that series before you dive into this one. Riley is Scar's best friend, so Scar and her guys appear throughout the story.* -
Nineteen-year-old Riley Cross is in her first year at Boulder Cove University, the epicenter for young members of the Blue Bloods Society.
When she finds herself the focus of a high-profile investigation, Ridge Foster not only takes notice, but becomes instantly obsessed.
I’m super excited about this series with all its intrigue and angst! We still have so much to learn about the society as well as Maddox and Lev. All the characters have an air of mystery and unique personalities. I’m particularly enamored by Ridge with his huge heart and devotion to those he loves. Conversely, I kind of hate Riley right now. All this just serves to make me that much more anxious to see how it all comes together!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😊🥵🥺😳🤬
Ending: 🧗🏻♀️ {Cliffy}
POV: 🧍🏼♂️👫🏻🧍🏽♂️ {Multiple}
🗂 Genre: Gothic Romance
✨ Tropes: Band of Brothers/Found Family, College, Instalove, Secret Society, Stalker, Touch-Her-and-💀, Virgin h
💋 Kinks: Spanking
⚠️ Warning: The angst in this slow-burn will edge you to the point of combustion!
🚩 Safety Squad: SexuàI AsśauIt (Not by H) and other triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: We Will Reign is part of the Wicked Boys of BCU series and ends on a cliffhanger.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y. -
MY REVIEW AND OTHERS can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
ღ 𝐖𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐍 ღ Is the first full length romance book in the 'Wicked Boys of BCU' series by author Rachel Leigh. Spoken in 'multiple perspectives.' Riley, Maddox, Ridge & Lev. Ends on a cliffy.
Once my cover hoe eyes clapped sights on this cover my fingers signed up for it, didn’t hurt that the synopsis also made me anticipate this like no other.
We're first introduced to Riley in Bastards of Boulder Cove series, she's best friends/roomie of Scars. I loved going back, and reconnecting with our much loved past characters who made several reappearances in this.
Not all is what it seems at the 'Boulder Cove University' a secret society made up of the elders dish out assignments to the male students to test their loyalties bringing them a step closer to becoming elders themselves.
These three boys have been friends since they were younger.
Ridge: Is a boy obsessed over one girl (Riley) His first kill was at the age of eleven, struggles with mutism when it comes to Riley, his throat closes up and no words escape.
Lev: Is a little bit unhinged, unpredictable, a loose cannon that's ready to go off at anytime. He also lacks empathy.
Maddox: He's been tasked to find out what happened to the Governor. He's not one to bend the rules. He also has a thing for Riley.
And our heroine Riley: She has one life threatening secret that if comes out could destroy her.
An assignment within a secret society which has one girl in their crossfires.
A boy obsessed.
A buildup of dead bodies appearing on campus.
A cliffy which had my finger pointing in one direction.
This ticked all the boxes
This pulled me in straight away and before I knew it I’d reached the last page, can not wait for the next book.
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2⭐️/1.5🌶️
Bad books are fucking exhausting to read oh my goodness.
Riley, insufferable.
Ridge, confesses he loves her before he even utters a word to her.
Maddox, goes from not liking Riley to slowly falling for her.
Lev, very much hates Riley.
Do we know what a why choose is? This felt very much like a love triangle and im sure the why choose aspect will come later but like…I should feel it between all of them at some point in the book but there was absolutely nothing here.
Also on that note, I cant stand when why choose are written where THEY CANT SHARE without jealousy getting in the way. It’s no fun that way. Plus they literally say they’ve shared before, what makes this girl so different. Like ridge sir you need to get over yourself
I swear riley didn’t know wtf she wanted the entire time. She was so back and forth i damn near got whiplash 💀💀.
Gotta be honest, dark romances don’t get a pass for making no sense. You can’t have someone insta obsessed with someone and do all these things to the fmc without so much as a word spoken between the two and just pass it off as well it’s dark romance…
Also can we talk about Scar?? What kind of friend is she? A bad one that’s what. -
Is it just me or is anyone else obsessed with the stalker. Ridge is a bundle of toxic madness obsession and I freaking love it. There is also Maddox the loyal one and dark psycho Lev. This book grips you by the neck and doesn't let you go. Rachel Leigh knows how to write a book that captivates the reader and have us wanting all the guys.
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This became worse the longer I read.
I actually felt like this was a decent read for the first 30% of the book. It didn’t feel unnatural for Riley to not know how she felt, and not being close to all of the guys, but there was zero progression.
I was so shocked when she and Ridge had sex, and suddenly, out of nowhere she was all “this was a mistake”, like, she was the one that threw herself at him. It was the exact same thing when they kissed in the hallway. She initiated the kiss, and suddenly she is desperate to get away, slapping him in the face for kissing her.
Ridge may have been a stalker and say too much poetic nonsense, but he did not deserve being treated that way, and she did most definitely not deserve his forgiveness straight away.
Maddox was just there, he did not feel like a love interest, he did not even feel like her friend. I never understood whether or not he wanted to protect her, or if he believed she could actually be guilty and terrible.
Lev. Well. Why was he there? I certainly couldn’t figure it out. He was just plain horrible. Calling her a whore, threatening her, calling her his pet. He was definitely going to force her to give him head if she hadn’t run.
Goodbye. -
Okay, so, I had no idea there was a little series before this one. Soooooo it makes sense why I was very confused about her friend Scar and her boyfriends. Before I dive into book 2 of this series, I will jump into Scar's books. Hopefully everything will make sense.
If not, eh, I'll survive.
Other than that, this was good. Not sure which guy is my favorite but having Ridge around seems super handy. Just saying. -
Started this series because of Riley who we met in the first series involving the blue bloods
However, it kinda just seems like a repeat of that first trilogy
With that being said I’m still really excited to read because I loved that series
Also Ridge is on a whole other level of crazy and I LOVE it -
For the girls who dream of having their own harem of psychos.
Tell me why am I obsessed with an obsessed crazed man?? Ridge is so obsessive he’s perfect. I lowkey wish this wasn’t going to be a reverse harem because Ridge deserves the spotlight. Is he so obsessed to the point where you question his sanity and morals? Yes. Do his thoughts scare me sometimes? Yes. Does he make me question everything by how insane and messed up he is? Yes. Is he a 50 foot walking talking red flag. Yes, but apparently red is my favorite color.
This series is in the same universe as Bastards of Boulder Cove, but it follows Riley (Scarlet’s best friend) in college. In this book, there is a secret society known as The Blue Bloods. It has a high school and college that members are required to attend. The men attending the college have varying assignments to climb the society’s hierarchy. Ridge’s assignment is to investigate the death of an important member of the society, and in his investigation, he comes across Riley. And thus, his obsession begins. In this harem, there are three men. Ridge, the obsessed and slightly or completely insane with selective mutism spurred by his anxiety. Maddox, the picture-perfect popular guy. And Lev, the man devoid of emotion. These men are loyal to each other, consider each other brothers, and have plans about ruling the society. Although their loyalty to each other is flimsy now that Riley has entered their world. Finally, we have Riley. The once sweet innocent girl who is plagued with actions from her past (this comes out in the final book of Bastards of Boulder Cove). We have Riley trying to survive college, hiding from her past and the aftereffects, new dangers, Ridge protecting Riley, new relationships forming, Maddox trying to fulfill his duties for the society and more.
If you couldn’t tell, out of all her men, Ridge is my favorite. Whereas, she prefers Maddox, for what reason? I do not know. She has him on such a high pedestal, and she treats Ridge like trash which I once again do not understand. So to say, she’s not my favorite currently is correct. And I promise, my somewhat dislike of Maddox is not because Ridge is my favorite, it’s just there’s nothing special about him. It felt like he was trying to steal Riley from Ridge, even though she’s not Ridge’s but you know what I mean. Every time she started warming up to Ridge, Maddox had to swoop in. Maddox may not be as bad as I make him out to be, I’m just dramatic and protective over Ridge, apparently. And then, Ridge is so sweet, attentive (obviously), he’s protective, and everything he does is for her. We didn’t get much of Lev in this book other than him constantly threatening Riley, but I’m pretty sure he will be a prominent fixture in the next book. Hopefully, this harem will come together smoothly so I love all the guys, and want her to be with all of them.
Seriously, I love Ridge and I would marry him if I could, and no joke all of my favorite quotes are from him 😘
Favorite quotes/scenes:
“She’s perfection personified. An angel sent to me during one of the darkest points in my life. I didn’t want to exist anymore. Was ready to leave this world behind and face the new hell I’d entered in my life. Then I saw her." (Ridge)
“Even from here, I’m certain I can hear her heart beat and I’m convinced it’s beating just for me.” (Ridge)
"Ever looked at something and immediately got locked under a spell? No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t peel your eyes away? Happens to me every time I see her. Nothing else matters. Not the fact that she sees me watching her. Not the people around us. At that moment, it’s just us." (Ridge)
“No one will treat her like a queen the way I will. One day she will proudly wear my crown, even if it’s drenched in the blood of the men I’ve killed for her. For her. Everything I do now is for her.” (Ridge)
"Ridge is an enigma and the less I know about him, the more I want to know." (Riley)
"Riley Cross is my own personal drug, and I want to overdose on her. If I could choose my way of death, I’d choose her. I’d rip my heart out of my chest if it meant hers would beat a second longer." (Ridge)
"How dare he talk to another girl when he can’t even say a single word to me. And where are they going? Is he leaving with her? She wasn’t even cute. Or maybe that’s my jealousy talking. Oh my god. Am I jealous? I am!" (Riley)
Me: Why do I make you so nervous?
Ridge: Why don’t I make you nervous?
Me: Maybe you do. But you didn’t answer my question.
Ridge: You’ve moved me, Angel. You’ve woken something inside my soul and now it will never rest again. I can’t risk fucking it up.
Me: And what if you already have? I did slap you. Have you forgotten?
Ridge: I’ll never forget. I’d happily let you do whatever you want to me, as long as your hands are on my body. In fact, I want to tattoo your handprint on my cheek as a constant reminder of the first day we kissed.
"If I’m a monster, it’s because you made me one. Everything I do is for you. Every damn breath I take is for you. Don’t you see it, Angel? I love you, and I will no longer love you from afar. It’s too painful being apart. We’re destined to be together, you and me." (Ridge)
"Do you love me, Ridge?"
“More than anything in this entire world. I remember the first time your heart called out to me, unknowingly. It was like a song in the wind. I laid eyes on you and all hope for myself was lost because I knew I’d do anything in this fucked-up world to keep you safe, even if it meant slowly killing myself in the process."
“Three weeks before I saw you for the first time, at the end of the summer, I tried to end my life. I failed miserably but told myself I’d try again. I was ready to leave this world. There was nothing left for me in it. Then you appeared, my angel. You revived my heart and breathed life back into me. I knew at that moment, I had to stay for you. Even if it was just to keep you safe for a little while.” (Ridge)
“I’m soaked.”
“You’re beautiful. I think I love you even more in the rain.” (Ridge)
“Why’s that?”
“Because I get to see the real you. No makeup. No hair spray. Just you. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on, Angel.” (Ridge)
“I don’t need her love. I only need her to accept mine. I long to shower her with sunshine and warmth. Pepper her body with kisses and see her smiling face when I wake, only to see it again before I sleep. There will never be another person for me. Even if there is someone else for her.” (Ridge)
"She’s everything. She’s everything, Maddox. She’s the sun and the rain, and the stars and the moon. She’s classic novels and horror movies. Song lyrics and music notes. She’s fucking everything." (Ridge) -
Wicked Boys of Boulder Cove University, is Riley's story.
We are 1st introduced to Riley in Bastards of Boulder Cove - BOBC (Scar's story). And yes, her bestie Scar & her guys make several appearances in Riley's story.
I highly recommend reading Scar's story 1st, to fully understand/follow Riley's as it references a past event which occurs in BOBC.
So back to the story, at hand. What can I say, Rachel has delivered another incredible read. We have Secret Society, Stalkers, Suspense, Steam, a shitload of crazy and a sprinkle of dark humour.
And I have a new fave Boulder Cove guy - Ridge !!! 😍
I loved the 1st instalment and can't wait for the next book.
Thank you to the Author, for providing me with this ARC. -
3.5⭐️
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First of all thank you so much to Rachel Leigh for providing me with an ARC of We Will Reign!!
Welcome back to Bolder Cove! We Will Reign is the first book in Rachel Leigh’s new series Wicked Boys of BCU, and if you’ve read her Bastard of Bolder Cove series you’ll recognise our girl Riley who is the FMC in We Will Reign.
This story begins not long after Twisted Secrets (the last book in the Bastards of Bolder Cove series) and I’d definitely recommend you read them before you start this.
I always love the mystery and suspense in Rachel Leigh’s books and this book had all that and more! The romance was a little bit slow but started to pick up towards the end and that has me excited for the next book! -
The stalker. The charmer. The psycho. And the sweet and bada₹₹. We will Reign by Rachel Leigh has ruined me and I don't know what to do with my life while waiting for next book. Toxic love. Wicked obsession. Messy sizzling hot raw chemistry. Heart stopping suspense. Complicated and unforgettable characters. I am obsessed with this story.
Wow wow wow! This book had it's tallon in me from first page. It's a new adult enemies to lovers college romance. In Boulder Cove Academy, the Society rules and the students are under training to become one of the Blue Bloods along with their regular education. Ridge has a job as Sleuth. To investigate the death of the Governor and find the guilty. But the problem is he is obsessed with the guilty. Riley Cross. His best friend Maddox will stand by him but Riley is slowly affecting him too. The only person who hates Riley for messing up is their other best friend..The psycho among them.. Lev. It ends with a massive cliffhanger.
I am obsessed with the stalker. Ridge is completely deranged. I am not talking of just any kind of stalker. I am talking about that kind of messy toxic dangerous obsession that doesn't know any limit. He knows what he wants and he is convinced in his heart that Riley is his soulmate and he will do everything to convince her too. He has no in between. He can be volatile and explosive and Riley is somewhere in between loving his attention and hating his toxic control. Our girl is smart and sassy and sweet. She craves the protective side of Ridge. She is in a mess of many things and she knows this dark boy will do anything. But she also thinks this deranged addiction cannot be love. Maddox is more of her kind. More stable, more mature, more level headed..The charming guy who can turn lethal when needed. He is the loyal friend but Riley is testing his loyalty. He slowly gets addicted to her too but he also knows Ridge won't take it easy. He is taking a lot of risk as Guardian trying to protect Riley and Ridge. And then there is Lev. This guy scares me sometimes. Intense. Ruthless. Emotionally detached. Dark. He has too many demons to handle. The suspense in this book is crazy. It proceeds at a break neck speed and I stopped breathing frequently. This whole dynamics of these complexly layered characters mixed with the twists of secret society, drama of college and action packed moments. The sexy time was definitely there but it was all about building the characters and their emotional sides. I will wait for the next book not so patiently.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily -
1 Star ★
Things I did not like:
1. The Society. There is this secret organization who is recruiting young males into organized crime of sorts. This whole topic feels so played out. I’m kind of tired of reading about them. “The Society—The Blue Bloods—is comprised of different delegations meant to serve, protect, and honor our members. My family comes from a long line of Guardians—protectors, or watchers, rather—and it’s in my blood to monitor all members and report any undue findings to The Elders.”
2. This guy, Ridge sees Riley and falls for her to the point of obsession from just one look. He’s already devoting his life to owning her and keeping her…blah blah blah… and best part, he’s calling her ‘his girl’ and he hasn’t even spoken to her yet. “I’ve gotta stop doing this shit. Gotta quit watching her because it only makes me crazier. I fear one day, I’ll snap if I can’t have her. Be it my mind or her neck, something will break if she isn’t mine”
3. These names…Ridge, Scar, Crew, Jagger, Neo, Octavio … oh goodness (me shaking my head)
4. Possessive alpha male is not what I would call Ridge. Psychotic, unhinged, mentally disturbed man with a toddler’s emotional state. Yep, that would be it. Despite how the author tried to portray him, I just don’t see it.
5. The writing. It’s bad. I have never written a book but I don’t know if I tried to that it would come out this immature, complicated and frazzled. And Yes there is story, but it’s not good. Out of context these random quotes seem okay, but within the chapters of this book as a whole story it starts sounding childishly written. I mean, one scene in the beginning, Riley is drunk and is about to puke so he rushes her to the front of the bathroom line, ahead of everyone else. Sounds sweet. But then after she pukes, and tries to build conversation he just stares at her like a possessive psycho, advances towards her and puts her hand on his d!ck in his pants and again I’m shaking my head…what in the actual f….?
And when she escapes and runs away, he’s upset he didn’t just rape her on the floor….wtf?!
6. This: “It’s a smell I can never get enough of and one I stroke myself to every night. Last night, it was her underwear that I took out of her bathroom trash last week. She was just coming off her period and there was a bloodstain on them. I buried my face in those panties and came within a minute. ”
DNF. I couldn’t waste my time on this overly hyped book.
“I was certain they fucked me when I got my assignment—prepared to fail. Now, I can’t lose because it led me to this flawless girl. Even from here, I’m certain I can hear her heart beat and I’m convinced it’s beating just for me.
I know what she did. I know all her secrets, but now, they’re mine to keep. Fuck the oaths and fuck the promises. My only mission from here on out is to protect the girl who will one day be mine. ” -
Damn I really loved Bastards of Boulder Cove but this?! This book, omg, talks about unhinged psycho taken to the next level! I am glad we are following up with Riley's story, and I love that this one has more angst than the previous series. I am sorry, but I like this better than Scar's story. Scar may be a badass bish character, but Riley has potential here.
Ridge, Maddox, and Levi investigate the death of a high-profile member of the society, but what makes it interesting in this book is even if they are best friends, they keep secrets from each other. Their secrets may destroy their relationships, and it's a real page-turner cause I CANNOT stop reading because there's so much going on, and it's so much darker than the previous series so please take caution in reading this! I need book 2 stat!
If you like the unhinge, psycho, obsessed, guy who will unalive the bad men to protect the fmc - yup this is for you.
🔪Obssesive stalker MMC
🔪 Secret Society
🔪Touch her, and you'll die
🔪 Why choose romance
🔪 Unhinge AF men
Rating 5/5
Spice 2/5 -
"Sometimes we need a little pain to remind us we can feel in the first place."
Wow! Rachel Leigh does it again! There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors. We Will Reign is absolute perfection.
I love that we get glimpses of Scar and her guys throughout this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship between Scar and Riley and cannot wait to see more of their friendship.
The triangle between Maddox, Riley, and Ridge is on another level. Those boys are possessive(specifically Ridge), and I love how they're both so intuned to Riley.
Not only is this book steamy, but the storyline is so entertaining! The impending danger Riley faces left me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.
Not much is certain in Riley's life, and her feelings for Maddox and Ridge confuse her. But one thing is for sure, her guys may believe she's no longer in danger, but she is now facing the most dangerous situation yet. -
there was so much about this book i disliked. ridge is soooooo delusional and says the cheesiest things over a girl that he barely knew and couldn’t even talk to. i’ve come to the conclusion that if i’m reading a why choose it already needs to be established and okay with the boys that they’re sharing bc i’m over the whole jealousy thing when this is supposed to be a why choose and everyone’s okay with sharing. it just felt like 2 guys fighting over one girl and then some random guy who hates the girl and adds nothing to the book. also idk why but i thought it was so weird how riley’s bff also was in her own why choose and had multiple bf’s? their relationship was more “why choose” than the actual main characters lol.
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Wow! This book was incredible. It sucked me in and by the end I was cursing my kindle that it was over! I NEED to know what happens next. Where can I sign up for an over protective hot stalker? The characters were fun and mysterious, there’s a secret society, stalkers, murder, and of course black mail. Yes please!!
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So far, this book has been more Stalker and less Bully because one character in particular has become enamored with out FMC
Ridge!!! My Crazy Little Psycho, this guy is next level and I love/hate him.
He wears his heart on his sleeve and is obsessed with our FMC, honestly, I can't decide if it was just the right place right time kind of love or actual fated mates' kind. I really don't think our FMC has done anything to deserve this level of dedication, although I could also say she hasn't done anything to deserve this level of crazy stalker in her life.
Maddox is our next MMC and he's kind of the oddball out among the guys because he's so normal, he's the all-American sweetheart, good looks, smart, kind, comes from a nice family. How he ended up with a lifetime bond to two guys who would normally have spent their childhoods in and out of Juvie is beyond me but it makes for an interesting dynamic.
Lev, this is going to be our biggest trouble maker I can just feel it. He's the only one of the guys that's remotely bullied the FMC and from what he says to her, he thinks she's using the guys and doesn't want her anywhere near them. But the thing about Lev is he has a condition that makes it so he doesn't understand his feelings, the only feeling he can recognize is anger and that's the one that always presents itself. I think he's kind of like a little kid who pulls a girl's pigtails because he likes her, he might have feelings for the FMC but he only knows how to recognize anger so his emptions come out as bulling her.
The story is also getting intriguing, with lots of mystery and stabbing! -
I really love how this author writes a why choose college dark romance series so I was very excited to read this book, and this did not dissapointed. It was just so full of action and drama and it was so fun to read.
I adored the stalkerish, possessive and obsessive vibes in this book so much. I just loved everything that this book had to offer me in terms of romance.
This was just the perfect start to the series and i’m so excited to keep reading it to see where things go. -
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG:
ABSTRACT BOOKS
Star Rating : 4 / 5 Stars
POV : Multiple
Cliffhanger : Yes
Hero : Maddox, Lev , Ridge
Heroine : Riley
Pace of the story : Moderate
Angst Rating : 5/10
Heat Rating : 5/10
Triggers Involved : High school bully, trauma
Overall Opinion :
Rachel Leigh is back with another hit! I am so addicted to this woman's dark romances and never miss a chance to read a dark high school romance by her. She is just that good. I signed up for this one as soon as I saw it because it checks all the genres that I love like dark romances , second chances , revenge and so much more. Not to mention some amazing betrayal and angst as well.
Thus is the first book of an upcoming series by this author and was more of an introductory book. I loved it nonetheless and the ending had me all shocked. Now I can't wait for the next book! Definitely recommending this one to all the dark romance loving people out there!
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I devoured We Will Reign in one sitting; this book checks all the boxes and so much more. Yes, this is a slow burn, but this is why we love Rachel's books; she does them so freaking well with tons of angst. Ahh, I love her writing.
𝐼 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔. 𝐼'𝓂 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝓊𝓅. 𝐵𝓊𝓉 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜 𝒸𝓇𝒶𝓏𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈. 𝒜𝓃𝒹 𝐼, 𝑅𝒾𝒹𝑔𝑒 𝐹𝑜𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇, 𝒶𝓂 𝓂𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝑅𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒞𝓇𝑜𝓈𝓈.
I loved the Bastards of Boulder Cove series, so I'm thrilled to see Scar and her guys in The Wicked Boys of BCU. I'm really enjoying Scar and Riley's friendship; they have a special bond that I can't wait to see developed further in this series.
Can we talk about Ridge?! Wow, talk about a freaking crazy, unhinged psycho stalker, but I am so into him, he is my favorite! How can you not love this guy? He loves her HARD and isn't afraid to let her know it.
𝑅𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒞𝓇𝑜𝓈𝓈 𝒾𝓈 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝒹𝓇𝓊𝑔, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝐼𝒻 𝐼 𝒸𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓎 𝑜𝒻 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽, 𝐼'𝒹 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝑜𝓈𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓇. 𝐼'𝒹 𝓇𝒾𝓅 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒾𝒻 𝒾𝓉 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒶 𝓈𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇.
He has Riley spinning; she doesn't know whether she should be into this or be completely scared of this lunatic, but she starts to come around, and OH MY GOD I love them already!
Maddox and Lev are still a mystery to me, so I need to learn more about them to know where I stand with them, but I already know Lev is going to cause trouble, I mean, he's unhinged too, and it'll be so much fun watching their relationship develop.
𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁𝓈 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝑒𝒸𝓉 𝑜𝓃 𝒶 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝓁𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓁 𝒶𝓈 𝐼 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝒹𝓈 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓁.
The twists and turns, as well as the suspense and mystery, in this series, has me eager to read You Will Bow. Rachel, you ALWAYS know how to keep my attention with your books, and I can't wait to see where this series goes. -
This is the first book of the planned trilogy: Wicked boys of BCU. It is a why choose dark college romance, told in 1st person and you get multi povs.
I really wanted to like this, but I have to admit that I felt quite the opposite.
First, this felt more like a love triangle than a why choose, and it was very uncomfortable. The following books will probably bring it more into a why choose dynamic, but it didn't give it in this first installment.
Then, I disliked the FMC very much. The way she acted between the two guys made her very unlikable in my opinion. And her character made no sense to me, she kept changing opinions and feelings without us understanding why. Some things about her felt cringy to me.
There is a previous series in this world and I'm wondering if it would have been preferable for me to read it before this one, because there are things like the "Society" that I didn't completely understand.
The pace was on the faster side. Which can be a good thing, although for me it brought some less enjoyable aspects: The story started a bit fast for me and we didn't get to know the characters before things started happening, which made it hard for us to connect with them and really feel and understand their evolution. There were also some elements of insta-love, which is not my favorite pace for a romance.
Also, the interactions between the characters felt weird to me, they weren't flowing or natural.
It seemed like some of the drama or obstacles were forced and didn't need to be there.
One of the MMC was supposed to feel like a hot psycho, but sadly he felt creepy and deranged.
Lastly, there was a scene in the book were I felt betrayed as a reader of a dark romance. Not in my involvement in the story but as a reader specifically. I can't explain further without spoiling anything, but it's as if the dark went to another level and I was not vibing with it. Although, we can also see this as daring and innovative from the author.
On the positive side, I did love that one of the character had a kind of "weakness". And if you want something dark and twisted, you'll be served. It's usually my thing, but it didn't work for me here.
As for the trigger warnings, it's always to be considered and verified with dark romances. There is for instance some dub-con situations between the MCs, but please check the author's note for the full list. -
Oh my god… what a rollercoaster fucking start to the BCU series. I have so many thoughts. Review to come tomorrow!!
I am so happy to be back in the Bastards universe! This first book in the BCU series packed a punch and has set a pace I am really excited for.
“Riley isn’t the type of storm you run from; she’s the storm you chase.”
This first book follows Riley (Scar’s best friend), and 3 new boys: Ridge, Maddox and Lev. Riley is fierce as ever, but battling some deep shit after last year (iykyk). In comes Ridge, who’s got Zaddy vibes and is always watching her. He’s got a lot of layers and we only get a glimpse at them in this first book so I am excited to see him evolve. Maddox is his lifelong bff/brother of Ridge, but he’s loyal to a fault and a big softy. I love him endlessly. Lev is a twat, but I see Neo level character arc potential in him. If Rachel can do anything it’s convince us to love him.
“Weed out those members who have fucked us all. Only then will we, the good ones, truly reign.”
This first book lays out quite the mystery, extending a lot of the plot from Bastards of Boulder Cove. I feel like I stepped seamlessly into Riley and Scar’s freshman year and it’s such a treat. This is all I’m going to say to wrap up this amazing first book in the BCU universe. I can’t wait for May to read book 2!
“She’s the sun and the rain, and the stars and the moon. She’s classic novels and horror movies. Song lyrics and music notes.”
Thank you so much Rachel for the arc, I am honored to be on your arc team and so happy to be back with your characters! -
Jaw dropping 😍
I love being back in this world that is focusing on Riley who is just adorable!! I love seeing Scar and her guys in this book too!
The Secrets, lies and hidden truths will leave you on the edge of your seat and needing answers! The slow burn and chemistry honestly builds beautifully.
I *yes* friggin LOVEE Ridge, the possessiveness, the need to be around her, but also i feel his raw emotional broken side is captured in way you'll want Ridge all for yourself.
𝙍𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙧𝙪𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧.
Maddox, he is unbelievably sweet and honestly has the kindest soul. I feel we've only just touched the surface with Maddox so excited to see more!
Add in Lev who I'm so unsure off and i know Rachel will spill his story as we go on, i hope!🙏
I absolutely love how Rach captures love and solid friendships, this enables you as reader to really connect with the characters!
𝙃𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨—𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙤𝙭 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙚𝙫— 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙤𝙤. 𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚’𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙨, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚.
Riley doesn't know what awaits her. This series is brilliant and a fabulous opening to this series. -
i don’t even know what to say
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wish i could go back in time to when i didn't read this book. Horrendous really.
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Espero no ser ni haber sido nunca tan insoportable como Riley.
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I know what she did. I know all her secrets, but now they’re mine to keep. F*ck the oath and f*ck the promises. My only mission from here on out is to protect the girl who will one day be mine.
We Will Reign was a one-sitting read for me (as in, I was up way past a reasonable hour, reading with blurry eyes because I couldn’t put it down, so maybe not the best one to start right before going to bed). I was immediately pulled in by the mysterious machinations of The Society, which controls the lives of nearly every person on the BCU campus. The plot twists, the weight of the characters’ emotional toll from keeping secrets, and the need to discover what happened next kept the pages turning.
I was simultaneously appalled at and enthralled by the twisted mind of Ridge as he obsessed over Riley. Riley, the girl of his dreams, who also happened to be the primary suspect in his investigation, his task from The Society. I cheered on his protective nature more than once and even thought how sweet it would be to have someone who loved me that much, as intense, overwhelming, and all-encompassing as it is.
Riley was a great FMC. She’s just another pawn in The Society’s game and finds herself caught in a predator’s web once she catches Ridge’s eye. Instead of caving, she shows her backbone, protecting her secrets the entire time. Secrets that threaten her life and the lives of her friends.
The harem is slow-building, with only Ridge and pretty-boy Maddox vying for Riley’s attention here, but hints of a future hate-to-love relationship with Lev are sprinkled throughout. The steam is appropriate for a slow/medium burn romance with a virgin FMC. Ridge has some possessive dirty-talking skills that are smoking hot!
I loved this introduction to Riley and the men who are caught in her thrall. I cannot wait for the next book!
⚠️ There is content that is potentially ⓣⓡⓘⓖⓖⓔⓡⓘⓝⓖ to readers. Please view the author’s note before reading for TW/CW.
*** I did not read the Bastards of Boulder Cove series prior to starting We Will Reign. It is recommended to read those first, as there is some character and plot overlap, and Riley is introduced in the earlier series, but I was able to start here without any issues. I intend to go back and read the earlier series, as I was intrigued by the side characters and want to get to know them better. *** -
Tropes:
Why choose
dark romance
College setting
Secret society
Clearly I need to go back and read Scars books because I HAVE to know! Isn’t not required to read the series to read this one, but I’m low key obsessed with the writing style, and NEED to know all about her and her men.
This book follows Riley, who had to do something pretty brutal, and it’s haunted her since. The bright side is only Riley and her friends know, and they’d never betray her…
Within the Secret Society, Ridge, Maddox, and Lev three best friends are trying to take over from within. When Ridge becomes obsessed with his job aka Riley, things start to change.
The plot of this book had me Immediately hooked! The “who done it” aspect kept me guessing, and I honestly love books I can’t predict. It’s more a slow burn on the spice, but the steam leading up is HOT. I simply can not wait for book two… I need more!
🖤Quotes🖤
“I’d never hurt you. I’d allow myself to bleed out before letting any pain come to you.”
“You are the only star in my sky, Angel. Guess I never realized you were also shining in someone else’s.”
“You’ve moved me, Angel. You’ve woken something inside my soul and now it will never rest again.”
