Very Bad Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Synopsis:
Born into a life of privilege and secrets, Nora Blakely has everything any nineteen-year-old girl could desire. She’s an accomplished pianist, a Texas beauty queen, and on her way to Princeton after high school. She’s perfect…
Leaving behind her million dollar mansion and Jimmy Choos, she becomes a girl hell-bent on pushing the limits with alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex.
Then she meets her soulmate. But he doesn’t want her.
When it comes to girls, twenty-five-year old Leo Tate has one rule: never fall in love. His gym and his brother are all he cares about…until he meets Nora. He resists the pull of their attraction, hung up on their six year age difference.
As they struggle to stay away from each other, secrets will be revealed, tempers will flare, and hearts will be broken.
Welcome to Briarcrest Academy…where sometimes, the best things in life are
Very Bad Things.


Clare's Review:
I devoured this book!! I loved every minute of it's heart wrenchingness (it's a word, stop it autocorrect). It made my stomach and heart hurt, but it also made me laugh and love.
It's set in Highland Park in Texas. I should let it be known that I'm from outside of Dallas. Not Highland Park, but my high school kicked their ass in football every year. So you should know that the book is pretty darn accurate in its setting and I enjoyed it immensely!
Nora is a perfect daughter and student from a very imperfect family. She has horrible skeletons in her closet and she finally decides to rebel. But there is a price and her emotional scars run deep. When she meets Leo and Sebastian, two orphaned brothers, she finds that family does not need to be related by blood. She quickly falls for Leo (who wouldn't?), but he has his own fears of love and loss to overcome before he can let her in.
Nora is a such a strong character and I have such respect for her throughout the story. She has a quirky, self-deprecating humor, she's smart, sassy, and manages to retain most of her self respect against all odds.
Leo is hot and caring and, as Sebastian's guardian, has this sexy responsibility factor. But he's had a lot on his plate from a young age and isn't interested in any deep relationships. He NEEDS Nora! Kinda hard to whine about not moving forward when you see this chick working it out!
A fun, inspirational, and lust driven read, beautifully written! Five stars!

Melissa's Review:
Very Bad Things pretty much sucked me right from the beginning.
Perfect girl from a from perfect family living the perfect life...yeah right!
Nora may appear all these things from the outside but on the inside she is a lost, damaged and fearful soul.

Leo is simply in attendance of the schools program because his brother Sebastian is his world and he proves that by raising him after their parents passed away when they were younger. But when Nora stands and gives the speech of a lifetime ( I'm talking Emmy awards shit here!) at her prestigious private school, Leo is blown away. He knows he should never get involved with a girl as young as Nora but fate will just not hear of it!

Nora hates her life...plain and simple. She hates her parents, her school and the idea of what she is expected to be. She makes a list of all the things she plans to do to change her hated image and plans to stick to it...until Leo enters her life and throws that list out the window with his own ideas. Leo struggles with his own plans and fights his own demons. Nora struggles with hers and they struggle together.

In the end...VERY BAD THINGS happen and it is all worth it!

This is a must read for everyone!!! It sucks you in, pulls you apart at the seams and puts you back together again. I felt every emotion under the sun with this book and I know you will too!

Definitely a 4 star read!



Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Very-Things-Briarcrest-Academy-ebook/dp/B00F225YK2/ref=zg_bs_6487838011_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/356361
Barnes and Noble and Apple and Kobo to come.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7059622.Ilsa_Madden_Mills
Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue0eLwXXpdc



About Ilsa:
Ilsa Madden-Mills is a loving wife and mother, a loyal friend, and a teacher. When all that is done, she writes. Obsessively.

She spends her days with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels.

When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash.

She loves to hear from from fans and fellow authors. Check her out on Facebook or her author website.

Where to creep on her:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorilsamaddenmills
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ilsamaddenmills
Author Website: http://www.ilsamaddenmills.com

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