One-Eighty by Marie James is LIVE and FREE in KU! Get ready to fall in love with your next book boyfriend!
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Blurb
He loves what he can’t remember —she can’t forget the truth…
PIPER
Arrogant, controlling, and an absolute jerk.
He’s everything I loathe, and everything I want to forget.
But he doesn’t remember a bit of it.
One accident, one misstep, changed everything.
Changed him.
Now, he’s different and unbelievably sexy.
But I refuse to fall for a bully.
DALTON
Sexy, smart, feisty, and perfect.
She’s everything I want, and nothing that I remember.
What she says I am, I refuse to believe.
For her, I will be anything.
I will do anything.
Even destroy the bully from before.
A standalone enemies-to-lovers romance.
Review
4 stars
This is such a great read! An intense, dramatic and emotional YA bully romance with a difference, when the arrogant, merciless bully loses his memory and falls for the girl he has spent his life tormenting. I was sucked in from the very beginning and I loved this one.
Dalton has made it his mission in life to make his neighbour, Piper, miserable. It all started in kindergarten and has continued over the years and is now completely ingrained into who Dalton is, and his role in the school hierarchy. For years Piper has been tormented by Dalton, and by those seeking his approval, and though she suffers, she has learned to live with it and is biding her time until high school finishes and she can get the hell away from everybody who has made her life hell.
But one night changes everything. An accident results in Dalton losing his memory, wiping everything but his very early childhood, and as he tries to re-learn his life and his place amongst his family and friends, it quickly becomes apparent that he’s not the same boy he used to be. And it’s Piper that he reacts to the strongest when he takes one look at her and is completely smitten.
“Fuck,” he mumbles when he breathes me in for a second time. “Please tell me you’re mine.”
Of course Piper is stunned by Dalton’s abrupt change. He makes it clear that he’s after her and his earnest pursuit understandably terrifies and confuses her. She wants nothing to do with him, he wants nothing but her. It’s a difficult situation and Dalton has his work cut out for him to win over the girl he has hurt so badly.
“Tell me what I can do, and I’ll do it. I know it’s going to take time, but please promise me that you’ll at least try. Give me a chance, baby, and I’ll prove to you that I’m worth it.”
It’s such a good set-up, and this book had me absolutely captivated. Written in dual POVs we see Dalton’s horrendous cruelty to Piper, and understand its impact on her. We see his confusion and disgust as he comes to realise the boy he used to be, and his struggle to accept his past behaviour and to convince those around him that he has changed. Especially Piper, who wants so badly to believe in Dalton, but who is completely justified in her reluctance to trust him after all he has put her through. It’s an emotional ride, and I was feeling everything right along with them.
“I won’t ever trust you.” Tears well on her lower lashes, but she takes another step back when I reach up to swipe them away. “When you get your memories back, it’ll only make things ten times worse.”
“I don’t want my memories back. I don’t want to be that guy. I can’t be the guy who avoids his family, keeps crappy friends, and is mean to pretty girls. My memories won’t matter because I’ll never forget how I feel when I’m close to you.”
The love story is so sweet. Very fast moving with the intensity of feelings, but I went with it, and I got swept up in the thrill of first love. It takes some work, but they reach the point where they laugh, tease, banter and touch, and it was so, so beautiful to see! Their openness is fantastic, and I love how honest they are with each other. Their situation is complicated though, and they have more hurdles and heartache to deal with as they figure it all out, but thankfully the drama and angst is handled really well and the story ends well.
This is my first read by Marie James, and I loved her writing. She sucked me in and had me feeling all the feels, and that’s just the way I like it. This book is a strong start to the Westover Prep series, introducing us to a world of cliques, bullies and the usual high school drama. Though this book is very much focussed on Dalton and Piper, we still get to see the main players and get a good feel for the dynamics at play. I’m excited to continue on with Piper’s best friend, Frankie’s, story up next in Catch Twenty-Two.
Such a great read. 4 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Westover Prep
Giveaway
The author is giving away a signed hardback, a $25 amazon gift card, a kindle fire 7, a journal and a Victoria secret fragrance set.
Open US only.
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About the Author
Marie James is a USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance. She’s book boyfriend crazy, the mother of two rowdy boys, and a wife of 15+ years. She’s obsessed with tacos, otters, and FunCo Pops figures. Born, raised, and still living in central Texas, Marie spends most of her time locked away writing and reading.
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