Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost!: Release Launch, Review and Giveaway for Very Wicked Things (Briarcrest Academy #2) by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Because Ilsa

Madden-Mills fell in love with her beautifully flawed characters in

Very Wicked Things, she penned Very Wicked Beginnings as a prequel

novella to the book, featuring the story of football star Cuba Hudson and

ballerina Dovey Beckham.

Since May is Mental

Health Awareness Month, all May proceeds from the sale of the novella will be

donated to

The

Keith Milano Memorial Fund which benefits the American Foundation for Suicide

Prevention (AFSP).

www.afsp.org

Title: Very Wicked

Beginnings

Series: Briarcrest Academy #1.5, a prequel novella to Very Wicked Things

Release: May 13^th

Author: Ilsa Madden-Mills

Cover: Photography by

Toski Covey

Graphics: Sommer

Stein at Perfect Pear Creative Covers

Model: Tanner Belcher

A Prequel Novella

All May proceeds will be donated to the Keith Milano Memorial Fund for Suicide Prevention...

Girls say I’m a walking, talking sex god. Guys call me Hollywood because my life is golden.

It’s not.

But, ESPN did rank me as a four-star recruit, calling me one of the best defensive players since Briarcrest Academy opened its esteemed doors. So yeah, with football and a stellar GPA, my future seemed good.

Then Dovey Beckham shows up in her short skirts and ballet shoes. Driving me insane. Making me want to beg for her attention.

But that wouldn’t happen, because Cuba Hudson didn’t beg for
anything.

She walked around BA like she owned the place, and most days she looked right through me…the one girl I couldn’t have.
So, of course, I made it my mission to claim her, to put her notch on my bedpost.

Because no girl can resist the Heartbreaker of BA.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where wicked love begins…and ends.

Charity Information:

The Keith

Milano Memorial Fund was established to help raise awareness about the

devastating and deadly disease that is mental illness. Keith’s spirit and

laughter is kept alive through our efforts to increase awareness about mental

illness and to raise money for education and imperative research. Keith often

struggled with society’s perception of mental illness. Our hope is that

by having the strength to say that Keith was “Bipolar” we can strip away the

stigma and help others to be more open about their disease.

www.keithmilano.org

The Keith

Milano Memorial Fund benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

(AFSP).

www.afsp.org

AFSP is the only national

not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and

preventing suicide through research and education, and to reaching out to

people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide.

Very Wicked Beginnings

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Very Wicked Things

(Briarcrest Academy#2)

Ballerina Dovey

Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove

she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes

to succeed in her endgame, even if it means surrendering her body but never her

heart.

Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart

all her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might

just shatter.

Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a

star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives

the high-life, hiding his secrets from the world.

Until the day he meets her, and she offers him

something he’s never tasted…love.

But once in a lifetime kind of love doesn’t come

easy…especially when dirty money, past sins, and old flames threaten the very

fabric of their lives.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where sometimes, only the wicked survive.

REVIEW may contain mature content reader discretion is advised.
4.5 STARS out of 5
Genre: New Adult Romance
Full Review Posted on 5-8-14

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photo VWTCOLLAGEFINALPIC1_zps137296a1.jpg

Cuba Hudson is famously nicknamed Hollywood by his class mates at Briarcrest Academy. His friends all think that his life is 'perfect' They have no clue. Cuba’s dream is to help people by becoming a doctor; he loves football and is well known for his position on the field. He’s all smiles and a big flirt at school yet it’s all a facade. The real Cuba lives with guilt, regret and pain and it runs deep.

NOTE: If you’ve not read the prequel to this story I highly suggest you do. I do not think you should read Very Wicked Things without reading Very Wicked Beginnings.

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“Everyone says you’re pretty good on the field. That no quarterback is safe.” -Dovey

A Very Wicked Beginning:

Cuba is out on the football field when he looks up and spots a girl in a window performing a ballet piece. It’s the day his life takes a turn in a direction he never expected it to take. Cuba finds himself falling for a girl he does not even know. He’s positive that she does not run in his circle of friends. Still, he’s sure that he has most likely seen her before yet never acknowledged her presence.

‘Cuba was part of the beautiful people. I wasn’t.’ -Dovey

Dovey Beckham is attending Briarcrest Academy on a scholarship. Unlike the other students Dovey does not have wealthy parents; she does not live in a big fancy house or have tons of money at her disposal. No, Dovey has fought and earned her place as a ballerina at Briarcrest. As a matter of fact Dovey has been fighting her whole life just to survive.

‘Cuba Hudson, the hottest, richest, most popular guy on campus looked as broken as I felt.’ -Dovey

As I hinted at before Cuba’s home life is far from perfect. It’s more like a slow deteriorating..crumbling to the ground on which it once stood brick wall.
Cuba saw something in Dovey that day through the window of the ballet studio and he begins his quest to get her to agree to go out with him. She’s not really feeling it though and could care less about who he is. It takes some coaxing but Dovey finally gives in to him only to have her heart broken.

Cuba turns in to king of the assholes and I did not really like him for a minute there. I felt for Dovey, I truly did. He was a complete douche and it hurts. Then Dovey spots him, catches the look on his face and realizes that there is more to it then she may have thought.

Unfortunately that concern she felt towards him only lasts but a split second before she goes back to hating him with a passion all over again.

But does she really hate Cuba? I think not, home girl is ANGRY.

And Cuba? Well he seems to be in denial.

Dovey represents love and hope, something Cuba lacks but in her he sees it clear as day and believes it to be attainable.

‘ Between the day we’d met and today, we’d been irrevocably changed, altered into adults before our time.’ -Dovey

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My Sweet and Sour

My Sweet- The Porsche, Dovey and Cuba in the front seat. No other words necessary!

My Sour- The scenes when Cuba is not being nice to Dovey :(

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My Thoughts
I fell hard for these two. Both Dovey and Cuba are very realistic characters that make mistakes and react to situations in a way that only a 17 and/or an 18 year old would..Thinking you have no choices, no resources and no one to really count on. Yeah, that freaking sucks. I found it gripping how these two are seemingly opposites...were Cuba gave up and became numb to his feelings Dovey fought and refused to not feel anything. Instead she took what she felt and used it. Overall, the story was intense, at times sad, undoubtedly stirring and written very well.

My Rating and Why
4.5 STARS! I loved it! The story was emotional and filled with plenty of up’s and down’s. The writing is good. Ilsa Madden-Mills was not scared to take risks with her characters and I admire that in an author. It also makes a sub plot twist 10 times more interesting when an author takes such risks.

My Ratings
Characters- Lovable
Writing Style- Favorable
Plot/Storyline- Girl meets rich boy and denies him, he pushes for her to give him a chance only to break her heart because he is hurt and he fears love
Steam Factor- Medium/Steamy On a scale of 1-10 I say 6.5
Entertainment Level- From Lo-Med-Hi I say Medium, I was engrossed in the story
Overall- I loved it!
My Recommendation : READ THE BOOK!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it!

* Copy kindly provided by the author for an honest review*

I got out of the shower and dressed hurriedly, anxious to get back to Cuba.

The door opened, and like he did it every single day, he stepped inside the steamy bathroom.

“Think I need a shower, too,” he said, his fingers easing off his football practice shirt.

What? Now?

Trying to play it cool and failing miserably, I moved my eyes off his naked chest and checked out his track pants and the obvious bulge he sported.

Oh. Did his lower body match the rest of him? Was it all sinewy muscle and big?

Just, yeah. That thought got stuck in my head and went round and round.

“You staying?” he asked, a grin working his face. Pleased at my open admiration, probably.

“No,” I said, but made no move to go. ‘Cause I had no shame when it came to catching a glimpse of his muscular body.

“Good,” he said, his smile broadening.

He pivoted to turn on the shower, and my eyes betrayed me again, admiring the muscles in his back, checking out how they twitched and rippled when he moved. Football and rowing had been good to him. My fingers itched to know how they’d feel underneath my hands. Which was stupid because we had nothing in common. Not a rich Highland Park boy and a poor girl from Ratcliffe.

And most importantly, he was a player, not to be trusted.

He hooked his thumbs into his pants, paused a moment—maybe waiting to see if I’d run from the room?—but when I didn’t budge, he slid them and his underwear off. My mouth opened. Cuba Hudson, the most popular guy at Briarcrest was standing right in front of me, naked and beautiful. And like the cocky bastard he was, he posed for me, his big-ass biceps and chiseled abs making me vibrate all over. Need for him slammed into me.

Did I say he was hot?

Well, I was wrong.

He was off-the-charts, no-holds-barred, freaking going make-me-lose-my-mind-right-there delicious. The ultimate man-candy, the kind I knew to stay away from, yet here I was, ogling him.

“Still leaving?” he asked huskily.

“Any minute,” I said in a weak voice, backing up to the wall and propping myself up. “Just chillin’. Shower wore me out. I might need to hold this wall up for a sec.”

“I want you to stay,” he said, eyes at half-mast, glowing with heat.

“Why?” I said, aching to touch him. But that was crazy. I was a virgin, and I didn’t know jack about touching a guy’s you-know-what.

“Look at me, Dovey.”

I tore my eyes from his manhood, blushing.

His eyes burned. “There’s a sense of urgency in my head. Like our time is limited.”

I nodded. Yeah, same here.

“And, I’ll be honest, I don’t want to rush you, but I’m dying to sink into you. I want to set you on fire with need for me.” He ghosted his hands over the steel rod between his legs. Once, twice, and—holy shizzle, he didn’t stop.

My chest rose faster and faster, and I tried to chill-out, but I couldn’t.

He lowered his voice. “Kiss me again, Dovey.”

Oh. “That’s a terrible idea, Cuba. Cause you’re naked, and I’m turned on because you’re naked. And you’re touching yourself. And you’re naked.” I sucked in a sharp breath. “Not a good combo. Odds are we’ll end up in that shower together or back in your bed doing the double-backed monster.”

“Then join me in the shower. I’ll be good. For you.” He arched his back, his hands still doing that back and forth that was driving me insane.

Liar, liar, pants on fire, I thought. No way he would he be good.

Because he was the Heartbreaker of Briarcrest Academy. And one wicked boy.

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