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π‘Ίπ’π’Žπ’† π’“π’Šπ’—π’‚π’π’” 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒐 π’šπ’π’–π’“ 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕... 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 π‘―π’Šπ’ˆπ’‰ 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍.β €
β €
Here’s the 411 about high schoolβ€”well, at least for my high school, Clintwood Academy.β €
β €
πŸ’‹It’s a fucking warzone.β €
πŸ’‹Everyone has a grudge against someone else. β €
πŸ’‹It’s the breeding ground for losers, jealous broken-hearted girls, and acne covered fools with zero game.β €
πŸ’‹The disgustingly rich kids are vile, vindictive, popular, and the mecca of a social life worth a damn.β €
πŸ’‹Lastly, high school is simply survival of the fittest.β €
β €
And I was the fittest of them all. Once.β €
β €
Once, before I set up to take the fall for an attempted murder of one of the Fitz brothers, the golden boys of St. Jude High, our sworn rival enemy.β €
β €
Before I was played for a kiss and it worked. β €
β €
Now, the Fitz brothers hate me.β €
They suspect me.β €
They want to destroy me.β €
They know everything about me, and I hate them for it.β €
β €
And now, we’ll all be living together, like one big, happy step-family. With secrets brimming, hatred festering, and other feelings I have no business having for my step-cousin-brothers or whatever, haunting me night and day.β €
β €
Now, let’s kiss and be forever rivals…⠀

426 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2020

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About the author

Thandiwe Mpofu

19Β books1,370Β followers
Thandie is a simple millennial who’s just trying to make avocado toast at two am and finish the next novel that she hopes you’ll fall in love with all while she tries to secure her entire life in one go.

But these are all lies! She really spends an insane amount of time on Instagram, stalking Beyonce for the next album release which she swears might drop at anytime. Sorry to that lady.

Stalker much?

Join Thandie's Spitfires on Facebook here: http://bit.ly/30zYBUQ_FB
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Website: https://www.authorthandiempofu.com/
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5 stars
613 (52%)
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335 (28%)
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146 (12%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 222 reviews
August 5, 2020
az

DEVIOUS KISSES: is the first full length enemies to romance book in the series 'It's just highschool', by Thandiwe Mpofu. Spoken in 'Dual Perspectives.'

This is Mia and Julian's story and what a story it is..She's the daughter of a prima ballerina and he's one of the golden boys of St. Jude High.

I held off for as long as I could before jumping into this!! A perfect winters day book where all the angst warmed my cold stone heart! Everything the author promised us, she delivered, exactly how an enemies to lovers book should unfold! Nothing could've prepared me for all the high school drama this author was going to throw my way.

It all started when they encountered the other during subsequent hospital visits, she was visiting her mother, he was visiting his older brother, leading to a first kiss that had consequences, everything about Julian's brother was all mean't to be hush hush, until Mia was cornered by tabloid vultures and she lets it slip why he was there, who he was visiting, which was the tipping point for a domino effect.

Every hate filled thought Julian had led back to that moment, fuelling his need for revenge. Allowing him to bide his time eagerly awaiting for the right moment to strike.

m

Their hatred fuelled too and fro comments set my angsty heart on fire
Throw in all that highschool drama and my soul was singing from the roof tops, I breathe for books like this, those stabby angsty feels came at me full throttle. Twists and turns had the perfect whip lash effect. Add in their hated chemistry and I was hooked. Their unwanted attraction simmering away in the background. Pure Perfection.

Mia is barely holding her head above water, so much on her shoulders, friends and foes wanting to take down her throne.

This author nailed it with this book, the angst, the feels, the emotions that raced through my bloodstream is why this author became a fixation of mine.


Profile Image for NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books}.
1,415 reviews85 followers
October 28, 2020
***5 "Little Minx!!!" stars***



"There is some kiss we want with our whole lives." -Rumi
(In this book, they'd rather die than admit this.)


The truth is that i was holding myself with teeth and nails to not read this story sooner, cause my life was kind of a mess and i wanted to enjoy it as much as possible...
Thandiwe had stolen my heart with her Westbroke Blues series and honestly, I didn't know how this new book could compare to that one, but hell, this girl knows how to write beautiful, complicated and antsy as hell stories!!!
You are not ready for this book and the school drama that is happening in here!!!

"A kiss does more than tell you how a person feels about you. It shows you that no matter what, those feels might take you out if you let them, and that kisses like sickness and diseases, are deadly."

Well, everything started with two young children who met for the very first time on the hospital... They were there for different reasons, but something brought them on each other's way...
A deep connection and a first kiss that led to unexpected results and from that moment these two are enemies and Mia is watching all the time behind her back...
A year later, another great mistake from Mia's part is driving Julian into an unspeakable hatred and he is starting to bind his time until the day that he will serve his revenge on the girl who messed up his mind and his family!!!

"Who is this girl and why does she look like the face of my undoing?"

"I knew that one day, the guy who took my first kiss, the one who broke my heart in two, would come for me and inevitably destroy me."


Two years later, the time has come...
Mia and Julian is about to meet again and to start destroying each other...
But things are getting even more weird when they have to live under the same roof...
She is the queen bee of her school who's been living a lie and he is the golden boy of the rival school that can have anything he wants...
They are having unfinished business between them and unwanted attraction...
And not only that but high school is a jungle!!! Literally!!!
What will happen after all??

"Her crown is broken, J. She's broken."
"Puppets break all the time, Liam... But that doesn't mean they shouldn't learn their lesson."

"There's something about bitterness coupled with lies that twists you up so much that even angry words feel like they're hurting you way more than the person they're directed to."


Well, I freakin' loved Julian and Mia...
These two were meant to be, even though they were fighting their attraction...
Their kisses and touches were devious and they had the ability to hurt and left you a blondy mess...
And still, I freakin' loved every single hurtful encounter between them...
These two made me hot and bothered all the time and I'm just craving for more!!!

"You are the architect of everything evil that lives in me, you asshole!"
"It shouldn't surprise you then."
"What?"
"The fact that you bring the worst in me."


There are many years that i left highschool behind, but damn me... In here, while i was witnessing all the madness that had taken place inside the walls of school, i was beyond frustrated...
God, are they for real? i was wondering all the damn time... Lol!!! Pure madness, I'm telling you!!!
Also, the lies and secrets in here were making me antsy in a strange way...
I just couldn't get enough!!!

"Being a bitch is part of who you are, isn't it? You don't care who you hurt so long as you come out as the bigger bitch."

Before I leave you, I'd love to tell you that I freakin' loved Liam and Cole and I can not wait for more of them...
Also, i liked the R.A.C.K. girls very much. Yep, they were bitches, but hell, they were more logical from the rest of the people in here... Also, I'm very curious about Roxy and.... Nah! I'm not telling you shit!!!
Just read the book!!!! TRUST ME!!! You're gonna love it!!!!
Thandie has a way with words and she is a very clever storyteller... She is having the ability to get under your skin with her words. And I love the way she makes me feel!

"Is this what kisses do? Do they paralyze you to the spot and make you feel like you're floating in bliss for a perfect little moment that tastes like a piece of our forever? Or is it just him?
Profile Image for Bozena.
732 reviews19 followers
August 4, 2020
Do you like YA romances?
When you do, you have to read this book.
Thandie is the queen of high school stories.
Her books are full of drama, emotions and raw feelings.
Her characters are young people that fights their way through social life, that's a nightmare and family life that is all other than nice and cozy.
They might be young adults, but their lives is a complicated hell that makes them much older and smarter than it's good for them.
This is the first book in the "It's Just High School" series.
This book is like a detonation of events and unhappy coincidences.
It's definitely a page-turner and emotional rollercoaster from the beginning to the end.
It's one of this books that you'll not be able to put down.
Mia is a badass girl that plays the perfect Ice Queen in her school. She is emotional und physical exhausted, has more problems at home that she can bear, but the show must go on in Clintwood Academy a private school for rich kids.
I really love Mia. She is unbelievable strong, feisty and stubborn girl, that fight for her family.
Julian is the star of the St. Jude High School. He is a star athlete and from one of the richest families.
But all that is only on the surface, what happens behind closed doors no one knows.
I didn't like him at the beginning, but the longer you read the more you understand him and then it's easy to fall in love with his character.
This book is packed with so much drama, hate, secrets, lies, lust and stubbornness, it's like a hurricane.
I loved every second of it ❀
This book ends with a cliffhanger πŸ™ˆ and I can't wait for the second book!
168 reviews9 followers
August 3, 2020
If you have read and liked the β€˜Westbrook Blue’ series by this author you won’t be disappointed. In true Thandie fashion this book has everything angst, banter, so much emotions and so much drama.

description
Me πŸ‘†the whole time reading this book.

BUTTTT
At times in this book there is body shaming, making fun of someone’s pimples, crooked teeth, slapping a teacher’s ass. I wanted to rate this book less but I just couldn’t.
Profile Image for crystalz.
83 reviews9 followers
August 4, 2020


one of my guilty pleasures is reading high school bully romance filled with secrets, lies, and DRAMA. Devious Kisses served all of these and i was not prepared!

julian and mia are both complex characters. especially mia. what i like most about her is she has a freaking backbone. she wasn't a doormat type of heroine. i did like her bitchy character. she didn't let anyone walk all over her and she defended herself like how she was supposed to. but deep down her bitchy attitude is someone who's going thru a lot emotionally.. julian is your typical high school asshole, bad boy. there is definitely a lot more to him. he hated mia with a passion, but he also couldn't help but look out for her and care for her. gahhh, the hatred between the two was real and it makes the love even stronger. their love definitely ain't made of sunshine and rainbows, but fueled with fire waiting to get ignited and burst into flames.

"I kiss him like he's mine and for the first time I wonder.
Is this what kisses do? Do they paralyze you to the spot and make you feel like you're floating in bliss for a perfect little moment that tastes like a piece of our forever?"


there were a few grammatical and spelling errors throughout the book which can be a little distracting. however, still a great read overall. it was entertaining and tbh, so glad i never experienced any of this in high school lmao. but i definitely need book two ASAP!

[arc provided in exchange of honest review]
Profile Image for Keri Loves Books.
1,243 reviews192 followers
August 5, 2020
This high school, enemies to lovers romance will bring all the drama! Tensions will run high, hearts will be broken, mean girls are running rampant and the jealousy and envy runs deep among them. So deep, they are willing to kill for it.

One fateful kiss set the wheels in motion. That kiss would change their lives irrevocably.

They met when they were both at a low point. It was tense and emotionally charged. Then he kissed her and broke her with his words. As she ran off hurt, she did something that changed everything.

Julian has been plotting his revenge for years. Just biding his time to take her down. To ruin her life, like she ruined his family. He maybe cold and calculating, but he will always protect his family.

It’s been three years. Mia knows he has never forgotten. She knows his time for revenge is coming. However, her life is already crumbling around her. Her family is breaking apart and her mother is losing her own battle against her body. Her carefully crafted life is falling apart.

High school can be cruel. Mia has established herself as the queen bee. They call her the Ice Queen. She doesn’t let anyone close. She’s nice, until she feels threatened and then she will take you down mercilessly. The girl is fighting a battle at home, but at school it’s a war. She will not go down without a fight.

She has more than one enemy. Someone else must be out to get her as well, because she’s being framed for a car crash. It almost killed Julian’s brother. The evidence against her is piling up and now Julian has another reason to hate her.

This story was all about the drama. Poor Mia just had one thing after another thrown at her. Everyone around her is keeping secrets. Trusting anyone or getting close to someone is hard for her. She’ll have to form some friendships and learn to trust to find her way out of the mess she’s in.

The sexual tension between Julian and Mia is explosive. The hate runs deep, but their attraction runs deeper. They will cross that fine line and there will be no going back. Mia will have to reconcile her mistake and Julian will have to let go of the pain. They cannot deny their chemistry, fate has already decided.

Get consumed with high school all over again. This story had so much going on. So many great side characters that I cannot wait to see again. A bit of suspense to keep you wondering. Mia was no pushover. She had so much going on, but she kept fighting. Julian was the ultimate alpha protector. He loved hard. This was a great start to this new series. Going back to high school has never been hotter!!!




Profile Image for Jenifer Briggs.
1,421 reviews168 followers
July 30, 2020
This is my first read by this author, and I am just in SHOCK. I'll be the first to say that I think the bully trope is overplayed and trite, but this book is *so* much more than a bully romance. There are so many glorious layers to every one of our characters, and I couldn't helped but be pulled in.

From the very beginning, you just know this is going to be an emotional read, and boy is it ever. Julian and Mia are so young when they first meet, but have endured so much pain already in their lifetime. One kiss, two heartbreaks, and a giant mistake sets these two on a path of complete destruction that will forever chance them.

These two, for as much as they hate each other, they love one another with the same firey passion. They look out for one another even when they show each other the worst versions of themselves -- which is often, but is so honest. I also adore the relationship Mia forms with Liam and Cole. I hope we'll be getting more of them because I love them so much!!

What sets this book apart from all the other bully romances out there today is that Mia is no trembling wallflower -- this girl has a fucking backbone and then some. I wouldn't classify her as a bully/mean girl, but she definitely gives just as good as she gets, which is SUCH a relief. She never lets Julian, or anyone, walk all over her and she's always ten steps ahead of her enemies. The girl is crazy smart, and I just adore everything about her.

As for Julian, I both loved and hated him, but I still want more of him. I believe we just scratched the surface of his character, and I can't wait to delve deeper into his psyche.

I don't want to spoil the plot, especially with the way the book ends (Thandiwe is a minx herself!πŸ˜‰) but just know that you won't be able to stop reading. This is easily one of the best bully romances I have ever read!!

**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions!**
Profile Image for Irma *Irma The Book Whisperer*.
1,586 reviews128 followers
August 1, 2020
Wow! This book! All the feels!

It starts with a kiss, but then it all goes to nothing...

Mia is a perfect girl - a perfect High school leader. She's called the Ice Queen. She takes no crap from nobody, she rules the school and she eats them and spits them out. But at home, she can let her guard down and just be herself.
Julian lives for his brothers. He's constantly let down by his parents.
When their worlds collide, it's anything but pretty: angst, bullying, accusations,...
And we get even more. When the story unfolds, it's painfully obvious that school games are nothing comparing to the games grownups play. Oh, the twist and the turns. And broken hearts...

I couldn't help myself by soaking it all in. This is food for my reading soul. I feast on stories like this. Can't wait for more!
Profile Image for m.
349 reviews49 followers
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 8, 2020
books with chase mattson on the cover are automatically bad
Profile Image for K.  Ramjohn.
2,122 reviews
August 3, 2020
OMG...this story blew my mind. Devious Kisses will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride and you will not be able to put it down.. This is the first book in the new series It's Just High School and its so much more that just a high school bully romance. There's drama, lust, hate, lies, secrets and so much more. The story was detailed and well-crafted and will have you hooked from start to finish.
Thandie definitely take you on an heart wrenching journey with these complex characters and you will feel it all. I absolutely loved Mia. The fact that she was no push over made her stand out as one of my favorite heroines and the hate between her and Julian sparked some intense chemistry.
The story ends in a cliff hanger and I can't wait to see what happens next. Devious Kisses was a fantastic read and an excellent beginning to this new series. I would highly recommend it to all lovers of bully romance.
Profile Image for Amy [Book Addict Reviews].
2,299 reviews163 followers
August 2, 2020
This book blew my mind. It isn’t your typical high school bully romance. Every single character in this story has multiple layers and I still feel like there is still so much to learn about all of them.

It just took a single kiss, one devious kiss, and lives were forever changed. From the moment I started reading this book and the moment of that first kiss I knew this book would take me on an emotional journey. Mia and Julian met at low points in their lives, then she destroyed his world and he spent years plotting his revenge.

I loved Mia and Julian, even Liam and Cole. These characters will shatter you; you’ll love them, you’ll cheer for them and you’ll feel every single emotion right along with them. Mia just couldn’t catch it break at times, I felt like it was just one drama after another for her. The chemistry between Mia and Julian is EXPLOSIVE! There is so much hate between them, but their hate towards each other is the greatest form of foreplay.

Devious Kisses consumed every single inch of me the entire time I was reading it and days after finishing it I’m still trying to pick my jaw off the floor. I am ready for book two and to see how this story continues. This one is a MUST READ!
August 7, 2020
I liked the story, it started extremely slow which seemed to be due to the back story however the errors kept getting to me.
I understand each and everyone of my reviews probably needs a good edit, but I am in no rush to publish it so... no editor needed, however in this case.. it was like bam bam every other page.

Then the thing is I liked the heroine, or I wanted to like because she seemed this bad ass yet she was evil, and liar, yet left me confused and I wasn't so sure why I wanted to like her any longer.
Then once the aunt gets engaged and the secrets start revealing, flashback to "Sam, Mason and Logan and Nate". Instead of a runner, we have a ballerina. Nothing original in it whatsoever...
Profile Image for Abstract β™₯ Books.
1,203 reviews1,653 followers
August 10, 2020




ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS

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'Devious Kisses' is the first book of the 'It's just high school' series. This book is a cliffhanger and was all the flavours of heartbreaking and hot!! It is spoken in dual perspectives.

The way this author writes , I don't really know how to spell it out but she just twits me so much with her words that I feel every emotion with her characters and just get attached to them so deeply! The same was the case in Mia and Julian's story! I had been waiting for this story for such a long time and the wait was absolutely worth it, this book was the bomb!

Mia and Julian were one of the hottest couples I have ever encountered! Their chemistry was off the charts and the way they both gravitated towards each other despite the hate they had for each other was so freaking hot to witness! They both had a rough start , specially with Mia accidentally leaking some private information of Julian's to the media. From that moment Julian decided to destroy her.

The way they both fought was so marvelous. Mia wasn't the usual meek and shy girl, she fought back twice as hard making Julian confused and turned on simultaneously! I thought this book was going to be a Standalone, but the author announced at the last moment that there was going to be another book! Now I don't know whether to angry or happy. Angry because I can't wait for the next book! And happy because it is amazing that we get to see more of these characters!!! I'll definitely go with happyπŸ’—πŸ’—

This book is recommended to all the dark Romance lovers who are obsessed with themes like hate love and revenge!! This book is a must read for those!



My-Post-3
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Profile Image for Becky Rendon.
3,622 reviews78 followers
August 3, 2020
Okay, so here's the thing....I liked Devious Kisses. It was slow going in the beginning because it seems there's quite a bit of back story. But, and it's a big deal for me, this book has some errors.

There is a major need for editing. I am aware the author was in a hurry to release the novel after it was postponed several times. I do not understand why after all the delays- it wasn't edited. There are sentences missing words, with extra words, and enough spelling errors that I actually triple checked that I borrowed it from KU and that I wasn't reading an ARC. Sigh. Enough of this though!

Thandiwe Mpofu gave us a blurb and cover that makes grown women salivate. The closeted bully romance lovers lined up behind their one-click buttons while the openly needy told everyone about it. This story took on a life of it's own and became more than a stand alone. Awesome. My inner fangirl is squealing away. Because despite my dramatic reaction to the much needed editing and proofreading, Devious Kisses is a fun read. The tension is bitable. The lust is thick. The drama is popcorn worthy. You will be torn between Team Ice Queen and Team Fitz even when they are on the same team!

I absolutely need to know what happens in the next book. This book ends in only the best/worst way possible...completely unresolved. (Yes. My detail oriented brain keeps misfiring at that too!)

So while I really enjoyed the drama of Devious Kisses, I desperately need the next book!
Profile Image for The Romantic Rush Blog.
1,912 reviews889 followers
August 10, 2020
I was anxiously awaiting this new series- both because the cover is FIRE and because high school bully stories are like my catnip- I would happily roll around in the high they give me all day. Thandie Mpofu does that love-hate, flawed character angsty tension SO very well, and here she's in her wheelhouse. This new series delivers- all the passion, secrets, high school elite drama, and so much tension.

Mia and Julian first meet before our story is currently set- as younger children visiting family members in the hospital, leading to that fated first kiss. Their sweet and tentative bond is severed when Mia makes an error in judgment under great pressure- divulging secrets about Julian’s family that have cascading consequences, the most central being Julian’s newfound hate and need for revenge against Mia. And, once these two cross orbits again in high school, setting the stage for all the destructive bully plans. But, plans never go as predicted, and neither anticipated the passionate and confusion inferno that would explode between them. And, its Thandie- we this story is anything but straight forward or easy- we’ve got mounds of drama, twists and turns, and so much emotional whiplash.

Neither character is always likable- they both have made mistakes, they both have flaws. I actually appreciated this deviation from the bully trope when it comes to the heroine- Mia could very well be a bully herself- she’s got claws, she’s strong willed and feisty, and she’s a plotter and schemer herself. She won’t sit down and take BS, and Julian has a lot of BS to dole out. And Julian is your dreamy bully alpha- impossible to like, but you fall in love with him anyway. He’s brooding and dastardly - brimming with anger and menacing intentions, but you can also tell how fiercely he can and will loe. Their chemistry is explosive, with that toxic underpinning that I so love in a bully romance. They honestly get under each others skin where they really bring out the worst in each other, but they also expose one another’s vulnerabilities. They challenge each other.

AND OH THE ANGST. Thandie does so well, and the perfect backdrop for a dramatized bully revenge romance story with all that over the drop drama is, of course, high school- when everything felt more urgent, a million times more dramatic, and the most basic of things feel life and death. When every emotion was felt and experienced to the extreme. And nothing can feel more cruel, more dog eat dog than high school. Thandie really plays with that, becoming the perfect playground for Julian’s hatred-driven agenda and the perfect environment to offset that intense push-pull, angsty β€œbegrudged” chemistry that just oozes off the page of Mia and Julian’s story.

The plot did start out a bit slow for me, but once Thandie set up the exposition and we got into the heart of this story, I could not put it down. Be prepared for high drama, high frustration with these characters, and unexpected surprises all through some layered characters and gripping story telling. This story does end of cliffhanger that will leave you thirsty for book 2. Give me all the high school angst- I am here for it!
Profile Image for Mandyloves2read.
1,514 reviews165 followers
August 5, 2020
Wow ! This story was sooo good! I was immediately hooked right from the start! This story was emotional and intense and angsty as hell ! Mia and Julian are probably two of my favorite characters ever and the chemistry between these two just wow !

My heart hurt for both of them so much for what each of them were going through the emotions just bleed off the pages in this story I was immediately captivated by the word flow coming from these pages . This story is full of secrets lies and betrayals but also full of loyalty love friendship and family and the steam holy hell the steam the chemistry between these two characters is so hot and intense I’m still fanning myself after reading this story .

That ending I wasn’t expecting and I need the next book like now please . This was such an addictive story and one that I’m highly invested in ! And can I just say I LOVE Liam he is the epitome of playboy but he’s so sensitive and caring even though he comes off as not having a heart at all and I swoon every time Julian and him show there brotherly love and affection and how protective they are of each other it just grabs my heart and gives me all the damn feels . I definitely can’t wait for his book I hope he gets a book at least he needs his own book !

This book is a definite must read and definitely gets 5 stars from me . I highly recommend this book to any bully romance or enemies to lovers romance lovers it’s a definite reading experience you need to have and even if you are tired of the bully romance genre you won’t be disappointed or bored with this story I promise . Can’t wait for the next book in this series!!!

*** I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book ***


Profile Image for darkromance_girly.
589 reviews54 followers
August 3, 2020
This book definitely had me intrigued with the prologue and I couldn’t wait to read it!

It was definitely a page turner from the beginning to the end and I couldn’t get enough of this book!

Get ready for a wild ride that will have you in your feels!

I loved the chemistry between these characters and the push and pull.

This book definitely had my emotions all over the place! I wanted to throw my kindle in some parts but also couldn’t stop reading!

4.5 stars and I definitely recommend this!

Profile Image for Live, Laugh, Love .
428 reviews16 followers
October 6, 2020
Mia and Julian are quite the force. It's an explosion of drama, hatred and secrets. It was AWESOME!
Profile Image for Tees_BookCave.
576 reviews93 followers
August 3, 2020
I was not ready for this book, this book took me from complete surprise and I loved every single moment of being in this world. I absolutely love the bully romance world and this book is a genre in itself. This book had a way of pulling you in from the moment that you start it, it grasps your whole entire heart, body and soul.

Just from the beginning of this book, I knew that this book was going to pull at my heartstrings and cause an emotional battle deep inside. There are so many layers to this book that you just wanna unravel and pull back piece by piece. Each piece is fragile so you need to be careful.

It all starts off from just one moment, one meeting, one kiss that ended up in heartbreak. That heartbreak ended up changing the course of these characters lives. Ever since that night, Julian has been plotting his revenge for years, just biding his time until he could take her down. To ruin her life just like she did to his. Ever since that night, his life had changed drastically and he had one thing after another happen in his family.

Mia knows that Julian hasn't forgotten about her, she knows that revenge is going to happen but when is the question. Mia's life is crumbling before her eyes, her family is breaking apart and so is she.

From such a young age these characters are living a life full of pain and throughout the years, that keeps on continuing. These characters are flawed and broken and have been through so much and are still to go through more.

Nobody sees the pain and suffering behind closed doors, we only see what people want us to see. This book takes us on the journey on witnessing both what's behind the closed doors and what the characters want us to see, Mia and Julian are so special and to be able to go along this journey of their story is absolutely painfully, heartbreakingly beautiful. This book has a way of making you feel everything that these characters feel.

This Book is filled with so many secrets, lies, and so much Drama. All the twists and turns will have your mind spinning like what the heck is happening right now. Expect the unexpected with this book as not all is as it seems. Behind every closed curtain, their is something that is going to pop up and change the course of their life, their story.

I am not going to go on anymore about the plot to this book as I feel like now is the time that I say to you that you should go and read this book and find out why this book sets itself apart from all the other bully Romances out there.

From the moment that Julian and Mia meet , there was no denying their connection and chemistry that they had, it was unlike no other. I just knew then and there that they were each others missing piece and that they were going to rock my world and boy did they rock my world.

Julian and Mia have this love, hate relationship happening, but is now bordering on lust, want, need, obsession and slowly moving onto the love stage. No Matter how much hate that is being harboured after everything that has happened, both Julian nor Mia can deny the need and want that they have for one another. Whenever they are in the same room, they just want to rip each others clothes off.

After being heartbroken years ago, life itself started throwing curve balls at Mia, it changed her into someone who is known as the Ice Queen. Mia doesn't let anybody close, She's nice until she feels threatened and when she's threatened, Boy do you have to prepare yourself for the comeback that is about to be dished to you.

Although every Ice Queen has its weaknesses and Julian is able to pick them a part and see who she really is. Mia is probably one of my favourite heroines that this author has written, I loved everything about her. This girl had a backbone, she definitely gives as good as she gets. She never lets Julian or anyone walk over her and she always has a plan up her sleeve.

Julian, I had a love and hate relationship with, I feel as though there is more for us to find out about him. From what I do know, I absolutely love. His like an onion, an onion that you wanna peel back piece by piece to reveal all there is about him. He is that dark, broody bad boy who has a giant chip on his shoulder. Julian is the Alpha Protector and I love how he loves with all his heart and will do anything to protect his family and I mean anything.

Be ready to be consumed by this story, and this series. This Story has a lot happening that these characters can't catch a break, it's one thing after another but I guess that is the way their story needs to go, all love stories are not easy, sometimes you need to face all the bad crap before all the highs outweigh the lows. Prepare yourself to fall in love with all the secondary characters that you meet along the way because you will love them so much that you will be hoping that they get a book.

What an introduction to a new series!
Profile Image for Caroline F.
2,210 reviews42 followers
September 7, 2020
Oh my god!!!! This book was crazy intense. It was so thrilling and emotional.

"This girl. She. Sees. Me. Every single inch of me, she sees me."

Julian Fitzgerald has a secret. He rules his school. Boys want to be him. Girls want to be with him. He's untouchable and unattainable. Nothing fazes him. So why does the beautiful, sharp-tongued slip of a girl get under his skin? One moment of bliss with a stolen kiss suddenly turns his world upside down and his secret exposed. She's now his enemy.

"It's like he just tattooed half his soul to all of mine through the kiss."

Mia Montague has a secret. She's the Ice Queen at school. Girls want to be her. Boys want to be with her. She's untouchable and unattainable. However, almost everything about her is a façade that she keeps on a tight rein. She's been avoiding the Fitzgeralds for three years and they're about to take her down - but she's not going down without a fight.

"She tastes like my undoing and my salvation. She tastes like she's f*cking mine."

This story was just incredibly intense and so freakin' addictive! From Julian and Mia's first meeting to the unfolding story and exposure of so many truths. I felt on edge through most of the story. Julian is cruel and tough but Mia is his Achilles heel. He hates her. He wants her. But he doesn't trust her. And Mia feels just the same about him. She hates him yet finds comfort in him. These two just understood each other so well. They had a connection that was compelling and unbreakable - no matter how much they hated each other. I found it hard to think of them both as teenagers as they had old heads on young shoulders. My heart totally bled for them and the burdens they carried.

I'm just chomping at the bit for the next book, which I hope will be just as intricately woven and potent as this first book! Roll on September!!
December 26, 2021
I’m all for Bully Romance but Mia was a bully to people that didn’t deserve it and that made it hard to connect with her or even care what happened to her but then as the story unfolds I did end up liking her. I liked Julian very early in the book especially his unconditional love of his brothers. When Mia and Julian met the very first time their chemistry was intense and that intensity was more palpable with every interaction they shared.

This was nonstop with angst and drama, there’s also hateful banter and some of the characters share some fun and witty banter that helps with the heaviness of the emotions because my emotions were all over the place, a cheesy smile, anger, wanting to knock more than one of them upside their head, heat and also utter devastation. I’m looking forward to what comes next for Mia and Julian but I’m also hoping for more from other characters in this world.

Edit: After realizing that the author did not edit this as is stated when reviewing an uncorrected ARC I am lowering my rating. It was riddled with spelling and grammar errors that make it seem like a rough draft.
Profile Image for Adriana.
1,310 reviews144 followers
August 1, 2020
OMG this book was everything i knew it would be and more. Firstly i would like to thank Thandiwe for giving me the honor of reading an ARC. It actually came at a perfect time i had been six days into my book funk phase nothing was grabbing me at all everything i read was just blah . But then came this and it woke me up all over again, gave me my reading mojo, as i knew it would. Thandiwe is one of my unicorn authors who i read no matter what she writes, so all i saw was the title and i knew i had to have it.

I never expected this book to be as intense as it was i swear i was at the end of my seat till the very end then still i was like wtf just happened. Thandiwe takes you on one hell of ride with this book you go through it all the passion the love the frustration the anger man i was angry alot in this book lol, this book has it all the bully banter the humor, the undeniable chemistry, the lies, secrets and betrayal the hotness. Never have i loved a female character like i loved Mia she was a force to be reckoned with just when you think something is going to break her nope she goes and gives it all back just as hard as she got it she was not one to just stand there and take it while everyone around her destroyed her she was going to fight hard. Her and Julian were so much alike thats why they clashed so much as none wanted to give in but at the same time they belong together anyone can see that their chemistry was off the chain hot right from the start. Yes it does end with a cliffy but book two is not too far away. Im hoping Cole and Liam get their own books as i loved them both. Let me tell you that this book really had me saying with family and friends like these i would rather be alone, like wow Mia's friends were just wow and both julian and mias family's were just hell . If you want to know what im going on about read it trust me you wont regret it . BRING ON BOOK 2 i need answers!!
Profile Image for SinfulSoulRead.
385 reviews29 followers
August 7, 2020
Thandiwe Mpofu managed to surprise me, again. Devious Kisses is an enemies to lovers high school romance at its finest form. The author mind-blowed me with Mia and Julian’s story. This book has everything I craved in a good bully romance filled with high school drama, rivalry, rich, mean kids, and families dripping with lies and secrets.

And in the middle of this storm are Mia and Julian, their love/hate relationship created in the worst possible circumstances. One kiss, few words said in anger and devastation set them both on a destructive path filled with revenge and a need to destroy.

β€žIt shouldn’t surprise you then. What? The fact that you bring the worst in me.”

Both of them hides the family and personal problems behind the bravado, popularity, and fake smiles. Although the chemistry and pull between Mia and Julian are off charts they fight with their feelings using hurtful words. But the truth may be crucial for Julian and Mia to see each other in a new light. Because as the rivalry comes someone is after Fitz brothers, and Mia is the main pawn. But readers β€œIt’s Just High School”.

As the author promised I wasn’t ready for this book. I couldn’t put Devious Kisses down. My heart is still overwhelmed with so many emotions. Those heroes (all of them) are all still in my mind because YOU SIMPLY CAN’T END A BOOK LIKE THAT. But the author knows how to create epic proportions twists and turns, the angst, heartbreak, and pain. I am in love with this new world and I can’t wait to come back!

Profile Image for Dona M.
388 reviews40 followers
July 31, 2020

When I read the blurb for this book, I was hooked line and sinker. This is the first time I am reading this author, her other books I have in my TBR list and I can't even say why I didn't read it. But, now I definitely will.



This is a bully romance but with a heavy plot and so many layers, each player hiding something and with secrets to hide.

I loved how Mia, our female protagonist was bitch and knew how to give it back and let no one walk over her and still never be caught without being prim & proper.
She was an oxymoron, a contrast of sharp edges and soft whispers. She was vindictive and caring and well damnβ€” who wouldn't fall in love with her.

Julian, my new addition to the harem of book boyfriends. I love him. He is that dark, broody bad boy with a chip on his shoulders , yet he will kill and be killed for his loved ones.

Their chemistry, the bond between these two. The pull, the author showed us both the vulnerable and destructive side to their relationship.
The toxic relationship that gives you such a high that you willingly put yourself through pain for that high.

Yes, I was emotionally drained going through their ups & down, reading their heartbroken souls.

This book do end in a big cliffhanger and I can't wait to read what happens in book 2 with them.

If it wasn't already clear, a 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read.
Profile Image for Jacquie Lamm.
118 reviews
August 2, 2020
HOLY Sheet! I flippen LOVED this story! This was a long one for me but SO worth it! The term devious just isnt enough for our characters. So much back stabbing, so much miss communication! Its like they just don’t want to give into their feels and want to keep everything locked up in their cold, broken hearts. And its not just 1 MC, but BOTH! They are BOTh calculated, accurate, heartless….unless it comes to each other. I would consider this a slow burn, it did have 1 steamy scene, but I was al little disappointed in it, can’t have anything. BUT the heavy petting scenes are epic and so much angst, lust! Cliffhanger that I wasn’t expecting but so glad it ended where it did! Was about time our MC stuck up for herself when it comes to her heart. So many broken hearts in this book, lots of secrets revealed too early that broke our characters even more, soooooo good!
Profile Image for Hopelessly Addicted To Books .
3,459 reviews140 followers
August 3, 2020
Oh my goodness this book is a feast for the bully lovers. Mia and Julian are going to rock your world. The angst decption and secrets in this book took my breath away. Mia is known at school as the Ice Queen she is everything you'd expect from character like this but we also get to see the vunerable side others don't. Julian is a young man who fiercely protects his brothers whilst dealing with parents who are indifferent at best and neglectful at worst. Sparks fly between these two and not always in a good way their words and actions hurt each other and those around them. I can't say why but the story takes a turn I wasn't expecting and the adults machinations are revealed which throw a bomb into the story and left me gasping for book two.
Profile Image for M.
646 reviews265 followers
August 17, 2020
4.5 stars

I really liked this story! Sometimes it was hard to read with the obvious misplaced, misspelled and even missing words though. I still thoroughly enjoyed this book (and author) and will continue to read the series.

I really liked J and Mia. It wasn't always easy to fall for each other, but they made it work time and time again. The pull was too much for the their little high school hearts. They had to give in. There were a few instances where I was holding my breath and my heart ached for them.

I adored Liam and Cole. Almost or even a bit more than J at times. I sure hope they each will get a book in the series.
Profile Image for Rhonda Ziglar.
3,896 reviews39 followers
August 3, 2020
5 HOLY MOLY STARS!! This book had it all and I loved every single minute of Mia and the Fitz boys. Talk about feels, being back in high school, sexiness and lots of drama.....it had it all. I can't wait for the next book....that ending is killing me.
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