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Make You Beg
To the world, she’s known as Henley Greene.
To me, she’s a little doll— a toy to be played with and tossed to the side once no longer wanted.
She will pay for her betrayal however I deem necessary.
Imagine living in a constant nightmare where you have no control. Running from someone or something, you can hear him getting closer and feel his breath on your neck. You know that no matter what you do, he’s going to get you.
He will win.
But I don’t have just one. I have four.
Ryan Scout, Van Rellik, Dax Monroe, and Grayson Law are the Reapers of Westbrook High, my ex-best friends, and now my biggest enemies. They run the school and own this town. They want nothing more than to make me pay for what I saw that night at Death Valley. A sick and twisted game that leaves me dirty and bruised with torn clothing.
So how did I fall in love with one?
I was raised to fear the dark side, but he showed me it was in the dark where the truth came to light. He played with me until my body craved his touch. I was going to prove I could be his most trusted servant in every form of the word. Whether kneeling before him or lying on my back, my sole purpose in life was to be his.
But when you’re a toy everyone likes to play with, you’re bound to end up broken.
Things to know about Make You Beg
It is not RH
It is MF & MFM
It is told in multiple POVs
This is a 140K word dark bully romance and may contain triggers for some due to sexual situations, language, and violence.
To me, she’s a little doll— a toy to be played with and tossed to the side once no longer wanted.
She will pay for her betrayal however I deem necessary.
Imagine living in a constant nightmare where you have no control. Running from someone or something, you can hear him getting closer and feel his breath on your neck. You know that no matter what you do, he’s going to get you.
He will win.
But I don’t have just one. I have four.
Ryan Scout, Van Rellik, Dax Monroe, and Grayson Law are the Reapers of Westbrook High, my ex-best friends, and now my biggest enemies. They run the school and own this town. They want nothing more than to make me pay for what I saw that night at Death Valley. A sick and twisted game that leaves me dirty and bruised with torn clothing.
So how did I fall in love with one?
I was raised to fear the dark side, but he showed me it was in the dark where the truth came to light. He played with me until my body craved his touch. I was going to prove I could be his most trusted servant in every form of the word. Whether kneeling before him or lying on my back, my sole purpose in life was to be his.
But when you’re a toy everyone likes to play with, you’re bound to end up broken.
Things to know about Make You Beg
It is not RH
It is MF & MFM
It is told in multiple POVs
This is a 140K word dark bully romance and may contain triggers for some due to sexual situations, language, and violence.
489 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2021
About the author
Shantel Tessier
66 books18.8k followersShantel is a USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author. She lives in Oklahoma with her high school sweetheart, who is a wonderful, supportive husband and their two daughters. She loves to spend time cuddled up on the couch with a good book. Although she has a passion to write, her family is most important to her.
Email her at: Shanteltessierassistant@gmail.com
Email her at: Shanteltessierassistant@gmail.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 983 reviews
September 1, 2021
Vicious villains in a wicked world!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙💜🖤❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙📘
World building: 🌏🌏🌍🌏🌍
Character development: 😉😖🤨😤🥰
The heroine: Henley Greene - she turned on her four best friends when she accused Dax Monroe of rape and murder after seeing him do it to a girl at a party. She was sure of what she saw at the time, despite being drunk and on drugs and she testified in court. They are all from wealthy families (including Henley) though she is not from one of the founding families.
The Heroes (a.k.a. The grim Reapers): Ryan Scout - He was Henley’s boyfriend before she made the accusation against Dax. He kept their relationship a secret though, for some reason.
Dax Monroe - He was Henley’s first and he is still attracted to her despite wanting to kill her for what she did to him.
Grayson Law - He has always wanted Henley but never let it show. He will torment her now because of what she did.
Van Rellik - He doesn’t want Henley, he doesn’t really care about much. Though he will always stick with his friends.
The Love Story: This was a weird one, not truly explaining everything at the beginning, though the Blurb did say that it was a MF, MFM love story. We do find out early that Henley has been best friends with all 4 boys since she was little. She was with Dax first (a few weeks prior to being with Scout). But it seems Scout is her true love. It takes a while to find out how that all went down.
It is a bit unnerving that all the guys turned on her after she accused Dax. They have never really talked much about that night, because all the guys completely believe Dax and think she is lying, but she is sure of what she saw. It is unclear of what really happened that night. Though I completely Love that it is told from all points of view.
Of course the guys would stick together and have a terrible opinion of Henley despite her also being their best friend. I can’t say I hate what they want to do to her since I do love the bully romance genre. My favorite thing is when guys realize they were wrong and turn things around.
There were things I didn’t quite like with this book. One was the way Henley acted sometimes. She dressed provocatively and did other things to make the guys jealous and this was before they began bullying her. She also flirted with all of them despite really only wanting Scout. I guess I don’t see how she could be best friends with all four guys but flirt with them too (I can see flirting in a cute way just to give a guy friend the business) but she was really flirting with them to get them wanting her. I do like a girl who is strong and willing to fight back, but I guess I have an issue when they are calculating and she seemed like one of those rich girls who was a bit too into herself at the start.
There is also some public sex and filming of it which I didn’t really appreciate. It seemed to me the relationship between Henley and her “four best friends” was a bit creepy and extremely dysfunctional. Of course this is all stuff from the past that was told in flashbacks in the first twenty percent of the book, my rating is on the entire book, so take that how you want.
Though I liked many of the flashbacks and the suspense was terrific. Every time I thought I knew if Dax did what Henley accused him of, something happened to show me I had no idea. The bullying went a bit too far in this one for my comfort. Usually in bully romances the anti-Hero focuses solely on the Heroine even though they are not together yet. The bullying is in part because the guy or guys are so attracted to someone they technically hate, so they really don’t get with anyone else.
However, in this book they used to be best friends and lovers and still they taunt her by being with other girls. I didn’t like it, but I overcame it and was glad I stuck with it. The story got really good and I couldn’t put it down. Everything I thought I knew kept getting turned upside down until I had no clue what was going on. I ended up really liking Henley and feeling for what she was going through and I really liked a few of the other characters as well, but I won’t say which ones were my favorites. The second half of the book was so enthralling, it overcomes any issues I had with the beginning.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙💜🖤❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙📘
World building: 🌏🌏🌍🌏🌍
Character development: 😉😖🤨😤🥰
“The founders of Westbrook go back generations, to the eighteen hundreds. They consist of four families—the Monroes, Laws, Relliks, and, you guessed it, the Scouts. Like I said, my four best friends own this town. They are known as the Grim Reapers—they will fight you to the death on and off the field.”
The heroine: Henley Greene - she turned on her four best friends when she accused Dax Monroe of rape and murder after seeing him do it to a girl at a party. She was sure of what she saw at the time, despite being drunk and on drugs and she testified in court. They are all from wealthy families (including Henley) though she is not from one of the founding families.
The Heroes (a.k.a. The grim Reapers): Ryan Scout - He was Henley’s boyfriend before she made the accusation against Dax. He kept their relationship a secret though, for some reason.
Dax Monroe - He was Henley’s first and he is still attracted to her despite wanting to kill her for what she did to him.
Grayson Law - He has always wanted Henley but never let it show. He will torment her now because of what she did.
Van Rellik - He doesn’t want Henley, he doesn’t really care about much. Though he will always stick with his friends.
The Love Story: This was a weird one, not truly explaining everything at the beginning, though the Blurb did say that it was a MF, MFM love story. We do find out early that Henley has been best friends with all 4 boys since she was little. She was with Dax first (a few weeks prior to being with Scout). But it seems Scout is her true love. It takes a while to find out how that all went down.
It is a bit unnerving that all the guys turned on her after she accused Dax. They have never really talked much about that night, because all the guys completely believe Dax and think she is lying, but she is sure of what she saw. It is unclear of what really happened that night. Though I completely Love that it is told from all points of view.
Of course the guys would stick together and have a terrible opinion of Henley despite her also being their best friend. I can’t say I hate what they want to do to her since I do love the bully romance genre. My favorite thing is when guys realize they were wrong and turn things around.
There were things I didn’t quite like with this book. One was the way Henley acted sometimes. She dressed provocatively and did other things to make the guys jealous and this was before they began bullying her. She also flirted with all of them despite really only wanting Scout. I guess I don’t see how she could be best friends with all four guys but flirt with them too (I can see flirting in a cute way just to give a guy friend the business) but she was really flirting with them to get them wanting her. I do like a girl who is strong and willing to fight back, but I guess I have an issue when they are calculating and she seemed like one of those rich girls who was a bit too into herself at the start.
There is also some public sex and filming of it which I didn’t really appreciate. It seemed to me the relationship between Henley and her “four best friends” was a bit creepy and extremely dysfunctional. Of course this is all stuff from the past that was told in flashbacks in the first twenty percent of the book, my rating is on the entire book, so take that how you want.
Though I liked many of the flashbacks and the suspense was terrific. Every time I thought I knew if Dax did what Henley accused him of, something happened to show me I had no idea. The bullying went a bit too far in this one for my comfort. Usually in bully romances the anti-Hero focuses solely on the Heroine even though they are not together yet. The bullying is in part because the guy or guys are so attracted to someone they technically hate, so they really don’t get with anyone else.
However, in this book they used to be best friends and lovers and still they taunt her by being with other girls. I didn’t like it, but I overcame it and was glad I stuck with it. The story got really good and I couldn’t put it down. Everything I thought I knew kept getting turned upside down until I had no clue what was going on. I ended up really liking Henley and feeling for what she was going through and I really liked a few of the other characters as well, but I won’t say which ones were my favorites. The second half of the book was so enthralling, it overcomes any issues I had with the beginning.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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March 28, 2021
2 STARS
I've been sitting on this review for a couple of weeks, trying to figure out just how I felt about this book. Because I went through varying degrees of thoughts and emotions when I read it. But ultimately?
And I really wish I could say I did. Because this had all of the ingredients to be a crackilicious read for me. I love a dark and angsty bully romance. And the blurb to this book had me almost seizing with excitement.
Some minor (very minor) spoilers to follow so read at your own risk. I tried to be as vague as possible because I don't want to ruin the story for those that want to read it, but it couldn't be helped in some parts
Now I'm going to keep this short and sweet and tell you what ultimately made me dislike it. The first? The way it's written. And no, I'm not talking about the writing. Shantel Tessier is clearly a talented author. I'm talking about the way the story played out, the pacing, and the multiple POVs. The blurb says that it's not a Reverse Harem, but the strange thing is that it's written like one. Everyone, their brother, and their dog get a POV, and it was convoluted. OK, so maybe not the dog, but Henley, Ryan Scout, Van Rellik, Dax Monroe, and Grayson Law all do. Then they also switch on and off between being referred to by either their first or last name. So Ryan was at times Scout, Grayson was Law and vice versa. It was just too much trying to keep everything straight and felt almost like a data dump of character POVs. Then there's the random time jumps, and I do mean random because they would randomly appear on the page with zero consistency or flow. It wasn't necessary for the story. Or at least I didn't feel like it added anything but confusion for me. It also took away from the relationship development completely. The guy Henley ends up with had the least amount of page time. There was no chemistry there. There was no tension. They just kind of end up together at the end and I was mainly just
The story just wasn't there either. There was no meat to it. No feeling. It just was. I didn't find it very dark, but I'm pretty desensitized in this genre, so take that with a grain of salt. But ultimately, most of the plot felt like shock value rather than being truly dark.
Then there was Henley.
I didn't get her and I didn't click with her. She loved one guy but slept with his best friend because he didn't want to sully her virginity and well, you know, teenage angst and hormones and all that jazz. But whatevz. Anyway, this girl goes from being their shared "doll" to being their willing victim and it was all just...meh. She talks this talk of a tough girl, but uses her body to pay her dues. It didn't click. She wanted to be this badass, but she simply failed to come across as one through her actions. At times she was so easy, it was cringeworthy. I was desperately waiting for her to grow a spine, and she just never did. OK so maybe I didn't really like her after all. But in my defense, TSTL heroines are my kryptonite. And Henley was the definition of TSTL.
The romance? Non existent for me. I need to feel the romance to click with the story and I felt none of it here. I almost dnfd at 30% because it was just dragged but forced myself to keep reading with the hope it gets better. It didn't. The twist I saw coming a mile away, and the romance was completely dissatisfying. The entire thing was just meh to me. I would have loved for this to be just dual POVs and more relationship development. But as it was, sadly the story just missed the mark for me. But as always, I'm clearly in the minority, personal tastes and all that jazz. So check it out and judge for yourself.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
I have known what it feels like to be loved and to be hated. Honestly, they’re both just as brutal, leaving scars that will never heal.
I've been sitting on this review for a couple of weeks, trying to figure out just how I felt about this book. Because I went through varying degrees of thoughts and emotions when I read it. But ultimately?
And I really wish I could say I did. Because this had all of the ingredients to be a crackilicious read for me. I love a dark and angsty bully romance. And the blurb to this book had me almost seizing with excitement.
Some minor (very minor) spoilers to follow so read at your own risk. I tried to be as vague as possible because I don't want to ruin the story for those that want to read it, but it couldn't be helped in some parts
Now I'm going to keep this short and sweet and tell you what ultimately made me dislike it. The first? The way it's written. And no, I'm not talking about the writing. Shantel Tessier is clearly a talented author. I'm talking about the way the story played out, the pacing, and the multiple POVs. The blurb says that it's not a Reverse Harem, but the strange thing is that it's written like one. Everyone, their brother, and their dog get a POV, and it was convoluted. OK, so maybe not the dog, but Henley, Ryan Scout, Van Rellik, Dax Monroe, and Grayson Law all do. Then they also switch on and off between being referred to by either their first or last name. So Ryan was at times Scout, Grayson was Law and vice versa. It was just too much trying to keep everything straight and felt almost like a data dump of character POVs. Then there's the random time jumps, and I do mean random because they would randomly appear on the page with zero consistency or flow. It wasn't necessary for the story. Or at least I didn't feel like it added anything but confusion for me. It also took away from the relationship development completely. The guy Henley ends up with had the least amount of page time. There was no chemistry there. There was no tension. They just kind of end up together at the end and I was mainly just
The story just wasn't there either. There was no meat to it. No feeling. It just was. I didn't find it very dark, but I'm pretty desensitized in this genre, so take that with a grain of salt. But ultimately, most of the plot felt like shock value rather than being truly dark.
Then there was Henley.
I didn't get her and I didn't click with her. She loved one guy but slept with his best friend because he didn't want to sully her virginity and well, you know, teenage angst and hormones and all that jazz. But whatevz. Anyway, this girl goes from being their shared "doll" to being their willing victim and it was all just...meh. She talks this talk of a tough girl, but uses her body to pay her dues. It didn't click. She wanted to be this badass, but she simply failed to come across as one through her actions. At times she was so easy, it was cringeworthy. I was desperately waiting for her to grow a spine, and she just never did. OK so maybe I didn't really like her after all. But in my defense, TSTL heroines are my kryptonite. And Henley was the definition of TSTL.
The romance? Non existent for me. I need to feel the romance to click with the story and I felt none of it here. I almost dnfd at 30% because it was just dragged but forced myself to keep reading with the hope it gets better. It didn't. The twist I saw coming a mile away, and the romance was completely dissatisfying. The entire thing was just meh to me. I would have loved for this to be just dual POVs and more relationship development. But as it was, sadly the story just missed the mark for me. But as always, I'm clearly in the minority, personal tastes and all that jazz. So check it out and judge for yourself.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
Find me on:
March 9, 2021
MAKE YOU BEG Is a full length dark romance book by Shantel Tessier. Spoken in 'Multiple POV's.
Four boys known as 'The Reapers' (Dax Monroe, Van Rellik, Grayson Law, and Ryan Scout) and one girl (Hensley) their Little Doll ..They used to be best friends..But one night changed everything when she turned on one of their own. Now she's been shunned because of her betrayal. After running away she's back to finish her senior year at Westbrook High.
And they are going to bring her down..
Right back where the four boys want her. Right back on their turf, their playground known as 'death Valley.' A place which holds many secrets, a place where they party hard and fight harder.
But there’s a wolf in the pack dressed in sheep’s clothing, he’ll go above and beyond what the others dish out.
And there's one Reaper that doesn’t want to share his little doll anymore, and nothings going to stop him from claiming her as his, even if he has to kill to do it.
Honestly I never really caught the feels for any of these boys, all had their own agenda with one driving force behind all the acts played out on Henley, not is all it seems in this book, twists and turns, and like a snake hiding in the grass until it was time to strike, all is revealed.
I’ve only read two other books by this author which needs to be rectified because this book was CRAZY good! This book led me down so many different unsuspected paths, suspenseful, thrilling, dark, gritty, unique. I never knew how far these boys would go with their revenge, these boys weren’t mucking around, the pay backs escalated chapter by chapter, turning darker and darker with nail biting goodness.
* Teaser used is off the Authors facebook page *
February 28, 2021
FIVE STARS is not enough for Make You Beg. I can't get over what a wild, twisted and dark ride this book is.
MYB is Shantel Tessier at her absolute best. Lord knows I love the GWS and everything else she writes, but MYB is on another level.
If you like dark and twisted, if you like your boundaries pushed, then MYB is for you.
"She may believe in God, but he cannot save her from this hell. Down here, we all worship without the need for redemption."
I won't say much more because if you dare to read MYB, you need to go in blind to get the full experience.
Read at your own risk.
MYB is Shantel Tessier at her absolute best. Lord knows I love the GWS and everything else she writes, but MYB is on another level.
If you like dark and twisted, if you like your boundaries pushed, then MYB is for you.
"She may believe in God, but he cannot save her from this hell. Down here, we all worship without the need for redemption."
I won't say much more because if you dare to read MYB, you need to go in blind to get the full experience.
Read at your own risk.
March 17, 2022
⭐️ 3 cringing failing stars ⭐️
Before I proceed with my review I must remind my fellow readers what follows is my personal opinion. I want to be clear on that since it’s not going to be a pretty review, but don’t please let this stop you from reading this book. By all means go ahead, see for yourself if this is for you or not. Since I owe it to myself to be honest about what I read I cannot refrain from posting my review and explain why this reading experience was so dreadful.
I haven’t felt so uneasy about a book in a long time, it has only happened once and I’m sorry it had to happen again with this author.
Bully romance is such a mainstream trope I realize it’s not easy to keep a high standard, I’m also aware I’m very demanding when it comes to what can be rightly called a bully romance, and unfortunately I feel this author failed in delivering the ultimate bully hero. Dark is another of those term used too much to label something that isn’t dark but just shock value. As chance would have it, this is exactly what happens here, all the actions seem to be there just as shock value. There is no meat on the bones and no blood in the lines, the actions are merely a sequence of scenes with no soul. The pages sing an out of tune song and the notes don’t bleed.
The main female character, Henley, is so spineless I felt ashamed on her behalf, she’s tossed and turned by a bunch of wannabe bullies and just stands there with no self-respect. Every time she gets dragged into an unhappy situation she has the presence of mind to ask “what are you doing” when it’s so blatantly obvious, she then tries to act outrageously when she did nothing to stop said behaviour. As if that wasn’t enough the author wants the reader to believe she enjoys such treatment when Henley’s words or behaviour don’t support such theory. Truth be told her half-witted mind genuinely believes these guys feel something for her. She really needs a lesson in self-love and self-respect and a crush course on how to stop them from walking all over her, seriously girl grow some balls!!!
The author claims this is not RH and yet Hanley has been passed around and still is in a dubious relationship with two of the guys, still I’m not focusing on that. In fact, that is not even the worst part, these so called wannabe bullies act so out of order and illogically it boarders on ridiculous, not to mention the hypocrisy they preach. There is no backbone in them, they are a bunch of spoiled brats pretending to be something they never will be.
The relationship between Hanley and this group of kids is nonexistent, their interactions are so devoid of any feels, they act mechanically, they are so detached, the writing is lacking in substance, there is a succession of actions one after the other with no coherence or cohesion.
Some of the things they do are so contrasting with what they claim the whole story feels like a big joke. I can’t openly disclose what really irked me because I want to keep this spoiler free.
Out of all of them Scout really got on my last nerve with his idiocy and hypocrisy and what’s worse Henley never, ever calls him out on his bullshits. I have never felt so annoyed and outraged with a female character.
I had a hard time to see this story trough still I had to push and see if there would be a semblance of meaning to this whole nonsense. I’m sorry to say I also found hard to label this as a romance, since we’re missing all the elements here. We only get a semblance of it towards the end, where the story picks up a bit and becomes something you can actually read without cringing too much.
Before I proceed with my review I must remind my fellow readers what follows is my personal opinion. I want to be clear on that since it’s not going to be a pretty review, but don’t please let this stop you from reading this book. By all means go ahead, see for yourself if this is for you or not. Since I owe it to myself to be honest about what I read I cannot refrain from posting my review and explain why this reading experience was so dreadful.
I haven’t felt so uneasy about a book in a long time, it has only happened once and I’m sorry it had to happen again with this author.
Bully romance is such a mainstream trope I realize it’s not easy to keep a high standard, I’m also aware I’m very demanding when it comes to what can be rightly called a bully romance, and unfortunately I feel this author failed in delivering the ultimate bully hero. Dark is another of those term used too much to label something that isn’t dark but just shock value. As chance would have it, this is exactly what happens here, all the actions seem to be there just as shock value. There is no meat on the bones and no blood in the lines, the actions are merely a sequence of scenes with no soul. The pages sing an out of tune song and the notes don’t bleed.
The main female character, Henley, is so spineless I felt ashamed on her behalf, she’s tossed and turned by a bunch of wannabe bullies and just stands there with no self-respect. Every time she gets dragged into an unhappy situation she has the presence of mind to ask “what are you doing” when it’s so blatantly obvious, she then tries to act outrageously when she did nothing to stop said behaviour. As if that wasn’t enough the author wants the reader to believe she enjoys such treatment when Henley’s words or behaviour don’t support such theory. Truth be told her half-witted mind genuinely believes these guys feel something for her. She really needs a lesson in self-love and self-respect and a crush course on how to stop them from walking all over her, seriously girl grow some balls!!!
The author claims this is not RH and yet Hanley has been passed around and still is in a dubious relationship with two of the guys, still I’m not focusing on that. In fact, that is not even the worst part, these so called wannabe bullies act so out of order and illogically it boarders on ridiculous, not to mention the hypocrisy they preach. There is no backbone in them, they are a bunch of spoiled brats pretending to be something they never will be.
The relationship between Hanley and this group of kids is nonexistent, their interactions are so devoid of any feels, they act mechanically, they are so detached, the writing is lacking in substance, there is a succession of actions one after the other with no coherence or cohesion.
Some of the things they do are so contrasting with what they claim the whole story feels like a big joke. I can’t openly disclose what really irked me because I want to keep this spoiler free.
Out of all of them Scout really got on my last nerve with his idiocy and hypocrisy and what’s worse Henley never, ever calls him out on his bullshits. I have never felt so annoyed and outraged with a female character.
I had a hard time to see this story trough still I had to push and see if there would be a semblance of meaning to this whole nonsense. I’m sorry to say I also found hard to label this as a romance, since we’re missing all the elements here. We only get a semblance of it towards the end, where the story picks up a bit and becomes something you can actually read without cringing too much.
August 22, 2021
5 stars for concept and twisty imaginings….
Aaaaand
1 star for the romance.
It’s a lot of things, but this isn’t a romance.
I love the Dare series.
Luuuurve….
This is NOT that. I kept hoping Cole and Deke would show up to sort this mess out. 🤷🏼♀️
⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️
- this reads like an RH, but isn’t. - everyone is having sex with everyone. Is there cheating? I mean… if there are no rules, it’s kinda hard to cheat, right? OW drama… again… no rules, no drama right?? Sharing?? I guess?? Yes?? How can you “share” something that is communal property?
- dubconish - they treat her like garbage and don’t give her choices, but she’s REEEAAAAALY into it… so…
- HEA? Meh. I guess. 😑 She does sort of end up with one guy at the end. But is it a happy ending? I mean, he sat back and watched her be passed around and abused, and was an active part of it without so much as a peep, soooo… I guess it depends on what you expect out of a “hero”… 👀😬🤷🏼♀️
- on page and off page sexual assault of both other people and of the h
Aaaaand
1 star for the romance.
It’s a lot of things, but this isn’t a romance.
I love the Dare series.
Luuuurve….
This is NOT that. I kept hoping Cole and Deke would show up to sort this mess out. 🤷🏼♀️
⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️
- this reads like an RH, but isn’t. - everyone is having sex with everyone. Is there cheating? I mean… if there are no rules, it’s kinda hard to cheat, right? OW drama… again… no rules, no drama right?? Sharing?? I guess?? Yes?? How can you “share” something that is communal property?
- dubconish - they treat her like garbage and don’t give her choices, but she’s REEEAAAAALY into it… so…
- HEA? Meh. I guess. 😑 She does sort of end up with one guy at the end. But is it a happy ending? I mean, he sat back and watched her be passed around and abused, and was an active part of it without so much as a peep, soooo… I guess it depends on what you expect out of a “hero”… 👀😬🤷🏼♀️
- on page and off page sexual assault of both other people and of the h
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2021
4.5 dirty and delicious stars!!
Make You Beg is a 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗... Wow!! This story was intense and brutal. Demanded my attention from the start and had it until the very last word. A excellent bully romance, no denying that and at times I did have a very difficult time reading it. It pushes boundaries and comfort zones. There are triggers and the story isn't for everyone. If you are brave enough to dredge amongst some crazy, messed up high schoolers... GO FOR IT!
Henley witnesses something awful and reports it to the police. In doing so she loses her 4 best friends in the process since she blamed one of them for the crime she saw. She lives town shortly after and even quicker she returns home. Back to where the Reapers - Dax Monroe, Ryan Scout, Grayson Law and Van Rellik rule. Back to where they want her.
They vow to make her pay. Make her break. Make her wish she never opened her pretty little mouth. Well, unless it was for them.. to payback what she owes them. And man do they. They were vile and ruthless. They demanded and trained her body to want all the nastiness they had planned for her. She was their little doll. To play with, to dirty, to destroy.
Around 78%, I was still trying to figure out what was going on with the story and I loved that. I loved the mystery and the angst. I didn't know which of the 4 boys were truly on her side. If any.
I don't want to say too much because you really should go into this book blind.
Such a wild, dark and intense rollercoaster!
Make You Beg is a 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗... Wow!! This story was intense and brutal. Demanded my attention from the start and had it until the very last word. A excellent bully romance, no denying that and at times I did have a very difficult time reading it. It pushes boundaries and comfort zones. There are triggers and the story isn't for everyone. If you are brave enough to dredge amongst some crazy, messed up high schoolers... GO FOR IT!
Henley witnesses something awful and reports it to the police. In doing so she loses her 4 best friends in the process since she blamed one of them for the crime she saw. She lives town shortly after and even quicker she returns home. Back to where the Reapers - Dax Monroe, Ryan Scout, Grayson Law and Van Rellik rule. Back to where they want her.
They vow to make her pay. Make her break. Make her wish she never opened her pretty little mouth. Well, unless it was for them.. to payback what she owes them. And man do they. They were vile and ruthless. They demanded and trained her body to want all the nastiness they had planned for her. She was their little doll. To play with, to dirty, to destroy.
Around 78%, I was still trying to figure out what was going on with the story and I loved that. I loved the mystery and the angst. I didn't know which of the 4 boys were truly on her side. If any.
I don't want to say too much because you really should go into this book blind.
Such a wild, dark and intense rollercoaster!
March 13, 2021
Make You Beg is a full-length dark romance novel by one of my go-to authors, Shantel Tessier. She never fails to entertain me with the dark and delicious worlds that she creates. Told in multiple perspectives, in this we meet Henley and the four boys known as the Reapers - Dax, Van, Grayson and Ryan.
Henley witnessed a horrendous event that she was never meant to see. What makes matters worse is that the accused is one of her best friends. When she comes forward with the truth, the boys retaliate, determined to wreck her world. After leaving for a while, she returns to Westbrook High for her senior year, and the boys are ready and waiting to take her down. But things don't go exactly as planned. Not by a long shot.
This dark, gritty and thrilling tale is filled with secrets, lies, threats and murder. Everything we have come to love and expect from a Tessier story. It will have your heart racing while keeping you on the edge of your seat. You will be kept guessing as you furiously devour this book, word for word, page after page. Five stars and so many more for Henley, the Reapers and Make You Beg!
Henley witnessed a horrendous event that she was never meant to see. What makes matters worse is that the accused is one of her best friends. When she comes forward with the truth, the boys retaliate, determined to wreck her world. After leaving for a while, she returns to Westbrook High for her senior year, and the boys are ready and waiting to take her down. But things don't go exactly as planned. Not by a long shot.
This dark, gritty and thrilling tale is filled with secrets, lies, threats and murder. Everything we have come to love and expect from a Tessier story. It will have your heart racing while keeping you on the edge of your seat. You will be kept guessing as you furiously devour this book, word for word, page after page. Five stars and so many more for Henley, the Reapers and Make You Beg!
September 30, 2022
Dnf 26%
I know what the author was trying to do with this book, but I couldn't read chapter 11 without internally cringing my eyes out. I can't stand when the H knows they're hot and an alpha male, and makes a point of displaying it. I don't mind it as much when it's more subtle... Probably doesn't help I'm reading this on public transport 🤣🥱
I know what the author was trying to do with this book, but I couldn't read chapter 11 without internally cringing my eyes out. I can't stand when the H knows they're hot and an alpha male, and makes a point of displaying it. I don't mind it as much when it's more subtle... Probably doesn't help I'm reading this on public transport 🤣🥱
March 15, 2021
Unpopular Opinion
****May Contain Spoilers****
First, I want to say other books by shantel are some of favs, but this one...
I thought I was going to love it because in the beginning our h seemed like she was going to be a strong female lead; testifying about an incident that could cost her everything, because it was the right thing to do. Totally 100% behind that. Then she becomes a doormat. She then proceeds to say, “I’m going to get to the bottom of this, even if I have to spread my legs,” again no problem with doing this except she just spreads her legs and solves nothing. It’s like her brain turned off and she couldn’t focus on the bigger picture of what she was trying to accomplish. She literally solves nothing in the end another character figures everything out. Also, a lot of her testimony regarding the ‘incident’ wasn’t taken seriously because she was drunk and high. Can you guess then what she’s doing all the time when she’s trying to get the truth? You guessed it, drinking and getting drunk. Wtf?!? Her character was just so ridiculously stupid it was difficult to finish this book.
Also, there were plot holes that just didn’t add up to me. Her father sends her away after the trial to New York to stay with her mother. Totally understandable, but then her mother’s husband get a job offer out of the country and sends her back to father. I understand her mother is garbage but why didn’t her father insists they take the h with them. Second, if her mother adamantly refuses to take her with them, and she indeed had to go back to her father, why did he send her back to her old school? That makes absolutely no sense to me. There had to be another school her father could have sent her to. A private school or even another public school that would allow them if they pay a tuition. So dumb because her father is obscenely wealthy.
Next there were no solid sex scenes. Normally, shantel writes some fire sex scenes, but not in this one. I guess that’s fine since they’re in high school, but this book was written for adults. All you really get is some foreplay. So lame.
Finally, I really didn’t feel like h and the male character she ends up with had organic chemistry. Their interactions with one another didn’t scream chemistry. I felt she had the exact same chemistry with all 4 male leads that she could’ve ended up with any of them and I would’ve just been like okay.
I think if this book would’ve been between 250 to 300 pages it could’ve potentially been a much better book and I wouldn’t have struggled to finish because I was unsure if I was going to finish it. I didn’t find any grammatical errors but I did skim some parts so don’t hold me to that.
I wouldn’t recommend this book, but books like everything are subjective and this is just my opinion on this book. I will continue to read shantel’s books and look forward to her next release.
****May Contain Spoilers****
First, I want to say other books by shantel are some of favs, but this one...
I thought I was going to love it because in the beginning our h seemed like she was going to be a strong female lead; testifying about an incident that could cost her everything, because it was the right thing to do. Totally 100% behind that. Then she becomes a doormat. She then proceeds to say, “I’m going to get to the bottom of this, even if I have to spread my legs,” again no problem with doing this except she just spreads her legs and solves nothing. It’s like her brain turned off and she couldn’t focus on the bigger picture of what she was trying to accomplish. She literally solves nothing in the end another character figures everything out. Also, a lot of her testimony regarding the ‘incident’ wasn’t taken seriously because she was drunk and high. Can you guess then what she’s doing all the time when she’s trying to get the truth? You guessed it, drinking and getting drunk. Wtf?!? Her character was just so ridiculously stupid it was difficult to finish this book.
Also, there were plot holes that just didn’t add up to me. Her father sends her away after the trial to New York to stay with her mother. Totally understandable, but then her mother’s husband get a job offer out of the country and sends her back to father. I understand her mother is garbage but why didn’t her father insists they take the h with them. Second, if her mother adamantly refuses to take her with them, and she indeed had to go back to her father, why did he send her back to her old school? That makes absolutely no sense to me. There had to be another school her father could have sent her to. A private school or even another public school that would allow them if they pay a tuition. So dumb because her father is obscenely wealthy.
Next there were no solid sex scenes. Normally, shantel writes some fire sex scenes, but not in this one. I guess that’s fine since they’re in high school, but this book was written for adults. All you really get is some foreplay. So lame.
Finally, I really didn’t feel like h and the male character she ends up with had organic chemistry. Their interactions with one another didn’t scream chemistry. I felt she had the exact same chemistry with all 4 male leads that she could’ve ended up with any of them and I would’ve just been like okay.
I think if this book would’ve been between 250 to 300 pages it could’ve potentially been a much better book and I wouldn’t have struggled to finish because I was unsure if I was going to finish it. I didn’t find any grammatical errors but I did skim some parts so don’t hold me to that.
I wouldn’t recommend this book, but books like everything are subjective and this is just my opinion on this book. I will continue to read shantel’s books and look forward to her next release.
March 12, 2022
Spoilers alert:
Am only a third of the way through this at moment but wanted to capture my thoughts to date.
I have struggled with this book and also with all the positive reviews and what that in turn says about societal attitudes. Have had to pause twice as I found the situations described pretty disturbing.
The story starts with us being told that Henley was best friends with one girl Jamie and 4 boys - Dax, Scout, Rellix and Law. She accused Dax of having raped and killed another girl from school but he is acquitted and she ends up as the town pariah.
From the outset there are multiple things that don't really add up. Why and how do they manage to bring Henley home from Switzerland? Why doesn't her dad , who is filthy rich with private jet etc, put her into a safe boarding school? Why are the boys fathers' / boys obsessed with tying up loose ends ?(Dax has already been acquitted and can't be charged again and it would in fact look suspicious if something happened to her.... ) Why does Henley not tell her dad that they have been in the house and have a key and are threatening her? Why does she not tell anyone or ask to get the locks changed??? Why are they all so cavalier about the potential of physically hurting her/ discussion about wanting her dead, if they had all actuallly been proper friends and at least 2 of them with feelings for her? Why does she not tell her dad what is going on generally?
A third of the way in , there is no genuine sense that these kids were actually real friends with each other as relationships are described in very superficial terms. The female friend Jamie disappears off the scene quickly. As for Henley and the boys, they all appeared to have been getting high on drugs/booze and sleeping together, often in front of each other and regularly recording same....?? Because sex tapes are the norm??? We are told at the start that Henley had some grand Romance with Scout, but in fact he is a pig and the flash back scenes have him using her sexually in front of his friends, referring to her in abusive terms, and make it clear he couldn't care less about her. The current revenge plot also has him having no qualms about his mates all having a go either....
All the boys at various times make comment about their preference of hurting female partners. I mean ugh! it should not be a turn on for 17/18 year old males to be talking about women in this way.
Henley on the one hand is supposed to be really strong/ fundamentally decent. However she makes pretty awful choices and appears to have no sense of self respect or self preservation. She goes to unsafe places , she gets drunk, and puts herself in high risk situations. It is not helped by the fact that no matter how awful they are, she still wants them.... She gets aroused in their company.... ( as you do) and effectively as soon as they touch her she is unable to control herself ( as you don't). [Orgasm is the only focus?] The group scene in the house that I just read was demeaning and disturbing.
The general underlying attitude was girls are only good for one thing and we have the stereotypical trope of football players getting public bjs from grateful naked girls. I can only say that I really hope that this is not the norm in schools/colleges today.
Anyway perhaps I have taken the rampant misogyny too seriously to date...? I do intend to plough on and maybe will feel differently as the book develops.
Ok - by the half way stage I am pretty repulsed.
Henley goes out to a night club and gets drunk again. The guys turn up, spoil the night and she returns to find her home on fire and discovers that dad is engaged to Law's mum and has been for ages. The suggestion is that the guys set the fire to make sure Henley ends up living with Law. She is upset and distressed to be living in his house. Yet somehow she continually ends up in his room engaged in sexual shenanigans. It appears that this entails rough sex but no one seems to notice any marks or bruises to her...
The hapless heroine is then set up by former bestie Jamie to AGAIN go to death valley in an intoxicated state, because presumably she enjoys being sexually assaulted by her psycho former best buddies. I mean this girl literally is heading in to the TSTL category... !!!
Lo and behold Law grabs her, ties her up with duct tape, and cuts her clothes off her whilst on a stage Scout has sex with Jamie , now hopefully no longer her best friend? it should be noted that the performance sex is actually objectively humiliating for Jamie as well and it is hard to see why she would do this - if she were normal...???
What's worse is that afterwards it emerges that they recorded it and posted it. None of this is hopefully normal conduct for 18 year olds...
Hard going.
We then have a further episode where they terrorise her in the house, choke her into unconsciousness ( leaving bruising/ there is a continuing theme of choking throughout), inject her with ketamine ( horse tranquilizer) , take her to a deserted location, hand cuff her to a bed and tell her that they will abandon her there for days without water/food and that escape is a test of survival... When she escapes , they bring her home and Dax hits her brutally across the face and tells her he wanted to bury her alive and let her die. She is 18 years old , being brutalized, bullied and sexually exploited to the point where she has cuts/bruises to her face, throat and neck and yet no adult notices and it doesn't occur to her to seek help, despite it being clear her dad would act to protect her. It is really pretty disturbing to think that any girls of this age would think this behaviour was tolerable/sexy. It is a!so disturbing to see the depiction of male 18year olds with loving parents/ positive female adult role models, nonetheless being willing to treat women like dirt and to be violent to them.
At 2/3rd s in : Dax is having kinky fake rape sex with a teacher that Law again records. We have more cold emotionless group sex with her Scout and Law - again recorded and shared with the guys. At this stage it seems that they literally can't have sex without getting the phone out.... (Scout is also continuing to sleep with other girls - adding to his charm?). They then sexually humiliate her in front of another creep, who they beat up for seeing the sex tape, which they watched in class ( as you would) but have no qualms about stripping Henley and making her do oral on one of them in front of him. Another trip to death valley ( WHY?????) and the HH gets drugged (AGAIN) but this time by creep Nicholas and his friend with the intent to rape her (nb suggestion this is set up by someone - oh who could it be?). Law arrived and kills (!!!) one guy and Scout kills the other but insists on disposing of the bodies by himself (red flag). Nobody bats an eye at the murder or has any issues with dead bodies....its just another night out???
Henley has an apparent hallucination that she and Law had a sexual encounter when she under the influence. But he didn't do that - because he would never take advantage of her under the influence ( let's just ignore all the other times?). This then leads them to think that perhaps she hallucinated Dax killing Brenda and very coincidentally Brenda 's body finally turns up the next day - appearing to have died in a car crash.....
At this stage I hate just about everything about this book but am hanging in to see if I am right about the murder....
She goes to party at Dad's house and overhears the dads and Judge talking about Brenda's death and that one of them arranged to have her body put in the river. She breaks into Dax's father's office and finds proof that Brenda was strangled and there was signs of sex. Dax''s father and Law find her and the father orders Law to bring her to death valley so that they can all gather to kill her. (It's a group activity?). Law then punches her in the face to knock her out.We then have an elaborate double bluff as to him taking her to meet the others and shooting her, only for it to emerge that he put her into a bullet proof vest and was doing all this to protect her (??? Because there was no other way - honestly ????). She is brought home in a terrible state and finally her father and Law's mum get some idea as to what is going on. The boys tell her dad that they have all been sleeping with her but neither adult tries to stop Law and Scout from taking her upstairs... She gets in the shower in a pretty awful state. Law lets Scout go into the bathroom in the expectation that Scout' s intentions are not honourable. Scout rapes her. Law can hear her shouting no /stop and goes to intervene finding Scout with his hand over her mouth, pinching her nostrils closed and her face turning blue and pulls him off her.... But no one seems really worried about this and it doesn't appear any of them really think of this as rape. Scout just goes off on his merry way and neither Henley nor Law are overly exercised...
Her father tries to send her away again but she runs to her old house where she is kidnapped by Steve the creep ( not dead) and the man behind it all , that Prince amongst men as grand love of her life (not) - Scout.... By this stage the other 3 guys realise Scout has been the baddie throughout and killed brenda.
They find out that their fathers all knew the truth but had paid off everyone.
Scout and Steve drug the HH with Lsd and Scout tells Law that he will fight him for her but that anything Law does to him, Steve will do to the HH. The other guys find the HH being waterboarded by Steve just in the nick of time and Law is finally able to fight back and defeat Scout. ( Law is apparently the hero...)
They get medical he!p and then go on a killing spree. Steve has his hand chopped off and put where the sun doesn't shine before being buried alive. [ I kid you not]
Law discovered a video Scout took of him letting Steve rape henley when she was out of it on drugs just after he killed Brenda]. They then effectively trap their fathers and Scout in an abandoned building and burn them alive. ( again as you do)
Henley is upset about the rape but not by much else. She and Law live happily ever after...?
None of this made sense. the reasons for Scout's actions were never properly explained, particularly as regards Henley. None of the characters were likeable. None of them had any moral compass of right / wrong and by the end of the story they all effectively appeared to be psychos.
The misogyny wasn't even underlying - it was totally overt. The constant ref to Henley as their 'doll to play with' just added to the sense of same and her depersonalisation. Henley herself was a total wet blanket. These guys terrorised her, humiliated her, raped her, drugged her, beat her and treated her like dirt but she has no sense that she deserved anything better. I found that really quite upsetting.
That said, I did stick with it - partly to see what would happen next and partly in the hope that that Scout would get what he deserved.... As he was so loathsome. However I can't say that I expected a murder spree at the end.
Not a keeper for me but lots of others enjoyed it.
Am only a third of the way through this at moment but wanted to capture my thoughts to date.
I have struggled with this book and also with all the positive reviews and what that in turn says about societal attitudes. Have had to pause twice as I found the situations described pretty disturbing.
The story starts with us being told that Henley was best friends with one girl Jamie and 4 boys - Dax, Scout, Rellix and Law. She accused Dax of having raped and killed another girl from school but he is acquitted and she ends up as the town pariah.
From the outset there are multiple things that don't really add up. Why and how do they manage to bring Henley home from Switzerland? Why doesn't her dad , who is filthy rich with private jet etc, put her into a safe boarding school? Why are the boys fathers' / boys obsessed with tying up loose ends ?(Dax has already been acquitted and can't be charged again and it would in fact look suspicious if something happened to her.... ) Why does Henley not tell her dad that they have been in the house and have a key and are threatening her? Why does she not tell anyone or ask to get the locks changed??? Why are they all so cavalier about the potential of physically hurting her/ discussion about wanting her dead, if they had all actuallly been proper friends and at least 2 of them with feelings for her? Why does she not tell her dad what is going on generally?
A third of the way in , there is no genuine sense that these kids were actually real friends with each other as relationships are described in very superficial terms. The female friend Jamie disappears off the scene quickly. As for Henley and the boys, they all appeared to have been getting high on drugs/booze and sleeping together, often in front of each other and regularly recording same....?? Because sex tapes are the norm??? We are told at the start that Henley had some grand Romance with Scout, but in fact he is a pig and the flash back scenes have him using her sexually in front of his friends, referring to her in abusive terms, and make it clear he couldn't care less about her. The current revenge plot also has him having no qualms about his mates all having a go either....
All the boys at various times make comment about their preference of hurting female partners. I mean ugh! it should not be a turn on for 17/18 year old males to be talking about women in this way.
Henley on the one hand is supposed to be really strong/ fundamentally decent. However she makes pretty awful choices and appears to have no sense of self respect or self preservation. She goes to unsafe places , she gets drunk, and puts herself in high risk situations. It is not helped by the fact that no matter how awful they are, she still wants them.... She gets aroused in their company.... ( as you do) and effectively as soon as they touch her she is unable to control herself ( as you don't). [Orgasm is the only focus?] The group scene in the house that I just read was demeaning and disturbing.
The general underlying attitude was girls are only good for one thing and we have the stereotypical trope of football players getting public bjs from grateful naked girls. I can only say that I really hope that this is not the norm in schools/colleges today.
Anyway perhaps I have taken the rampant misogyny too seriously to date...? I do intend to plough on and maybe will feel differently as the book develops.
Ok - by the half way stage I am pretty repulsed.
Henley goes out to a night club and gets drunk again. The guys turn up, spoil the night and she returns to find her home on fire and discovers that dad is engaged to Law's mum and has been for ages. The suggestion is that the guys set the fire to make sure Henley ends up living with Law. She is upset and distressed to be living in his house. Yet somehow she continually ends up in his room engaged in sexual shenanigans. It appears that this entails rough sex but no one seems to notice any marks or bruises to her...
The hapless heroine is then set up by former bestie Jamie to AGAIN go to death valley in an intoxicated state, because presumably she enjoys being sexually assaulted by her psycho former best buddies. I mean this girl literally is heading in to the TSTL category... !!!
Lo and behold Law grabs her, ties her up with duct tape, and cuts her clothes off her whilst on a stage Scout has sex with Jamie , now hopefully no longer her best friend? it should be noted that the performance sex is actually objectively humiliating for Jamie as well and it is hard to see why she would do this - if she were normal...???
What's worse is that afterwards it emerges that they recorded it and posted it. None of this is hopefully normal conduct for 18 year olds...
Hard going.
We then have a further episode where they terrorise her in the house, choke her into unconsciousness ( leaving bruising/ there is a continuing theme of choking throughout), inject her with ketamine ( horse tranquilizer) , take her to a deserted location, hand cuff her to a bed and tell her that they will abandon her there for days without water/food and that escape is a test of survival... When she escapes , they bring her home and Dax hits her brutally across the face and tells her he wanted to bury her alive and let her die. She is 18 years old , being brutalized, bullied and sexually exploited to the point where she has cuts/bruises to her face, throat and neck and yet no adult notices and it doesn't occur to her to seek help, despite it being clear her dad would act to protect her. It is really pretty disturbing to think that any girls of this age would think this behaviour was tolerable/sexy. It is a!so disturbing to see the depiction of male 18year olds with loving parents/ positive female adult role models, nonetheless being willing to treat women like dirt and to be violent to them.
At 2/3rd s in : Dax is having kinky fake rape sex with a teacher that Law again records. We have more cold emotionless group sex with her Scout and Law - again recorded and shared with the guys. At this stage it seems that they literally can't have sex without getting the phone out.... (Scout is also continuing to sleep with other girls - adding to his charm?). They then sexually humiliate her in front of another creep, who they beat up for seeing the sex tape, which they watched in class ( as you would) but have no qualms about stripping Henley and making her do oral on one of them in front of him. Another trip to death valley ( WHY?????) and the HH gets drugged (AGAIN) but this time by creep Nicholas and his friend with the intent to rape her (nb suggestion this is set up by someone - oh who could it be?). Law arrived and kills (!!!) one guy and Scout kills the other but insists on disposing of the bodies by himself (red flag). Nobody bats an eye at the murder or has any issues with dead bodies....its just another night out???
Henley has an apparent hallucination that she and Law had a sexual encounter when she under the influence. But he didn't do that - because he would never take advantage of her under the influence ( let's just ignore all the other times?). This then leads them to think that perhaps she hallucinated Dax killing Brenda and very coincidentally Brenda 's body finally turns up the next day - appearing to have died in a car crash.....
At this stage I hate just about everything about this book but am hanging in to see if I am right about the murder....
She goes to party at Dad's house and overhears the dads and Judge talking about Brenda's death and that one of them arranged to have her body put in the river. She breaks into Dax's father's office and finds proof that Brenda was strangled and there was signs of sex. Dax''s father and Law find her and the father orders Law to bring her to death valley so that they can all gather to kill her. (It's a group activity?). Law then punches her in the face to knock her out.We then have an elaborate double bluff as to him taking her to meet the others and shooting her, only for it to emerge that he put her into a bullet proof vest and was doing all this to protect her (??? Because there was no other way - honestly ????). She is brought home in a terrible state and finally her father and Law's mum get some idea as to what is going on. The boys tell her dad that they have all been sleeping with her but neither adult tries to stop Law and Scout from taking her upstairs... She gets in the shower in a pretty awful state. Law lets Scout go into the bathroom in the expectation that Scout' s intentions are not honourable. Scout rapes her. Law can hear her shouting no /stop and goes to intervene finding Scout with his hand over her mouth, pinching her nostrils closed and her face turning blue and pulls him off her.... But no one seems really worried about this and it doesn't appear any of them really think of this as rape. Scout just goes off on his merry way and neither Henley nor Law are overly exercised...
Her father tries to send her away again but she runs to her old house where she is kidnapped by Steve the creep ( not dead) and the man behind it all , that Prince amongst men as grand love of her life (not) - Scout.... By this stage the other 3 guys realise Scout has been the baddie throughout and killed brenda.
They find out that their fathers all knew the truth but had paid off everyone.
Scout and Steve drug the HH with Lsd and Scout tells Law that he will fight him for her but that anything Law does to him, Steve will do to the HH. The other guys find the HH being waterboarded by Steve just in the nick of time and Law is finally able to fight back and defeat Scout. ( Law is apparently the hero...)
They get medical he!p and then go on a killing spree. Steve has his hand chopped off and put where the sun doesn't shine before being buried alive. [ I kid you not]
Law discovered a video Scout took of him letting Steve rape henley when she was out of it on drugs just after he killed Brenda]. They then effectively trap their fathers and Scout in an abandoned building and burn them alive. ( again as you do)
Henley is upset about the rape but not by much else. She and Law live happily ever after...?
None of this made sense. the reasons for Scout's actions were never properly explained, particularly as regards Henley. None of the characters were likeable. None of them had any moral compass of right / wrong and by the end of the story they all effectively appeared to be psychos.
The misogyny wasn't even underlying - it was totally overt. The constant ref to Henley as their 'doll to play with' just added to the sense of same and her depersonalisation. Henley herself was a total wet blanket. These guys terrorised her, humiliated her, raped her, drugged her, beat her and treated her like dirt but she has no sense that she deserved anything better. I found that really quite upsetting.
That said, I did stick with it - partly to see what would happen next and partly in the hope that that Scout would get what he deserved.... As he was so loathsome. However I can't say that I expected a murder spree at the end.
Not a keeper for me but lots of others enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2021
Oh, little doll, we are going to take our time playing with you.
Make You Beg is a new standalone dark bully/revenge romance, featuring a MF/MFM dynamic and told in multiple POVs. Henley Greene used to be one of them, the only girl allowed in their inner circle.....the only girl the Reapers let get close. That’s until she betrayed them, testifying against one of their own about a tragic night’s events in an effort to get him sent to prison. They know she lied, she is convinced they covered it up. They will make sure she pays for her betrayal, she will make sure they pay for what they did. The game has begun, one that she can’t possibly win......they intend to destroy her, but the truth might just destroy them all.
“You were mine before, Henley, and you’re mine now. But instead of loving you, I’m going to destroy you.”
When this first showed up as a tease in the Bully Me Anthology, it became one of my most anticipated of the collection.....
......but Shantel took her time releasing this one, almost to the point I didn’t know if it would release at all. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with her books, I honestly thought this would be one that rivaled I Dare You for me.....let me let you in on a little secret, it definitely didn’t. For something to have so much freaking potential to end up like this did is the ultimate tragedy....
.......I’m not sure if the direction this book took was always her plan or if she decided later on to take it there, all I know is it shouldn’t have. I almost didn’t finish it, but I committed and saw it through. Trust me, I will get into all the reasons this was a bust for me personally......just know, I take no satisfaction in writing this review. I mean this is the same author who gave me one of my absolute favorite books of last year (Grave), what the hell happened here?
“I fucking hate you,” I growl, looking up at him through wet lashes and messy hair covering parts of my face. He pauses, his blue eyes meet mine as a smirk plays on his lips. “Doll, you don’t even know the meaning, but you will.”
The Good & The Bad:
Let’s get into the good because it’s the shortest of the two.....
Probably my favorite thing about this book was the fact it introduced me to a new jam I added to my playlist. Honestly Dax was my favorite character which is strange, but really him and Rellick were the two that I felt weren’t absolutely disgusting a majority of the book. There were times in this book that I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put it down....other times I had to wonder why waste the time of this scene? Short “good” section huh? I promise I’m about to make up for it now.....
Buckle up and get ready, because there is so much “bad” I HAVE to mention (in the fastest way possible).....
It felt like a cheap rip off of the Dare series in many ways......
Henley is one of the most pathetic and weak heroines I’ve ever read about.
Her entire purpose seemed to act like she was willing to do whatever it took to make these guys pay (mainly she says she will spread her legs to do it), instead she is basically a rag doll used for their enjoyment (whether is physical or emotional abuse OR as a sex toy regardless if she agrees). She tries to force the idea that she enjoys it all but everything goes against that idea. I was embarrassed for her....
......she is referred to as “little doll” (over 100 TIMES) far more than she is referred to by her own name. I’m sorry, but there was nothing loving in the way she was referred to as an object....she’s not a fucking doll or a toy she’s a human being.
Shantel had to know she was creating a heroine that wouldn’t be well loved/received, so she tried to make excuses for her (but in her own POV). Like her describing how Henley was dressed and recognizing it was “slutty” but not considering Henley was described as dressing “slutty” all the freaking time.
Or recognizing she has kinky sexual desires and instead of that being it, she proceeds to make it seem like being kinky is only for those that are strong enough to handle “more”. Like the level of kink relates to your physical strength or whether or not you can “handle it” instead of it just being about preference?
Or how a song is her anthem because it tells her that she’s dumb for opening her legs for a sexy face and empty promises BUT she’s just kidding, it actually just reminds her she’s not the only girl who loses all common sense and logic over getting the D. Like WHAT THE FUCK?
Girl I would respect you more if you just owned the fact you enjoy being used and treated like a blow up doll, after all it’s your preference.
There was absolutely no chemistry, it’s rare I read any kind of bully or dark romance that I don’t see an ounce of true affection from the antihero (or multiples) but this one has just that.....
....I don’t recall a single sex scene that was “hot”, I felt like they were constant depictions of the abuse a high school girl was going through. I can get with Dubcon (and even a little noncon if handled right), BUT this right here felt like I was witnessing the torture and toxic abuse of a girl with very low self esteem and the guys that used that to their advantage.
The hypocrisy in this one blew my mind. The way they get revenge against others for things that they did to her themselves in one way or another.
Or how they call her such awful things yet get angry or “flinch” when someone else does.
She attempted to make a story far more complex than it needed to be and in doing so, she actually negatively impacted the finished product. It felt like she had plans to go in one direction when starting but decided to make it more twisty along the way and going a totally different direction.....it just didn’t feel “right”.
There are some serious plot holes, not to mention the issues with how absurd the stuff we are expected to believe when it comes to what these boys get away with.
Get ready to literally suspend reality when reading......especially the things that are so far beyond logic or reality, or the pieces that make absolutely NO sense in context.....some examples (that won’t spoil the book):
The Uber driver that somehow yells out the window that she owes him money for her ride, when Uber’s are prepaid upon arrival of the ride.
Or like Dax blasting the most ridiculous song for supposedly “badass” guys to blast in the school hall as a threat. It’s like a slightly edgier boy band song.
I mean who in the fuck would take that seriously?
Or how two high school girls (one that is innocent and isn’t a party girl) could somehow finish off a bottle of vodka, move onto a bottle of tequila, to then be actively searching for another type of liquor to continue their bender and yet still be functioning (walking and talking)?
Or like a big deal being made to make sure we knew a characters ribs were broken and that a doctor wrapped up and compressed them, even though a quick google search (and any basic knowledge of treatments of common injuries like this) would let you in on the fact that no doctor would do this.....
.....it’s an outdated practice and actually pretty dangerous.
Or “stomach pumping” happening when activated charcoal is what’s used now, it’s not even done unless it’s been within a certain time or the person is showing signs of a potential overdose (life threatening). Not to mention the aftermath of such would’ve been rather painful/horrific and not so easily dismissed. But hey, this is the same “doctor” who wrapped someone’s broken ribs so they could’ve been incompetent on purpose.
And don’t even get me started on the whole standard vodka as a fire starter situation......
There are plenty of other issues i simply can’t state bc they would ruin some big plot twists.
The ending is seriously lacking and leaves SO MUCH unanswered or just weakly/lazily tied up. This would make sense if there were plans to continue this as a series w the other guys but at this point we have to assume that it’s not.
And finally because I can’t NOT bring this up since it drove me crazy......I swear these people only wore Graveyard apparel (12 different times it was mentioned), which seems to be the abandoned school they party and fight at....that somehow has its own merch. It had me wondering if it was some expensive brand I didn’t know about or if maybe it was Shantel’s way of plugging some kind of merch line she was about to launch.
The Verdict:
Make You Beg was one of my most anticipated reads and became one of my biggest disappointments of 2021. It had potential, it just failed to deliver a likable strong heroine, redeemable antihero, or a believable deeper connection of any kind. I’m not sure if this story was originally supposed to go in a different direction, the only thing I do know is I think it would’ve been a better read if it had. I finished it, which is why it got 2 stars instead of 1.....and if I’m being honest, I would still read any future books featuring Dax or Rellick. If this is your first dip into her “world”, do yourself a favor and read the Dare series or Grave (Dark Kings) instead..... this is NOT her best work.
Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with a Reaper—he took my soul and demanded I beg for freedom. But instead, I let him consume me to the point of suffocation. Breathing is overrated anyway.
Make You Beg is a new standalone dark bully/revenge romance, featuring a MF/MFM dynamic and told in multiple POVs. Henley Greene used to be one of them, the only girl allowed in their inner circle.....the only girl the Reapers let get close. That’s until she betrayed them, testifying against one of their own about a tragic night’s events in an effort to get him sent to prison. They know she lied, she is convinced they covered it up. They will make sure she pays for her betrayal, she will make sure they pay for what they did. The game has begun, one that she can’t possibly win......they intend to destroy her, but the truth might just destroy them all.
“You were mine before, Henley, and you’re mine now. But instead of loving you, I’m going to destroy you.”
When this first showed up as a tease in the Bully Me Anthology, it became one of my most anticipated of the collection.....
......but Shantel took her time releasing this one, almost to the point I didn’t know if it would release at all. I’ve had both good and bad experiences with her books, I honestly thought this would be one that rivaled I Dare You for me.....let me let you in on a little secret, it definitely didn’t. For something to have so much freaking potential to end up like this did is the ultimate tragedy....
.......I’m not sure if the direction this book took was always her plan or if she decided later on to take it there, all I know is it shouldn’t have. I almost didn’t finish it, but I committed and saw it through. Trust me, I will get into all the reasons this was a bust for me personally......just know, I take no satisfaction in writing this review. I mean this is the same author who gave me one of my absolute favorite books of last year (Grave), what the hell happened here?
“I fucking hate you,” I growl, looking up at him through wet lashes and messy hair covering parts of my face. He pauses, his blue eyes meet mine as a smirk plays on his lips. “Doll, you don’t even know the meaning, but you will.”
The Good & The Bad:
Let’s get into the good because it’s the shortest of the two.....
Probably my favorite thing about this book was the fact it introduced me to a new jam I added to my playlist. Honestly Dax was my favorite character which is strange, but really him and Rellick were the two that I felt weren’t absolutely disgusting a majority of the book. There were times in this book that I was absolutely hooked and couldn’t put it down....other times I had to wonder why waste the time of this scene? Short “good” section huh? I promise I’m about to make up for it now.....
Buckle up and get ready, because there is so much “bad” I HAVE to mention (in the fastest way possible).....
It felt like a cheap rip off of the Dare series in many ways......
Henley is one of the most pathetic and weak heroines I’ve ever read about.
Her entire purpose seemed to act like she was willing to do whatever it took to make these guys pay (mainly she says she will spread her legs to do it), instead she is basically a rag doll used for their enjoyment (whether is physical or emotional abuse OR as a sex toy regardless if she agrees). She tries to force the idea that she enjoys it all but everything goes against that idea. I was embarrassed for her....
......she is referred to as “little doll” (over 100 TIMES) far more than she is referred to by her own name. I’m sorry, but there was nothing loving in the way she was referred to as an object....she’s not a fucking doll or a toy she’s a human being.
Shantel had to know she was creating a heroine that wouldn’t be well loved/received, so she tried to make excuses for her (but in her own POV). Like her describing how Henley was dressed and recognizing it was “slutty” but not considering Henley was described as dressing “slutty” all the freaking time.
Or recognizing she has kinky sexual desires and instead of that being it, she proceeds to make it seem like being kinky is only for those that are strong enough to handle “more”. Like the level of kink relates to your physical strength or whether or not you can “handle it” instead of it just being about preference?
Or how a song is her anthem because it tells her that she’s dumb for opening her legs for a sexy face and empty promises BUT she’s just kidding, it actually just reminds her she’s not the only girl who loses all common sense and logic over getting the D. Like WHAT THE FUCK?
Girl I would respect you more if you just owned the fact you enjoy being used and treated like a blow up doll, after all it’s your preference.
There was absolutely no chemistry, it’s rare I read any kind of bully or dark romance that I don’t see an ounce of true affection from the antihero (or multiples) but this one has just that.....
....I don’t recall a single sex scene that was “hot”, I felt like they were constant depictions of the abuse a high school girl was going through. I can get with Dubcon (and even a little noncon if handled right), BUT this right here felt like I was witnessing the torture and toxic abuse of a girl with very low self esteem and the guys that used that to their advantage.
The hypocrisy in this one blew my mind. The way they get revenge against others for things that they did to her themselves in one way or another.
Or how they call her such awful things yet get angry or “flinch” when someone else does.
She attempted to make a story far more complex than it needed to be and in doing so, she actually negatively impacted the finished product. It felt like she had plans to go in one direction when starting but decided to make it more twisty along the way and going a totally different direction.....it just didn’t feel “right”.
There are some serious plot holes, not to mention the issues with how absurd the stuff we are expected to believe when it comes to what these boys get away with.
Get ready to literally suspend reality when reading......especially the things that are so far beyond logic or reality, or the pieces that make absolutely NO sense in context.....some examples (that won’t spoil the book):
The Uber driver that somehow yells out the window that she owes him money for her ride, when Uber’s are prepaid upon arrival of the ride.
Or like Dax blasting the most ridiculous song for supposedly “badass” guys to blast in the school hall as a threat. It’s like a slightly edgier boy band song.
I mean who in the fuck would take that seriously?
Or how two high school girls (one that is innocent and isn’t a party girl) could somehow finish off a bottle of vodka, move onto a bottle of tequila, to then be actively searching for another type of liquor to continue their bender and yet still be functioning (walking and talking)?
Or like a big deal being made to make sure we knew a characters ribs were broken and that a doctor wrapped up and compressed them, even though a quick google search (and any basic knowledge of treatments of common injuries like this) would let you in on the fact that no doctor would do this.....
.....it’s an outdated practice and actually pretty dangerous.
Or “stomach pumping” happening when activated charcoal is what’s used now, it’s not even done unless it’s been within a certain time or the person is showing signs of a potential overdose (life threatening). Not to mention the aftermath of such would’ve been rather painful/horrific and not so easily dismissed. But hey, this is the same “doctor” who wrapped someone’s broken ribs so they could’ve been incompetent on purpose.
And don’t even get me started on the whole standard vodka as a fire starter situation......
There are plenty of other issues i simply can’t state bc they would ruin some big plot twists.
The ending is seriously lacking and leaves SO MUCH unanswered or just weakly/lazily tied up. This would make sense if there were plans to continue this as a series w the other guys but at this point we have to assume that it’s not.
And finally because I can’t NOT bring this up since it drove me crazy......I swear these people only wore Graveyard apparel (12 different times it was mentioned), which seems to be the abandoned school they party and fight at....that somehow has its own merch. It had me wondering if it was some expensive brand I didn’t know about or if maybe it was Shantel’s way of plugging some kind of merch line she was about to launch.
The Verdict:
Make You Beg was one of my most anticipated reads and became one of my biggest disappointments of 2021. It had potential, it just failed to deliver a likable strong heroine, redeemable antihero, or a believable deeper connection of any kind. I’m not sure if this story was originally supposed to go in a different direction, the only thing I do know is I think it would’ve been a better read if it had. I finished it, which is why it got 2 stars instead of 1.....and if I’m being honest, I would still read any future books featuring Dax or Rellick. If this is your first dip into her “world”, do yourself a favor and read the Dare series or Grave (Dark Kings) instead..... this is NOT her best work.
Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with a Reaper—he took my soul and demanded I beg for freedom. But instead, I let him consume me to the point of suffocation. Breathing is overrated anyway.
March 9, 2021
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
Little doll, little doll, come out and play.
Little doll, little doll, on your knees, you shall stay.
Little doll, little doll, I will break you in every way.”
Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars
POV : Multiple
Cliffhanger : None
Hero : -
Heroine : Henley
Pace of the story : Moderate
Angst Rating : 7/10
Heat Rating : 9/10
Triggers Involved : Kidnapping , Dark , DubCon , Humiliation
Plot Summary :
Henley has messed up and now they are after her. Her own friends turned enemies. They hate her and there is no limit they won't cross until she has paid.
Years ago they all were friends but then a certain incident made Henley realise that her friends weren't what they pretended. And then she messed up. She thought they would choose her but they didn't hesitate in disregarding her. Her humiliation wasn't enough for them because now they are back. And there is no limit they won't cross.
They are going to break their little doll. She will be a hollow shell by the time they will be done with her. Dolls are not supposed to live and talk. And they are certainly not supposed to snitch. She is going to regret the day she crossed them.
Overall Opinion :
OMG. HOLY SHIT. I can't curse enough and scream enough m no reaction would be appropriate enough to tell you the epic level of fuckery this book was. I started reading it and before I knew I was hooked. COMPLETELY HOOKED!!!
Ever since I read Cole's book I have been a huge fan of this author, but trust me this is nothing like she has ever written before. This is shantel at her level best. By the time I was 10% in this one, I was literally scared to read it because I knew it was going to turn dark and my heart was not prepared for that and hell, did it turn like that!! So freaking amazing.
The one thing I want to make clear is that this book is not RH. It's MF but it does have a few MFM scenes. The h has one love interest with whom she ends up and that is the main suspense.
The best thing about this book was how unpredictable it was! I was expecting something else and got something else. Those twists were the best thing, this author kept me guessing till the very end. The moment you think things are getting better and easy she will come up with another twist and everything will be messed up again.
I seriously can't recommend this book enough! If you need to read an epic mindfuck book with bully and dark themes, then do not hesitate to pick this one up. You won't regret it. Highly recommended by me!
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March 12, 2021
Twisted, turbulent, and volatile, Make You Beg is most definitely Shantel Tessier’s most original and most spellbinding story to date. I mean HOLY MOLY- what the what? I couldn’t put this down- like up all night, rapidly turning pages, desperately wanting more could not put it down. This tantalizing savage story won’t just consume you- it will ravage you, totally swallow you whole. So hang on tight!
There’s not much I say about this story or these characters without giving anything away. And, truly this is a story you want to go into knowing NOTHING-it makes for a deliciously dark and intense experience. We’re disoriented, captivated, riveted...and at times even frustrated, because you’re just so desperate to understand everything, for everyone and everything to be exposed, to break free of the cycle of confusion and questions. And, Shantel, oh Shantel is gonna make you wait, and she’s gonna make it messy, and rocky, and painful. But man is it addicting! All the twists, all the shocks, all the emotional wreckage. And, when all the pieces start to come together you realize just what a brilliant masterpiece MYB is- how cleverly Shantel has pieced this dynamic and sexy puzzle together. And that ending- oh man, worth every bump and bruise we get from the chaotic journey we’ve been on.
Shantel is the queen of dark and unconventional romantic story telling- and this one has just raised the bar yet again. My jaw may still be on the floor, but what a wildly titillating and entertaining ride. The Sharks better move over- I think I have a new Shantel addiction!
PS: This is dark- please read the blurb and trigger warnings well- this is definitely not kittens and rainbows.
There’s not much I say about this story or these characters without giving anything away. And, truly this is a story you want to go into knowing NOTHING-it makes for a deliciously dark and intense experience. We’re disoriented, captivated, riveted...and at times even frustrated, because you’re just so desperate to understand everything, for everyone and everything to be exposed, to break free of the cycle of confusion and questions. And, Shantel, oh Shantel is gonna make you wait, and she’s gonna make it messy, and rocky, and painful. But man is it addicting! All the twists, all the shocks, all the emotional wreckage. And, when all the pieces start to come together you realize just what a brilliant masterpiece MYB is- how cleverly Shantel has pieced this dynamic and sexy puzzle together. And that ending- oh man, worth every bump and bruise we get from the chaotic journey we’ve been on.
Shantel is the queen of dark and unconventional romantic story telling- and this one has just raised the bar yet again. My jaw may still be on the floor, but what a wildly titillating and entertaining ride. The Sharks better move over- I think I have a new Shantel addiction!
PS: This is dark- please read the blurb and trigger warnings well- this is definitely not kittens and rainbows.
March 10, 2021
A never-ending thrill ride that will keep you captivated from the first page until the last. This suspense-filled read is going to twist you up. It’s going to get dirty. Down right filthy at times. This story will take you down the rabbit hole to indulge in the dark and deliciously depraved. This story takes bullying and revenge to the edge of sanity.
The Reapers are an absolute force of nature. They are cruel and ruthless when they need to be. Their dominance will make you question your own morals, but you’ll want them anyway. All I can say is grab your favorite beverage, sit in your comfiest reading chair and enjoy the ride. It’s gonna get wild!!! Once you start, you won’t be able to put it down.
A must read recommendation for any dark, romantic suspense lover. The author delivered a story that kept me questioning everything with twists you’ll never see coming. Just turn the pages and enjoy the story as it unfolds.
The Reapers are an absolute force of nature. They are cruel and ruthless when they need to be. Their dominance will make you question your own morals, but you’ll want them anyway. All I can say is grab your favorite beverage, sit in your comfiest reading chair and enjoy the ride. It’s gonna get wild!!! Once you start, you won’t be able to put it down.
A must read recommendation for any dark, romantic suspense lover. The author delivered a story that kept me questioning everything with twists you’ll never see coming. Just turn the pages and enjoy the story as it unfolds.
Read
April 8, 2021DNF at 36%. No review or rating. I'm looking forward to the next Shantel book because I really like her as an author.
March 12, 2021
Speechless
This book started out engaging and became spellbinding. Some of the best intrigue in a new adult romance I've come across -- the twists, the shock, simply the unexpected reminiscent of a thriller storyline and so impactful. Romantic suspense at its finest.
A story of four antiheroes, "Reapers," seeking retribution against Henley, their former friend, for mistruths they believe she told about one of the members in their group, mistruths that led to his trial but not conviction. And so they set upon meting out payback while at the same time claiming, owning, their little doll; she, at their mercy, and attracted to them. This was not a reverse harem, but in some ways had a flavor of something approaching it in an unconventional way, three intimate friends but two main love interests. There is some bullying, but it was not in the traditional sense. I would qualify it more as harassment. Lovers of jealous-possessive alpha, bad boys will find them in events in the story.
This was a medium burn, a longer novel and totally warranted pace as I acquainted myself with and got to love a lot of the characters: Henley, the heroine; Lacey, her new friend and confidante; the antiheroes, Law, Dax, Scout, Ryan; as well as a multitude of others. All the main characters including the heroine were prominent, wealthy members of society. What a nice change. The character development added to the plot line such that when those reveals occurred I was that much more gutted.
While a steamy read there was a lot of (too much) fade to black on love scenes I would expected to have had that detail, for example, in the weekend ménage. One particular sex act was liberally described, but not consummating acts. In fact, the story reached about 70% before a true love scene between loving partners was really described. Interestingly when steam and violence mixed, they were visual and descriptive.
This book's strong points were its grittiness, its mystery, suspense, the amazing plot twists, the flawed characters and in particular these antiheroes referring to Henley as their little doll. Unexpected, unconditional and all encompassing love. The author was not afraid to push the dark envelope and add those juicy and maybe triggering (not for me ever) dark themes. I felt a bit of a marriage between books Slaughter and Dare, two of my favorites of hers making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. A book hangover indeed. 4.5/5 stars wavering to 5.
This book started out engaging and became spellbinding. Some of the best intrigue in a new adult romance I've come across -- the twists, the shock, simply the unexpected reminiscent of a thriller storyline and so impactful. Romantic suspense at its finest.
A story of four antiheroes, "Reapers," seeking retribution against Henley, their former friend, for mistruths they believe she told about one of the members in their group, mistruths that led to his trial but not conviction. And so they set upon meting out payback while at the same time claiming, owning, their little doll; she, at their mercy, and attracted to them. This was not a reverse harem, but in some ways had a flavor of something approaching it in an unconventional way, three intimate friends but two main love interests. There is some bullying, but it was not in the traditional sense. I would qualify it more as harassment. Lovers of jealous-possessive alpha, bad boys will find them in events in the story.
This was a medium burn, a longer novel and totally warranted pace as I acquainted myself with and got to love a lot of the characters: Henley, the heroine; Lacey, her new friend and confidante; the antiheroes, Law, Dax, Scout, Ryan; as well as a multitude of others. All the main characters including the heroine were prominent, wealthy members of society. What a nice change. The character development added to the plot line such that when those reveals occurred I was that much more gutted.
While a steamy read there was a lot of (too much) fade to black on love scenes I would expected to have had that detail, for example, in the weekend ménage. One particular sex act was liberally described, but not consummating acts. In fact, the story reached about 70% before a true love scene between loving partners was really described. Interestingly when steam and violence mixed, they were visual and descriptive.
This book's strong points were its grittiness, its mystery, suspense, the amazing plot twists, the flawed characters and in particular these antiheroes referring to Henley as their little doll. Unexpected, unconditional and all encompassing love. The author was not afraid to push the dark envelope and add those juicy and maybe triggering (not for me ever) dark themes. I felt a bit of a marriage between books Slaughter and Dare, two of my favorites of hers making for a thoroughly enjoyable read. A book hangover indeed. 4.5/5 stars wavering to 5.
March 30, 2021
WHAT???
hahahah omg
This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever tried to read. The author wanted SO badly to make this a RH what with all the boys wanting her for absolutely no reason. And the chick (who I can't even be bothered to remember her name) is just so dumb. I'm not about slut-shaming, but this chick just bangs people while being filmed?? Like WTF? Who in their right mind would do that? Or banging a friend to make the guy she really wants jealous? Ok.
Then this book is so anti-woman that she's just all, "Man, oh shucks, guess I have to spread my legs to get what I want, but not really because they are just so hawt I lose any rational thought."
It's like vag is the only thing this chick could offer anyone. She couldn't possibly be smart or strong or independent. God forbid any author write a smart, intelligent female character who doesn't fall for abs.
I love bully romances when they are good but this is just trash. It's sad too because the author's writing is good, the story is just mind-numbingly dumb.
Also, if I never have to hear "my little doll" again that would be great. KTHANX
hahahah omg
This has got to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever tried to read. The author wanted SO badly to make this a RH what with all the boys wanting her for absolutely no reason. And the chick (who I can't even be bothered to remember her name) is just so dumb. I'm not about slut-shaming, but this chick just bangs people while being filmed?? Like WTF? Who in their right mind would do that? Or banging a friend to make the guy she really wants jealous? Ok.
Then this book is so anti-woman that she's just all, "Man, oh shucks, guess I have to spread my legs to get what I want, but not really because they are just so hawt I lose any rational thought."
It's like vag is the only thing this chick could offer anyone. She couldn't possibly be smart or strong or independent. God forbid any author write a smart, intelligent female character who doesn't fall for abs.
I love bully romances when they are good but this is just trash. It's sad too because the author's writing is good, the story is just mind-numbingly dumb.
Also, if I never have to hear "my little doll" again that would be great. KTHANX
May 5, 2021
You ever read a book that you wish would end already because you feel like you're wasting your life away by reading it when there's so many other better books you could be reading??! That was this book for me.
This book had too much going on and too many characters. There were way too many POV's I had a headache from trying to keep up. First these guys hate Henley and want revenge, then they're protecting her from anyone who messes with her....what??? Rellik was a pointless character, Dax was supposed to be big and bad but was really more like a soft teddy bear, it was pretty obvious where things were going with Scout, and Law's idea of romance was interesting....throw in some random underground fighting matches, why not right?!
I really only finished this because I felt like I had to after all the positive reviews
This book had too much going on and too many characters. There were way too many POV's I had a headache from trying to keep up. First these guys hate Henley and want revenge, then they're protecting her from anyone who messes with her....what??? Rellik was a pointless character, Dax was supposed to be big and bad but was really more like a soft teddy bear, it was pretty obvious where things were going with Scout, and Law's idea of romance was interesting....throw in some random underground fighting matches, why not right?!
I really only finished this because I felt like I had to after all the positive reviews
March 12, 2021
WOW! Reading Make You Beg by Shantel made me want to immediately go and read her backlist. I’m impressed!
The story starts out with Harlow, our heroine, that is terrified that a crime she witnessed just got a not guilty verdict. She knows that she is going to be facing payback from the boys that were involved – her ex-best friends. All of them come from wealthy families and are pretty untouchable. That is why her dad sends her away to live with her mom to finish out her senior year there. However, something comes up and poor Harlow gets sent back a few weeks later. She now has to face the Reapers.
But when you’re a toy everyone likes to play with, you’re bound to end up broken.
I highly recommend that you go into this book blind. (I actually feel like I already said too much!) The story is much more enjoyable when you have no idea what to expect. The story is told from multiple POVs but the reader still isn’t sure what could actually happen/happened. Beware, though, that this book is a dark bully romance. There are triggers for rape, dub-con, humiliation, and a few others. Make sure you are ok with the content before picking this up. But what a wild ride you are in for when you do…
Little doll, little doll, come out and play.
Little doll, little doll, on your knees, you shall stay.
Little doll, little doll, I will break you in every way.
One other thing, this isn’t a reverse-harem romance – although it would have made a great one. 😉 The heroine does get involved with all the guys, The Reapers, but falls in love with one of them. There is also some MFM scenes.
Overall, this was just a really enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read more by Shantel! Thank you Social Butterfly PR for the advanced reader copy.
Originally posted at Sincerely, Whitney
The story starts out with Harlow, our heroine, that is terrified that a crime she witnessed just got a not guilty verdict. She knows that she is going to be facing payback from the boys that were involved – her ex-best friends. All of them come from wealthy families and are pretty untouchable. That is why her dad sends her away to live with her mom to finish out her senior year there. However, something comes up and poor Harlow gets sent back a few weeks later. She now has to face the Reapers.
But when you’re a toy everyone likes to play with, you’re bound to end up broken.
I highly recommend that you go into this book blind. (I actually feel like I already said too much!) The story is much more enjoyable when you have no idea what to expect. The story is told from multiple POVs but the reader still isn’t sure what could actually happen/happened. Beware, though, that this book is a dark bully romance. There are triggers for rape, dub-con, humiliation, and a few others. Make sure you are ok with the content before picking this up. But what a wild ride you are in for when you do…
Little doll, little doll, come out and play.
Little doll, little doll, on your knees, you shall stay.
Little doll, little doll, I will break you in every way.
One other thing, this isn’t a reverse-harem romance – although it would have made a great one. 😉 The heroine does get involved with all the guys, The Reapers, but falls in love with one of them. There is also some MFM scenes.
Overall, this was just a really enjoyable read. I can’t wait to read more by Shantel! Thank you Social Butterfly PR for the advanced reader copy.
Originally posted at Sincerely, Whitney
March 8, 2021
I have to admit that I am a little bit speechless after this book. 😳
In the beginning I couldn‘t know what kind of story „Make You Beg“ would be. It was mysterious, different, bad and hard. So hard in so many ways.
Henley has to go through so much in the whole book and sometimes I thought: No, this is not happening.
But it happened ....
This story had boundaries for me and I crossed them. I can‘t compare this story to another I have read.
The love interest was not clear until I figured out who it could be. And I loved that!!! I loved him!!!🔥
The ending was fair and perfect. The lovestory gets everything it deserves. ❤️
So many secrets, questions, hot scenes, boundaries and characters who will bring you to your knees: That is „Make You Beg“!
Thanks to Social Butterfly PR for sending me a copy of „Make You Beg“!
In the beginning I couldn‘t know what kind of story „Make You Beg“ would be. It was mysterious, different, bad and hard. So hard in so many ways.
Henley has to go through so much in the whole book and sometimes I thought: No, this is not happening.
But it happened ....
This story had boundaries for me and I crossed them. I can‘t compare this story to another I have read.
The love interest was not clear until I figured out who it could be. And I loved that!!! I loved him!!!🔥
The ending was fair and perfect. The lovestory gets everything it deserves. ❤️
So many secrets, questions, hot scenes, boundaries and characters who will bring you to your knees: That is „Make You Beg“!
Thanks to Social Butterfly PR for sending me a copy of „Make You Beg“!
August 22, 2021
2.5 "Little Doll" Stars
Where to start... First, I hated Henley. She wasn't likeable at all, don't know why... Secondly, the multiple point-of-views were a total mess, I read over the first half of the book to finally be able to pin-point who is who... and the fact that they were referred sometimes with their first names, sometimes with their last or the middle names just added to the chaos... The steamy moments were on the kinky side and a large part of the book was dedicated on how the "Reapers" were using their doll... The best part, that actually made the book quite interesting was the murder. I have a weak spot for some massacre, mayhem and gore, so the torture and the payback was perfect for the book.
Where to start... First, I hated Henley. She wasn't likeable at all, don't know why... Secondly, the multiple point-of-views were a total mess, I read over the first half of the book to finally be able to pin-point who is who... and the fact that they were referred sometimes with their first names, sometimes with their last or the middle names just added to the chaos... The steamy moments were on the kinky side and a large part of the book was dedicated on how the "Reapers" were using their doll... The best part, that actually made the book quite interesting was the murder. I have a weak spot for some massacre, mayhem and gore, so the torture and the payback was perfect for the book.
April 6, 2021
This book has left me speechless! The intensity, the plot twists, the intrigue, and the suspense are over the top, yet, oh, so good! Make You Beg is Dark AF and definitely not for the faint at heart. But if you have no triggers and you like true bad boy anti-heroes, you will devour it! Shantel Tessier just went next level. 5 Stars!
June 2, 2021
This was an ok bully read though I found the constant back and forth timelines and the numerous povs a tad confusing and it gave me a bit of a headache ngl. Also some of the stuff these highschoolers did was a tad unbelievable lol
Read
March 18, 2021Torn on what I want to rate it. Be back later with a review
March 17, 2021
***4 "My little doll!!!" stars***
OUT NOW!
Little doll, little doll, come out and play.
Little doll, little doll, on your knees, you shall stay.
Little doll, little doll, I will break you in every way.
I'm impressed!!! I'm really impressed and I will explain to you why in a while...
This book was a crazy mind fuck and it played a wild game with my sanity and our heroine's as well!!!
What did you make me read, Shantel, ugh???
To be totally honest here, I was really cursing the author and the universe while I was reading this story and i wanted so badly to throw my kindle on the wall too many times to count!!! I was soooo mad at her, at the heroine and the four boys!!!
They were made me wild crazy and I just wanted to slap some sense on all of them!!!
"Dolls are meant to be played with, silly. Not to sit on a shelf."
What we have here???
There was Henley and there were four boys, The Reapers as everyone were calling them, and all five of them were best friends... One of the Reapers meant more than the rest of them for Henley.
But one night, everything changed between them.
Henley saw something that she didn't have to see and she turned out on them...
From that moment, from a friend and a lover, she turned out to be a snitch and an enemy...
"Once we're done with her, she will have no one to turn to, nowhere to hide, and nothing left to offer to a man."
Months later, Henley is back on their turf, Death Valley, and they are determined to make her pay for what she did to them back then.
The thing is that these boys had a crazy obsession with Henley. They thought her as their little doll and what are you doing with your toys??? You are playing with them, you are sharing them and eventually, you are breaking them.
So, at this point, you will have to buckle up for a very insane and wild ride that will leave you anxious, mad and your eyes will have this glimpse that Jack Nicolson had on Shine. Lol!!!
But I can guarantee that after a while, this story will grab your attention and you will be captivated...
"Welcome to hell, Henley. We will burn you until nothing but ashes are left.
The thing is that these boys were brutal and restless on their games and they were making my heart pound very hard from fear about Henley.
And what about feelings??? The truth is that the feelings were lost somewhere along the way and everything were escalating in a disastrous speed!!!
But near to the end, I finally started to see some feelings from unexpected sources, and it gave me hope!!!
Also, except this game betwen the boys and their little doll, there were happening too many things... Secrets and lies were unravelling, strange alliances were forming, friendships were breaking when others were brewing, and suspense was surrounding the whole scenery...
And in the middle of this chaos, some of them decided that they didn't want to share their toys anymore...
So what is going to happen after all???
"We've been playing such a dangerous game that we never stopped to think what needed to happen for one of us to win."
And now I'm coming to the part that I will explain why I am impressed with this story...
I will split this book in two parts...
The first 60% of the book was making me angry as I stated above and I was questioning my sanity why I kept reading it while i was irritated with many things in here... The boys were indifferent to me and their actions were making me uneasy. As for the heroine??? I thought she was lacking a backbone when she was at the boys's presence...
"Some were raised to fear the monsters in the dark, but most of us hide in plain sight. You're just too blinded to see it."
And then came part 2 and everything changed for me. It was really crazy... As I was sitting there, something happened and the last 40% was a crazy and delicious ride that I never wanted to end... The things were starting to change in the speed of the light and I was sitting on the edge of my seat while I was devouring this story...
I even fell in love with one of the boys and honestly, I didn't see it coming...
And if the way that the author turned out this story isn't impressive, i don't know what else it is...
"I have known what it feels like to be loved and to be hated. Honestly, they're both just as brutal, leaving scars that will never heal."
Well, this was definitely a very wild, dirty and dark ride that made me feel almost every feeling known to mankind. It was a mind fuck of epic propotions and it made me question my sanity many times, but now that I finished this book, I'm so happy that I picked it up and read it. The second part made up for everything that i got through in the first part. LOL!!!
Little doll, little doll, beg me to breathe.
Little doll, little doll, beg me to see.
Little doll, little doll, beg me to set you free.
**I read an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
OUT NOW!
Little doll, little doll, come out and play.
Little doll, little doll, on your knees, you shall stay.
Little doll, little doll, I will break you in every way.
I'm impressed!!! I'm really impressed and I will explain to you why in a while...
This book was a crazy mind fuck and it played a wild game with my sanity and our heroine's as well!!!
What did you make me read, Shantel, ugh???
To be totally honest here, I was really cursing the author and the universe while I was reading this story and i wanted so badly to throw my kindle on the wall too many times to count!!! I was soooo mad at her, at the heroine and the four boys!!!
They were made me wild crazy and I just wanted to slap some sense on all of them!!!
"Dolls are meant to be played with, silly. Not to sit on a shelf."
What we have here???
There was Henley and there were four boys, The Reapers as everyone were calling them, and all five of them were best friends... One of the Reapers meant more than the rest of them for Henley.
But one night, everything changed between them.
Henley saw something that she didn't have to see and she turned out on them...
From that moment, from a friend and a lover, she turned out to be a snitch and an enemy...
"Once we're done with her, she will have no one to turn to, nowhere to hide, and nothing left to offer to a man."
Months later, Henley is back on their turf, Death Valley, and they are determined to make her pay for what she did to them back then.
The thing is that these boys had a crazy obsession with Henley. They thought her as their little doll and what are you doing with your toys??? You are playing with them, you are sharing them and eventually, you are breaking them.
So, at this point, you will have to buckle up for a very insane and wild ride that will leave you anxious, mad and your eyes will have this glimpse that Jack Nicolson had on Shine. Lol!!!
But I can guarantee that after a while, this story will grab your attention and you will be captivated...
"Welcome to hell, Henley. We will burn you until nothing but ashes are left.
The thing is that these boys were brutal and restless on their games and they were making my heart pound very hard from fear about Henley.
And what about feelings??? The truth is that the feelings were lost somewhere along the way and everything were escalating in a disastrous speed!!!
But near to the end, I finally started to see some feelings from unexpected sources, and it gave me hope!!!
Also, except this game betwen the boys and their little doll, there were happening too many things... Secrets and lies were unravelling, strange alliances were forming, friendships were breaking when others were brewing, and suspense was surrounding the whole scenery...
And in the middle of this chaos, some of them decided that they didn't want to share their toys anymore...
So what is going to happen after all???
"We've been playing such a dangerous game that we never stopped to think what needed to happen for one of us to win."
And now I'm coming to the part that I will explain why I am impressed with this story...
I will split this book in two parts...
The first 60% of the book was making me angry as I stated above and I was questioning my sanity why I kept reading it while i was irritated with many things in here... The boys were indifferent to me and their actions were making me uneasy. As for the heroine??? I thought she was lacking a backbone when she was at the boys's presence...
"Some were raised to fear the monsters in the dark, but most of us hide in plain sight. You're just too blinded to see it."
And then came part 2 and everything changed for me. It was really crazy... As I was sitting there, something happened and the last 40% was a crazy and delicious ride that I never wanted to end... The things were starting to change in the speed of the light and I was sitting on the edge of my seat while I was devouring this story...
I even fell in love with one of the boys and honestly, I didn't see it coming...
And if the way that the author turned out this story isn't impressive, i don't know what else it is...
"I have known what it feels like to be loved and to be hated. Honestly, they're both just as brutal, leaving scars that will never heal."
Well, this was definitely a very wild, dirty and dark ride that made me feel almost every feeling known to mankind. It was a mind fuck of epic propotions and it made me question my sanity many times, but now that I finished this book, I'm so happy that I picked it up and read it. The second part made up for everything that i got through in the first part. LOL!!!
Little doll, little doll, beg me to breathe.
Little doll, little doll, beg me to see.
Little doll, little doll, beg me to set you free.
**I read an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
March 19, 2021
DNF@88%
Henley does what is right and reports that she saw a friend of hers rape and kill someone. He and his friends decide to get revenge for her lies.
So many things in this didn't make sense. Why was Rellik even a character? Why did Henley have to go back to her old school when things didn't work out at her mother's? Why would her father allow Monroe to go to their house? Why were there so many POVs? Why did Henley like these guys before shit when down? They were always assholes. What was the point of Henley having a brother?
I didn't like any of the characters. Henley seemed strong at first but became a doormat when it came to sex. Her thoughts indicated she was using the guys to get info from them but she had no real plan and screwed everything up by constantly putting herself in dangerous situations and by drinking too much. All of the guys were sex obsessed assholes. Rellik made no major impact on anything but was still an ass for being okay with the revenge plan even if he didn't want to participate in it.
The romance was not romantic. Henley didn't have good chemistry with any of the guys. It didn't surprise me who she ended up with since he had the most parts from his POV. Outside of the bedroom they didn't click at all. It had strong reverse harem vibes since she didn't seem to favor anyone until late in the book.
I've really liked some other books by this author, but this was terrible.
Henley does what is right and reports that she saw a friend of hers rape and kill someone. He and his friends decide to get revenge for her lies.
So many things in this didn't make sense. Why was Rellik even a character? Why did Henley have to go back to her old school when things didn't work out at her mother's? Why would her father allow Monroe to go to their house? Why were there so many POVs? Why did Henley like these guys before shit when down? They were always assholes. What was the point of Henley having a brother?
I didn't like any of the characters. Henley seemed strong at first but became a doormat when it came to sex. Her thoughts indicated she was using the guys to get info from them but she had no real plan and screwed everything up by constantly putting herself in dangerous situations and by drinking too much. All of the guys were sex obsessed assholes. Rellik made no major impact on anything but was still an ass for being okay with the revenge plan even if he didn't want to participate in it.
The romance was not romantic. Henley didn't have good chemistry with any of the guys. It didn't surprise me who she ended up with since he had the most parts from his POV. Outside of the bedroom they didn't click at all. It had strong reverse harem vibes since she didn't seem to favor anyone until late in the book.
I've really liked some other books by this author, but this was terrible.
March 12, 2021
Make me beg by Shantal Tessier
Four boys known as the Grim Reapers run Westbrook. Henley Greene had been best friends with them for years and was even in love with one of them. But when she witnessed one of the boys committing a crime, she did what was right and called the police. A trial started, and, the four boys turn against her. But they are not going to let her walk away, no they are adamant that she will pay for her sins and she will be their “little doll”, to do what they want to her, until she finally breaks. But what happens when things don’t add up? Truths and Lies seem to blend, and betrayal leads to vengeance. Who holds the trump card? And how deep does the deception run?
Ms. Tessier has written a story that is full of betrayal, and the plot twists were crazy good. I had worked out who the bad guy was early on, however, I still enjoyed the story and the writing. I think I wanted the “the Little Doll” to stand up for herself and not to be so eager to be used, but that was her conditioning. Overall a story that keeps you enthralled. This story does deal with some dark themes so if you are easily offended or have triggers, I would warn you.
Four boys known as the Grim Reapers run Westbrook. Henley Greene had been best friends with them for years and was even in love with one of them. But when she witnessed one of the boys committing a crime, she did what was right and called the police. A trial started, and, the four boys turn against her. But they are not going to let her walk away, no they are adamant that she will pay for her sins and she will be their “little doll”, to do what they want to her, until she finally breaks. But what happens when things don’t add up? Truths and Lies seem to blend, and betrayal leads to vengeance. Who holds the trump card? And how deep does the deception run?
Ms. Tessier has written a story that is full of betrayal, and the plot twists were crazy good. I had worked out who the bad guy was early on, however, I still enjoyed the story and the writing. I think I wanted the “the Little Doll” to stand up for herself and not to be so eager to be used, but that was her conditioning. Overall a story that keeps you enthralled. This story does deal with some dark themes so if you are easily offended or have triggers, I would warn you.
February 22, 2022
What TF did I just read?!?! 😳 I say that in the best way possible because this book had me on the edge of my seat and I was glued to my kindle to try and figure out what the hell was going on!
5/5⭐️
4-4.5/5 🌶
DARK BULLY W/ LOTS OF *TRIGGERS* (some triggers include SA, non-con, dubcon, etc.)
MFM (not RH, she does end up with 1 guy in the end)
FMC: Henley
MMC: No spoilers you just need to read it and go for the wild ride of trying to figure out who it will be
Multiple POV (Henley, Rellik, Scout, Law, Dax)
Bully might be my favorite trope and I have to say this might be the most bullying I have read. As much as I wanted to end these guys I was also internally here for it...I dont know what that says about me 🤣.
The prologue had me hooked...I mean what a way to start with a rape and murder trial! So much questioning and second guessing with what really happened then the twist and turns along the way! This was a top read for me for sure!
5/5⭐️
4-4.5/5 🌶
DARK BULLY W/ LOTS OF *TRIGGERS* (some triggers include SA, non-con, dubcon, etc.)
MFM (not RH, she does end up with 1 guy in the end)
FMC: Henley
MMC: No spoilers you just need to read it and go for the wild ride of trying to figure out who it will be
Multiple POV (Henley, Rellik, Scout, Law, Dax)
Bully might be my favorite trope and I have to say this might be the most bullying I have read. As much as I wanted to end these guys I was also internally here for it...I dont know what that says about me 🤣.
The prologue had me hooked...I mean what a way to start with a rape and murder trial! So much questioning and second guessing with what really happened then the twist and turns along the way! This was a top read for me for sure!
March 8, 2021
This story left me breathless. At times, while reading Make You Beg, my heart was racing, the words making me feel like I was an active voyeur, witnessing a cataclysmic and devastating series of events, that left me reeling!
If you are thinking of delving into this story please go in blind, do not read the reviews, avoid the comments, and just take the leap. If you have read the previous books of Shantel Tessier, and you loved them, you will be even more in awe with this story!
If you are thinking of delving into this story please go in blind, do not read the reviews, avoid the comments, and just take the leap. If you have read the previous books of Shantel Tessier, and you loved them, you will be even more in awe with this story!
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