Review - Broken Trust (Pacific Prep #1) by R.A. Smyth
Broken Trust (Pacific Prep #1)
by R.A. Smyth
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Release Date: July 7th 2021
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Reverse Harem, High School
Synopsis:
Today I start school at Pacific Prep. This is my new lease on life, and I won’t be wasting it.
I need this, now, more than ever. I need the education, the promise of a future that I wouldn’t get anywhere else.
These rich kids don’t like me though.
When Hawk Davenport decides he doesn’t want me here, his friends back him.
Along with Hawk, Westley Warren, Cam Rutherford, and Mason Hayes rule this school and nobody dares go against them.
They don’t know the real me. I won’t back down.
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This book is a reverse harem, meaning the FMC will have three or more love interests.
The book also has trigger warnings for emotional/physical bullying, abuse, violent scenes, reference to self-harm and mature content/swearing, so please do not read if you are easily offended or have the mentioned triggers.
This book is intended for 18+
The book also has trigger warnings for emotional/physical bullying, abuse, violent scenes, reference to self-harm and mature content/swearing, so please do not read if you are easily offended or have the mentioned triggers.
This book is intended for 18+
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Broken Trust is the perfect novel as a first book in the Pacific Prep series.
The story on itself starts unravelling slowly and I loved that whenever you thought you knew where the story was going the author would just unveil something and drop a bomb that you definitely see it coming. I love stories with layers and mind-blowing revelations and R.A. Smyth is definitely getting better and better at writing those.
The story starts with Hadley Parker, a foster kid, starting at Pacific Prep, a super rich and elitist school, on a scholarship. There she meets the Kings: Hawk, Westley, Cam & Mason and the school tradition: every few months the Kings pick a girl of their choosing to be their girl (and that means she does ANYTHING for them). But never the scholarship girls.
The relationship with Hadley and the Kings starts a bit rocky: Hawk seems to hate Hadley cause she refuses to bow to him, Mason seems like the silent and indifferent one, while West ends up helping her in computer science and being friendly with her and Cam never stops flirting with her.
I loved that the characters were so different and not everyone was head over heels with the MC. I even felt disappointed with Cam's behaviour since I was expecting him to be "Team Hadley's" until the very end, but even with that switch I ended up liking him for not being what any other story is.
The MC is also a strong character with surprises up her sleeve. I loved how baddass she went mid-book in the gym and against Hawk.
We can see from the prologue and the last chapter in the story where the story is sort of going. It has some topics that can be a trigger for some (e.g. abuse, self harm, etc.; read carefully the author's warning) and that we have seen in the Crescentwood series too.
If I have to complain about something it would be the fact that one of the characters, Derek, was introduced at the very end of the story and for me he just appeared out of nowhere. Now, you can say I am being picky (I know I am) BUT he feels like he is going to be a BIG character in the series and I feel a bit meh that he just "appeared". But as you can see, this has not been a problem with my rating of the story.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I am dying to read book 2 and August 23rd can't come soon enough. R.A. Smyth has become one of my autobuys authors and I can't wait to see what more books she has for us.
I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
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