Received from NetGalley.

Briarcrest Academy novels cannot come out fast enough for my liking. I usually feel a bit squicky reading books that have 17/18 year olds as intense as the ones in these novels but Mills does a great job making it feel real that I'm willing to get over my squick. Dovey's got a lot on her plate and is just trying to do the one thing she loves (dance). Cuba's the BMOC and their history is not so good. And yet here they are overcoming their history (Mills can write a fight scene) and becoming a heck of a powerhouse couple. Loved this one more than the first one and I really liked that one a lot. Write faster! ( )

Dovey never had it easy and it doesn't change for her in high school. She thought Cuba was different, but even that ended in disappointment. Cuba tries to forget her but he just can't. And when new trouble comes for both of them, with it just drag them even farther apart.

This book has a little dark side to it that I wasn't expecting. (Warning: mob type situations, prostitution, etc.) I got lost in all of the back stories and missed some of Cuba & Dovey's connection. It was a decent read if you like a little suspense, a dash of dark and a messed up kind of love.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley. ( )

I just finished THE most amazing book! I had to privilege of reading Very Wicked Things early, and to say it knocked me on my tail is an understatement. One of the main things I love about Ilsa's writing is that you never know what you are going to get. You judge a book by it's cover, you see small teasers, and you THINK you know what you are in for. Well let me tell you, you literally have NO IDEA. The depth that she pulls from her characters, from the stars to the ones that have one scene, is literary genius at it's finest. It's magical. It's awe-inspiring. It's breathtaking. There just aren't enough adjectives that can adequately describe the emotions that coursed in my veins throughout this book. Heck, even merely calling it a book seems like a disservice, for it was SO much more than that. Two broken souls, searching for forgiveness from each other, from those around them, but mostly from themselves. It's a journey, and it's one that will take you from the highest highs to the lowest lows. From the first page until the last, I had no clue how it would end. I had my hopes and I had my fears, but never could I have imagined the outcome. ( )