Savage Start (Hidden Valley Elite Prequel) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Ayla Phipps

Savage Start: A High School Bully Romance: Hidden Valley Elite Prequel by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book I have read by Isla Vaughn and though it was very short, being the prequel of a new series, I am hooked. It only took me about 2 hours or so to finish. The world the author creates is a very realistic one, the characters feel raw and real in their reactions to things. With a dual perspective of Riley and Cole, Savage Start sets off a whirlwind to come.
Riley is new to Santa Monica, along with her mother they have been running from city to city, from character to character since Riley was a year old. Always running from her father never safe until now, or so her mother claims. Cole is a local Elite of Hidden Valley Academy, along with his younger brother and two cousins. Cole’s life seems perfect on the surface, but the façade hides his crumbling family led by his father’s indiscretions. New to the city and a day of travel Riley finds herself walking on the beach before coming up on a house party. Allowing herself a few moments to do a “normal” teen activity she sneaks inside only to get caught stealing. The mystery man disarms her defenses stealing an epic kiss before she flees, but every moment her mind is consumed with fantasies of the kiss and the first guy to ever make her feel the dagger of desire.
Is Riley and her mother finally safe? Will the promises she makes come true? Will Cole’s brother ever learn the truth behind their mother’s mental decline? The author is beyond amazing, and I have already got my calendar marked for the release of book 1 in Riley and Cole duet, Savage Lies, March 30th, 2023, I can’t wait to read more about these characters and see where their story leads. The second book Savage Truth, April 27th, 2023, is the conclusion of Riley and Cole’s story with a happy ever after. I can’t wait to go on their journey with them.

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