Cruel Start (Hidden Valley Elite Book #4.5) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Angela Hayes

Cruel Start by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 Stars

Cruel Start is Book #4.5 in the Hidden Valley Elite series by Isla Vaughn. Wow- this series just keeps getting more intriguing and angstier with each new addition. As with the other books in the series it is a New Adult Bully romance, with a surprise pregnancy element, chemistry, spice, angst, drama, friendship, intrigue, emotion, family drama/dynamics, secrets, fear, and lies.
This is the prequel to Aspen and Phoenix’s story, a novella length morsel to whet the appetite- which made for a quick and intriguing read. Aspen and Phoenix’s story continues in the next two books- ‘Cruel Hate’ (Book #5) and ‘Cruel Love’ (Book #6)- so I can’t wait to lay my hands on them to find out how their story unfolds from here.
Even though this is book #4.5 in the series, it could be read as a standalone if you wanted, being the first book in Aspen and Phoenix’s story. But, having said that, I highly recommend reading the previous books before starting on this one as I feel that knowing what happened there will definitely enhance your reading experience of this story. The previous books help lay the foundations of the series, as well as giving character introductions, backstories, and other ‘groundwork’, which having on board will definitely help your understanding and appreciation of each instalment, as well as the Hidden Valley Elite series, as a whole.
Bring on Book #5!
Happy Reading…

Thank you, Isla Vaughn!

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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