Reading with a Side of Life

• Overall: ⭐⭐
• Characters: 👍👍
• Spicy: 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️.5
• Writing: 🖊️🖊️
• Narration: 🗣️🗣️

If you do not want to read this breakdown in fear of spoilers, please feel free to go here for a video breakdown of the review.

Please click here to buy this book because your a Lancaster goddess and want a million virtual kisses yourself.

WTF Just Happened: Book Breakdown

So this is the second book in the Lancaster prep series. But don’t worry-you can totally read this book as a stand alone book. I have read Things I Wanted to Say first (feel free to click the link if you want to read that review before continuing). I wanted to take some time before reading the second one because the first one was good but I wanted a vacation from the Lancaster Prep series.

This book is about Crew Lancaster, a rich snob of a boy who becomes absolutely infatuated with Wren Beaumont. Wren is a lot like Cecile Caldwell from the 1999 version of Cruel Intentions. Innocent and overly protected due to her mistake of being preyed upon by a grown-ass man when she was 12 on a One Direction discussion board. Wren’s family is also wealthy, obviously, because to go to Lancaster Prep-your family has to be wealthy. Crew has hold over most of the student population because his name is on the building. He makes multiple comments about how he could “own” anyone in the school therefore he is better than everyone else. He doesn’t flat out say that but it is highly inferred. Wren, the innocent little virgin she is, still wears her purity ring that her father gave her during a daddy-daughter dance and preaches to other girls about how fucked up they are to give away their bodies too easily.

During their psychology class, the teacher decides to switch things up and make the class do a one-on-one assignment in which they are paired up with people who are opposite but they would be “surprised” to know how much they have in common. Yep-Wren is now paired with Crew and she believes that he hates her because he is always looking at her in “evil” ways and does not like her for reasons unknown. They get to know each other and low and behold-she finds out that he likes her and she ends up liking him.

“We are opposites in every single way you can think of, yet we’re also unspoken equals. It’s the weirdest fucking thing.”
-Crew

Would I force my friends to read this book?

I kind of have a love hate relationship with this book. I love a good enemies to lovers book. Yes please! However, I do not know why Wren does not know that Crew is totally in love with her. He LITERALLY stalks her. Watches her. His world evolves around her even before she is his.

However, as naïve as Wren is, she does admit that she is and even says “Sometimes I see only what I want to see, not what’s actually happening”. She knows that she struggles with knowing what is reality and what her heart wants. Which, I think that we can all have blinders on at times, especially when it comes to people we are crushing on.

I like that Crew is fierce about his love for Wren. I like that he never stops trying to make her happy throughout the book. Crew really goes above and beyond because he does everything from take her to Vermont on his private plane… because why not? He buys her Chanel and so many other things that by the end of the book he has to have spent a few million dollars on her.

What I do not like is that he is so arrogant about it. Let’s face it buddy-that is not YOUR money-it is your PARENTS money. Do they care? Not really. Like most rich tropes-the parent’s of both Crew and Wren are highly neglectful until they fuck up in some way. Then they are all on their ass not to be fuck up’s. Crew’s dad even rants to him at one point of the book insisting that he get his shit together and don’t fuck up his schooling like he does everything else he does.

Oh but what got me the most, I will have to say is the absolute OBSESSION with this girls virginity. We get it. She is a virgin. She makes her friends, especially her friend Maggie, who is going through something, feel bad when they decide to put out for the guy of their choice. Granted-Wren later retracts her thoughts on this due to the mind blowing orgasms that Crew gives her. When she describes what she liked from the porn to Crew-I swear-all men should try to reenact those scenes to such fidelity.

I will not read this book again. It is not one of those books I can’t wait to re-read or recommend to someone but I do know that it could possibly just be a me thing. I just could not get totally invested in any particular character.

Tropes, Tea, and Twists

• Enemies to Lovers
  • Crew and Wren do not get along at all in the beginning of the book because Crew is too busy being weird, possessive, and honestly kinds creepy and his friends totally point this out throughout the book. His friend Ezra even says “That’s half the reason he wants her. He’s dying to corrupt her. Steal all her first from that mythical future husband she’ll have one day”…like ew Crew.
• Challenging Expectations
  • Both Crew and Wren challenge expectations. Crew because even though he has a badass 5.0 and at the top of his class, his family-especially his father- still expects him to be failure. Crew goes still reaches every goal he sets despite his family expecting nothing but failure out of him since he is the baby of the family. Wren is supposed to be the good girl. The pinnacle of innocents and to be seen but not heard to her family. Her mother shows her very little love and her father has unrealistic expectations of her that were set when she was twelve. But in the end she defies them in hopes of letting her wings expand before it is too late. Before she misses too much of her adolescents. Both Wren and Crew defies expectations of their fellow student body. He commits to one person verses a wham-bam-thank you ma’am. Wren ends up not being the good girl that everyone thinks that she is.

Author Vibes: Was the writing GIVINGGGG?

I did listen to this book on Audible and it was also available on Kindle Unlimited. I was a fan of the writing style of this book as I often am. It is written in duel point of view. You get to see both Wren and Crew’s point of view. This book is contemporary and written in such a way that uses easy to read verbiage and common sayings. There is cussing in the book, which I am a fan of since I cuss like a sailor myself but to me it makes the book more relatable in my opinion. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing and symbolism in the book as well. You can tell early on that the house of perfect cards that Wren puts up is going to fall quickly once she is caught in Crew’s metaphorical web. And Crew-how did his obsession with Wren not be a sign that he was going to be head over heels possessive AF of her.

“I protect what’s mine,” he says through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with anger.
-Crew because he felt jealous and threatened.

Voices in My Head, Book Edition

According to Audible, this books runs 15 hours and 12 minutes long if you like a nice long read. The book is narrated by Kelsey Navarro and James Anderson Foster. I make it a point not to look hours and up what audiobook narrators look like because I feel like it influences the way that I experience a book. I did look through her catalog on Amazon and I seen that she has done quite a few Meghan Quinn books so I am sure that I have listened to her before. I thought she did a really good job an expressing the emotions that Wren was feeling. James Anderson Foster also did a decent job. I thought he was a little too deep for a teenaged boy-but hey, I don’t underestimate the testosterone levels of Crew. At times, he was a little cheesy but I think that really has more to do than the narration itself. As for his Amazon catalog-I seen more thrillers and boss type books. Also, I am pretty sure Kelsey and James may be married now? According to Captured by a Sinner by Michelle Heard, Kelsey Navarro is now Kelsey Navarro Foster. So that’s a bit of tea I was not expecting.

Books Fictional Coordinates

The main location of the characters is at Lancaster Prep which is an elite boarding school for the wealthy. Wren even has a private room in the girls building. It seems like they keep the sexes apart even though we know there are enough empty rooms that their sexes definitely do not stay that way. Both Wren and Crew also live in New York and both luxury apartments are located near Tribeca. Since I have never been to New York, the internet 😉 says that it is ‘a neighborhood known for galleries, cobblestone streets, and loft-style living’-which sounds dope! And a perfect setting since Wren is thinking about being an art major and pretty much the whole book is centered around a painting that is called ‘A Million Kisses in a Lifetime.’ We do love when the title of the book is said in the thick of it don’t we? During a trip, Wren and Crew also go to Vermont which is described as picturesque and beautiful full of holiday decorated stores and sugar cookies a plenty.

Expectations, Stereotypes, & Other Fun Lies

Wren is expected to be daddy’s little girl even though she is going to be eighteen on her birthday, which is on Christmas day, and as a December baby myself-I felt this girls pain….hardcore. (Side note-I really do have a bestie who’s birthday is on Christmas day and I don’t know how she does it. We are always wrapped up in our own holiday shit that I do feel bad when I don’t send that ‘happy mother fucking birthday!’ text :()

So when Wren is made to feel like she is losing this perfect image that her father assisted with creating for her, she does go through inner turmoil of feeling like a fraud. That she is even betraying herself and that if she gives up her V card then she is no better then any other teen age girl and she thought herself better than that. She even wears a beautiful white ribbon in her hair to further symbolize her innocence and her virginal appearance.

Why is it still that a boy can be a slut and lose his virginity at fifteen and sleep with a dozen or so girls and not be condemned to slut hell in the opinion of their peers but a girl puts out once and now it is assumed that she is going to give it up to ever dude that walks by? I hope that this narrative is broken sooner or later but I do not see men giving up control of the female body any time soon unfortunately.

Crew’s family have no expectations of him expect to be a “man”. His father and brother expect him to just hit it and quit it or else he is a pussy-which, what is wrong with being a pussy? They are fucking MAGICAL! But God forbid that Crew shows he has an actual heart in his chest and feelings. He is also expected not to fail at anything that he does but also does not get any credit for his intelligence. I had a kid who went to a school that I pretty much owned and I know that I could snap my fingers and get him out of what ever trouble he may find himself in and he not only stays out of trouble (for the most part) but also excels at his studies? Fuck yeah I would give him praise! He doesn’t HAVE to get good grades to graduate but he does anyways. Props Crew. Major props.

This might be ‘a lot’ for some…

This is the part where we talk about possible triggers or debatable happenings in the book. As always, I will do my best to not have any spoilers.

• Virginity.
  • The fact that this book pretty much talks about sex and the taking of the V card in every chapter. Instead of a notch on the bed post this book symbolizes conquest in another way. It is kind of gross. The way that humans tally and have trophies of their conquest. However, I do want to be totally honest and I am a huge true crime fan so ‘trophies’ do tend to have another meaning for me when they represent another human and what that human lost. Whether it is their V card, their life, innocence, or privacy.
• Mr. Figueroa (Fig)
  • This guy… omg. I hated him from the very beginning. Total predator and Lancaster Prep is his hunting ground. It is made very obvious in the very beginning of the book when Wren gets certain vibes from him and Crew is totally skeeved out by him. This is a perfect example of everyone seeing something but no one saying anything! It is almost like a proud moment for some in the book to be taken advantage of because we all had that one moment in life where we think ‘I can fix them.’ *barf*
• Harvey Beaumont (Wren’s dad)
  • The way that he absolutely is obsessed with his ‘little girl’ is totally creepy to me. Maybe I just have unresolved daddy issues-who knows. But what I do know is that he has absolutely no boundaries when he comes to Wren. Also he is a shitty husband. Just say’n.
• Crew Lancaster
  • Yes. He gets a big red flag for 90% of his fucking actions. Possessive. Subscribes to gender roles. Love bombing. Borderline to more than borderline manipulation. Must I go on?
• ICloud Hacking
  • At one point in the book someone’s iCloud account get’s hacked and personal pictures are viewed by the wrong person. Revenge porn is so prevalent that this book could have gone in a very different direction if it wanted too. Luckily it didn’t but every.

Keep your pictures private. Invest in a Polaroid. Something. Your cloud is not your cloud. If a celebrities cloud can be hacked-so can yours just for the shit’s and giggles of it all.

The Plot’s Favorite Children

• Wren Beaumont A.K.A Birdie
  • She is the picture of innocence during her senior year at Lancaster Prep. She wears her purity promise ring every day symbolizing her vow to remain a virgin until marriage. Underneath her perfect exterior is a girl that is screaming to just be herself. Love art. Love life. Break free of gender and societal expectations of her. Wren is totally drawn to Crew because he does not care who he pisses off or what people think about him. However, she does have enough of a backbone to know that certain….*cough* authority figures won’t dare fucking touch her. I kind of wish this particular person would have tried because I guarantee that she would have blown the fucking celing off of that school and torch his career. Wren also has a strained relationship with her family as an only child. Her father has unrealistic expectations and her mother often comes off cold. This is later explained, thank goodness, but when you do not feel like you are yourself at school or at home…where can you exist safely expect in the arms of the bad boy who makes you feel everything you have never felt before?
• Crew Lancaster
  • The arrogant, stalker (of the one and only Wren), popular boy of Lancaster Prep. He makes it known to his small friend group that Wren is his early on. He also makes it known that he thinks that his shit doesn’t stink because his last name is on the crest of the school. Crew is the bad boy that sits in the back of the class, doesn’t mind being late to class, and often has girls swooning over him. Yeah, he will hook up with girls. Yeah, he doesn’t mind stringing them along in hopes that he will be theirs once and for all. But all he cares about is Wren even if in the beginning he doesn’t even talk to her. There is one point in the book that Wren catches him and his friend group smoking weed and he chases after her, catches her, and gropes her breast like he caught the winning ball in the game. That’s not concerning at all…. I say in a very sarcastic voice. What I can say about Crew is that he absolutely adores Wren. He lavishes her with gifts and often has internal struggle with concerns that he doesn’t know how to voice his feelings. I do find this admirable because as full ass adult I struggle with effectively voicing my feelings in a constructive manner. And I get not wanting to be vulnerable with people because the more open you are the more at risk you are at getting hurt. His never ending love for Wren is super sweet in its own…fucked up way.

Backup Dancers of the Plot

• Ezra Cahill
  • Crew’s main homie. He of course also attends Lancaster Prep with Crew and Wren. Often, he is the one that breaks down Crew’s actions into words when Crew himself can not quite express himself or understand why he does what he does. He is a dick-don’t get me wrong. He plays into Crew’s craziness in a way only a best friend can and make it seem totally logical the way he is acting. He is one of those friends that are ride or die-I am totally down with that.
• Maggie Gipson
  • Wren’s bestie. It is said in the book that Wren is popular despite her being a stuck up virgin. All the freshmen look up to her and all the girls want to be her because she is able to stick to her belief system. Maggie has such as need for male validation that is very obvious early on in the book. Her story almost made me want the author do a side quest into her life because Maggie is interesting as fuck to me and I wonder who hurt her when she was little. A very broken teenager and her actions later on effect the relationship she has with Wren.
• Mr. Figueroa (Fig)
  • This guy…if there was a rumor about him-it’s probably true. He is charismatic. He is good looking. He uses his position as a teacher at the elite boarding school to his advantage and all of his colleagues seem to just look right past it. I really don’t understand it. Crew catches on early on how much of a slime ball this guy is. So when Fig asks Wren to be his student aide for the spring semester-you best believe Crew has a major issue with it. Crew also assist later with a plot twist with this character.
• Malcolm
  • Malcolm is another one of Crew’s friends. He is known for his charm, good looks, and always making a joke about one think or another. He is British and it is implied in the book that he is on his last free pass and constantly thinks that Wren is going to end his time at Lancaster Prep and he will do what ever he has to not to be sent back home. “The book does not go into his storyline alot but he does assist with Crew’s questionable actions in the book.
• Harvey Beaumont
  • Wren’s papa. Her daddy…wait-that makes me feel icky saying it like that because of his actions. Wren does call him daddy though. He is very controlling due to an internet fiasco that Wren had on a One Direction forum when she was twelve. As a parent, I get wanting to protect your child at all cost knowing what evil is out in the world. However, tracking, spying, lying…none of those things are going to get you a gold star for parenting. Harvey’s action later truly impact the relationship between himself and Wren. Also exposes the cracks in the marriage with Cecily, Wren’s mother.
• Cecily Beaumont
  • Wren’s mother. The book display’s her as distant, disinterested in her daughter, and kind of a wino. Wren makes remarks about how her mother always has a glass of wine in her hand and how she is always looking pristine. Wren does almost follow in her mother’s footsteps when it comes to the art world however, so the book does a good job at creating the illusion that at one point, Cecily and Wren had to be closer then they are now. In the last half of the book, Cecily show’s a different side of her that I wish she would have shown Wren earlier to save a lot of heart ache in the parental relationship but also instill a sense of confidence in her blossoming daughter.

Step Into This Story If You Like…

• Teenage romance
• Self-Discovery
• Forbidden Romance
• Teenage angst
• Lifestyles of the Wealthy
• Drama
• A good girl gone bad and a bad boy gone good

Highlighter Worthy Moments

“We are opposites in every single way you can think of, yet we’re also unspoken equals. It’s the weirdest fucking thing.” -Crew, Chapter One pg 2

“You really shouldn’t eat those things in front of me.” He nods toward the sucker in my hand. “Why not?” I frown. “Watching you play with that thing in your mouth, all I can think about is you sucking my dick,” he says, his tone casual.- Crew and Wren, Chapter Six, Pg 55

“You sure you want me to be your first?” he drifts his fingers across my cheek, sliding them into my hair, holding the side of my head, forcing me to meet his gaze. “Because after I take one, I’m going to want them all”- Crew, Chapter Eighteen, Pg 179

“I remember everything about you, Wren.” His gaze turns serious. “Every single little thing.”- Crew, Chapter Twenty-Two, Pg 218

“When we’re lucky enough to find someone that makes our world brighter, shouldn’t we grab hold of that person and never let them go?”-Crew, Chapter Forty-Three, Pg 421

Please click here to buy this book because your a Lancaster goddess and want a million virtual kisses yourself.