Very Wicked Things Reviews and Giveaway by Ilsa Madden- Mills

Ballerina Dovey Beckham is a scholarship student at Briarcrest Academy, determined to prove she’s more than just a girl with the wrong pedigree. She does whatever it takes to succeed in her endgame, even if it means surrendering her body but never her heart. 

Until the day she meets him, and he rips apart all her well-laid plans. Suddenly, the girl everyone thought unbreakable might just shatter.

Cuba “Hollywood” Hudson is rich, spoiled, and a star football player. With his fast cars and superficial girlfriends, he lives the high-life, hiding his secrets from the world.

Until the day he meets her, and she offers him something he’s never tasted…love.

But once in a lifetime kind of love doesn’t come easy…especially when dirty money, past sins, and old flames threaten the very fabric of their lives.

Welcome to Briarcrest Academy, where sometimes, only the wicked survive.

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I got out of the shower and dressed hurriedly, anxious to get back to Cuba.

The door opened, and like he did it every single day, he stepped inside the steamy bathroom.  

“Think I need a shower, too,” he said, his fingers easing off his football practice shirt.

What? Now?

Trying to play it cool and failing miserably, I moved my eyes off his naked chest and checked out his track pants and the obvious bulge he sported.

Oh. Did his lower body match the rest of him? Was it all sinewy muscle and big?

Just, yeah. That thought got stuck in my head and went round and round.

 “You staying?” he asked, a grin working his face. Pleased at my open admiration, probably.

“No,” I said, but made no move to go. ‘Cause I had no shame when it came to catching a glimpse of his muscular body.

“Good,” he said, his smile broadening.

He pivoted to turn on the shower, and my eyes betrayed me again, admiring the muscles in his back, checking out how they twitched and rippled when he moved. Football and rowing had been good to him. My fingers itched to know how they’d feel underneath my hands. Which was stupid because we had nothing in common. Not a rich Highland Park boy and a poor girl from Ratcliffe.

And most importantly, he was a player, not to be trusted.

He hooked his thumbs into his pants, paused a moment—maybe waiting to see if I’d run from the room?—but when I didn’t budge, he slid them and his underwear off. My mouth opened. Cuba Hudson, the most popular guy at Briarcrest was standing right in front of me, naked and beautiful. And like the cocky bastard he was, he posed for me, his big-ass biceps and chiseled abs making me vibrate all over. Need for him slammed into me.

Did I say he was hot?

Well, I was wrong.

He was off-the-charts, no-holds-barred, freaking going make-me-lose-my-mind-right-there delicious. The ultimate man-candy, the kind I knew to stay away from, yet here I was, ogling him.

“Still leaving?” he asked huskily.

“Any minute,” I said in a weak voice, backing up to the wall and propping myself up. “Just chillin’. Shower wore me out. I might need to hold this wall up for a sec.”

“I want you to stay,” he said, eyes at half-mast, glowing with heat.

“Why?” I said, aching to touch him. But that was crazy. I was a virgin, and I didn’t know jack about touching a guy’s you-know-what.

“Look at me, Dovey.”

I tore my eyes from his manhood, blushing.

His eyes burned. “There’s a sense of urgency in my head. Like our time is limited.”

I nodded. Yeah, same here.

“And, I’ll be honest, I don’t want to rush you, but I’m dying to sink into you. I want to set you on fire with need for me.” He ghosted his hands over the steel rod between his legs. Once, twice, and—holy shizzle, he didn’t stop.

My chest rose faster and faster, and I tried to chill-out, but I couldn’t.

He lowered his voice. “Kiss me again, Dovey.”

Oh. “That’s a terrible idea, Cuba. Cause you’re naked, and I’m turned on because you’re naked. And you’re touching yourself. And you’re naked.” I sucked in a sharp breath. “Not a good combo. Odds are we’ll end up in that shower together or back in your bed doing the double-backed monster.”

“Then join me in the shower. I’ll be good. For you.” He arched his back, his hands still doing that back and forth that was driving me insane.

Liar, liar, pants on fire, I thought. No way he would he be good.

Because he was the Heartbreaker of Briarcrest Academy. And one wicked boy.

Very Wicked Things by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the second installment in her Briarcrest Academy Series and is every bit as satisfying as the first novel, Very Bad Things. This is hands down one of my all-time favorite series, and Very Wicked Things is a MUST READ for 2014 (or just a must read period)!

I can’t even put into words how giddy I was to get my hands on this story. Cuba Hudson was introduced in Very Bad Things and I couldn’t wait to get inside his mind. From what we learned about him in the first book, he’s a total manwhore. I wanted to know what or who broke him and led him down this slutty path. Now that I’ve become acquainted with Cuba, let me just say WOW. He’s naughty, delectable, and could tempt a nun into committing sin. Beneath an exterior that oozes sex appeal is a flawed man who sacrifices his happiness for everyone he holds dear. He carries a heavy burden, and it broke my heart to watch him struggle with the grief of loss and failure.

His soul mate comes in the form of a firecracker ballerina named Dovey Beckham. Her upbringing is a stark contrast to Cuba’s wealthy background. She’s spent most of her life fighting to survive and satisfy the most basic needs of food and shelter. She’s a walking contradiction – a blend of innocence and experience. She’s seen the horrific side of life yet still clings to the notion that she will advance beyond the circumstances she’s been born into. I loved her resilience and wit. Despite being constantly bombarded by obstacles, she maneuvers through them with poise keeping her chin up. Like Cuba, she is willing to sacrifice everything for her loved ones without hesitation. For both characters, this is a strength and weakness they possess.

If you fell in love with Nora and Leo in Very Bad Things, you’re going to swoon hard over Cuba and Dovey. There’s something familiar yet completely different about Very Wicked Things. All of our favorite characters have returned with a few new faces, but Ilsa gives us a glimpse into the life of a “scholarship kid” who isn’t born and bred in the high society of Highland Park. The characters’ differences build some serious sexual tension, which absolutely ignites the pages of this book. Their chemistry is delicious. Their passion is unrestrained. Their connection will give you hot flashes, so be prepared to get clammy.

Ilsa Madden-Mills doesn’t sugarcoat anything in this Briarcrest Academy novel. She is both wicked evil and absolutely genius as she pushed me out of my comfort zone while satisfying my addiction to drama. At times I wanted to crawl into a hole and bawl my eyes out for Dovey and Cuba. The story teeters on the edge between heartbreaking and hopeful. At times, it felt like my sanity was shoved over a cliff to plummet into darkness. Just when I thought there would be no redemption, my heart found it’s footing and remained intact. This story is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride that I would gladly partake in over and over.

I was enamored and immensely content with Ilsa Madden-Mills’ Very Wicked Things. If you haven’t treated yourself to the Briarcrest Academy Series, I am shunning you until this is remedied. These novels are sinful yet sweet and absolute must reads. I fell in love with Very Bad Things. I was captivated and enticed by Very Wicked Things. I am officially (and impatiently) on edge waiting for the next book in this series, so get to writing Ilsa!

Oh Cuba! Cuba Cuba Cuba!! How I love your wickness. I stalked my Kindle for days waiting for this book! I read Very Bad Things (book 1 in the Briarcrest Academy Series) long after its release. I was disappointed in myself that I waited so long. I absolute feel in love with the characters and Ilsa’s writing.

As Elle said, we were introduced to Cuba in VBT. I knew that under his man whoring ways there was a deeper character. And I was right! We get our first glimpse into the real Cuba in Ilsa Madden-Mills surprise project, Very Wicked Beginnings (see blog post below for details).

Cuba is smoking hot. He is smart and a star athlete but he has demons. Demons that make him feel like he is not worthy of love. Nothing makes me fall for a character fast than one that deems themselves unlovable when in reality they the most loveable of them all.

Dovey is kickass! She is a ballerina (something I dreamed of being as a little girl) and from the wrong side of the tracks. She is different from the BA girls. She isn’t rich or spoiled and she doesn’t fawn all over Cuba. She speaks her mind and is such a strong character. But under it all, she is fragile girl. We see a lot of her home life with her guardian Sarah. These scenes were so touching that I literally had tears in my eyes.

Cuba and Dovey are meant to be. But these stubborn two couldn’t get it together but when they did, it was magic! Their chemistry is one of the best I have ever read. 

I HIGHLY recommend this book and series. Ilsa Madden- Mills is an amazing writer who puts the readers right in the halls of Briarcrest Academy. I seriously read this book hoping it was a television series so I could hang out with these characters every week. 

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Ilsa Madden-Mills writes about strong heroines and sexy alpha males that sometimes you just want to slap. She spends her days with two small kids, a neurotic cat, and her Viking husband. She collects magnets and rarely cooks except to bake her own pretzels. When she’s not typing away at a story, you can find her drinking too much Diet Coke, jamming out to Pink, or checking on her carefully maintained chocolate stash. She loves to hear from fans and fellow authors. 

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