NO PRINCE by STEVIE J COLE & LP LOVELL

‘They were always the heroes, and we were always the villains.’

No Prince by Stevie J Cole and L P Lovell was reminiscent of those bad boy romances we used to love. The type of stories that are just so messed up you can’t help but fall in love with them in all their ugly and raw hopelessness and fierce passion. These two Authors nailed the sense of despair, the gut wrenching fight to not repeat the mistakes of those who came before and that inherent survival instinct of those who must fight in life to stay above the waterline and keep breathing without drowning.

‘Some girls saw Zepp in all his brooding, shithead glory, and they wanted to either be used by him or save him.’

Monroe and Zepp stole our hearts, for different reasons and some the same. Two kids just trying to stay alive under immense social pressure and inequalities. You don’t get to choose the life in which you’re born into or the hand which you’re dealt. Neither Monroe nor Zepp were born into money or comfort or even love. Both have struggled since day one. So is it any wonder their path veers into the grey and off the beaten track, rather than along the clear, straight and narrow?

‘She was the girl that had managed to catch my attention and the only one who didn’t want it.’

Hate runs ever so deep, as does resentment. Especially when those given an easier path abuse their privilege and social standing. Monroe is getting by in life on her own and dreaming of getting out of the rough trailer park in her hometown of Dayton. Whilst she’s both fierce, strong and independent, deep down all she wants is a better opportunity in life and ultimately to be loved and wanted. She’s vulnerable and in a precarious situation at home.

‘Zeppelin Hunt would always be the boy who had shown me what love was, even when he couldn’t love himself.’

Zepp is living by the skin of his teeth on the wrong side of the law, dealing in petty crime, trying to keep a roof over his and his brother’s head. He’s a tattooed bad arse with a provoking arrogance and a love them and leave them attitude. Using people to satisfy his urges, whatever they may be. However, underneath that cocky and rough exterior lies a battered heart surrounded by concrete walls, a heart that wants to love and be loved in return, yet is scared to.

“I’m gonna go to jail for something, Roe. Might as well be you.”

Both Monroe and Zepp skate the fine line of morality and whilst they’re not particularly endearing characters, they certainly deserved more than what they were given and we wanted them to find some kind of peace, despite them living somewhat unapologetically. We wanted them to find that ultimate love in each other, as both loved fiercely when opening themselves up fully without regrets.

“It’s not pretty.”
“The truth never is. Anything pretty is always a lie.”

No Prince was flawlessly written and ever so compelling. It had intense emotions and we couldn’t help but eventually fall in love with Zepp and Monroe, who both masked their vulnerabilities in order not to be hurt any more than the hurt life had already exposed them to. The angst was palpable and the struggle heart-breaking.

“Everything I did was because I loved you.”
“Then I don’t want your love because it hurts.”