RUTHLESS: BLACK MOUNTAIN ACADEMY by ARIA COLE & MILA CRAWFORD

“Why do you keep pushing me away?”
“Because you fuckin’ scare me.”

Ruthless by Mila Crawford & Aria Cole is part of a series based at The Academy School, however, each book can be read as a standalone. Bully romances intrigue us, it’s one of those times where fiction should remain fiction as it would be too heart-breaking for the real world. Mila Crawford and Aria Cole’s writing is seamless, and we really enjoyed Ruthless and the dark and angsty romance between a battling Kyler and Madison.

‘I wanted this girl to notice me, to look at me with those warm eyes. I wanted her to shake and cry. I wanted something more than this. I couldn’t stand her just looking across the rippling water, pretending that I didn’t exist.’

This is your typical bully romance, Kyler is an utter arse, hiding his broken heart behind a tattooed and pierced veneer. Whilst Madison is a sweet naïve girl, she has an inner strength she thoroughly needs to draw on when she meets the anti-hero, she reads about in her books. Their journey is incredibly intense and angst-filled and Kyler’s demons from his past are utterly heart-breaking. Madison makes a horrifying discovery whilst fighting an instant yet terrifying connection with her tormentor, Kyler. Between the pair of them were two hearts which frantically searched the other out.

‘That was the thing about broken, fucked up people – they tried to get a connection wherever they could get it, but because it was something intangible to them they became…well, I became a miserable son of a bitch.’

Ruthless had some elements to its storyline which would definitely be triggers for some readers, however, they were dealt with in a way that was sensitive and not detailed, however, the authors definitely captured the fear, heartbreak and utter desperation. We really enjoyed Ruthless on the whole but found the story a tad rushed and would have loved for the emotional elements to be explored in greater detail which would have provided a deeper connection with the characters. The epilogues were definitely an important and most wonderful part of the story and we absolutely loved them!