The Revenge Pact by Ilsa Madden-Mills Series: Kings of Football #1
Published by Self-Published on December 3, 2020
Pages: 486
Genres: New Adult
Amazon
River Tate is a god on campus. The king of football.A tattooed bad boy with gunmetal eyes that see right through you. The only chink in his armor is her, the girl he pretends doesn’t exist, the forbidden one with the shy smile and lavender hair.
Anastasia Bailey is a nobody. The queen of nothing.An outsider with the face of an angel and a body made for sin. The only chink in her armor is him, her boyfriend’s frat brother, the football player who hates her.
But when Anastasia’s life comes crashing down, River’s the one who sweeps in and picks up the pieces. Torn between loyalty, lies, and secrets, he battles the temptation to take everything from her when they make their revenge pact.
He can’t tell her no.Because revenge (or love) is, sweet, and once you get a taste, the craving never ends.
The Revenge Pact is first in a series about three college football players.
I was pleasantly surprised by this absorbing new adult romance.
I’ve read my fair share of college sports romances, but it’s been a long time since I’ve fallen as hard for a hero as I did for River. He’s the total package — selfless to a fault, most popular guy on campus, and former football star. Even so, much of his life is a struggle. He doesn’t let it get him down though, and I admired his constant gratitude.
Anastasia is extremely appealing as well — smart and focused, with a longing to belong and a huge heart. She’s confident in who she is and refuses to settle for less than she deserves.
The build-up of tension between River and Anastasia is every angst lover’s dream. I appreciated River being torn between his sense of loyalty versus his desire for Anastasia. There really isn’t much to the “revenge pact” part of the plot, though, and the fallout isn’t as great as I expected. However, I was happy to move on and simply enjoy these wonderful characters exploring the depths of their relationship.
I took off a half star because the last few chapters are quite rushed and Anastasia makes some choices that seem inconsistent with her character. The Revenge Pact is still a win for me, nonetheless. Be sure to sign up to receive the bonus epilogue at the end. It’s far more satisfying than the one included in the book.
I love a good BFF and Anastasia’s antics with her roommate Lila are hilarious. I looked forward to all their scenes together. River’s frat brother Benji is ridiculously funny and loyal. River’s best friends, Crew and Hollis, are also super supportive. Crew and Hollis have their own books written by different authors, and I hope their stories are just as enjoyable.
Recommended for fans of:
College romance
Frats
Enemies to lovers
Sunrises
About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.
Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.
A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.
She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.
Have you read the rest of the books in this series? I enjoyed this one, but the other two were my favorites.
I haven’t read them yet. I know Meghan Quinn wrote the second book, so I’ll at least read that one.
It’s so much fun! And I had tried one of Locke’s books before and wasn’t really a fan. But this one was good and it got me reading some of her newer releases.