Book picks similar to
Pretty Vicious Things by J.S. Madden


bully
contemporary-romance
academy
romance-books

The Touch of a Villain


Holly Renee - 2021
    Wealthy. Elite. Ruthless. The boys of Clermont Bay ruled over this town as if it was their kingdom. And Beck Clermont controlled them all. He was arrogant and conceited, and from the moment I met him, he had made up his mind about me. Dangerously handsome and wickedly cruel, he had no intention of letting me spend my senior year under the radar. The secrets of old money ran deep, and even though I barely knew them, the sins of my family had put a target on my back. He was a hurricane, and I was unprepared for the storm. His touch fatal. His impact irreparable. There was no negotiation. He stole my heart. Without warning, without permission. He was the enemy, but that didn’t stop me from falling for The Touch of a Villain.

Descendants Academy


Belle Malory - 2020
    Monsters. Super sexy gladiators. Welcome to Arcadia, where bloodlines are divided and power reigns supreme.It all starts after I try to kill my sister…I know, I know. What a terrible thing to do. I have issues, okay? The magical kind. AKA, I'm cursed. I'm also a descendant of Ares, the God of War. Except he wasn’t really a god, just a regular dude with supernatural powers.Since my family no longer trusts me, they ship me off to a place called Arcadia, or the academy for descendants. Full of booby traps, plotting professors, and conniving students, this place is not for the faint of heart. This one gladiator, Xander, is sort of, almost nice to me, but even he wants to keep our friendship or whatever it is a secret. The worst part? In order to manage my violent bloodlust, the Fates decide I’m better off in House Aphrodite. Yep, the Goddess of Love. Eck. My soul craves something more, something fierce, and love magic is not it. If I’m going to survive this place, there’s a lot I need to learn. Starting with figuring out where I belong. Choose a side.Choose a house.Choose a magic.Descendants Academy is an upper Young Adult Fantasy series with a slow-burn romance. This is Book One of three: Descendants Academy, Deviant Descendants (September 2020), and Eternal Descendants.

Hate Struck


Nikki Ashton - 2020
    The scars she carried constantly reminded her of what she'd suffered, but she was determined to move on. If only the boy who ruled the school corridors didn't hate her so much. I played, I taunted, and I went in for the kill Adam Hudson was the Captain of the school football team and the boy that every girl in the school wanted. He was also the one they feared, but now Sarah Danes was in his sights. Now she was the girl he wanted to break - before she broke him.Girl meets boyGirl hates boyBoy hates girlAnd we all know what happens next…Hate Struck a story of secrets, lies and fear This book is based in a British high school and ends on a cliffhanger and may contain triggers with mentions of suicide, rape and violence. There are also some scenes of bullying

Wrong Crowd


Lisa Helen Gray - 2019
    I feared what my life would become when an aunt I never knew about came swooping in and threw me into the unknown. She was rich. I couldn’t even afford a pack of gum. We were complete opposites, yet I wanted a fresh start in life, and she was promising to give me that. I just had to live with her for a year, until I graduated college. However, from the very first day it became clear that I was completely out of my depth. It was a deal I couldn’t pass up, not if I wanted to stay off the streets until I could find a job to support myself. Everyone at Kingsley Academy was in a league of their own. The girls were high-class, yet as fake as Barbie dolls, and the boys were handsome with that appealing bad boy edge. Especially Kaiden Kingsley. He was charismatic, athletic, and sexy as hell. He also hated me so much he was willing to do anything to send me back to where I came from. And I didn’t even know why. He was cold, cruel and twisted in a way I could never compete with, yet I found myself gravitating towards him. Secrets, lies and deceit. Everyone reeked of it. I wanted answers—needed them. Before my mum died, I thought I knew everything about her. It turns out, I didn’t know her at all. There’s a reason she left all this behind; a reason why Kaiden and his elite group are on a mission to punish me. And I’m going to find out. WARNING: Strong content that may be a trigger to some readers.

Cruel Boy


Clarissa Wild - 2019
    Rich boys sin best.Gossip always goes around at Falcon Elite Prep.Everyone knows Nate Wilson, the most popular football quarterback and every girl’s crush.But there’s more behind those drop-dead gorgeous eyes and that killer smile …He’s a notorious heartbreaker …And he’s got his eyes set on me.The twisted games he plays are cruel and dangerous.He teases and tempts me … just to ruin me.Because I know the one thing he doesn’t want anyone to know.A big, dirty secret …And there’s nothing bad boys won’t do to keep a secret buried.

Blinded


McKayla Box - 2020
    I'm a new person.With old secrets.But I'm not a great actress.I know what will happen when people find out my truth.Because it's happened before.And it's not pretty.I just want to get through my senior year and graduate.But I'm making friends and I feel guilty not being honest with them.And I'm making enemies who I'm afraid will dig into my past so they can watch me crash and burn.And that guy? The one whose face I want to punch and then kiss?He needs the truth.I'm just not sure I can give it to him.Because he'll never look at me the same way again.WARNING: Blinded is the first book in The Del Sol High series. It contains mature themes, sexual content, and profanity. If you're not a fan of those things, this isn't the book for you. But if you like serious stuff mixed with lots of bad words and some sweaty sex, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. It is the first in a three book series.

King


L.J. Woods - 2020
    Or so he thought. He might be the King but I won’t be his pawn.—Eden - the other side of the tracks full of elite hacks.This town is as high-class as he is but it’s far from a garden.Too many thorns. Way too many pricks. The Academy alone has plenty of snakes, all serving one god. Damien King. The devil himself. He’s as seductive as his smirk. A sinful delight.And I should know better than to eat from this fruit. He wants to break me. Humiliate me. Make me buckle under his power.But I’m not an easy target so now I’m his biggest enemy. The leaders of the pack think they’re in charge, and I’ll play their game.Damien has Isaac and Christian - other royals in his kingdom,but I’ve got guts and I’m not afraid to play dirty.Secrets sit behind that heart-pounding gaze and I’m going to use them.Time’s up class-holes.Checkmate.—KING is a full-length 85,000-word new adult/high school bully romance novel with mature themes. This enemies-to-lovers romance is recommended for readers over 18. This is NOT a standalone but if you’re a fan of alpha possessive bad boys, this book is for you!

Awful Curse


Elena Monroe - 2020
    Forced to forget everyone I fell in love with, laughed with and bonded with.For a certain price you could unburden yourself from your hormonal teen at Arcadia Prep too.I’m reckless.I’m impatient.Purple hair, a don’t care attitude and my Doc Martins all screamed leave me alone, fending off any new relationships.I vowed to keep my heart safe this time, locking it away right under my anger but he knew exactly where I hid the spare key – in his mysterious eyes the minute ours locked.BOLTONI was stuck – the essence of a God in some kind of limbo of high school.I was meant for more than this.Being king here meant nothing.Arcadia Prep wasn’t for the weak. The expectations, the pressure, the standards, the success and privilege smug on everyone’s face wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea.I thrived in chaos.I’m fearless.I’m ruthless.The new girl was not my cup of tea.She stomped her doc martins all over my tradition, rules and my reign.We all have secrets. Mine were paper weighted down by my heavy crown.Her violet eyes and her abrupt attitude spewed sass all over my black on black. She didn’t faze me until I realized she was after my crown…

Wayward Witch


Samantha Bell - 2020
    I’ll die before I let these bullies have their way.” Most people in Woodlock’s Home for Magical Delinquents swear they don’t belong here - well, I do. If someone asked me if I was a good witch or a bad witch, I’d tell them that I'm the worst witch they could ever imagine. My parents are wanted fugitives, and now I’ve been abandoned in the magical world’s equivalent of juvenile hall. At Woodlock’s, we’re supposed to be rehabilitated into model magical citizens, but the teachers are weak and the bullies run the show. Three dangerously hot sorcerers - Blake, Knox, and Zane - have me in their sights, but I’ll show them that this bad witch doesn’t kneel to anyone - especially the Sons of Hell. - Wayward Witch is a stand-alone reverse harem bullies-to-lovers romance. A full length supernatural college academy romance. Contains profanity, violence, and situations that may be triggering for some readers.

Wicked Saint


Veronica Eden - 2020
    After one kiss, the king of the school hunts me down like I’m a conquest to win. He’ll have to fight harder than that, because I’m no one’s trophy.They all want a piece of me, but I will not bend or break for them.LUCASNo one refuses the king.One case of mistaken identity and a hasty kiss turned my world upside down.The new girl refused me. Not only that, she threw down the gauntlet. That won’t stand. No one ever says no to me. This school is mine and she’ll learn her place as a loyal follower or her life is going up in flames.I’ll make her say yes. She’ll be screaming it before I’m finished breaking her.Warning: Wicked saint is a dark new adult high school bully romance intended for readers 18+. This book is part of a series but can be enjoyed as a standalone. This mature new adult romance contains dubious situations and intense sexual/violent content that some readers might find triggering or offensive. Please proceed with caution.

Reapers and Roses


A.R. Breck - 2019
    But no, her eyes hold the familiar darkness that calls to me.Alone, I live with my demons. Together, we will conquer them.Welcome to hell, baby girl.

Her Challengers


Taylor Blaine - 2019
    That’s all anyone sees. Frail like a flower.They want to crush me.Destroy my dreams. Trample who I am.But they don’t see my strength. They don’t know the anger and pride bucking to get out.When the three Jameson cousins come after me, they’re expecting an easy conquer. What they get will flip their world head over heels.I won’t accept a challenge sitting down.I'm a fighter and this might be the most important fight of my life.***Bad Boys of Jameson High is a high school bully romance/reverse harem trilogy with mystery, suspense, and action wrapped up over 400 pages of intense attraction.***We all want to be the strong, kick ass girl. Gray doesn't want - she is. And the cousins just might be her matches.

Cruel Saints


Evie Kady - 2021
    It isn’t a school for foreigners, either.The peacekeeper? She’s going down.-----I’m already an outsider at this elite political academy in Scotland.A target has been painted on my back by the most popular guys in school.Musical royalty. Political royalty. Actual royalty.They seem to hate girls, especially girls like me who try their best to ignore them.It’s boys vs girls and I’m trapped in the middle.Fine. Because I’m going to show them it’s more powerful to be a sinner when everyone believes you’re a saint. Cruel Saints is a plotty, slow-burn bully romance set in a political academy. It’s Reverse Harem, which means the main character doesn’t choose between her love interests. This is Book 1 of 4, and the series will contain MM.

The Wrong Bachelor


Alexandra Moody - 2018
    AKA not Cole Kingston.Seventeen-year-old Madison (Madi) Matthews wants nothing to do with the dating competition her school is holding to raise money for charity. She's never been interested in chasing a guy before and she certainly isn't interested in competing for one in front of the whole school.But, when Madi is voted as one of the ten "lucky" contestants, she's given no choice but to vie for the heart of Lincoln High's most eligible bachelor. The problem is, they've chosen the wrong guy.Cole Kingston might be good looking, great with a football and practically the king of Lincoln High, but he's also cocky, arrogant, a serial flirt and Madi's sworn enemy.Will she be able to resist him though when the competition heats up and he turns his charms on her?

Sinners


Cassie James - 2019
    Everything Juliet is not. After spending the first sixteen years of her life in a dead-end town, she’s thrust into the spotlight of a legacy she never knew she had. With it comes a decades long mystery about a hidden family fortune. But if Juliet wants to claim the treasure her grandfather left behind, she must survive a dangerous game of cat and mouse with four boys that are equally as hot as they are cruel. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing. Not everyone will survive. There are two types of people in Patience: The sinners.And the pawns. Sinners is the first book in a series of full-length reverse harem high school bully romances. Some scenes portray subject matter that may be difficult for some readers. Enjoy at your own risk!