Bully to lovers? Yeah, that doesn’t end well. This doesn’t either. Falling in love with a rich prick will be the death of me. Literally. - -Jo- Obsessive? Check. Possessive? Most definitely. That’s Damien King in a nutshell. This small town isn’t the only thing he rules, he has my body and mind with that sinful smirk. That deadly gaze. And I let him ruin me. I let him break me. I let my biggest enemy become my biggest addiction, and now? I’m in for one hell of a crash. - -Damien- Call me a bully, monster or maniac - I couldn’t care less. Jo Rowland is mine and mine only. You know, the poor pretty girl from the wrong side of the tracks. The girl with an attitude that makes my blood boil. The girl that can save me. My girl. If one night is all we have, I’m owning this. No more secrets. No more lies. Ready or not, Medusa, it’s me and you. ’Til death. - PAWN is a full-length 80,000-word new adult/high school bully romance novel with mature themes. This enemies-to-lovers romance is recommended for mature readers. This book is for fans of rich, alpha bad boys and is meant to be read as part of a trilogy. It is not a standalone.
L.J. Woods is an author of young adult and new adult contemporary dark romance. Her deliciously dark novels feature fierce heroines and irresistible bad boy anti-heroes that can’t get enough of them. With a thing for themes like enemies-to-lovers, bullying and suspense, Books by Woods will leave you gripping to your Kindle.
Woods is a Bi-Bipoc with a passion for travel, bourbon and new experiences. While she's anglophone, she calls both Montreal and Paris home.
One of my favorite book boyfriends Damien is back and has declared his love for the unconventional and flawed Jo. This storyline follows the development of their still toxic, but made-for-each-other relationship and uncovering the mystery surrounding their lives from the previous books. Both have matured, neither is perfect other than their relationship fit.
What I liked the most about this series and finally this book was the burning love and emotion that can be found among flawed persons, their partnership in love and war and togetherness to overcoming, conquering enemies. It was overly wordy and too much pull and pull which unnecessarily slowed the pace to the point of my losing interest. Damien had declared his love, so what was the problem? Overall a read delivering warm feelings of riding off into the sunset with your true love which structurally could have been tighter.
★Damien and Jo aren't conventional. They're messy, complicated, gritty and harsh. Their dilemmas are valid and their anger is brutal. The way they're like two incomplete pieces of one fantastic whole but try so hard not to be throughout this trilogy is finally brought to a head in Pawn.
★Damien and Jo's character evolution is peaking throughout.
★Willow, Christian, Jordan and Isaac have all captured my interest. Jordan has especially piqued my curiosity. I'd love to see hoe he's redeemed (or not :D) And Willow is one strong character. I can't wait to read more about her!
★This isn't one of those sweet romances in which the H finds everything the h does divine and drool-worthy. Damien does get mad at Jo and vice versa. But that's what makes it so understandable. They're real people with some real problems, real trials and real lives.
. The ending to the internationally bestselling trilogy awaits and I'm on pins for you all to read it! This bittersweet ending may leave your stomach in knots, but there's plenty of steam to compensate - I promise. . Remember, PAWN is part of a trilogy and is not a standalone. Read the first in this series here: King. Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/authorljwoods/ Facebook ➜ rebrand.ly/ljwoodsfacebook Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/BooksByWoods
“I love him not for the way he silenced my demons, but for the way his demons dance with mine.”
What an amazing finalization of this series. This was easily a 5 ⭐️ series . I was sucked in by book 1 and devoured the entire series in two weeks. Literally- I hit pause on life until I was finished . Jo and King are just nothing less than outrageous together. In the best way. The character development in this series was outstanding , the depth of each character continued to grow up u til the very end . Obviously I recommend this series. This was just awesome and one that will stick with me for awhile! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bully to lovers? Yeah, that doesn’t end well. This doesn’t either. Falling in love with a rich prick will be the death of me. Literally. - -Jo- Obsessive? Check. Possessive? Most definitely. That’s Damien King in a nutshell. This small town isn’t the only thing he rules, he has my body and mind with that sinful smirk. That deadly gaze. And I let him ruin me. I let him break me. I let my biggest enemy become my biggest addiction, and now? I’m in for one hell of a crash. - -Damien- Call me a bully, monster or maniac - I couldn’t care less. Jo Rowland is mine and mine only. You know, the poor pretty girl from the wrong side of the tracks. The girl with an attitude that makes my blood boil. The girl that can save me. My girl. If one night is all we have, I’m owning this. No more secrets. No more lies. Ready or not, Medusa, it’s me and you. ’Til death. - PAWN is a full-length 80,000-word new adult/high school bully romance novel with mature themes. This enemies-to-lovers romance is recommended for mature readers. This book is for fans of rich, alpha bad boys and is meant to be read as part of a trilogy. It is not a standalone.
5 STARS for PAWN : A Dark High School Bully Romance This book is not a standalone it is Book #3 in the Elite Royal Academy Series. I highly recommend Book #1 King and Book #2 Knight
Wow I love when I discover a new author - thank you Booksprout and L.J. Woods for this ARC !!
This is a spoiler free review but I encourage readers to delve into this entire series . If high school bully romance is your JAM ( usually not something I read but boy am I now a fan ) this series is so it !!!
What I loved :
Great cover GREAT central characters in Damien King and his “ eventual queen “ Joelle “Jo “ aka = Medusa Amazing supporting characters - who wouldn’t want to have friends like the ones Jo and King have ... Intrigue , interesting plot with twists and turns you won’t see coming This series could not have ended better than with Pawn tying up all loose ends Angst and more angst The “L” word is finally spoken - I don’t think I’ll forget the Ferris Wheel scene for some time ! Best HEA
Please be sure to keep a fan , water or fire extinguisher handy to douse the flames lol !!!
What a great read - highly recommend this series !!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Thank you to the author, L.J Woods , for providing a copy of Pawn (Elite Royal Academy book 3). I have reviewed honestly.
He's possessive. Obsessive. He owns this town. She's fierce. The girl from the Grove. She doesn't belong to anyone. Join Jo and Damien in the stunning conclusion to the epic Elite Royal Academy series.
Pawn features, but is not limited to, the following themes: ○ Bully romance ○ High school ○ New Adult ○ Dark Romance ○ Rich teens
My overall rating for Pawn is…
4.5 Stars!
Another dark and intense series has come to an end! This book was so emotional! The previous books were packed with projected lust, love, hate, despair and need; Pawn had all these plus an overwhelming addition of anger. I have loved the simmering connection between Jo and Damien since King, and I loved it in Pawn. Their sex is powerful and sinful and steaming hot. Their battle of wills is matched with the hard minds they possess. The pair have new struggles in the final book that left me screaming and in denial. Overall, this book was an incredible ending to an intoxicating series, with whimsical characters and satisfying closures.
** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed are my own and I have not been compensated for this review.**
Pawn is the final book in the Elite Royal Academy trilogy by L.J. Woods. Pawn is an adult/high school bully romance novel with mature themes. The book is a decent size and fully explores each of its plotlines and further develops the characters for the final time. This book is recommended for fans of enemies-to-lovers romances, rich and alpha possessive bad boys. I highly recommend that it is essential to read the first two instalments in this series before starting this book as the books are not standalone's as the plot lines and characters all interconnect across the trilogy. The ending was very unexpected but perfect none the less. The book concludes Jo and Damien's story through a duel POV. Their conclusion to their love story revolves around love, murder, mystery and steam.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jo and Damien are a combination of Sid and Nancy and Bonnie and Clyde. I can’t decide which or maybe just a mashup. They’ve endured traumatic events some together others separate. When the two are around each other it’s like a five-alarm fire...thank god when they’re good, they’re a balm for the other. ‘Pawn’ is filled with DRAMA, intense love, a bit of intrigue and a whole lot of crazy. The ending for the couple was perfect considering all the stuff they’ve endured. Having said that, it’s the best story in the trilogy. To get to ‘Pawn’ you really need to read the first two books, as this story is not a standalone. I highly recommend binge reading it all. You’ll be captivated and be kept wanting more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Pawn is the final book in the Elite Royal Academy trilogy by L.J. Woods. It is a dark high school bully romance which is narrated from the dual POV of Damien King and Jo Rowland.
Wow just wow!! What an amazingly explosive ending to Damien and Jo’s story. I absolutely loved all of the secrets, twist, turns and the panty drenching sex scenes.
I love Jo but I found her to be so whiny and annoying in this book. Like girl take responsibility for your actions and stop blaming Damien King for everything. As always Damien was his usual crazy, obsessive, alpha self which I absolutely love. I found that the secondary characters added so much entertainment to the the story.
OMG that ending!! It was so perfect and I never saw it coming. I love it so much!!
I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.
Woah...that was so worth the wait! This story was so full of suspense, angst and twists!! I really wasn't expecting the plot to go in the direction it did but it really worked! I'm just glad that Damien faught for Jo and that they finally get their HEA!! Cant wait for more from this author....I hope Christian and Isaac get stories too!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Merged review:
Woah...that was so worth the wait! This story was so full of suspense, angst and twists!! I really wasn't expecting the plot to go in the direction it did but it really worked! I'm just glad that Damien faught for Jo and that they finally get their HEA!! Cant wait for more from this author....I hope Christian and Isaac get stories too!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love Jo and Damien together and was hoping book 3 would drove the story forward. However, this edition of the series went in unnecessary circles too much. As much as I love push-pull romances, I wanted to scream at Jo and her flightiness. It was clear she couldn't leave Damien and her decisions became more and more erratic. The other frustrating events in the story was the copious amounts of substance abuse. I mean every 2 pages had a character lighting up or drowning their sorrows or boredom. I have nothing against a good time but when the entire storyline is driven and fueled by substance abuse, it's a bit much. I had high hopes but this one only gets a 3 star from me.
Good Lord, the heat of this book. I’m sorry, I need a minute to cool off 🥵 HOT HOT HOT
Lj did not hold back...she went for it...and I am here for it!!! 🙋🏻♀️
Damien and Jo drive me up the wall. But then I try to think back when I was 18 and well, ya I guess that crazy push and pull is common. The chemistry between the two is OFF THE CHARTS - and I mean, I needed a few freezing ice cold showers. That steam got me blushing and some moments had me thinking “did I just read that!?” Heck yes I did!!!! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Damien gives zero f**** (as we’ve already learned about him) and he truly is Hades, the king of the underworld. But a King always needs his Queen and Jo is Hades’ Persephone. Jo constantly battles between the should and shouldn’t or the head vs the heart - which makes for an even more intriguing read.
This was an epic conclusion of Damien and Jo’s story filled with some craziness, more insight to other characters (can I get an Isaac story, please, I’ll be your best friend 🙂🙃), answers, friendships, lust, and love!
Read this book now and realize the true Pawn is....
An epic finale to a thrilling trilogy. With twists and turns and an ending I never saw coming. Pawn is book three in the Elite Royal Academy series by L.J. Woods and really tests all the bounds and restraints of the relationship between King and Jo. L.J Woods did a really good job with this series. This dark bully enemies-to-lovers high school romance had me captivated throughout and has left me wanting more books from this author.
Wow - who would have EVER imagined that teenagers had such fantastical lives? Maybe it is just the lives of rich kids that are full of adventure, mystery, murder and mayhem, I do not know. What I do know is - whatever it was - there was entirely too much going on in these kids lives and therefore, the complete series - while fictional, was really just too over the top to be believable.
I believed this well written story with a bully romance vibe. It was dark, dangerous and incredibly engaging. I could feel their chemistry and the emotional impact was high. I totally enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read more books from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Started off good but the more I read the more ridiculous it got! Not to mention the part where she finds who killed her parents .... that seems to be dropped very quickly! The whole story is just ridiculous! What’s annoying is that book 1 and 2 are good ! Same about this one
I did enjoy the overall story and the characters (although considering their ages it was a little ott) but if I’m being really honest I think it was a little too long, and felt in places like the story was getting lost, if it had been a duet it would have been perfect 👌
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The. Ok is good but it’s to much back And forth with no real connection. They both do t trust each other but why there parents? Well guess what you never find out what happens to jos parents and how it’s linked to Damien and why he Bullies her. I’m sorry but this book is a 2 or 3 At best. Thought the last book would Explain more!
I absolutely loved this book! All 3 books in the series were fantastic!!! There was something about Damien and Jo, they fit together perfectly but they also are unique in their own ways!!! I truly enjoyed the cat and mouse they constantly played back and forth with each other! This is a must read book, and a for sure must read series!!!
Wow, what a grand finale to this beautiful Trilogie!
L.J. is making me feel... all the feels. Damien and Jo are driving me up the walls, while cheering for them all the way through. Espescially Damien absolutely has my blood boiling.
Every. Single. Character. is so well written. I fell in love with Damien. Seriously. I wanna be Jo and I really want to be friends with Allie.
This last book had me constantly on edge, even more than the last 2. The twists are absolutley crazy, but everything ties together perfectly in the end. Also the steaminess, just wow! And this epilogue is the perfect ending to this series.
Read as an ARC and I leave this review of my own free will. As with the other two books, this was a real page Turner and the final book in Jo and Damiens story. The ending was slightly cheesy but I enjoyed it all the same. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I won’t buy if you liked the other 2 books then this one is the one for you
This was the best book out of the series. Jo and Damien are seriously toxic and messy, however it was enjoyable to read about them in this one. I will admit Jo made me angry in the first two books , but I will admit she Redeemed herself in this one. I was proud she was willing to walk away from the man she loves just so she can have peace in her life. What a ride.
Loved this series so much! It has everything needed to be perfect. Great story, excellent writing and characters that I fell in love with. L.J. Woods is my new favorite writer! AMAZING!
L.j.woods you have done it again. Absolutely amazing I couldn't get enough, even after the bonus scene. I didn't want it to end. Such an amazing author can't wait for more books after this series. High five!!
This book wow so many twists!!! Pawn was the perfect ending to Jo and Damien's journey. There are so many secrets, lies and twists within the whole series. I enjoyed reading this series!!!
There is no storyline in this third book, It's just 98% of sex. When something serious comes up they handle it with sex which just makes this book look kind of tacky. No character progress in the book and her supposed best friend's aren't friends.