Title: Freestyle
Series: Academy of Stardom #1
Author: Bea Paige
Genres: New Adult Reverse Harem Romance
Tropes: Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Release Date: 7 June 2020
SYNOPSIS
From the gutter to the stars…
Dance is in my blood.
It’s what keeps me sane, out of trouble. It used to keep them out of trouble too.
A group of boys I grew up with.
Xeno, York, Zayn and Dax.
We were a crew once and we ruled the clubs.
Separate we were insanely good, together we were unbeatable. F*&ing on fire.
I was their girl and they were my Breakers.
Until they did something they promised they never would; break my heart.
We were sixteen when they left me.
You see, for kids like us, dance was all we had.
Growing up in a rundown housing estate in London with no prospects can make you view the world differently.
It can make you choose the wrong path.
I chose dance, and they chose crime.
Three years later I’ve won a scholarship to Stardom Academy. I try to forget my past.
But how can I do that when the four boys who hurt me are back?
And this time they won’t walk away even when I ask them too.
Freestyle is book one of this new gritty, contemporary reverse harem academy trilogy for 17+ readers and deals with adult themes and some subjects you may find upsetting. If you love dance, your men on the criminal side, alpha hot holes and the enemies-to-lovers trope, this is for you. Contains foul language and sexual scenes.
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MY REVIEW
ARC Source: Author via Enticing Journey Book Promotions
I want to start my review by giving you my favorite quote from the book. It’s something I believe everyone should hear, especially if you don’t feel as confident about yourself as you should!
You should never close the door on a gift just because you don’t think you fit the mold. Don’t ever define yourself by what you believe people see. Open yourself up to possibilities because you are talented enough to do anything.
When I read the synopsis of the book, I didn’t hesitate in requesting it. It’s no secret that I enjoy reverse harem books. This one has an added bonus since it features a dance academy. I’m a fan of Step-Up and every other movie featuring dance groups. I might have watched every one of them multiple times!! Reading this book gave me that movie’s vibes!!
Pen grown up in a really messed up environment. Her mother is a drunk and her older brother is a psychopathic gang member. The only person that she absolutely loves and loves her is her little sister, Leah. Dance was the only thing keeping her sane until she met a boy, Zayn. He approached her, complimented her, and asked her to join his dance crew, the Breakers. A particularly bad night, she decides to give them a chance. That’s how Xeno, York, Zayn and Dax became the best part of her life. Until the night of her 17th birthday when everything changed.
The story is told in both past and present tense. We get to see flashbacks to their teenager years as well as what is happening in the present. Pen has the chance to succeed after being accepted in Stardom Academy, but her peace is quickly interrupted when the Breakers come back into her life. These four really know how to mess with her mind and make her life even more difficult.
There are so many things happening in the book. Past deals, gang-related matters and secrets are all part of the plot. I was constantly itching for more information on what is really happening, but the author kept teasing without really giving us everything! Be warned that this is a trilogy and this book ends in a cliffhanger. If you can’t wait, then you should wait until the series is complete. I myself hoping that we get book 2 soon; that ending killed me!!!!
BUY THE BOOK
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bea Paige lives a very secretive life in London… she likes red wine and Haribo’s (preferably together) and occasionally swings around poles when the mood takes her.
Bea loves to write about love and all the different facets of such a powerful emotion. When she’s not writing about love and passion, you’ll find her reading it and ugly crying.