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• BLURB •
He’s arrogant.
Intolerable.
Cruel.
From the moment we exchanged our first glance, Lennox Lincoln-Ward has been out to destroy me. So I keep my head down at Pembroke Prep, and I stay out of the Hellfire Club’s way. Even so, Lennox finds me, seeks me out until he pins me in his beautiful, withering gaze—the same gaze that sends a chill down my spine and an undeniable tingle to other places.
Lennox is royalty with a dark past. One that I intend to investigate. I’ll find his secrets and expose every lie that rolls off his tongue. But getting close to Lennox has particular dangers—including his mouth, his golden eyes, and the brutally soft touch of his fingers.
I intend to unravel him, but in the end, I may be the one who comes apart, broken in the hands of a callous prince.
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• MY REVIEW •
The Hellfire Club is fast becoming an obsession of mine! Becker Gray may just be the author(s) who can drag me back into the world of high school drama, angst, and young love!
“Lennox Lincoln-Ward. A literal, actual prince. The most beautiful boy I’d ever seen. And also the worst. The meanest and the most heartless. Callous beyond belief.”
Callous Prince is equally as entertaining, as deviously swoony, as gripping as Wicked Idol. First we were blessed with Keaton Constantine, now we have Lennox Lincoln-Ward! I mean… their cool sounding names alone… pheeew! 🔥🔥
If you love those drama-filled high school narratives — think Gossip Girls… Pretty Little Liars… Gilmore Girls, then you’ll enjoy this book and the series as a whole. There’s only two books so far but each one reads as if it’s an episode of a television show. Ahhh, if only The Hellfire Club was on the silver screen! 😍
It’s full of drama. The Hellfire Club is a fraternity of sorts, consisting of these preppy, well-connected young men, and a group of young girlfriends who seem to not only have history with these boys but have the power to rile them all up. And vice versa.
You’ll see banter — a little teasing, a little flirting, and a whole lot of game-playing.
“You can’t hide from me, Sloane. You’ve belonged to me since the day I saw you.”
What I adore about Callous Prince (and even in the first book Wicked Idol) is that not only are you instantly fascinated by the relationship the main protagonists have with one another, but the secondary characters give you snippets of their complicated relationships too. It’s stereotypical girls versus boys with backstories that’s waiting to be revealed. I love the friendships both these groups have. I love the dynamics, their individually strong personalities, and what they bring into their respective parties. It’s effortless to be invested in these characters because they seem to have different sides to them that you can’t help but want to know about.
Based on the blurb and the title, I came into this book thinking Lennox would be the one to watch out for. What I hadn’t bargained on was Sloane. The unsuspecting casualty of Lennox’s bullying ways. These two are such likeable personalities. They may have their what-the-hell moments, but I think that’s what makes them all the more interesting. They’re not strait-laced people. They have a tendency to overthink… obsess… have misconceptions.
Usually in these bully romances, you find that there’s always a tormentor and a victim. But in this particular case, both Sloane and Lennox have the ability to be each other’s tormentor AND victim. Lennox may come off as the cool, unaffected prince, but he’s trouble by his history and can’t seem to move past it. Sloane on the other hand is just unlucky. Wrong place. Wrong time. Wrong family… At least to Lennox Lincoln-Ward.
Their problems are your somewhat typical adolescent issues heightened by the fact that they attend an elite school, high standards are to be expected, and that their families are some of the most well-known — So to say the least… pressures of teenage life for these guys are a little more on the elaborate side.
Sloane and Lennox have a push and pull relationship that sizzles. You have this arrogant, intimidating guy, and this strong-willed, determined girl going toe-to-toe. This may be set in a high school backdrop but these characters’ story and the content included, it definitely puts it in the mature YA/ NA reading category.
“I’ve always seen you clearly, Sloane Lauder.”
Two thumbs up and a curtsy for the Callous Prince! Lennox and Sloane have satisfied a craving I didn’t know I had whenever reading contemporary romances. It’s charming as hell, with a relatively quick paced storytelling, and not a single dull moment in sight! It’s told in first person, dual points of view, and I can’t get enough of Sloane and Lennox’s inner monologue. Who doesn’t love a character who feels the need to argue with themselves!? Hehe.
I only wish the ending was a smidge longer. An extended epilogue would’ve gone a long way in making Sloane and Lennox’s story feel a little more fuller. Whilst I enjoyed reading about their conflicting emotions, seeing their zingy chemistry leap off the pages, and their adorable banter, I did feel like it was all snatched away from me before they really got to the grittiness of their twisted history.
Don’t get me wrong. I adored the ending. Sloane and Lennox left me happing sighing and when I look at this book in its entirety, this little issue I have with the ending is not really such a big deal. But hopefully we get to see more of them in future books.
Callous Prince is a total guilty pleasure read. It made me smile all throughout, I was sucked in, invested, and I couldn’t put it down. In the end that’s all I could ever wish and hope for in my reads. I would absolutely recommend it and the series to friends who enjoy young love in their contemporary romances. A hate-to-love story that pulls at the heartstrings!
It’s the second book in the series and can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend you read Wicked Idol first to get the full experience of Pembroke Prep and the world of The Hellfire Club!
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you Becker Gray and Candi Kane PR for the opportunity to read an advanced copy! 💙
🔔 Interested in reading Callous Prince? Grab your copy here: Amazon | Apple Books | Nook | Kobo | Google Play
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Read my review for Wicked Idol!
📘 Wicked Idol by Becker Gray
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Happy reading, guys! Hope you enjoyed my review. Catch you in my next one! Xo
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