"Dear Ava is heartwarming and angsty and don't get me started on Knox. Read this book! You will love Ava's fight and Knox's alpha."
--Tijan, New York Times bestselling author
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a gripping enemies-to-lovers, secret admirer, high school romance with Dear Ava, available now!
The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world--until they destroyed me.
The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.
Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer?
Knox, the scarred quarterback.
Dane, his twin brother.
Or Chance, the ex who dumped me. . .
Dear Ava,
Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.
Wait. That's stupid.
What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something REAL.
It's been ten months since you were here, but I can't forget you.
I've missed seeing you walk down the hall.
I've missed you cheering at my football games.
I've missed the smell of your hair.
And then everything fell apart the night of the kegger.
Don't hate me because I'm a Shark.
I just want to make you mine.
Still.
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Excerpt
“What do you want?” Knox says with as sneer as I ease in the football locker room. Cold eyes flick over my cheer skirt then move up and land on the hollow of my throat. It’s not cool enough at night for our sweater uniform so tonight my top is the red and white V-cut vest with CP embroidered on my chest.
“Where’s Chance?”
He whips off his sweat-covered jersey along with the pads underneath. “I don’t keep tabs on my best friend for you. Get out—before I scare you.”
He’s scaring me already.
But I can’t stop looking at him.
His shoulders are broad and wide, his chest lightly dusted with sparse golden hair, tan from the sun, rippling with powerful muscles, leading down to a tapered and trim waist. He has a visible six-pack, and my gaze lingers briefly on a small tattoo on his hip, but I can’t tell what it is. He isn’t brawny or beefy-looking like one might expect from a guy blessed with his athletic prowess, but sculpted and molded and—
Dropping my gaze, I stare at the floor. I shouldn’t be ogling him. Chance is my maybe-boyfriend.
I hear male laughter from one of the rooms that branch off from the locker room, maybe the showers, and I deflate, guessing that’s where Chance is.
Glancing up, I intend to ask him to tell Chance I came by to congratulate him on his two touchdowns, but my voice is frozen. Knox has unlaced his grass-stained pants and is shucking them off. His legs are heavily muscled and taut, unlike the leaner build of Chance. His underwear are white and tight, cupping his hard ass, the outline of his crotch—
“Like what you see, charity case? You can look, but you can’t touch.”
Anger soars, replacing my embarrassment. I know I'm just the scholarship girl at Camden, but why does he have to constantly remind me?
“Don't worry about me touching anything. I don’t like ugly.” The words tumble out before I can stop them. I meant his superior attitude, not his face, but I see the moment when he freezes and takes it the wrong way.
He touches his face, tracing his scar while his jaw pops. “Get the hell out. Only players allowed in here.”
I pivot and go for the door, forcing myself not to run. “Asshole,” I mutter.
His laughter follows me.
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Elizabeth's Review
My rating: 5 of 5 stars - One of the Best
Review Copy Provided by Author
You need to read this book, m’kay....
Yeah, I know that doesn’t count as a review.... let me try again.
A little about the book, the main characters are seniors in high school. Normally, this isn’t my jam, but when the author is Ilsa Madden-Mills I read it. My challenge here is to tell you why this is an amazing book with out giving anything away - you really need to read it for yourself to see.
Let’s start with the characters- our cast is young, but our leads have more life experience than a lot of adults do. Ava’s strength in facing what had to be incredibly difficult for her was amazing. Her anger, fear, confusion and later softer emotions radiated off the page. I found myself annoyed with the adults and culture around her that allowed such a situation to exist.
Knox was a hard character to get to know, but I found my heart breaking for him a couple of times. He was in a horrible situation and was trying to do his best for everyone. He and his brother are prime examples of how having it all doesn’t always mean you are happy.
The story around Ava and Knox is multi layered and intense. We see the baggage they are dealing with and how that impacts their interactions. Not only are both characters complex, but they are surrounded by a situation that is fraught with distress and even some danger if not handled right. Seeing them peel back the layers to find the core of who they are made me root for them even when it looked like things were impossible.
Well written, Dear Ava kept me on my toes and made it hard to put the story down. The core cast surrounding Ava and Knox is relatively small, but they definitely made an impact. I think it speaks to the author’s talent that she was able to take such a young set of characters and create a situation and set of personalities that is relatable to most readers. I left Dear Ava happy with the ending, but still curious, that means they get to live in my imagination now!
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