This duology is one of the staple book suggestions for dark romance or bully romances. It's kind of popular. I don't see people go nuts over it as much as some others but it is still highly suggested so I wanted to give the book a chance and I will say this one was hard to get into. I only realized the novella was out there and needed to be read before this book as I was starting the Halloween scene. Even though I struggled getting into this book I think the best way to read the duology is to start the first book until you get to the time skip/graduating high school then go back and read the novella then go back to the main book. I really liked seeing how things change between them. When she left for college she was the it girl, the queen bee, head of the popular crowd meanwhile Manson was an outcast and got kicked out of school right before graduation! It was intense and plays into the sterotypical roles but the guys don't just forgive her when she appears again. When she first comes back these guys are still considered outcasts but the party made it seem like they had more friends, at least Manson was closer to the inner crowd so I don't know why we kind of lose that again after Jess comes back. Things escalate around them as the outside world intervenes in their relationship. Not only was it unconventional but they live in this small town who tried to pull Jess back into the box they made for her. It caused a lot more tension when she rebelled against it not just for the guys but also because she wanted to work not just get married and be like her mom. This one also ends in a cliffhanger but we get an HEA at the end of the next book and I really like what they end up being even if the trip there gets bumpy sometimes.