Spending my summer at St. Mary’s Boarding School isn’t the same without my friends. I knew it wouldn’t be. What I don’t expect is to see her again. Isla Ransford.
The last time I saw Isla, I gave her one rule to follow: become invisible. Four years later, she shows up at St. Mary’s and is anything but invisible.
The only logical solution is for me to ignore her—resist her.
When I find out why she’s back at St. Mary’s, my choice to stay away is taken. I’m forced to intervene. After all, I’m the reason for her suffering.
Pretty Girls Never Lie Novella is the fifth and final book in the St. Mary’s series and can be read as a standalone. Reader discretion is advised. (From: Goodreads)
***Actual Rating: 5/5 Perfect-Ending Stars***
”Why would you risk your life to save the guy who ruined yours?”
Whoa, what a powerful ending to the St. Mary’s series! I don’t know about you, but I think S.J. Sylvis never fails to outdo herself with each new release. Whether it’s a full-length novel or a novella like Brantley and Isla’s story, I simply cannot get enough of the dark romance and the characters so here I am, having exactly the same sentiment that Brantley and Isla have successfully become one of my most favorite OTPs from Sammi, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same for every couple she’d ever introduced to us so far.
”…and I think I’m about to become obsessed with taking care of you, too.” I squirt some shampoo onto my hand.
“Brantley.”
“Just accept it, Isla. Because the way I see it…” My hands are in her hair, and she sighs wistfully. “I’m not giving you a choice.”
Truth be told, I didn’t remember much about Brantley from the previous instalments in this series as one) he didn’t make much appearance in the first place, and two) he had got to be one of the broodiest guys among the Rebels. I meant, all I knew about him was that he’d be there for Isaiah and Gemma whenever they needed him, and that he—as he put it—was constantly busy saving others’ girlfriends to have his own. He didn’t mingle like Shiner (the most hilarious Rebel) did, nor did he sleep around on campus due to his own baggage.
Needless to say, my most favorite part of this novella was how Brantley and Isla met four years ago. (I really appreciated that the timeframe was somewhat reasonable as the main characters pretty much still lived in the same spectrum of life, if that made sense.) Despite the fact that they were bonded by tragedy, their fate did bring them back together all these years later, and their chemistry was stronger than ever, adding spice to the entire romantic relationship.
I repeatedly told them how foolish they were to care for someone after knowing the lengths our fathers will go to in order to ruin our lives, but from where I’m sitting, with a fucking angel sleeping beside me, I think I’m beginning to understand.
I’m not going to pretend like I know what love is, but whatever I’m feeling is strong enough to persuade me that my future doesn’t have to look so bleak, and that some things are worth the risk. Like her.
Furthermore, for once, the male main character didn’t deny his unwavering love for the heroine! You had no idea how much I kept hoping that the hero could just stop lying in front of his friends/family/classmates how deeply he actually cared for the heroine in boarding school romance novels like this, so thank you, Sammi, for granting my wish! The moment Brantley confessed to Isla, I knew they would never be the same and that they were meant for each other whatever obstacle stood between them. There was something pure and magical whenever the protagonists bore their souls and vulnerabilities, so that was how Pretty Girls Never Lie flawlessly wrapped up the whole St. Mary’s series.
As much as I didn’t want to say goodbye to this series, all good stories must come to an end. There was no denying that I would miss every single person in the St. Mary’s boarding school, and I looked forward to reading any of their surprising short stories or bonus epilogues dearest Sammi had in store for us. If you hadn’t enrolled in St. Mary’s, fret not, please go remedy that ASAP by starting with Isaiah and Gemma’s journey in Good Girls Never Rise and Bad Boys Never Fall. Then continue with Cade and Journey’s adventure in Dead Girls Never Talk along with Tobias and Sloane’s heart-gripping story in Heartless Boys Never Kiss. Happy strolling alongside the Rebels and their girls!
***Massive thanks to Sammi and Mary for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
Life of a Simple Reader 