My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, JUST WOW! The Peer and the Puppet was INCREDIBLE! I couldn’t even come to terms with writing the review immediately following the completion of the book because I was struggling to put into words just how much I loved The Peer and the Puppet. While I have always enjoyed the stories B.B. Reid pens, there was something so perfect about The Peer and the Puppet. I was completely entranced and read this book cover to cover. Now, as a rule, I am not overly drawn to high school romances – typically the youngest I read are New Adult. However, The Peer and the Puppet straddles both lines as the characters are 18-year-old Seniors. From there, everything about this book appealed to me, the Enemies-to-Lovers trope, an asshole hero, a strong and sassy heroine, the chemistry and heat that drives every interaction between Ever and Four, the angst… like I said, everything about this book appealed to me!

As a blogger, I would never presume to know the story, or the characters, better than the author who writes both. I neither feel skilled enough to offer my own version of the synopsis of The Peer and The Puppet nor would I want to inadvertently give away plot spoilers to readers of this review. And more importantly, let’s face it, the version that B.B. Reid penned is already perfect! It’s incredibly intriguing and achieves the desired “I must one-click this” affect. I was left stunned though as I thought I knew the journey readers would embark upon. Yet, in reality, I knew nothing! That lack of producibility in a romance is often elusive and I truly prize the books that I find it in. The storyline design of The Peer and the Puppet is absolutely stunning when its viewed in its entirety. Also, important to note, while Four and Ever achieve their HEA, the plot is progressive and will continue to evolve with future books in the When Rivals Play series. Additionally (as I understood it) these future books will orbit around new couples with glimpses into those characters who have already received a book. As an avid reader I can not tell you how much I enjoyed the uniqueness of the story. The pace of the story was outstanding, never causing me to feel like we were in the same spot for too long or not enough time. As a YA romance, it’s expected to maintain a certain caliper of angst, and for most authors, that’s where it would be left. Not so with B.B. Reid. She exploits the angsts at every level of the story until you’re literally breathless with it. She reels her readers in and layers the emotions in this book beautiful. You’ll laugh, cry, shout, want to throw your kindle… The Peer and the Puppet is a variable rollercoaster of emotions and the angst was outstanding!

A huge selling point to any book is the characters. In my opinion, based on the story she wrote them, B.B. Reid not only knows how to turn up the wow factor, but she’s gifted in creating characters that will resonate with the reader. As I mentioned above, The Peer and the Puppet is an Enemies-to-Lovers romance where dynamics of this trope were beautifully executed, exceptionally hot and the characters were perfectly matched. Four “lady of the trailer park, Queen of the swamps” is the small-town girl, with larger than life dreams of racing professionally. But rather than allow her dreams to remain intangible, she sets herself on the path of achieving these dreams from an early age. She has not had an easy life, and the move from her pauper small-town existence to a very affluent society not only throws her off track but also throws her into the path of danger at the hands of this society’s king. What Four lacks in financial status though she makes up for in self-confidence, sass and stubborn! Her upbringing has knocked her on her ass repeatedly, but she doesn’t let it cow her, and in fact, she comes back swinging! The progression of her character really was accomplished in the smallest of ways as well as the under the most intriguing of circumstances. The events that I thought would pull Four under had just the opposite fact. If it isn’t clear, I really loved her as a heroine! Ever, “Lord of the Manor, King of the Academy” was my favorite breed of hero; he’s an asshole! If appearance were to be believed, nothing gets under his skin and he’s got no soul. Only, that’s a well-constructed rouge. His fascination with Four leads to emotions that run far deeper than anything he’s ever experienced. But in a society where appearance is everything, he pushes her away at every turn. Only reeling her in when it’s convenient until he’s pushed her away one too many times. Four and Ever really were fascinating as individuals but the combination makes this book indescribably hot. The story is written as one continuous, utterly delicious slow burn… right up until the sparks damn near ignite your kindle 😉 Their chemistry is so well written its tangible. And HOT! Holy shit, is it HOT!!!! Be prepared with fresh batteries or fresh panties – they are definitely going to be utilized by the time the pair finally succumbed to passion that shapes their every encounter. Also, while Four and Ever are the characters I focused on during this review, it cannot be denied that I was also fascinated with the secondary characters that I expect will be receiving their own books – most notably Jamie and Vaughn, although I hope to also see more of Tyra and Bee!

If you aren’t as wowed by this book as I found myself I will be absolutely stunned. I can’t recommend The Peer and the Puppet enough… it’s absolutely a 5+ STAR read! Instead of delaying your eventual capitulation by reading review after review, just buy the book and get started!!! B.B. Reid will draw you in just as surely as she did me and you’ll be thanking me!

Purchase your copy now!

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