ARC Review: ‘Tryst Six Venom’ by Penelope Douglas
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Netgalley, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Tryst Six Venom
by Penelope DouglasPublished by Berkley on April 2, 2024
SubGenres: FF Romance, Lesbian Romance, LGBT Romance, New Adult and College Romance, Sapphic Romance
Format: eArc, Paperback
Pages: 528
Source: Netgalley, the publisher
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Away games, back seats, and the locker room after hours…New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas is back with this spicy new adult romance, now with bonus material.
Marymount girls are good girls. Even if they weren’t, no one would know, because girls like Clay Collins keep their mouths shut.
Not that Clay has anything to share, anyway. Always in control, she owns the hallways, walking tall on Monday and then dropping to her knees like the good Catholic girl she is on Sunday. What she wants she has to hide.
Liv Jaeger crosses the tracks every day for one reason: to graduate from high school and get into the Ivy League. But Clay—with her beautiful skin, clean shoes, and rich parents—torments her daily and thinks Liv won’t fight back.
At least not until Liv gets Clay alone and finds out she’s hiding so much more than just what’s underneath those pretty clothes.
Liv told Clay to stay on her side of town. But one night, Clay doesn’t listen. And once Liv is done with her, she’ll never be a good girl again.
I’ve had Tryst Venom Six on my TBR since it was first released back in 2021. When Penelope Douglas announced it was getting published and getting a new cover, I had to make time to sneak this book into my reading schedule. This isn’t my first bully romance from Penelope Douglas, but it is my first FF Romance from them, and I devoured it just like I’ve done with their other books.
This book made me go through so many emotions while reading it, but I already expected it since it’s a bully romance. I also expected it since it’s a book written by Penelope Douglas, and they are always making my emotions go haywire. The bully in this book, Clay Collins, made me not like her at first because of how mean she was to Olivia ‘Liv’ Jaeger. Clay is the popular, good girl who does no wrong and gets everything she wants, while Liv is the girl on the opposite side of the track who just wants to graduate high school and leave Clay behind. I loved Liv because she dished back what Clay would do to her. Some of the scenes between Liv and Clay were brutal, though, especially when Clay’s so-called friends were involved, but Liv had her five brothers who were sometimes there to protect their sister. Liv could handle herself, though, and I loved how she wasn’t going to let the bully win.
I may not have liked Clay Collins at first, but she started growing on me after I found out what was going on with her internally while reading her POV. She has anger issues and is still dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. You would think her parents would be there for her and notice what’s going on with her, but they are dealing with their own issues. She also felt pressured to be someone she wasn’t and she saw Liv being her true self, not caring what people thought.
I loved Liv because she was the complete opposite of Clay, who knew what she wanted in life and didn’t hide herself. She was also determined, outspoken, and a fighter. She had lost loved ones, too, but she had a great support system with her five brothers, who I can’t believe our getting their book.
This is a slow-burn romance, so there’s a lot of angst and emotion before the two characters eventually get together, but I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation the whole time. I saw the signs of the two becoming something more, and these two were definitely meant to be together. Liv helped Clay find herself and even healed her through her grief and everything else that was happening in her life. Clay became a very likable character, especially at the end and what almost happened to Liv.
The beginning of the book did take me some time to get through, but the second part had me hooked. I needed Clay and Liv’s happily ever after, and Penelope did a phenomenal job with their story, especially in the epilogue.
I give this book four stars and can’t wait to read Liv’s brothers’ book. I can’t wait to read everything Penelope writes this year. =) They are one of my auto-buy authors.
If you enjoy reading a spicy, new adult, FF Bully Romance story, then this book is a must-read.
This book does have some challenging scenes regarding the bullying aspect, so it may not be for everyone, so I recommend checking the TW.
Trope(s)/Element(s):
✓High School Bully Romance
✓Enemies to Lovers
✓Opposite Sides of the Track
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About Penelope Douglas
Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into nineteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. Please look for The Hellbent Series, coming next.
They live in New England with their husband and daughter.
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