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Grove High School #2

Thorn in the Dark

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The second and final book in the Grove High Duet!RoseI thought I had life figured out.Until I crashed into the brink of tragedy.That peak in which you teeter on the line of sanity versus insanity.The moment where you look forward and see darkness, then look over your shoulder and see more darkness.Pain is probably down either avenue I choose, but which one will keep me intact?Which one will make me crumble?How many times can tragedy happen to a person until they break for good?One, two, three...EastonI grew up in darkness.I thought I knew what It's like to walk through life shrouded in a world without light.Pain never mattered much, because it's all I've ever known.She walked into my life like a sharp thorn that I knew would bleed me dry.I was okay with that, as long it was her that was by my side.I never realized that the darkness I lived in wasn't dark at all.I never really knew darkness.Until tragedy on top of tragedy strikes and I feel like an atomic bomb ready to detonate.How long will it take?Three, two, one...THORN IN THE DARK is a full-length novel that contains adult content and violent situations that may be offensive to some readers.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 23, 2019

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About the author

A.R. Breck

30 books1,719 followers
My life in a nutshell: Writing, reading, family, traveling.

-A.R. Breck

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5 stars
332 (41%)
4 stars
260 (32%)
3 stars
157 (19%)
2 stars
40 (4%)
1 star
15 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for Greta.
459 reviews
January 21, 2021
"This is where he likes me – in the dark. With him."


È arrivata la conclusione del duet di Rose e Easton, un po' mi dispiace perchè sono diventati una delle mie coppie preferite, ma so che li rivedró nel libro di Jackson.

TITD inizia dove R&R era finito. Rose ha appena subìto un abuso e cerca di riprendersi come meglio puo, ma non è facile ovviamente, ci vuole tempo e ho apprezzato come l'autrice non abbia voluto velocizzare tutto quanto. Easton le sta accanto anche quando lei non vuole essere sfiorata, nonostante tutti i demoni che questi due ragazzi hanno dentro riescono a combatterli insieme e venire alla luce insieme, sempre.
E fidatevi quando vi dico che qui spunta un problema nuovo ad ogni capitolo, che li fa allontanare e poi riavvicinare.

Il mio cuore si è spezzato per Logan, e anche per Cara anche se come personaggio non mi ha entusiasmata molto, ma qui ho sofferto parecchio, mi sembrava che mi avessero tranciato un arto. Un colpo al cuore.

In conclusione, mi sento di consigliare sempre di più A.R. Breck per il suo stile scorrevole e pulito, senza fronzoli, e un duet con una storia degna di memoria.

*ARC provided in exchange of an honest review*
Profile Image for Kim Whitehead.
2,616 reviews
May 7, 2021
My goodness! What an emotional journey! Crushed would be more like it! So much sadness and anxiety! Even though there was a heartbreak, love seemed to be the healing factor! Reading A.R. Breck for the first time was a treat! Fantastic book!
Profile Image for Majan.
259 reviews2 followers
May 24, 2023
New to me author. Despite some grammatical issues, more so in book one, I enjoyed this duet. And I really liked this couple. They were real, flawed, and vulnerable. Neither of them made great decisions at times, but that rawness in their characterization made this for me. Overall, I think the story development could have been better, especially in the aftermath of certain events.

This is more of an HFN ending. I won't continue on with Jackson's book, though. I'm not interested in his and Cara's storyline. But I will look into this author's other books.
Profile Image for Bela.
1,050 reviews66 followers
January 27, 2020
This was NOTHING like first book. So much feelings .. just juck. First was the aftermatch if Rose rape.. it was expected, VERY dramatic -girl was catatonic, not sleeping, nobody can touch or watch her.. she was in a baaaaad way.
Hero the pushy horny fuck.. like 4 days after rape he was already pushing for kisses, because Rose should not he afraid of him.

Soo.. then Logan dies. Very dramatic. Then funeral.. very emotional. Scratch that, whole book was super super emotional. Then sudendly hero turns into this asshole and pushes heroine away. Yells at her how it is her fault that Logan dies etc. Heroine is magically cures from her "don't touch me, there is no sun state" and everything goes around Hero's grief. She turns into this doormat, nothing like girl from first book.
Heroine even went back in to the "place of crime - rape", ended up laughing and drinking.. making a scene with hero , who pushed her away and ignored who ignored her calls and texts for weeks. That laughing and drinking was like few weeks after rape...


This whole book was just this super emontional mess. And i did not feel like crying, even i think that was authors intention.. full book of crying. Zero fun. And how heroine just got "fixed" from her rape.. huh.
Not sure about the timeline, 1 - 2 months after rape and hero wants her back and they have sex like heroine was not brutally raped and like she has no fear for pain/penetration etc. I guess their love was that big.


Oh and if Cara and Jackson get their own book, i will 100% not read it. I can already smell another neurotic mess of a book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rosie's Bookshelf .
101 reviews6 followers
December 27, 2019
Wow what a way to carry on from Reapers and Roses.

This book was filled with so much heartache and devastation that I had tears several times while reading. But with all good romance stories love ultimately wins out on the end.

This was the perfect conclusion that Easton and Roses story... super excited for Jackson’s (and hopefully Cora) story

An absolute 5/5 read
Profile Image for Adriana.
1,317 reviews143 followers
January 1, 2020
This book starts where the other left off in tragedy, and it goes on from there. I enjoyed the conclusion of Easton and Roses story even though it broke my heart . Cannot wait for Jackson's story bring it on.
January 8, 2020
I loved how this book picked up exactly where the first book ended. This story is dark, exciting, disturbing yet has a silver lining. Rose and Easton are beautifully toxic yet make it work. Cara, Logan and Jackson are great and well developed characters that support Easton and Rose. My only quip with the storyline is that it seems that a few major issues fall short and were left without closure. However I did enjoy this book very much and I am excited to read Jackson’s story.
Profile Image for Paige IRB.
465 reviews
February 14, 2020
All. The. Feels.

Such a good story. For anyone that says it wasn't "real" enough well that's the beauty of this story. It's a work of fiction that draws you in and makes you believe in this crazy world. I have enjoyed being at the grove. But I ugly cried during chapter 18-20. couldn't help it. I was devastated. But I won't give any spoilers. I love that Breck can make the characters so alive and unique. You can actually hear their different tone of voice.
Profile Image for C. Soto.
Author 7 books105 followers
June 13, 2021
Riveting

Was a great second book to wrap up Rose and Easton's story. The loss of a friend causes Easton to spiral more into the darkness. Shutting everyone out, including Rose.

Find out how Rose breaks through and shines the light back in his life.

I am looking forward to the books in the spinoff!
Profile Image for Alexandraa XX.
687 reviews591 followers
December 31, 2019
GREAT STORY AND GREAT HERO LIKE OTT POSSESSIVE ALPHA MALE just the way i liked BUT NO EPILOGUE?!! No future for this couple that i’ve been reading so much and have so much drama that it doesn’t get the future from this? OMG :(

Thats why i make it 4 stars...


THE SECOND STORY about this book is the future between this characters of what happened FROM THE FIRST BOOK.


THIS STORY IS TOO MUCH DRAMA AND IT INVOLVES A CRIME FROM THE HERO BUT THE CRIME WAS NOT EVEN SAFE AND TOO BORING FOR ME. I get that the hero is from somewhere that is not good environment from him THATS WHY THE HERO IS THE WAY HE IS. THE HERO IS J*ACK*SS AND so childish. The first book he was worst but THIS SECOND BOOK JUST MAKES HIM MORE BETTER THAN THE FIRST BOOK. But he still many times so annoying to the heroine.


- NO CHEATING

- IT HAS SEPARATION because the hero went through something bad on his personal life so THE HERO PUSH AWAY THE HEROINE BUT NOT FOR A WHILE AND he came back chase her and tell her that he loved her. WHEN THE HEROINE WAS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING BAD TOO, the heroine never push the hero away. Even when the hero thought she was, SHE SAID IT NO. SHE Never gave up on him. DURING THIS TIME OF SEPARATION BOTH COUPLES ARE LOYAL AND NOT WITH ANYONE else.

- THE HERO PUSH AWAY the heroine but not too many times where you feel you want to punch him ;)

- NO DRAMA WITH OW AND OM on this second book.

- THE HERO ALWAYS SAID MINE . You are mine.

- OTT POSSESSIVE ALPHA MALE HERO

- NO EPILOGUE :(

- I can’t wait for the third book but it’s about their best friend.

- THE HERO changes from the first book to this second book but only a little. He still childish and annoying at the same time.

- HAPPY ENDING but just no epilogue:(

- THE STORY IS SAFE like both never cheat and both are so into each other. But because the hero was still childish and the heroine was going through something too of her personal life. ALSO THE HERO CRIME LIFE is just always making troubles for him and his dad. Thats why is not safe. BUT THE LOVE STORY THEY HAVE IS SAFE AND UPS AND DOWN A LOT BUT not too annoying....


That was making me so annoyed because the hero and the heroine does not get a epilogue. Maybe in the second book or third book if the author make a future of this characters.... IDK BUT PLEASE THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD AND HAVE A LOT OF GOOD CHARACTERS ON IT AND SO LONG! IT NEEDS A EPILOGUE LIKE SERIOUSLY OMG. I need to know what happened between this two! :’)
132 reviews57 followers
February 24, 2020
I have to say, I’m having a hard time getting through book 2 despite my liking for book 1. Every single step of the way has been so messed up. They don’t bother taking Rose to the hospital after being raped in an alley. They just give her pills, no testing whatsoever for diseases or if she’s even ok. The NEXT DAY Cora has pressured her to leave the house to go out in public, not even 24 hours of being raped and out of her catatonic state. She was so traumatized SHE WAS CATATONIC into the next day. OBVIOUSLY that wasn’t going to end well. It’s kind of ridiculous everyone in her life who knows what happened continuously pushed her to do something IMMEDIATELY after the rape, no processing what happened or getting her help, they just jump to push her to do what they think she should do. Going out in public in NO WAY should have been on the top of that list when she hadn’t even seen a doctor. Then Easton is a complete shit at dinner with her mom, OF COURSE the mom is going to freak out but it’s a clear lack of respect for Rose. She wanted him there in case of a panic attack being so close to so many strangers and he couldn’t get his head out of his ass to pay attention to her. Then he forces himself on her when they get to his house forcing her to kiss him! She went from catatonia, not sleeping at all and flinching and jumping whenever ANYONE came near her. What makes it ok for him to force her to kiss him what, 2 days later? Nothing about this book so far is what should EVER happen to a rape victim. I am ALL about dark books and I really don’t have any triggers rape, murder, torture I can read it all, so this has nothing to do with the dark content. My issue is the whole scenario of book 2 seems so completely far fetched, unbelievable, inexcusable, and just mind boggling.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rachel Oldham.
87 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2019
Wow. The emotions in this book just pull you in. Andrea knows when to push it and boy does she push your boundaries. I appreciate an author that portrays a character in an accurate light.

Rose was hurt at the end of the first book and it carried on into the second book. She wasn’t a character that was able to be held and everything was okay. Most people who go through what Rose went through would not be okay with everything that was occurring in their life. The accuracy of the story telling was what drew me in to begin with.

Easton is by far one of my favorite male characters. He is described in a way that makes you drool. I’m sad that my time as his reader is ending in this book. He was my perfect alpha male.

I can’t give anything away but just know you will not be let down with this book. Andrea has woven a storyline so well that you feel like you are inside the characters minds.
Profile Image for J.
206 reviews
August 25, 2020
I'm not entirely sure how these two books got such high ratings.

Why on earth did they not take Rose to a hospital? They mention something about medical bills etc but doesn't Easton probably earn quite a bit from his father. And considering she doesn't wake up for so long kind of worrying. I couldn't get into what was happening.

“Rose, like this.” He’s at the next station and doesn’t have any gear on. We never do, we’re used to the sound of bullets without any protection on.
This is not what ear protection is for, you wear it to stop any lasting damage. And they are not called headphones, they are ear defenders.

Overall I just found the story didn't flow very well. There was no sense of time. And I found the characters highly unlikable, I barely warmed to them at all.
381 reviews25 followers
December 26, 2019
A very good ending to Easton and Rose story and a bomb start for Jackson and Cara
Profile Image for Phoenix Mae.
153 reviews
September 18, 2021
Over the past week I've really read some interesting #darkromance books ,but these stood out. I was recommended by #booktok to read this series, and I'm so glad I did. @ar.breck hit the nail on the head when it came to writing dark romance. These books aren't only dark they are REAL. I went into this series thinking it was a high school romance, but it's far from that. I love when the author writes to fit a realistic vibe Breck does that. These 2 couples are so real I can actually picture the person in front of me. Rose, and Easton are such an amazing couple on how their imperfections compliment on another. Easton is gonna be a character you never forget cause he will be burned into your brain. The next couple is Cara and Jackson and they rock harder then the first couple ( my opinion) . Jackson is so deadly that he makes me tremble while reading. These 4 books have so much emotion, and pure raw beauty to them it hit home for me because I lived a life like theirs. I loved when I can connect with characters emotionally. I highly recommend these book, but know they aren't for the fainted hearted.
482 reviews8 followers
October 26, 2021
OMG!

Ok so now I feel like I finally review this book properly. If you look at my review for the book before this one I was to damn excited and anxious to read this book I couldn't even review it properly lol.
Let me start off by saying hot damn this series is 🔥🔥🔥! And not just because the sexy scenes (which are smoking) but the plot, all the emotions, and the angst are just so much but in the best possible way!
I feel like this book was almost my life or could've been and I loved that! Even tho something's were polar opposite in some instances the author makes these characters so relatable! I don't want to give much away because I believe it's best experienced by being read. And I'm usually the one wanting spoilers but this book I'm so glad I didn't look for them!
Profile Image for Marcemoriel.
233 reviews
November 30, 2022
Bueno esta 2da parte me mostro a un Easton demasiado intenso, inmerso en sus propios demonios, alejando a las personas que más lo aman, actuando de manera fría e irracional, descargando toda su ira e impotencia en una Rose que todavía no terminaba de superar lo que el HDP de Corey le había hecho.

Este libro muestra como la lealtad, la confianza, el amor, pueden doblegar incluso a un alma obscura en medio de la perdida de un ser amado, a pesar de no saber como salir adelante, eso fue lo que hizo Rose por Easton incluso dejar aún lado su propio dolor para apoyar a quien amaba.

Aunque en más de una ocasión me hubiera gustado darle unas buenas cachetadas al hombre para que dejara de ser un completo imbécil pero al final se reivindico .

Profile Image for Amber.
2,150 reviews60 followers
January 10, 2020
OMG

I honestly am having some trouble writing this review. I had a hard time getting through this book and had to put it down a few times before I could finish it. I loved book 1 and was so excited about this book. This was really difficult to read because bad, horrible things kept happening without anytime to breathe or recover from the last bad thing. The writing was great but I don't think it's a book I want to read again. Sorry for the confusing review but that is how I am feeling right now, so there you have it.
Profile Image for E. Molgaard.
Author 13 books49 followers
July 22, 2021
Heartbreaking

This book starts out right where Reapers and Roses ended with the trauma of Rose’s rape. The entire book is one heart shattering event after another that tests not just Easton and Roses relationship but their entire groups. I wish I could say that this book has some happy moments but it really doesn’t. This is the last book to Easton and Rose’s story but the storyline of this group does continue with Cara’s story which is definitely on my list to read.
Profile Image for LouLou Fox.
Author 4 books37 followers
August 6, 2021
My heart absolutely broke into pieces reading this book. The writing was simply amazing, so we'll done, I felt every emotion that Easton and rose did! The angst throughout and the dialogue was simply brilliant 👏. This is the second book I have read by this author (the first being book one in the Grove High series) and I have already began Jackson tale, yes this is definitely in my top 5 reads of this year!
Profile Image for Darcy.
304 reviews2 followers
October 28, 2021
Wow, this duet was so good! Easton & Rose are both such strong characters and work so well together. This book had everything, it made you feel, made you cry, made you laugh, everything!

I read both books back to back and then started on the next duet featuring Cara & Jackson’s story, definitely recommend checking those out too!

What a ride this duet was, at times you just wanted to yell at and strangle both of them but you couldn’t imagine them not being together, they were meant to be.
37 reviews
June 15, 2021
Bad twist

This book had me so broken half way throw. I'm still broken. To kill that person off and then give his girl to his best friend. That's is some twisted writing enough to make sure I don't return to read another book of this writer. I'm good with triggers but this book pushed it to far
23 reviews
March 7, 2022
Ending really let this down. No big dramatic ending, the last hour of the book was just blah. The epilogue seemed to be more about Cara and Jackson. Why was Easton fighting a friend from a California mc, did the scouts like him, did Rose go to college, wheres their ending? I don’t want to be drawn into another series just to get snippets of their end story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kimberly  Dawn.
132 reviews
July 9, 2022
Amazing

I really loved this book a lot very emotional. This author has become one of my favorite. I only have one complaint and that's the spelling errors and there's several. Easton is probably one of my favorite characters ever and Rose I really feel in love with her. I can't believe Logan died that part crushed me. I can't wait to read Jackson's story I'm on to it now.
214 reviews5 followers
December 26, 2019
Must read!!!

Great book. Loved the ending and already needing more. Rose overcame many obstacles but she got back in the road and faced her fears. Easton loves rose deeply but his own tragedy puts him on the edge and the whole turns upside down.
2 reviews
December 28, 2019
Wow!!

This totally had me in the feels! It was a beautiful ending to Easton and Rose’s story. I couldn’t stop reading and had to know what was on the next page from start to finish. I can’t wait to read more from A.R. Breck.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews

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