Tainted Rose by Leila James (Paperback)

Welcome back to Rosehaven Academy. Tainted Rose is the second book in Leila James’s Rosehaven Academy series, a mature new adult high school bully romance.

Scarlett Miller is the sassy scholarship student who was never meant to matter. But Xander Grey has manipulated her, deceived her, and left her all but broken. He made her his, then pushed her away, and now she hates him for it. He can hardly blame her.

The trouble is, Scarlett is the key to his everything. And the truth Xander has spent so long hiding, the secret that has driven every cruel choice he’s made, may be the very thing that finally tears her from him for good. As the walls he’s built begin to crack and long-buried truths edge closer to the surface, he’ll have to decide what matters more: protecting his secrets, or protecting her.

Please note this is a dark, mature new adult read containing themes some readers may find distressing; a full list of content warnings can be found on the author’s website. Perfect for readers who love a dark high school bully romance, an angsty enemies-to-lovers slow burn and a story steeped in secrets.