Prom King

Craven Cove #1

by Alexa Riley

Celeste’s mom has taken her all over the country running cons on rich people. On the first day at her new school, she somehow manages to catch the attention of the school’s rowing captain…only in the worst way possible. Too bad the guy coming to her rescue is her mom’s next con.

Apollo’s family is known all over town, but he’s ready to get off the island of Craven Cove. What he isn’t ready for is the new girl changing all his plans.

Warning: This high school romance gets an A+ in steam and a B- in drama. Grab your backpacks because class is in session.

Genres: Romance, Novella, High School, Contemporary, Sports, New Adult, Contemporary Romance

99 pages, ebook

First published August 18, 2021

About the author

Alexa Riley is two sassy friends who got together and wrote some dirty books. They are both married moms of two who love football, donuts, and obsessed book heroes.

They specialize in insta-love, over-the-top, sweet, and cheesy love stories that don’t take all year to read. If you want something SAFE, short, and always with a happily ever after, then Alexa Riley is for you!

Feel free to follow us each on twitter @smut_sasshole & @SassNSmut

Reviews

[CHAMPAGNE · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 smutty ✨dual virgin✨ stars

what can i say, this had the older AR touch... just a tiny bit.


Some cliche high-school drama, rich people drama, catty bitches and ott insta-love 🤷

[Deb Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated this book higher, because it was the usual enjoyable AR read, but I was not happy, at all, that there wasn’t a cliffhanger warning. I only read two-parters when both have been released, so I would have waited the two weeks before purchasing either. I feel that letting the reader know beforehand gives them the option.

[Lolina ⋆]

ALEXA RILEY- YOU GUYS BETTER EXPLAIN YOURSELVES BECAUSE WHAT WAS THAT ENDING, HUH?!?!?

I can never say no when it comes to AR, so of course, I had to immediately read the book- it was really sweet, fun, and just so cute, in all of the AR glory- but a mf cliffhanger??? 😐🤜.

Am I overreacting? Maybe. Yes, yes I am.

I mean, I'm just an unnecessarily impatient person, and the whole thing kind of caught me off guard (as its never really happened before)- but I'll always love AR, so I guess we'll let the cliffhanger slide 😶- for now.

[*CJ* · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Prom Queen" is the story of Celeste and Apollo.

I am going to be honest and tell that I hate NA romances- and read them rarely. I gave this a chance only because of AR.

New girl meets popular boy, who is instantly smitten and decides to court her. There are sweet gestures, love but he ends up breaking her heart.. or does he?

Ends in a cliffhanger!

Safe
2.5/5

[Karla✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

NO ME PUEDEN DEJAR CON ESE FINAL Y SU CLIFFHANGER POR DIOS

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟Brief Summary:
‼️This is a review for the DUET/ Prom King and Prom Queen‼️

💯This was sweet & light w a dash of drama.

Celeste is starting her senior year in a town. Her mom is a con artist and moves them around a lot but she promised they would stay in one place for her senior year.

She immediately draws the attention of the riches most popular guy in school. But as their connection and relationship grows what will she do when she finds out her moms next con job is her new boyfriends dad? Yikes 😬

❣️Things I Liked/Loved❣️
This was a quick fun and steamy read with a bit of angst.
I always LOVE AR Heros. They are OTT JP and all about their woman. And I especially love DUEL VIRGINS. Doesn’t get better than that.
It’s very insta but they have obstacles in their path from both their parents, other students and college choices. But these two love each other enough to fight for each other…. Swoon ❤️

The whole con thing had me worried cause I thought I would hate them for it but the way it was done didn’t bother me. Her mom wasn’t a bad person and his father wasn’t a saint either lol… they were matched perfectly.

🥀 Hero:
Apollo “Crew”
18yrs old popular rich hot guy who is the captain of the rowing team.
He’s been focused on rowing and hasn’t had a girl which he felt grabbed him enough to spend time with.
He’s immediately all about the h and quickly is ALL IN with her. He is so sweet and swoon. He has some OTT JP traits. He’s all about his girl. She’s number one above all else❤️
He’s so protective and only wants to care for her.

🦋 Heroine:
Celeste- 18yrs old
Her mom is a con artist and they move a lot.
She’s kinda reserved and clumsy. She beautiful but cause they move so much she keeps to herself.
Despite her mom actions w being a con she loves her and is torn about her mom’s actions. Shes in a hard place.
She sweet but not easy to trust and she is all in with our H. Shes very supportive and caring for the H.

💭 POV:
Duel first person

🔥 Burn Rate:
Fast this is 2 nobles that equal 180pgs total so it’s definitely insta for sure.

😡/😍 Angst level:
Low but there is a cliffhanger at the end of book 1 that is a bit angsty

❤️‍🔥 Sexy times & Descriptive sex:
Yes 🔥🔥🔥 we get good sexy times and I LOVE THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THIER FIRST IN EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
You can really feel their chemistry and connection. It’s so sweet to.

🌓 Push/Pull:
Minor push away form h to H after the cliffy in book 1 before that none

☠️ OW/OM Drama:
OWD- a girl has a major thing for the H but they never had a relationship and he isn’t interested. She try’s to create drama.

🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None

🤬 Cheating:
None

👰🏼‍♀️ Virgins:
DUEL VIRGINS!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳
❤️❤️❤️❤️LOVE
In fact they are each other first in everything and it didn’t keep our H from knowing his stuff and talking a bit dirty 😮‍💨

⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup:
Mid way?
After the cliffy in book 1 there is 1 week separation. Both celibate. They only have eyes for each other and the H is only giving her space to be ready to talk. Both are a mess without the other❤️

Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
Car accident
Parent being jerks

🌈Epilogue:
YES
-2 mo later- Prom
-The next college year
-4 years Wedding
-Years later kids

🥂HEA:
Of course 🥰

❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My original one-star review is spoiler-tagged below. NOTE... This book ends on a cliffhanger!!! You must read Prom Queen to get the full story of Apollo and Celeste.

In my original review I said I'd be back after the second book in the series came (due: 09/03/21). Well, the book came early (08/26/21), so I'm back. [BTW... Thank you, Alexa Riley, for getting part two to us sooner rather than later.]

This is the first part of the story of Apollo Crew and Celeste Binx, both seniors in high school (so, a "new adult" romance). Celeste and her mother, Anna, have never really settled anywhere. Anna has moved herself and her daughter as she conned her way through rich men around the country. They moved to the island of Craven Cove so Celeste could live in one place for her senior year of high school.

"Crew" (as he's called by everyone but his father and Celeste) is the captain of the rowing team. He's got his educational future mapped out. Though Crew is the leader of a winning crew team, he has secured an academic scholarship, contingent on graduating. His father, Rory, is wealthy, a big name on the island. He is proud of his son's athletic accomplishments and wants what's best for him. He doesn't want to see him derailed.

While out at the local diner, Anna meets Rory Crew and Celeste literally runs into Apollo Crew. Thus start their stories. Apollo and Celeste are the main focus of this story and the next, Prom Queen. Rory and Anna's story pops up here and there as it impacts the younger couple.

This story is typical Alexa Riley, so long-time readers know what they're getting, alpha males, strong women, and a bit of drama that all lead to a happily-ever-after (at least in the next book!). The book has a love scene, but is not super steamy. It's very sweet. I really like the couple along with the few secondary characters that feature.

Now that part 2 is out, I rate this 3.5 stars (rolled to 4 for GoodReads). It is great? No, but I did enjoy it -- up to the cliffhanger, of course. I have to admit that it did leave me wanting to get to the next book as soon as possible to find out how their story worked out.

That being said, I still stand by my original review. I wish I had known BEFORE reading this that it was part of a duet featuring Apollo and Celeste (and a trilogy, with an upcoming story, Take It All, to feature Rory and Anna).

Original review 08/23/21 || 1 star Taking a cue from the last page of your book... PLEASE DON’T MURDER ME! I'll be back after September 3rd.

Hey... I don't mind extended stories if I know they're part of a duet or trilogy. There is no warning that this ends on a cliffhanger -- and I do HATE that.

Good lord... You provide a warning in your description about steam and drama. Couldn't you have added something about this being a duet or trilogy then (if not in the series title)??? Yes, there are three books pictured in the e-mail announcement about the book, but even that isn't a sure thing that this book ends in a CLIFFHANGER because you do a lot of series.

Does the story really end with Prom Queen, or will we really have to wait for Take it All?

As angry as I was about the surprise cliffhanger, it won't stop me from recommending this book as long as you understand you're not getting a complete story. Nor will it stop me from reading Alexa Riley works in the future. The writing duo is one of my favorites. I've read part 2, Prom Queen (my review), and look forward to finishing off the series with Take it All.

[Flo₂₂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

that end was not cool, expecially comming out of nowhere.
other than that, the book was ok, and sweet.

[Sarah Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Representation: Gay supporting character

Overall: 3.5-stars

Safety Rating: Safe with Exceptions
• No cheating
• No OM drama
• Does have OW drama
— An OW is unrequitedly in love with the Hero; she goes out of her way to hurt and humiliate the Heroine multiple times.
• Does have the Hero pushing away (at the end)
• Does have a separation (at the end)


Possible Triggers: Yes
• Heroine’s mom is a con woman
• Hero and Heroine are both virgins


Ending: Cliffhanger

[Harim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, it's so off putting when the heroine glorifies her mom being a con artist and what's more weird was how she saw her mom taking the guy's card and they both....had a spa day with it? Sorry am I fkn stupid or is all this not fkd up n weird. AR used to be my queens n always had atleast decent heroines. Wtf is this. It's the little details with them that were always adorable but what is this.

Oh and not mentioning it will be a three part thing is kind of messed up.

[In-Wonderland-world · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ufff ese final ... No lo pueden dejar así.. no es justo!
Celeste y su madre se mudan de un lado para el otro. Su madre, una gran estafadora, debe ir buscando a su nueva presa en cada ciudad para que a su hija jamás le falte nada. Pero no contaban con los Crew.
Apollo se enamora de Celeste en un super insta love y algo pasa entre su padre y la madre de la chica ...
Finalmente todo se descubre... Apollo fue solo una estafa? Celeste está realmente enamorada de él? Qué ocurre entre ambos padres? Y qué secretos ocultan la familia Crew?

[Jen ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

MCs:
- Apolllo/Crew, 18
- Celeste, 18

Book info:
- Novella
- Part of a duet
- Dual virgin
- No cheating
- OWD (not really, some wannabe who wants Crew, but he's not interested)

Celeste and her mom never stayed too long in one place. She said her mom is a con artists who takes money from the rich folks but would give thoe money to the needy, kinda Robinhood I guess.

They just moved into this new town that will be their temporary home for the year until she graduates highschool. She met Crew the captain of the rowing team and he got fascinated with her. They start to spend time together until the shoe dropped.

The story ended in a cliffhanger, where Celeste's mom and Crew's dad were arguing cuz he found out she's a con artist. Their parents are having some sort of affair too 😅. They Crew asked Celeste if she knew this, which she said yes and he didn't let her explain. You see before this bomb, they spent the night together, and they did it unprotected. Since Crew is obviously mad about what happened, he accused Celeste if she's trying to trap him, which he got slapped for btw (you go girl!) And the novella ended with Celeste and her mom driving home.

Off to the next book to know what will happen.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow, I missed that this is a cliffhanger. Grrrrrr….

[Summer Hector · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know what I hate more than how thick in the head this girl was?

Buying my first Alexa Riley book only to know by the end that it was a FUCKING series and ends with a cliffhanger.

This isn't ok, if it's a series you say that it's a DAMNED series. Also what is wrong with the 'heroine' how much of a fucking idiot is she, the hero had EVERY right to ask her that. She knew that her mother was a fucking con out to loot him and she refused to tell 'the love of her life' that part because it felt like betrayal to her mother.

I get that the mother was painted as this robin hood but that's not how this felt. She just looted from the rich without even checking to see how this could affect them. Rick Riordan did the same thing in Magnus Chase but unlike in this book it actually made sense to do that in his book.
For the simple reason that

a) Magnus wasn't a FUCKING adult with a teenage daughter who could definitely afford to get a job

b) This was what Magnus said I don’t steal from just anybody. I choose obnoxious jerks who have too much already. If you’re driving a new BMW and you park it in a disabled spot without a permit, then, yeah, I’ve got no problem jimmying your window and taking some change from your cupholder. If you’re coming out of Barneys with your bag of silk handkerchiefs, so busy talking on your phone and pushing people out of your way that you’re not paying attention, I am there for you, ready to pickpocket your wallet. If you can afford five thousand dollars to blow your nose, you can afford to buy me dinner.

I am judge, jury and thief.

and you know what...I get Magnus's thieving but heroine's bitch of a mother? Yeah I don't fucking get her. She's a gold digging tramp painted to be a robin hood but terribly failing at it.

The hero's father? Don't even GET ME STARTED on that that hypocritical son of a bitch. I LOATHED HIM.

The only people I liked were the hero, his bestfriend and the gay dude. Everyone was uptight assholes that made me lose my brain cells at a rapid base


P.S- I didn't name any of the characters on purpose. They all fucking annoyed me and I just couldn't be bothered with their names.

[Smashing Kindle · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 40%

Not sure what happened to Alexa Riley’s books, since they used to be my jam. But the recent releases have been sorely lacking in chemistry. In this one, especially, it made the story drag out, and I just didn't have the will to continue.

[Nomims · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not cool to not tell it's a cliffy ...

[Maria (semi hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

High school romance. Safe read, both virgins. Would’ve rated it higher, but ends with a major cliffhanger!

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 3 out of 5]

3✯

°Both virgins
°Switching POVs
°Insta love/lust
°OW drama
°No OM drama
°No cheating
°No intimate scenes with OP
°Cliffhanger ending

[Lisbeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so pissed right now, a damn cliffhanger. I would never, not ever read this, if I knew. I seriously really really hate cliffhangers. So put warning on it.That said, the book was somewhat ok. But because of the cliffhanger 1 star.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this duet and I still don't get how I'm supposed to be rooting for the heroine and her mom. The mom's a shitty person for conning people --even if her "marks" are rich-- and the daughter's a shitty person for just standing by her mom and not really thinking it's a bad thing she's doing because her mom gives money back to people who need it. I guess that's a nice thing to do, but that doesn't make it ok. I'm sure the mom's motives are explained very nicely in her book, but from here, where everything is kept vague and I'm expected to read her book to find out what her deal is, I just don't get the appeal of either character. Honestly, everyone sucked except for Emerson and he was a minor character.

This is long for an Alexa Riley story, considering it's a two-parter, but aside from my issues with the characters, I really think they could've saved this by making it longer and fleshing it out. Even for an insta-love novella, this was still way too fast to make me believe that these two people are a good match; there just wasn't enough of them together on page to make me see the connection they claimed to have. I'm sorry, but this was a big fail.

[yana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry but the fact that the FL's all okay that her mom's a con artist and just going on with her life while also trying to be naive was really, really off-putting.

The story was doomed from the very beginning. Remember that instance when you've just started on a new movie and the heroine lies about her identity, only for the hero to fall in love with her and there you are, all the while just angrily muttering "stupid, stupid, stupid" under your breath?

Yeah this was that.

No clue what happened to AR romances but they're clearly not what they used to be. I mean, we got the clichè new girl, gay best friend, the mean girl alongside the mean dad. How many times have we seen that? AR books used to be an auto-buy for me but probably not anymore.

[Nathalie* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short quick read.. I liked the story , the characters. I did like how the drama happened at the end

[Marcie's On The Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conclusion to Prom Queen is HERE! I hear church bells ringing in the background. I was so happy that we did not have to wait for two weeks to know how the story ended with Apollo and Celeste. When I read the first book Prom Queen, I was devasted that it ended in a CLIFFHANGER! It left me with a hole in my heart that I couldn’t find out if it will ever heal. But it did! Prom King was released like three days after, and we finally had our happily ever after!

Apollo was intense and sexy and would not let Celeste go even though she was hurt by Apollo’s accusations. Apollo made it his top priority to give Celeste space, but was never far behind. These two lovebirds worked out their issues and moved on. We saw Celeste and Apollo gained back each other trust and so much more! This story was so beautifully put together and I am so looking for the next book in this series. 5-stars all the way!

[Yricka Somcio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed something to cure my book hangover, so I decided to dive into this short series. Since it was a novella, I didn't have high expectations, but surprisingly, I had a blast reading this cringey high school romance. Sure, it may be cringe-inducing, but it's incredibly enjoyable! Apollo and Celeste's relationship was delightful, filled with the perfect blend of sexual tension and romance. It's your typical high school love story that leaves you envious because you'll never experience such sweet love yourself.

I'm particularly intrigued by the love story of their parents, which I plan to read next once my Wi-Fi is back. It sounds fascinating! I adore how affectionate both characters are, and while the drama was okay, it didn't reach excessive levels as I initially expected. The plot twists and the angsty ending lived up to my expectations, and the cliffhanger, although not too intense, compelled me to pick up the next book.

[Laetitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Celeste and her mom are drifters and they jut moved to Craven Cove, a small community full of rich people. Apollo's the golden boy of the town and the high school and the minute he sees Celeste he knows he wants her. Even though Celeste's mom runs cons on rich men, she loves her daughter very much and always provides for her. The book was OK, at school Celeste had a gay best friend, the mean girl who wants Apollo and tries to embarrass her at every turn. Apollo really liked Celeste and the ending was messed up. After they have such a great night together, he figures out what her mother does and is an asshole to Celeste. I don't think we needed a part 2 but hopefully everything gets resolved.

[Jen ❥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read AR when I need a "feel good" story, complete with an HEA. I didn't get one with this book, and I was so angry at their flippant cliffhanger message that I don't know if I'm going to read the rest of the story. I still haven't at this point, and I have to say I've been disappointed in most of their recent novellas. I used to auto-buy AR books because they made me happy, were engaging, and were reasonably priced. That hasn't been the case recently. At all. Maybe the AR magic is just gone now that they're focused on other aspects like their Read-Me podcasts and making money ($6 for this "complete" story is NOT reasonably priced). I haven't lost ALL hope yet, but I am nearing the end.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first; I really like the cover of this book!
This story is short, fast paced and an enjoyable read. I read this book in one sitting and was satisfied throughout. I found the writing style easy to follow, the characters likeable and the storyline enjoyable. When Celeste moves to a small town, she doesn’t expect to find love. Apollo is a high school student focused on his rowing career. When Apollo meets Celeste, he knows she is the woman for him but will he mess it up?
The chemistry between Celeste and Apollo is clear to see and I liked them together.
The storyline for this book is easy to follow and it is an enjoyable read. I cannot wait to read the next part of Celeste and Apollo’s story.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't write reviews but I just had to do it for this one. AR is my go-to author. I devour their books. And Prom King is one of their good ones in quite some time. That said, I would have highly appreciated it if there was a heads-up that this ends on a cliffhanger. Nothing against cliffhangers but AR has gotten us spoiled with their happy endings and epilogues! Haha! Plus, Celeste and Apollo's story is sooo good I want their HEA like yesterday! Well, there's nothing I can do but be a good girl and wait for book 2. Also, AR is blessing us with book 3 the 'rents story better have twice the heat so more to look forward to! 😊

[Fiona Fog · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Celeste and her mom arrive in Craven Cove she's excited, they plan to stay put for a while put down some roots. She'll be able to finish out her senior year of High School. She's genuine, and totally relatable. I love that this author always does that, she gives a leads we can all relate to and want to be her friend.

When Crew spots the new the girl he's knocked for six. He wasn't expecting her, he's been so focused on school, the rowing team and going to college. But with one look for our Celeste this guy will do anything to make her his.

It's over the top, its fun, and it leaves you with a smile.
Alexa Riley are an automatic one-click for me.

It's a god yes!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celeste starts at a new school as her mother gets ready to set up her next con. The two have bounced around for most of Celeste’s life moving from place to place one step ahead of the law. Apollo Crew is the golden boy of the new school and their island home. The pair fall in love after he embarrassed himself at a school pep rally for his rowing team. Celeste is a virginal klutz who wins his heart against both their parents wishes. Good thing I’ve already got the rest of the series ready to read. I have to know if they all settle their differences!