Pretty Girls Make Graves (Dark Academia Book 1)
- Downloads：6980
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-12 07:19:14
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Steffanie Holmes
- ISBN：B09DB2M4KP
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Linda
，
I initially read this first book few weeks back in the devil's night novel。 I assumed this book was a continuation of where it left off but unfortunately I was wrong。 It is exactly the same chapters so looks like I have to wait for the second book。 I initially read this first book few weeks back in the devil's night novel。 I assumed this book was a continuation of where it left off but unfortunately I was wrong。 It is exactly the same chapters so looks like I have to wait for the second book。 。。。more
Colbie C
，
Please， kiss me until I believe you can be mine。 Kiss me until your God blesses our betrayal。 Kiss me until sin has no meaning。。。。Who doesn't love an academy romance with a forbidden love trope， a sprinkling of secret society drama， a love interest who may or may not be an okay guy， richer than rich students， and an FMC who has her own podcast？ These characters felt so real to me。 No one is all good or all bad， everyone has a past they want to keep hidden， and all of them will commit some sins （ Please， kiss me until I believe you can be mine。 Kiss me until your God blesses our betrayal。 Kiss me until sin has no meaning。。。。Who doesn't love an academy romance with a forbidden love trope， a sprinkling of secret society drama， a love interest who may or may not be an okay guy， richer than rich students， and an FMC who has her own podcast？ These characters felt so real to me。 No one is all good or all bad， everyone has a past they want to keep hidden， and all of them will commit some sins （again） in the future。 I loved it！ The writing was well done， Blackfriar was well detailed and mysterious and the secret society is as cloaked in ritual as any I've read。 Can't wait for the next steps in George's story！ 。。。more
nothing but amazing books Lacey Threapleton Wygerde
，
This is second book From this author and really enjoyed it 。 I was looking forward to this and steffanie did not disappoint。 This definitely had me gripping my kindle at times it definitely dark ， twisted and Intense but I don’t want to much away 。 I absolutely need the next book please I am dying to find out what happens next ！！！！！！
Rebecca Carsley
，
Can’t Wait For The Next Book！！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ReviewIf you enjoy academia books， Greek history， mystery， adventure and secret societies then this book is a must read。 From assisting her Best Friend with her Criminal Empire to being a Student at a Posh British Catholic University George has literally gotten herself into a heap of trouble。 As a PodCaster who enjoys solving difficult mysteries she finds herself tangled in a web of mystery and secret societies。 Putting her nose where it shouldn’t be she ha Can’t Wait For The Next Book！！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ReviewIf you enjoy academia books， Greek history， mystery， adventure and secret societies then this book is a must read。 From assisting her Best Friend with her Criminal Empire to being a Student at a Posh British Catholic University George has literally gotten herself into a heap of trouble。 As a PodCaster who enjoys solving difficult mysteries she finds herself tangled in a web of mystery and secret societies。 Putting her nose where it shouldn’t be she has become the target of bullying and cruel treatment from the Orpheans especially one by the name of Monty。 She finds friendship and attraction to two very unattainable men， the young handsome Father Sebastian who she finds safety and friendship with。 Then there’s William who is also a member of The Orpheus Society but finds ways to help her， keep her safe and warn her away from trouble when he is able but also keeps his distance so his secrets stay hidden。 This ends on a huge cliffhanger but thankfully book two is out soon and will be able to find out what happens in George’s story next！！ 。。。more
Denise
，
This was one of those books that has those places where I just have to stop reading for awhile because I know bad things are about to happen and I don't want to know， lol。 This book is about George from the Stonehurst Prep series。 She has finally gotten out of Emerald Beach and has traveled to Blackfriars University in England to pursue her education。 She hasn't even found her room yet when she meets one of the school's priests - swimming gloriously naked in a fountain。 Wow。 The Brits really are This was one of those books that has those places where I just have to stop reading for awhile because I know bad things are about to happen and I don't want to know， lol。 This book is about George from the Stonehurst Prep series。 She has finally gotten out of Emerald Beach and has traveled to Blackfriars University in England to pursue her education。 She hasn't even found her room yet when she meets one of the school's priests - swimming gloriously naked in a fountain。 Wow。 The Brits really are different。 Next， she meets her roommate from hell and the girl's friend， William。 Keeley is a first-class， er， witch and William is a tool。 A rich， talented， good-looking tool。 At dinner in the Formal Hall， the only time she will ever eat there， George learns that on so-called "Devil's Night" （October 30th） everyone is expected to be in their room by 7pm and the university will be on lockdown until morning。 Huh？ What the heck is that about？ That will be the night her roommate disappears。 For good。I am not going to ruin the story for you。 There is a secret society， missing girls， a dead body， two men who confuse her， a new friend， and a cliffhanger。 George will experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows， and every emotion in between。I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review。 。。。more
Teresa Juckett （Give Me All The Book's）
，
Omg that ending😱 this is Bk1 in a new series by this arthur。 I tell you I don't even know where to begin with this book it was so damn good I could not put it down the whole time。 Georgina（George） is trying to not be the old her from her past that had some very rough times， but be a new her since she's been given the opportunity to go abroad to Blackfriars University she's been looking forward to it all her life， but when she gets there she soon realizes thing's aren't quiet what they seem。Willi Omg that ending😱 this is Bk1 in a new series by this arthur。 I tell you I don't even know where to begin with this book it was so damn good I could not put it down the whole time。 Georgina（George） is trying to not be the old her from her past that had some very rough times， but be a new her since she's been given the opportunity to go abroad to Blackfriars University she's been looking forward to it all her life， but when she gets there she soon realizes thing's aren't quiet what they seem。William is dark， broody good looking hot af spoiled rich guy who keeps secrets。 Let me not forget about Sebastian the hot and dark priest。。。。holy moley I would've paid good money to have been witness to how he and George meet🥵🥵。 Now I have to wait for Bk2 to find out what happens ugh I am not alright。 I don't want to give things away， but if you like those dark， twisty， a hot priest and a dark broody prince wanting you a secret society plus suspense then you need to grab this book。 。。。more
Keyah
，
I read the warningSpoilers ahead。 In the notes the author says that the male leads aren’t involved *physically* with any of the sh！t that happens to her…first of all that was a lie。 She also said that the female lead wouldn’t take any sh！t & gives as good as she gets…。also a lie。 I’m pretty sure the FL’s middle name is doormat。 The FL is also really f_cking d_mb。 Idk why she trusted someone that watched & participated in the horrible sh！t done to her。 Situation A: he forces her to pose in the n_ I read the warningSpoilers ahead。 In the notes the author says that the male leads aren’t involved *physically* with any of the sh！t that happens to her…first of all that was a lie。 She also said that the female lead wouldn’t take any sh！t & gives as good as she gets…。also a lie。 I’m pretty sure the FL’s middle name is doormat。 The FL is also really f_cking d_mb。 Idk why she trusted someone that watched & participated in the horrible sh！t done to her。 Situation A: he forces her to pose in the n_de。 The only reason she absolutely has to do it is bc the professor threatened to write her up & she’s a scholarship student so she kind can’t get a write up…I let the FL slide on this one Sit B: his friend kidnaps her & ties her up in the boys restroom where they p！as on her & other things & he literally doesn’t help her That’s just the tip of the ice berg。 One thing I don’t get is why the FL would believe them （the group of psychos） when they were being kind to her after all they’ve done…。。 like you’re that desperate for friends？？？？ Read at your own risk。 I just want one ONE bully romance where the FL actually stands up for herself & isn’t constantly in heat *eye roll* 。。。more
Kaija
，
I first read this book as part of Brutal Boys on Devils Night and quickly became obsessed with it！ I love all of her books and this is no exception！ I am patiently （trying to） wait for book 2 because it’s just amazing！！！
Bev
，
Across the sea。 Blackfriars。 A secret society。 Orpheans。 Stuck-up entitled students。 Torment。 A gorgeous priest。 A Naked priest。 Yum。 New school thousands of miles from home。 Once again the dork。 Once again made fun of。 Monty & William have her in their sights to torment。 A new nickname。 An old disappearance。 Devil's Night。 Rabbits。 An experiment。 Caught。 A secret kiss。 A wild ocean。 A missing girl。 A diary。 Paris。 An underground temple。 An invitation。 A Bentley。 A naked drawing class。 An old di Across the sea。 Blackfriars。 A secret society。 Orpheans。 Stuck-up entitled students。 Torment。 A gorgeous priest。 A Naked priest。 Yum。 New school thousands of miles from home。 Once again the dork。 Once again made fun of。 Monty & William have her in their sights to torment。 A new nickname。 An old disappearance。 Devil's Night。 Rabbits。 An experiment。 Caught。 A secret kiss。 A wild ocean。 A missing girl。 A diary。 Paris。 An underground temple。 An invitation。 A Bentley。 A naked drawing class。 An old disappearance。 Devil's Night。 Secret Greek lessons。 Kidnapped。 Underground。 An orgy。 Frenzy。 A very naughty priest。 Holey moley。 Another ripper of a book in this series。 So much happening and a blasted cliffhanger。 。。。more
Felicia's Review
，
This book was an interesting book。 George is going to Blackfriars University。 This book has so many secrets and so many twist。 This book is dark and the romance oh wow。 This book ends on cliffhanger that makes you wanting to read book two。
Bookish Barbi
，
I love a mysterious setting and I love secret societies even more。PGMG is a perfect blend of dark academia and dark romance。What happens when an American girl moves to England to attend one of their prestigious schools？ Oh， our Georgie girl here meets a hot teacher， but what’s more， he’s also a Priest。 GASP！！！ Then we have the bullies at the school that want nothing more but to make her life as miserable as possible。 Amidst all the newness， darkness unfolds， secrets are told。 And hold on， there’ I love a mysterious setting and I love secret societies even more。PGMG is a perfect blend of dark academia and dark romance。What happens when an American girl moves to England to attend one of their prestigious schools？ Oh， our Georgie girl here meets a hot teacher， but what’s more， he’s also a Priest。 GASP！！！ Then we have the bullies at the school that want nothing more but to make her life as miserable as possible。 Amidst all the newness， darkness unfolds， secrets are told。 And hold on， there’s a cliffy！！！Definitely a good read for spooky， gothic-y， forbidden-y vibes。 。。。more
Jennifer Bishop
，
I absolutely devoured this book！ It is extremely intriguing， mysterious， and suspenseful from the beginning to the very end！ It’s a definite page turner！ I love George， the FMC， she is amazingly witty， undeniably curious， and stupidly brave。 The guys are too yummy， and I especially love the naked priest， but honestly， you can never guess who George should or can trust！ This story keeps you guessing throughout and the cliffhanger is a doozy！ The character， world， and story development， as well as I absolutely devoured this book！ It is extremely intriguing， mysterious， and suspenseful from the beginning to the very end！ It’s a definite page turner！ I love George， the FMC， she is amazingly witty， undeniably curious， and stupidly brave。 The guys are too yummy， and I especially love the naked priest， but honestly， you can never guess who George should or can trust！ This story keeps you guessing throughout and the cliffhanger is a doozy！ The character， world， and story development， as well as the writing are spectacular！ I 100% loved this story！ I highly recommend it and cannot wait for the next book！ 。。。more
Michelle The Outgoing Bookworm
，
A bully romance centered around a mysterious society？ Yes please！Georgina aka George is an American in a British Catholic university that has too many dark secrets。 Not to mention a hot priest and members of a society that could be murderers。 Of course being nosy， she bites off more than she can handle when her digging puts a target on her back。I love George and how she’s tough and vulnerable at the same time。 Despite being an outsider she perseveres。 Love her dynamic with William and Sebastian A bully romance centered around a mysterious society？ Yes please！Georgina aka George is an American in a British Catholic university that has too many dark secrets。 Not to mention a hot priest and members of a society that could be murderers。 Of course being nosy， she bites off more than she can handle when her digging puts a target on her back。I love George and how she’s tough and vulnerable at the same time。 Despite being an outsider she perseveres。 Love her dynamic with William and Sebastian though the former can be a huge douchecanoe most of the time。 And the forbidden romance with the latter since he’s a priest is so， so hot。 Sign me up for confessions。Cliffhanger leaves you shocked。* I received this book as an ARC for an honest review。 。。。more
LivingLovingReading
，
Wow！ Talk about dark and twisted！ This story had it all， a secret society， mystery， and all the darkness your little heart could handle！ The author really outdid herself on this one！This is a great Dark Academia book， and I look forward to the rest of the series。
Caroline
，
Love mysteries， intrigue， secret societies， and academia？ Then this is the book for you！ I will admit， it took me a bit to completely get into the story。 It started off a bit slow and took me a few chapters to really care about George and what she was dealing with。 But when it hooked me， it hooked me。 I didn't want to put it down！ George is a American attending a posh British university on a full scholarship。 Of course she is the outsider 1）being American and 2） not being what they consider "nor Love mysteries， intrigue， secret societies， and academia？ Then this is the book for you！ I will admit， it took me a bit to completely get into the story。 It started off a bit slow and took me a few chapters to really care about George and what she was dealing with。 But when it hooked me， it hooked me。 I didn't want to put it down！ George is a American attending a posh British university on a full scholarship。 Of course she is the outsider 1）being American and 2） not being what they consider "normal。" The posh group has the guy that George finds most attractive and has an intense attraction to。 And guess what。 He is an a@@ lol。 But that is what makes it fun。And to further pull you into the book， George has an intense attraction as well to a younger priest named Sebastian。 And he has a bit of an attraction to her。 So taboo and forbiden is the name of the game here。 That ending！！！ I did not see that coming and was like， no！ I need it to continue on lol。 Book 2 （Brutal Boys Cry Blood） is scheduled to come out in December and I cannot wait！ 。。。more
Melissa
，
This started off slowly for me but once you read more， you realize the author has just been setting the stage。 That stage is beautifully descriptive， transporting the reader to an ancient monastery housing a dark and gothic school。 The entire POV is from the heroine George， the edgy punk cali girl who has already lived quite the life。 Sebastian the priest is an intriguing character that I want to break his vows。 William is a broken young man who seems in over his head after following a bad path。 This started off slowly for me but once you read more， you realize the author has just been setting the stage。 That stage is beautifully descriptive， transporting the reader to an ancient monastery housing a dark and gothic school。 The entire POV is from the heroine George， the edgy punk cali girl who has already lived quite the life。 Sebastian the priest is an intriguing character that I want to break his vows。 William is a broken young man who seems in over his head after following a bad path。 This read is a delightful shade of grey with elements of bullying， a secret society， plenty of mystery and suspense with an ending that makes me glad the 2nd half of this duet is coming soon。 Fantastic read。 。。。more
Evelyn Jane Thorne
，
Pretty Girls Make Graves is the first book in the Dark Academia duet by Steffanie Holmes。 If you love your books dark， intense and twisted AF then this book is for you。George is an interesting character but I wish she had a bit more fierceness to her。 There were several moments when I wanted her to punch， bite， scratch and kick people a bit more。 Don’t get me wrong she did stand up for herself but I wanted more of that knee them in the balls action。My favourite character is William because he is Pretty Girls Make Graves is the first book in the Dark Academia duet by Steffanie Holmes。 If you love your books dark， intense and twisted AF then this book is for you。George is an interesting character but I wish she had a bit more fierceness to her。 There were several moments when I wanted her to punch， bite， scratch and kick people a bit more。 Don’t get me wrong she did stand up for herself but I wanted more of that knee them in the balls action。My favourite character is William because he is so mysterious and intriguing。 Like is he good or is he evil or something in between？ His mood swings give me whiplash but I still love him。I honestly do not like Sebastian whatsoever。 I don’t know what it is but I get this feeling of impending doom whenever he is around。 He is definitely hiding something。 Maybe I’m wrong though… （I don’t think I am so I’m watching you Sebastian）。Words cannot describe just how much I despise Monty。 Every time he called someone old chap I wanted to stab him in his pompous ass face with a broken bottle。 That freaking cliffhanger was absolutely brutal！！！ 。。。more
Niki
，
This book spoke to my inner classics nerd on a level I was not expecting！！！ This was one of those stories that you get immersed in and when you come up for air， you’re a little disappointed that you’re back in your normal life。 I should probably just leave the review at that and you can read it for yourself BUT， I’m not。 So here we go！ ☺️ This is my first Steffanie Holmes book and OMG！ It was amazing！ This books finds George， the fmc， starting Blackfriars University in England。 While it is every This book spoke to my inner classics nerd on a level I was not expecting！！！ This was one of those stories that you get immersed in and when you come up for air， you’re a little disappointed that you’re back in your normal life。 I should probably just leave the review at that and you can read it for yourself BUT， I’m not。 So here we go！ ☺️ This is my first Steffanie Holmes book and OMG！ It was amazing！ This books finds George， the fmc， starting Blackfriars University in England。 While it is everything she hopes， there are also dark secrets and mysteries that surround a group of almost untouchable students called the Orpheus Society。 Enter the kind （and sexy） priest: Sebastian。 Forbidden in all the ways that count but， that doesn’t stop George from thinking （and maybe doing more） about him。 William， her dark prince， is full of secrets and non-truths。 I alternatively go from wanting to slap him， then hug him， then kiss him， then slap him again。 Quite the roller coaster there！ George is so many things in this book: she seems confident but also unsure at times ， she’s strong， determined， caring， and seems to definitely be a knowledge seeker！ She also has a bit of snark and attitude in there。 I love the world that was created here and how much depth there is with the characters and the locations。 One of the words I noted as I was reading was decadent。 There are secrets and surprises around every corner and it’s FANTASTIC！ I’m now off to start reading the Stonehurst Prep series because I need to and I’m very， VERY intrigued to meet Claws and her men！ Side note: in another life （It feels like another life it was so long ago and a whole other Niki） I studied Latin for 6 years and was a classical studies with a minor in Latin student…。 How much that me would have loved to be friends with George！ Minus the life threatening parts 🤣🤣🤣I was lucky enough to receive this as and ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shawna Jimenez more。books。forever
，
Do you love academy book？！ Then this one is going to be your jam。 This story was so much more then I could have ever expected。 The dark the twisted all the secrets throw all the crazy and you have a making for one epic story。 With girls going missing and mean girls and bully happening this story had my eyes bouncing back and forth I kept waiting for another shoe to drop。 I could not put this book down。 This was one crazy emotional roller coaster ride and I never knew which way it was going to go Do you love academy book？！ Then this one is going to be your jam。 This story was so much more then I could have ever expected。 The dark the twisted all the secrets throw all the crazy and you have a making for one epic story。 With girls going missing and mean girls and bully happening this story had my eyes bouncing back and forth I kept waiting for another shoe to drop。 I could not put this book down。 This was one crazy emotional roller coaster ride and I never knew which way it was going to go。 That ending seriously had me wanting to throat punch people and I need me some answers。 I cannot wait for the next book。 。。。more
Sue Harbers
，
Wow this is one complicated and intense story。 George is our FMC and I’m not sure what to make of her sometimes。 She seems like a mix of contradictions; she’s smart but naive， strong but vulnerable and a victim but will eventually fight back。 And I’m equally unsure of both Sebastian and William， mainly because I truly don’t trust either。 I don’t think either character has shown who they really are and their true motivations and of course George is caught up with both。 The secret society and cult Wow this is one complicated and intense story。 George is our FMC and I’m not sure what to make of her sometimes。 She seems like a mix of contradictions; she’s smart but naive， strong but vulnerable and a victim but will eventually fight back。 And I’m equally unsure of both Sebastian and William， mainly because I truly don’t trust either。 I don’t think either character has shown who they really are and their true motivations and of course George is caught up with both。 The secret society and cultural background in this story is very complicated and very intricate so make sure to take your time reading。 The cliffhanger was brutal， I’m hoping that somehow George saves herself and figures out the truth of everything。 。。。more
Lorna
，
I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I’m blown away。 This is the first I’ve read by this author and I think I now need to check out her other books 😍 This is a dark， twisted， bully academy book with some awesome references to Greek history and Catholicism。 You meet George who has come to Blackfriars to study on a scholarship from California。 She doesn’t really make friends very easily and struggles with the arseholes at the uni。 The story has so much going on is drags you in and doesn I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I’m blown away。 This is the first I’ve read by this author and I think I now need to check out her other books 😍 This is a dark， twisted， bully academy book with some awesome references to Greek history and Catholicism。 You meet George who has come to Blackfriars to study on a scholarship from California。 She doesn’t really make friends very easily and struggles with the arseholes at the uni。 The story has so much going on is drags you in and doesn’t let you leave until you try to figure out what is happening （you don’t in this book） There is a rich self entitled boy William and a priest Sebastian who are on George’s mind a lot。 （Just to mention I do not like Monty at all） Then the best friend Leigh who befriends her a bit later in the book。 “Whatever you do don’t go out on Devils Night” George didn’t listen and that’s where the fun starts。 A fantastic book with sexual tension， bully， friendship， murder， emotions， history。 It has everything you want。 It’s slow burn but that just makes it more exciting when the spice happens。 I’m a little broken though after that ending 😩 I can’t wait to see what happens for George in the next book。 This is a single POV from George。 I would love to get into the minds of some of the other characters though but with this story it needed to be only George’s POV so the mystery can continue。 Just amazing 🖤 。。。more
✨✨ Claire✨✨
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This kept me on the edge of my seat。 Not just with big things either！ With pretty much every turn there were choices and Twists and turns - it was exhausting but fun！George is finally at Blackfriars Uni where she has dreamt of being for so long while she finished high school in Emerald Beach in California。The first day George goes investigating she comes across a very naked， very gorgeous and very built priest swimming in an outdoor fountain。 This begins a relationship between George and Sebast This kept me on the edge of my seat。 Not just with big things either！ With pretty much every turn there were choices and Twists and turns - it was exhausting but fun！George is finally at Blackfriars Uni where she has dreamt of being for so long while she finished high school in Emerald Beach in California。The first day George goes investigating she comes across a very naked， very gorgeous and very built priest swimming in an outdoor fountain。 This begins a relationship between George and Sebastian which escalates from tentative friends to electric attraction that sparks between the whenever they're near each other。。。。。 Then there's William。 The dark Prince， she calls him， due to him being second in command in the infamous Orphean secret society。 Monty is the leader of this chapter with a truly sick and disturbing personality。 He believes he is untouchable and can do anything he wants to anyone and get away with it。 The sad thing being， is that it's been proven correct in the past。。。unfortunately he takes special note of George and her curiosity and she's targeted by them and bullied from the word go。 But William。。。。？ The signals she gets confuses her。 The whole school is warned not to go out on Devils Night。 Everywhere will be locked up tight。 But George has an inquisitive mind and starts looking into the why of it and finds its just an elaborate excuse for the Orpheans to run free。。。。but bad things seem to happen on this night and when her roommate doesn't come in time for curfew， she makes the mistake of going out to try to find her。。。。 What George finds scratches the surfaces and its noticed that she's hunting around by the wrong people。。。 George is alone and lonely here so her friendship with Sebastian is important。 But neither can deny these feelings。 But can she let him reject his faith？ And William is showing the feelings he was denying earlier， so she tries harder to refute Sebastians thoughts， thinking she's doing the right thing by everyone。 But is William being truthful？ Can George carry on being friends with Sebastian？ Will he give up the cloth for her that he's so determined to do？ And the Orpheans are determined to quieten her down。 All the small warnings haven't worked。 How far are they willing to go to keep her silenced once and for all。。。？ A twisty turny page Turner of a read that was hard to put down！ A cliffhanger that's left me with a serious case of the "how the hell is that ever going to be made right" feels！！！ I received a copy of the ebook in return for an honest review 。。。more
bookaddict2021
，
Pretty Girls Makes Graves is a really interesting Dark academia read one that sunk its claws into me and wouldn't let go。 It was a gripping and interesting read which was unexpected。 There was a religious aspect to this story which was something I thought would have put me off but it only improved the quality of the story and my especially enjoyment。 William Windsor-Forsyth is the most intriguing character and his constant mood-swings gave me whiplash。 One minute he would be one way and then he Pretty Girls Makes Graves is a really interesting Dark academia read one that sunk its claws into me and wouldn't let go。 It was a gripping and interesting read which was unexpected。 There was a religious aspect to this story which was something I thought would have put me off but it only improved the quality of the story and my especially enjoyment。 William Windsor-Forsyth is the most intriguing character and his constant mood-swings gave me whiplash。 One minute he would be one way and then he would do a complete 180。 Even after finishing this amazing story I still can't quite work him out and I found myself truly emphasising with George as she tried to figure him out only to be left more confused than ever。 George is the FMC， she strong， determined， incredibly caring and dangerously curious。 Unfortunately， she finds bones in a shallow grave and this dark secret captures her attention especially as she links it to the secret Orpheus Society。 Stubbornly and relentlessly she will not quit until she discovers the truth。 George's inner strength shines as she attempts to deal with everything that is thrown at her but she needs to watch out。 Sebastian is George's first friend and love interest but there's only one problem 。。。。 he's a catholic priest。 His vows prohibit their relationship but that doesn't stop their feelings for one another。 The religious nature of his character was something I didn't think would appeal to me but surprisingly it did。 He's kind， caring， devoted to helping people and just the person George needs at Blackfriars University。 There were so many twists and turns in this story that I wasn't able to predict what the outcome would be which was surprising。 The author definitely likes to keep you on your toes which only further enhances the quality of the writing。 The author has clearly done her homework when it came to incorporating the links to Ancient Greek legends and this was evident throughout。 A surprisingly enjoyable read as it's not something I usually read but I was hooked from the first couple of pages。 I can't wait to read the next instalment。 。。。more
Kristin Lindes
，
A quirky good girl finding herself tangled up with damaged heroes， secret societies and everything that goes with them。 It was a helluva ride， navigating this brilliant story with a plot line that keeps you guessing and hoping and praying。 With well crafted characters that make you feel EVERYTHING， this book delivers。 You'll regret not reading this story。I received an ARC copy and am voluntarily leaving my review。 A quirky good girl finding herself tangled up with damaged heroes， secret societies and everything that goes with them。 It was a helluva ride， navigating this brilliant story with a plot line that keeps you guessing and hoping and praying。 With well crafted characters that make you feel EVERYTHING， this book delivers。 You'll regret not reading this story。I received an ARC copy and am voluntarily leaving my review。 。。。more
Vic
，
"Nothing shatters the magic of my first day at Blackfriars University quite like a naked priest swimming backstroke in the water fountain。" ~ GeorgeYou know a book is going to be a fun read when it gives you a first line like that。 Way to suck me in and get the curiosity going。 In fact， Steffanie Holmes managed to make me as inquisitive as her protagonist， George。George is a quirky but absolutely lovable character。 She’s the sort of person I would’ve hung out with （decades ago， when I was that a "Nothing shatters the magic of my first day at Blackfriars University quite like a naked priest swimming backstroke in the water fountain。" ~ GeorgeYou know a book is going to be a fun read when it gives you a first line like that。 Way to suck me in and get the curiosity going。 In fact， Steffanie Holmes managed to make me as inquisitive as her protagonist， George。George is a quirky but absolutely lovable character。 She’s the sort of person I would’ve hung out with （decades ago， when I was that age）。 She could have easily gotten into Blackfriars and done her best to blend in， but instead stays true to herself and her individual style。 She has attitude， even if it sometimes wavers under the weight of her past。 I loved her inner dialogue where she keeps correcting her American dialect into British English， and the way she adapts Leigh’s northern slang。 I really appreciated the down to earth and realistic use of common English – it made me feel at home。 😂George isn’t the only fantastic character in Pretty Girls Make Graves。 It may have taken Leigh and George months to pluck up the courage to speak to each other， but if a girl will accompany you through the forbidden catacombs of Paris， then she’s a friend worth keeping。 Despite being the daughter of a millionaire， Leigh is surprisingly down to earth。 Then we have Monty。 He may be insidious but he’s also a posh twat。 In fact， his entitled prattling often made me forget just how dangerous he could be。 But， don’t worry！ Holmes managed to remind me pretty quickly。 Father Duncan is another。 It seems that George gets the measure of him incredibly quickly， but at the same time， I wonder if there’s more to him than meets the eye， and not in a good way。William is a social chameleon， not only able to adapt his personality to fit with those he’s with， but also the situations he finds himself in。 His changes in demeanour were so abrupt they left me with whiplash。 God only knows how George could keep up。 The way he treats George towards the end of the novel is utterly heartbreaking。 Worse still， I unable to tell whether his actions were his truth or just another smokescreen。 On the other side of the coin is Sebastian。 Dependable， reliable， constant and yet completely incapable of giving in to his feelings。 There is something going on between the two of them and although， in a dramatic moment， a little of this is revealed， I hope the whole story comes to light in Brutal Boys Cry Blood。The book’s storyline is unique and twisted， filled with secrets and lies。 I’m gonna be honest， curious nature or not， I would’ve quit Blackfriars before Christmas if I was George。 There’s so much going on I wonder how she managed to keep track of it all on top of her studies。 There were certainly a lot of big events to cram into a single school year。I was absolutely blown away by Holmes’ writing style。 Gothic romance hasn’t just been pulled in to describe the scenery， but permeates the very essence of the story， from the arched and ancient pathways to the unadulterated joy of William swimming， unencumbered by his demons。 Passages are so descriptive that you can’t fail to see exactly what Holmes was picturing as she wrote。 I’d go as far as to say that Holmes’ style called to my soul。 If I were writing this book， it’s exactly how I would want to present it。 One moment that really sticks in my mind is as George and William share their first kiss， if you could call it that。 Engulfed by the headiness of the moment and William’s charisma， George draws parallels between him and “a fae king upon his throne， surveying his quarry before the wild hunt，” suggesting that she is taken by “dark fae magic。”My only real criticism of the book is that it doesn’t quite make the leap from young adult to new adult until near the end。 Until around 85% of the way through， it is incredibly low on the steam level， even if the sexual tension is high。 That said， I’m not sure I’d want to see the book take a different route as I don’t feel that sex and steam would enhance the story in any way; I was more surprised by this than anything， as I was not expecting such a youthful story。 I think this is probably my sticking point between a 4。5 ⭐ and 5 ⭐ review。Pretty Girls Make Graves follows on from Steffanie Holmes’ Stonehurst Prep series and， in the pre-story notes， Holmes suggests that the book contains spoilers for that series。 Not having read Stonehurst Prep， I did have a few moments when I felt that the knowledge from that series would help me better understand what was going through George’s head， but it definitely wasn’t essential reading。 It is， however， going straight on my TBR， because I always need more books to read。 She says。In the notes Holmes suggests that she wouldn’t call the book dark， but more of a smidge grey。 I’m not sure I entirely agree。 Personally， I’d consider it grey with dark moments。 But you know what， whether it’s grey， white or a rainbow， you’re going to enjoy it anyway。WHY YOU SHOULD READ PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES* Incredible sense of gothic romanticism* Fabulous characters* Unique storyline* Sacrilegious alter sex （Holmes’ words， not mine） 。。。more
Elena
，
I love all the mystery and all of the sleuthing going on in this book。 After reading Stonehurst Academy I knew how good of an investigator George could be and I am glad that she continues this in this book。 I loved the mystery surrounding the school and how weird the students are about certain things。 I mean after your roommate has been missing for weeks you would think the students and adults would be a little more concerned。 I highly recommend this book but I would also recommend reading Stone I love all the mystery and all of the sleuthing going on in this book。 After reading Stonehurst Academy I knew how good of an investigator George could be and I am glad that she continues this in this book。 I loved the mystery surrounding the school and how weird the students are about certain things。 I mean after your roommate has been missing for weeks you would think the students and adults would be a little more concerned。 I highly recommend this book but I would also recommend reading Stonehurst Academy first because some of the characters are mentioned in this book but it isn't necessary。 。。。more
Jenn T
，
I need a break to let my mind settle after reading this。Dark， Twisted， and utterly addictive。 Pretty Girls Make Graves will play on your emotions。 There are bullies， a secret society， murder， a hot priest and so much more。 Just when you think you might be figuring things out， you get hit with a plot twist that takes you further down the rabbit hole of Blackfriar University。 It has suspense， heartache， a bit of humor， an alter scene that will have your toes curling， and then it will smack you in I need a break to let my mind settle after reading this。Dark， Twisted， and utterly addictive。 Pretty Girls Make Graves will play on your emotions。 There are bullies， a secret society， murder， a hot priest and so much more。 Just when you think you might be figuring things out， you get hit with a plot twist that takes you further down the rabbit hole of Blackfriar University。 It has suspense， heartache， a bit of humor， an alter scene that will have your toes curling， and then it will smack you in the face with the mother of all cliffhangers！！This story is intense。 Be prepared to be shocked！ **I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review** 。。。more
The Lushy Reader
，
Couldn’t connect with this story
Iva
，
This is my favorite book I have ever read。 Everything about it was absolutely perfection。 Atmosphere， the characters， the storyline and the spice; amazing。 I am so excited for the second part to come out which happens to be a few days before my birthday！ It will make a lovely birthday gift to myself。
Christine
，