Dear Ava

By: Ilsa Madden-Mills

Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood, Zachary Webber

WSJ bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a gripping, enemies-to-lovers, secret admirer, high school romance.

The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world - until they destroyed me.

The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.

Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer?

Knox, the scarred quarterback.

Dane, his twin brother.

Or Chance, the ex who dumped me...

Dear Ava,

Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.

Wait. That’s stupid.

What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something real.

It’s been ten months since you were here, but I can’t forget you.

I’ve missed seeing you walk down the hall.

I’ve missed you cheering at my football games.

I’ve missed the smell of your hair.

And then everything fell apart the night of the kegger.

Don’t hate me because I’m a Shark.

I just want to make you mine.

Still.

Not part of any other series. Dark high school romance. Recommended for 18+.

A short excerpt of Dear Ava appeared in Team Player 2. (No longer available) This is an all-new, full-length version.

©2020 Ilsa Madden-Mills (P)2020 Ilsa Madden-Mills

Critic reviews

“A gut punch right in the feels. These characters wreck you. It’s a deep storyline, with such tender, beautiful, unbelievably perfect romance. Gah. I. Am. Wowed. Five Stars!” (Angie, Angie’s Dreamy Reads)

Loved Everything about this book !!!🖤❤️

This book touches a subject many author's won't write about. I loved how thr characters developed in this book. I read it when it first came out and knew once it was available on audible I would one click without a doubt… I enjoyed the narrator's as well. 5 star 🌟 all the way!!

My First Read by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I was drawn into the story from the start and impressed. This one was hard to put down. The 2 MC were likeable which can be a small feat in an angst-filled romance. Definitely looking forward to checking out more from this author.

Pitch perfect narration

Angsty high-school/young love story will love this story, but I actually find it to have more depth and emotion that your standard HS fare- we have an emotional story of redemption and rebirth- a reclaiming of self. And don't be deceived- we have mature themes, even though our characters are young.

Ilsa always writes such complex heroines- those carrying extreme emotional baggage whether from trauma or from painful pasts- heroines who are strong, yet vulnerable, kind and resilient- who are burdened at a young age by experiences and/or responsibilities they are too young to shoulder. And, Ava is no exception. Her past is painful, she’s recovering from trauma, she’s caring for a sibling, and she’s trying to finish out her senior year in one of the sources of her pain after her life has been derailed. She’s the heroine you want to root for as she scratches her way to reclaim herself.

The standard tropes we see in many HS bully stories are here- we have the relatively unchecked (or unsupervised) rabid mean girls and the vicious “boy squad”- here, the Sharks. Yet, somehow, one of the Sharks becomes Ava’s lifeline, someone she least expects, Knox. He’s your typical football archetype- a player (literally and metaphorically), but I found him to also be protective, loyal, and caring.

Ava and Knox have killer chemistry- a connection physical and spiritual. I wish the letter writing idea was more than just an introduction (the title of the book made me assume this would be a running theme, but instead it is just the catalyst to our story- which is fine, I had just anticipated something else.

This is a stay-up-all-night and read kind of story- yes we have the angst and the delicious romantic tension (and HOT steam), but we also have a revenge story of a phoenix rising from the ashes of her pain and embracing love and connection. There is a depth to this that I appreciated, a character journey that is meaningful, and a love story that is swoon worthy. Love this read.

Love, loyalty & redemption 💓

HOLY HOT GUY indeed🥰 I loved meeting Knox & Ava in the Team Player novella. This a beautiful story of love, loyalty, redemption...Knox & Ava are both beautifully flawed. Ava’s steadfast belief in herself is inspiring. Knox’s soul is beautiful. Knox’s protection and need to find justice for Ava is heartwarming. Turning your back on what is known to you is hard but it ultimately heals his family, Ava and himself. Knox & Ava truly deserve their HEA:) #hardworkpaysoff #SECBABY

Gets You Straight In The Feels

I don't normally like high school drama, but this was a fun read. So much emotion. (Teens shouldn't have to deal with so much.) I'm glad Ilsa captured the immaturity of the characters, teens need to act like teens. Non rational decisions and all. The last chapter was the best. Didn't care for the epilogues, but they were needed. Oh, and I loved the narrators. This was my 1st time listening to an Audible book. They made it easy to follow and helped get into the characters.

Powerful!

Powerful story of healing after trauma, facing your fears, & rising from the ashes! Excellent performances. There are definitely triggers in this story, so proceed with caution. That being said, I enjoyed the power of Ava's resolve and determination to face everything. Loved it! Savannah and Zachary were the perfect paring to bring the appropriate emotional performances to this story!

Great love story!

Loved the narrators and the book! Highly recommend to anyone who likes a nice love story!

Teenage Melodrama

I liked this story but it was a bit too melodramatic for my taste. And these 18 year olds did NOT at all sound like teenagers to me. They thought, spoke and behaved more like mid 20s, which made it kind of ridiculous when Knox occasionally referred to himself as “just a kid”. Even the cover model—as gorgeous as he is—does not look like a YA or NA. This is a story designed to evoke emotion, to put us right back in high school again, in the middle of the cliques and hierarchy and dynamics of it all. If you can remember what that's like and allow yourself to relive those feelings then you can be swept up in the story. The female narrator was a little over the top dramatic imo but the male narrator is one of my favorites.

Absolutely loved the first 3/4 of the book, a little disappointed in the ending.

Absolutely loved the first 3/4 of the book, a little disappointed in the ending. Still it is definitely worth a credit. Loved the narration.

Ava started from the bottom and now she’s here!

This story will stay with me for a long time. It really touched my soul. The narrators Savannah Peachwood and Zachary Webber delivered an amazing performance. They really captured the emotional and angst with their narration. I am mind blown by this audiobook.

Ilsa Madden Mills wrote a story with broken people yet they still had a resilient spirit despite their pain. From the beginning of this story, I felt Ava’s hurt but cheered her daily struggle to keeping putting one foot in front of the other. I just wanted to hug this girl. She deserved it and more.

I always cheer for the underdog and there is nothing more satisfying that seeing someone with nothing fight and work their butt off to put themselves in position for good things. Ava was dealt a crappy hand with her mom and dad, but her tenacity and love for her little brother Tyler gave her a reason to get up and hustle everyday. What a contrast of life compared to the Shark crew.

Knox was a golden boy on the surface. Leader of the sharks, #1 quarterback and rich kid. He has nothing in common with Ava, but there seemed to be a thread of connection. The author built that chemistry until it was so palpable. I was so here for it. I honestly couldn’t stop listening to this audiobook. The feels in this one! What a layered story with family at the heart of it. Simply amazing! One of the best books I’ve read in a long time.