Sticks and Stones

Shadow Valley U, Book 1

By: S. Massery, SJ Sylvis

Narrated by: Alex Kydd, Kiera Stevens

A college hockey romance from bestselling authors S. Massery and S.J. Sylvis.

Sticks and stones may break our bones…Hockey is my life.

After Wren Davis puts my dreams of the NHL in jeopardy, I vow to make her life hell if she ever comes near me again.

But she’s my best friend’s foster sister, and even though they don’t live together anymore, their bond is still tight, which makes avoiding each other extra difficult.

Especially when I show up at Shadow Valley University and learn my new room comes with an unwelcome addition: Wren Davis.

As much as I try to make her life hell, she gives it right back, until she’s not just under my skin but constantly on my mind.

But some things can’t be forgiven, and fraternizing with the enemy is the last thing either of us want.

©2023 S. Massery, SJ Sylvis (P)2023 S. Massery, SJ Sylvis

Love

I loved the story and the narrators. It kept me entertained and invested. I love how protective Stone becomes. He cares so much.

Immediate yes!

The fact that two of my all time favorite authors, immediate one click yeses, came together a co-wrote a book has been news of the year for me. Pair that with the fact that its a one- bed, bully, hockey romance? I cannot even begin to describe the anticipation I had leading up to this. S. Massery and SJ Sylvis AS ALWAYS, did not disappoint!!! One of my top reads of the year. Wren Davis was an absolute WARRIOR, a true survivor in every aspect of the word and I adored her character. Stone Foster has already become my entire personality for the rest of the year. I have never h@te/loved a MMC so much. The. CHARACTER. ARC. THOUGH. Obsessed. He is possessive, obsessive, protective, harsh, rude, crude, and beyond delectable. The swoon factor when he finally gives in to his attraction to Wren is just other worldly. I loved every second of this book. I also geeked at the cameos by our favorite Bexley and CPU boys. It's always good to see familiar faces. ;) Kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end and I could not read it fast enough. Alex Kydd is one of my absolute favorite narrators and I can’t imagine anyone else bringing Stone to life. Raving, loved it. 10/5 stars!! You do NOT want to miss this one.

SO GOOD!!

Honestly I am so glad I picked this one up!! Both narrators did a phenomenal job bringing Wren and Stone’s story to life!!

I was completely invested in this book from the very beginning!

Sticks and Stones

Hockey romance? Sign me up. Hockey romance narrated by Alex Kydd? Even freaking better. Such a fun, emotional & spicy story with absolutely phenomenal narration. Highly rec!

Everything and more!

This audiobook had me hooked from the beginning. No matter how much stone and wren hated each other, they loved each other more.
The Narrators also crushed it! I love them so much.

so good!!

Loved Stone and Wren, what a deliriously romantic enemies to lovers dark love story! The audio was also so good, Alex and Kiera were so amazing together! I love S Massery, and she did not disappoint with SJ Sylvis!

Perfect enemies to lovers book!

Sticks and Stones is my first book by both S. Massery and SJ Sylvis and definitely will not be my last. Wren and Stone were so imperfectly perfect together and the authors just made you fall in love with both of them by the end.

Tropes:

🏒 College romance
🏒 Sports romance
🏒 Bully romance
🏒Enemies to lovers
🏒Forced proximity
🏒One bed
🏒Rich guy/poor girl
🏒Possessive MMC

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Angst level: 💔💔

Wren grew up in a terrible home where she was made and forced to do awful things. And due to that, Wren made one life changing decision in high school that forever changed her life, her father’s life, and most importantly Stone’s life.

Now here we are years later, and Stone absolutely loathes Wren and everything about her. And he absolutely makes it known. He has never forgiven her for what she did and how it affected his life. But they are forced to share a room with only one bed for the time being.

Jabs and harsh words are exchanged daily, and it isn’t until something comes back to haunt Wren that things change for them. But once they do, all that hate turns into passion. And their chemistry is absolutely fire when things change for them. But will they be able to continue this, or will the lies and trust fail them once again?

Wren and Stone are typical college kids and that made this so real – all of the vitriol that they would spit back and forth was awful to read because I just felt so hard for these characters. But it just showed how real and raw these characters were from their experiences. I fell in love with Stone the first time he was possessive over Wren – he was awful to her day in and day out, but the second he thought something unsavory was going on, he was there. And that made me SWOON!

I loved the found family aspect of this book and how all of his hockey teammates and her foster brother were there for both of them unconditionally. I am hoping to read about them in the future!

Now let’s talk about the narrators – absolutely perfect for these characters! Alex Kydd is the epitome of an angry college kid and I love whenever he narrates one. He embodies the emotions and the angst that you feel coming from his character. Keria Stevens narrated Wren amazingly – especially in the emotional parts of this book. I was tearing up at times because of the anguish that Wren was going through.

I can’t wait to read more books by these authors in the future and to hear more books narrated by these narrators!

Loved it!

Listened to the audio as I read this and it was narrated so well! I couldn’t get enough and devoured this book! I love how Stone and Wren hated each other before they both finalized realized they had feelings for each other. Enemies to lovers will get me every single time! I also love how obsessed and protective Stone is, even before acknowledging his feelings - maybe a little unhinged at times but I’m also here for the ‘touch her and die vibes.’

Cannot wait to see where this book goes next and as alway, SJ Sylvis and S. Massery have written another book that I’m in love with!

Sticks and Stones

Sticks and Sones is the first book in the Shadow Valley U series. This book is about Stone and Wren and is told from both of their points of view.

Stone has always called Wren sticks since she's a foster child and skinny from always being hungry. He's best friends with her foster brother, but something happens that makes him have a hate for Wren.

Now years later both Wren and Stone need a place to stay and her foster brother offers them both the same room at his place, but doesn't tell them until they show up. Now under the same roof and at the same place hatred, but feelings also start to develop.

I loved the banter between both characters. Also how he wants to hate her, but also wants to protect her.

I'm excited for the next book in the series. I'm sure I'll devour it just as I did this one!

LOVED! 🎧📚🖤

I discovered S. Massery’s books last year when I picked up Brutal Obsession. I’ve always been a dark romance girly so when I heard it was a dark Hockey romance I was hooked. So when I saw that she was cowriting another hockey romance I couldn’t be more excited. I listened to the audio while reading Sticks and Stones. Alex Kydd and Kiera Stevens did an amazing job bringing Wren and Stone to life. I devoured this book in a day. This is a true enemies to lovers and the best part NO THIRD ACT BREAKUP! I genuinely enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book 2 to be released! 😊😍