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In Excess
Forced to transfer to a privileged Catholic school—the Academy of Holy Names—street-smart Nikolas would prefer to be anywhere else in the world. A new face in an old place, he almost immediately draws the attention of the bored, spoiled, and ruthless Seth, the "king" of the Academy.
Though he should know better, Nikolas quickly finds himself caught up in a game of rivalry and seduction, with himself as the prize ...
Though he should know better, Nikolas quickly finds himself caught up in a game of rivalry and seduction, with himself as the prize ...
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2012
About the author
Quinn Anderson
13 books129 followersConnect with Quinn:
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorQuinnAnderson
Twitter: @QuinnAndersonXO
Email: quinnandersonwrites@gmail.com
Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.
A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. Her girlfriend swears her sense of humor is just one big Buffy reference. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life, and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Yuri on Ice, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, and more. Growing up, while most of her friends were fighting evil by moonlight, Anderson was kamehameha-ing her way through all the shounen anime she could get her hands on. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and Tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere. If you’re at an event, and you see a 6’2” redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that’s probably her.
Her favorite authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cat, screwing the rules, watching Markiplier play games she’s too scared to play herself, and catching ’em all.
Facebook: facebook.com/AuthorQuinnAnderson
Twitter: @QuinnAndersonXO
Email: quinnandersonwrites@gmail.com
Quinn Anderson is an alumna of the University of Dublin in Ireland and has a master’s degree in psychology. She wrote her dissertation on sexuality in popular literature and continues to explore evolving themes in erotica in her professional life.
A nerd extraordinaire, she was raised on an unhealthy diet of video games, anime, pop culture, and comics from infancy. Her girlfriend swears her sense of humor is just one big Buffy reference. She stays true to her nerd roots in writing and in life, and frequently draws inspiration from her many fandoms, which include Yuri on Ice, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Buffy, and more. Growing up, while most of her friends were fighting evil by moonlight, Anderson was kamehameha-ing her way through all the shounen anime she could get her hands on. You will often find her interacting with fellow fans online and offline via conventions and Tumblr, and she is happy to talk about anything from nerd life to writing tips. She has attended conventions on three separate continents and now considers herself a career geek. She advises anyone who attends pop culture events in the UK to watch out for Weeping Angels, as they are everywhere. If you’re at an event, and you see a 6’2” redhead wandering around with a vague look on her face, that’s probably her.
Her favorite authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, Gail Carson Levine, Libba Bray, and Tamora Pierce. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, spending too much time on the internet, playing fetch with her cat, screwing the rules, watching Markiplier play games she’s too scared to play herself, and catching ’em all.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 1, 2020
"His mahogany hair was mussed in a way that looked too perfect to be accidental: it screamed of sex and apathy."
That line came at around 5%, and then I knew I was hooked, beyond hooked, ensnared. It perfectly sums up this seriously delicious, indulgent book. Set at an exclusive, prep-school type university somewhere in the US, it chronicles a disruptive week in the lives of four ridiculously good-looking young men. In terms of style and content, it falls somewhere on the same spectrum as the movie Cruel Intentions and Curtis Sittenfield's Prep, with maybe a bit of Donna Tartt's Secret History and Mean Girls thrown in for flavour.
The protagonist, Nik, is a troubled transfer student who attracts the attentions of the elite university's royalty and becomes a pawn in their completely amoral machinations. The book is not without its flaws, and I'll enumerate them in a bit (as well subtract a theoretical half-star for the author's sins). Anyway, the build-up is delicious, I think the author did a great job of ratcheting up the sexual tension (except for where she used the word "sexual tension" to describe the situation - a bit obvious, no?). I really liked Nik, and got a lot of satisfaction out of hating Seth (the king) for the majority of the book. I spent a great deal of time yelling at Nik to resist, godammit, resist that vain, pompous, manipulative little shit! I had an outrageous amount of fun with it. And the setting was great, if under-utilized.
The issues that marred my enjoyment are petty, but they niggled at my mind and now I just have to mention them. Firstly, it gets a bit repetitious; how many times do I need to be told how gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, handsome, lovely and/or otherwise sexy. all the main characters are? Anderson ran out of adjectives in the first couple of chapters and then just sort of cycled through them at irregular intervals. The same is true of metaphors and similes, she kind of flogs a couple of them to death. Some of the book ended up being more tell that show, that is to say that instead of letting things happen and letting us figure it out, the author chose to explain them too closely. There are also a couple of small contradictions and inconsistencies that you probably won't notice unless you were paying very careful attention, and they mean nothing but I was just a bit annoyed. Also, the guys really were bloody pretentious, I know lots of pretentious people, but really, this is a level of douchebaggery with which I am as yet unfamiliar. The whole book, as I've mentioned, basically takes place over the span of a week and this seems a tad short for all the craziness that happens, it would have made more sense for it to be more spread out (and thus maybe have prolonged the read? I didn't want it to end). Then there was the fact that the book kind of teetered on the edge of predictability for a while and I thought this would be obviated by the great little curveball thrown towards the end, but no, it still tipped into 'I totally called that!' territory.
All of the above, though, are just minor technical squibbles compared to how ultimately awesome the book is. Though I can see why someone may not like it, it is a bit shallow and the relationships are not prototypical MM.
All that said, I really, really liked it. Maybe it's my fondness for preppy assholes. Who knows? The point is, I'm not even deleting this from my kindle because I just know that I'm going to read it again.
That line came at around 5%, and then I knew I was hooked, beyond hooked, ensnared. It perfectly sums up this seriously delicious, indulgent book. Set at an exclusive, prep-school type university somewhere in the US, it chronicles a disruptive week in the lives of four ridiculously good-looking young men. In terms of style and content, it falls somewhere on the same spectrum as the movie Cruel Intentions and Curtis Sittenfield's Prep, with maybe a bit of Donna Tartt's Secret History and Mean Girls thrown in for flavour.
The protagonist, Nik, is a troubled transfer student who attracts the attentions of the elite university's royalty and becomes a pawn in their completely amoral machinations. The book is not without its flaws, and I'll enumerate them in a bit (as well subtract a theoretical half-star for the author's sins). Anyway, the build-up is delicious, I think the author did a great job of ratcheting up the sexual tension (except for where she used the word "sexual tension" to describe the situation - a bit obvious, no?). I really liked Nik, and got a lot of satisfaction out of hating Seth (the king) for the majority of the book. I spent a great deal of time yelling at Nik to resist, godammit, resist that vain, pompous, manipulative little shit! I had an outrageous amount of fun with it. And the setting was great, if under-utilized.
The issues that marred my enjoyment are petty, but they niggled at my mind and now I just have to mention them. Firstly, it gets a bit repetitious; how many times do I need to be told how gorgeous, beautiful, stunning, handsome, lovely and/or otherwise sexy. all the main characters are? Anderson ran out of adjectives in the first couple of chapters and then just sort of cycled through them at irregular intervals. The same is true of metaphors and similes, she kind of flogs a couple of them to death. Some of the book ended up being more tell that show, that is to say that instead of letting things happen and letting us figure it out, the author chose to explain them too closely. There are also a couple of small contradictions and inconsistencies that you probably won't notice unless you were paying very careful attention, and they mean nothing but I was just a bit annoyed. Also, the guys really were bloody pretentious, I know lots of pretentious people, but really, this is a level of douchebaggery with which I am as yet unfamiliar. The whole book, as I've mentioned, basically takes place over the span of a week and this seems a tad short for all the craziness that happens, it would have made more sense for it to be more spread out (and thus maybe have prolonged the read? I didn't want it to end). Then there was the fact that the book kind of teetered on the edge of predictability for a while and I thought this would be obviated by the great little curveball thrown towards the end, but no, it still tipped into 'I totally called that!' territory.
All of the above, though, are just minor technical squibbles compared to how ultimately awesome the book is. Though I can see why someone may not like it, it is a bit shallow and the relationships are not prototypical MM.
All that said, I really, really liked it. Maybe it's my fondness for preppy assholes. Who knows? The point is, I'm not even deleting this from my kindle because I just know that I'm going to read it again.
August 19, 2012
2.5 stars
This story had good and bad parts, more or less in equal measure. The game of seduction, the chase and all that followed were very enjoyable to read about. Adding the sexual tension being a constant aftereffect of Nik's and Seth's interactions and we got a very entertaining combination. But these elements are not enough to make a book to be a good book, too. It needs more, and the part I felt it was most deficient was the characterization. Physically perfect characters are nice to read about for a while, but not to keep it on and on for the whole book. And it would have been good to see some development here. I'm not saying that some changes don't happen, but they are not believable, are not sustained by the characters' behavior. One factor that contributed very much is that the background life of the protagonists is addressed superficially, not helping the reader to feel sympathetic or otherwise in regards to them. So my main impression was of some lust-driven teenagers who in the end have no depth in their choices and actions.
This story had good and bad parts, more or less in equal measure. The game of seduction, the chase and all that followed were very enjoyable to read about. Adding the sexual tension being a constant aftereffect of Nik's and Seth's interactions and we got a very entertaining combination. But these elements are not enough to make a book to be a good book, too. It needs more, and the part I felt it was most deficient was the characterization. Physically perfect characters are nice to read about for a while, but not to keep it on and on for the whole book. And it would have been good to see some development here. I'm not saying that some changes don't happen, but they are not believable, are not sustained by the characters' behavior. One factor that contributed very much is that the background life of the protagonists is addressed superficially, not helping the reader to feel sympathetic or otherwise in regards to them. So my main impression was of some lust-driven teenagers who in the end have no depth in their choices and actions.
August 30, 2012
Perfection! This book is utter perfection! It's everything I've ever wanted out of a college romance story. Stop what you're doing and get your hands on a copy of this now! It delivers everything: humor, tension, hot characters, intelligent writing, great description without going overboard, great dialog, and the sexy times had me fanning myself, they were so hot. Seriously, I wouldn't change a thing about this. This is now my all-time favorite book in this genre, and I just know I'm going to re-read it a billion times. I couldn't ask for a better story, and not only is it sexy, but it has an actual plot! This isn't some vapid romance like all the others. Actual thought was put into this, and it's obvious from the very start. I fell in love with Nik, the main character, and it was so much fun to watch his relationship with Seth develop. Trust me, you'll be cheering, laughing, crying, and jumping up triumphantly over the course of this wonderful read.
September 19, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
I've been excited and intrigued by this book ever since I got it for review. I had an idea that it was probably based on the popular "bet" plot, and I was right in a way. While there are certainly things to recommend about this book, and I will say that I see so much promise in this author's writing, I was ultimately unsatisfied, for a few reasons.
In short summary (because there so many secrets in this book writing a review is going to be very difficult), Nik shows up at a very rich and pretentious university. He's immediately an outcast, first because he's a scholarship student, and second because he's a transfer with a dubious past at his previous school. He's known for violence, though we don't know for sure just how violent he is, but he's also an iconoclast, whether it is thrust upon him because of his socioeconomic status or his history as an unwanted kid who was bounced around foster homes. He immediately catches the eye of the trio of princes at the school, who in Cruel Intentions/Dangerous Liaisons fashion are filthy rich, entitled, intelligent and bored into cruelty. He's fallen into the trap of their favored game -- a bet to see who can bed him first. They all have their own reasons for winning and are as duplicitous with one another as they are to the students they snare and then toss away.
I think, first, I just didn't expect this to be so tedious. Right off I had a hard time getting into this (even though I will admit to a sick sort of fascination about what would happen) because I couldn't stand any of the characters or the endless lies and games they play. Even Nik, who seems to be the saving grace of the story turned out to disappoint me over and over because he never really stands up for himself, not in any lasting way (and they are cruel to him). Most of this is personal, I assure you, but my feelings do have basis in the story and how it is written.
The problem stems from the fact that we never really know much about any of the characters. When they are cruel to one another, and then seem to change (as they all do at some point), I couldn't believe it because I first needed to understand why they were so cruel. I couldn't allow myself to accept that the melodrama was purely a result of their status. I needed to see who they were before, for some history to be shown about them as to how they came to be the way they are. I couldn't accept that they could change because I felt like I didn't know any of them really. They just felt too 2-dimensional for me to buy into any of their behavior at any time.
The second thing ties into the first -- without the knowledge of who the characters were and how they came to be these… pale imitations of people with feelings, I felt as if I'd been dropped into a setup. Why are they the "kings" and "princes" of the school? There are reasons stated but I never felt like I got the whole picture. We're told that they are the three most intelligent people in the college, academic rivals who are all vying for the valedictorian position. Somehow, the winner of the bet is to take that position, but I never understood what their social lives had to do with their academic scores. Also, Dante makes a statement that the valedictorian position was so coveted because anyone who took it could write their future, but… that's not remotely true in the real world. I suppose I just didn't see it. None of it made sense to me and I consistently felt as if I were supposed to suspend disbelief once again, and finally suspend disbelief in the whole setting. I couldn't do that in the end.
There were a few other things that bothered me, but I allowed myself to overlook them for the most part because I felt like there were bigger concerns, like I've just stated. The biggest, however, was that they were constantly referred to as teens and with the exception of the explicit sex they seemed like they were in high school. Perhaps this doesn't take place in the US, though we never hear about where it does take place, but this school seemed to be much more of a private prep school to me than a university. Other than living off campus, they seemed to have little freedom. For the most part it was just a feeling, but there were little clues there that just made this all seem like high school, rather than college.
The only real thing that I liked about this story was the middle section. It went quite a while where I felt like I was no longer being disappointed by the characters actions and the story was looking to turn around for me. The sex was really, really steamy. Sadly, though, I just felt disappointed again by the ending.
Now, I know that this book wasn't for me and I've said all the reasons why above, extensively. The writing, other than the choices and things I said above, was great. I'll be keeping my eye on this author and looking to see if any future books intrigue me. I've read some reviews of this book by other readers, and my reaction seems to be an anomaly. So I, as always, offer this only as one opinion and if you do read this I hope you really enjoy it. It just wasn't for me and ultimately, I had to rate it and review it that way.
I've been excited and intrigued by this book ever since I got it for review. I had an idea that it was probably based on the popular "bet" plot, and I was right in a way. While there are certainly things to recommend about this book, and I will say that I see so much promise in this author's writing, I was ultimately unsatisfied, for a few reasons.
In short summary (because there so many secrets in this book writing a review is going to be very difficult), Nik shows up at a very rich and pretentious university. He's immediately an outcast, first because he's a scholarship student, and second because he's a transfer with a dubious past at his previous school. He's known for violence, though we don't know for sure just how violent he is, but he's also an iconoclast, whether it is thrust upon him because of his socioeconomic status or his history as an unwanted kid who was bounced around foster homes. He immediately catches the eye of the trio of princes at the school, who in Cruel Intentions/Dangerous Liaisons fashion are filthy rich, entitled, intelligent and bored into cruelty. He's fallen into the trap of their favored game -- a bet to see who can bed him first. They all have their own reasons for winning and are as duplicitous with one another as they are to the students they snare and then toss away.
I think, first, I just didn't expect this to be so tedious. Right off I had a hard time getting into this (even though I will admit to a sick sort of fascination about what would happen) because I couldn't stand any of the characters or the endless lies and games they play. Even Nik, who seems to be the saving grace of the story turned out to disappoint me over and over because he never really stands up for himself, not in any lasting way (and they are cruel to him). Most of this is personal, I assure you, but my feelings do have basis in the story and how it is written.
The problem stems from the fact that we never really know much about any of the characters. When they are cruel to one another, and then seem to change (as they all do at some point), I couldn't believe it because I first needed to understand why they were so cruel. I couldn't allow myself to accept that the melodrama was purely a result of their status. I needed to see who they were before, for some history to be shown about them as to how they came to be the way they are. I couldn't accept that they could change because I felt like I didn't know any of them really. They just felt too 2-dimensional for me to buy into any of their behavior at any time.
The second thing ties into the first -- without the knowledge of who the characters were and how they came to be these… pale imitations of people with feelings, I felt as if I'd been dropped into a setup. Why are they the "kings" and "princes" of the school? There are reasons stated but I never felt like I got the whole picture. We're told that they are the three most intelligent people in the college, academic rivals who are all vying for the valedictorian position. Somehow, the winner of the bet is to take that position, but I never understood what their social lives had to do with their academic scores. Also, Dante makes a statement that the valedictorian position was so coveted because anyone who took it could write their future, but… that's not remotely true in the real world. I suppose I just didn't see it. None of it made sense to me and I consistently felt as if I were supposed to suspend disbelief once again, and finally suspend disbelief in the whole setting. I couldn't do that in the end.
There were a few other things that bothered me, but I allowed myself to overlook them for the most part because I felt like there were bigger concerns, like I've just stated. The biggest, however, was that they were constantly referred to as teens and with the exception of the explicit sex they seemed like they were in high school. Perhaps this doesn't take place in the US, though we never hear about where it does take place, but this school seemed to be much more of a private prep school to me than a university. Other than living off campus, they seemed to have little freedom. For the most part it was just a feeling, but there were little clues there that just made this all seem like high school, rather than college.
The only real thing that I liked about this story was the middle section. It went quite a while where I felt like I was no longer being disappointed by the characters actions and the story was looking to turn around for me. The sex was really, really steamy. Sadly, though, I just felt disappointed again by the ending.
Now, I know that this book wasn't for me and I've said all the reasons why above, extensively. The writing, other than the choices and things I said above, was great. I'll be keeping my eye on this author and looking to see if any future books intrigue me. I've read some reviews of this book by other readers, and my reaction seems to be an anomaly. So I, as always, offer this only as one opinion and if you do read this I hope you really enjoy it. It just wasn't for me and ultimately, I had to rate it and review it that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2012
What I love about “In Excess” is that it is a feel-good book. It has just the right amount of angst in it but not so much that it would leave me reeling and heavy-hearted for days.
In Excess is an adorable love story between the brash and sexy but “underprivileged” Nikolas “Nik” Steele and the equally sexy, bored, clueless, and overconfident, spoiled brat “king” of the Academy of Holy Names—the one and only Seth Prinsen.
Being new to a school for the privileged made Nik an object of everyone’s scrutiny, most especially since he was a scholar and is therefore considered, “different.”
As in every romance novel that I’ve read, there were predictable moments, but these were outweighed by the tension that the game of seduction brought about. I also liked the role played by Theo and Dante—Seth’s friends. In the end, it got me thinking who was really manipulating who. My only regret is that it ended a bit too soon for my liking and I really wanted to read more. Lol. ^_^
Lastly, let me extend my warmest congratulations to Miss Quinn Anderson for her beautiful and marvelous debut novel, looking forward for more of your works. ^_^
In Excess is an adorable love story between the brash and sexy but “underprivileged” Nikolas “Nik” Steele and the equally sexy, bored, clueless, and overconfident, spoiled brat “king” of the Academy of Holy Names—the one and only Seth Prinsen.
Being new to a school for the privileged made Nik an object of everyone’s scrutiny, most especially since he was a scholar and is therefore considered, “different.”
As in every romance novel that I’ve read, there were predictable moments, but these were outweighed by the tension that the game of seduction brought about. I also liked the role played by Theo and Dante—Seth’s friends. In the end, it got me thinking who was really manipulating who. My only regret is that it ended a bit too soon for my liking and I really wanted to read more. Lol. ^_^
Lastly, let me extend my warmest congratulations to Miss Quinn Anderson for her beautiful and marvelous debut novel, looking forward for more of your works. ^_^
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2012
Review posted at Joyfully Jay and Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
Rating: 4.25 stars
Nikolas Steele, street smart foster kid, finds himself in the Dean’s office at the Academy of Holy Names, a private exclusive college, enrolling for the sophomore year. Nik had been expelled from his previous university and now through the goodness of a donor with a fondness for troubled youths, has a full scholarship for all three years of his undergraduate degree here at the Academy if only he can keep his grades up (easy) and out of trouble. Staying out of trouble has never been easy for Nik for most of his unsettled history but the atmosphere at this exclusive school with its silverware and china at the student dining room and dorms full of overprivileged kids just emphasizes to Nik his “fish out of water” status on campus.
To make matters worse, Nik has come to the attention of the local kings of the campus. Seth, Dante, and Theo are the three kings who rule over all who attend the Academy of Holy Names. Together out of mutual self preservation, they epitomize all that is beauty, intelligence and power at the school but not necessarily kindness. When bored, the three play a game with high stakes, the winner taking the Class Valedictorian spot all three want. Currently the game is tied between them but with the arrival of Nik, the three of them start the game again. The goal? The first to get Nik into bed wins the game. The rules? No alcohol, no underhandedness among each other, and above all, no falling for the prey. But Nik is smart and figures out he is the center of the game and switches roles. What happens when the hunted becomes the hunter?
In Excess looked like a male version of Mean Girls in the beginning of the story, with a nice outsider becoming the prey for a gang of overly privileged rich kids who are the ruling click in school. Nik Steele is an immediately likable main character. He’s a foster kid, who has been moved around most of his life and from the little background history you are given, he has recently been expelled from a college he was happy at, at least for a while. So when he arrives at the office of the Dean of the college, with it’s opulent furnishings to go along with the rich descriptions of the college campus and buildings, you get it! He is the poor kid on campus you are supposed to root for and do. Every part of the Academy of Holy Name is over the top, from the hallways, marble floors, top chef dinners and even the uniform to be worn while attending. Only the finest materials, only the best furniture, and the most exquisite of landscaping to the vaunted architecture of the college that highlights the difference between Nik and the rest of the student body.
The kings themselves are physically interesting, especially Theo with his artfully colored red hair and mint green eyes. Seth and Dante are equally gorgeous if not a little more generic in appearance. One of my quibbles with Quinn Anderson is with the characterizations. All of the main characters has some really interesting components to their personalities, especially Theo with his calm demeanor tied in with his deep thoughts and hidden agenda. The problem is that Theo is not part of the main couple, Seth is. And Seth is given so little back history that it is hard to feel something other than disgust at his behavior. Anderson needs to give us a reason to understand why his pride is so important to him that all his actions are geared towards shoring it up. We need to understand him in order to like him despite his actions towards Nik, and that full understanding is never reached, at least in my opinion. Dante too seems little more than a cardboard character comprised of his handsome visage, his perfect taste in clothes, wine and apartment decor. Yet as one of the “Kings of Campus” surely we should be given more of his backstory as well. We are given to understand that Theo, Seth and Dante grew up together but other than a few sentences telling us they sabotaged each others science projects, stole each others text books or slashed each others tires, we have no idea where they came from or how their little group came into being. Only Nik comes forward as a living, breathing person, flawed with a chip on his shoulder that we totally get. But as with the others, I wanted to know more about Nik’s history. What happened to make him a foster child? He seems so very grounded in his own skin and personality for someone shifted from place to place. Where does that strength of character come from? The characters and story needs a solid foundation upon which to build the framework for the plot and it doesn’t have one.
That said, the author does deliver some great little touches with the plot and timeline. Anderson throws us some great surprises just when we least expect it and ends up with a plot much deeper in complexity than its outlines suggest. In fact, the manner in which Anderson delivers the narrative underscores the problems with the lack of depth in characterization when held up against the rest of the novel. It’s that very unevenness between the two that pulls the entire story down. I absolutely loved parts of this story, I love the surprises that pop up within Anderson’s tale, and I liked the main characters for the most part. The sex is hot and steamy, so much so that I kept thinking “what age are these kids?” so experienced did the sex play come across. A slight quibble but in keeping with the inconsistencies I found throughout the novel.
This is the first book I have read by Quinn Anderson and now I am going to search out more by this author based on the promise and details I love from In Excess. I do recommend reading In Excess because there is so much to admire about the story and Anderson’s descriptive writing. Let me know what you think, ok?
Cover. Normally I am a fan of London Burden but this cover leaves me cold.
Rating: 4.25 stars
Nikolas Steele, street smart foster kid, finds himself in the Dean’s office at the Academy of Holy Names, a private exclusive college, enrolling for the sophomore year. Nik had been expelled from his previous university and now through the goodness of a donor with a fondness for troubled youths, has a full scholarship for all three years of his undergraduate degree here at the Academy if only he can keep his grades up (easy) and out of trouble. Staying out of trouble has never been easy for Nik for most of his unsettled history but the atmosphere at this exclusive school with its silverware and china at the student dining room and dorms full of overprivileged kids just emphasizes to Nik his “fish out of water” status on campus.
To make matters worse, Nik has come to the attention of the local kings of the campus. Seth, Dante, and Theo are the three kings who rule over all who attend the Academy of Holy Names. Together out of mutual self preservation, they epitomize all that is beauty, intelligence and power at the school but not necessarily kindness. When bored, the three play a game with high stakes, the winner taking the Class Valedictorian spot all three want. Currently the game is tied between them but with the arrival of Nik, the three of them start the game again. The goal? The first to get Nik into bed wins the game. The rules? No alcohol, no underhandedness among each other, and above all, no falling for the prey. But Nik is smart and figures out he is the center of the game and switches roles. What happens when the hunted becomes the hunter?
In Excess looked like a male version of Mean Girls in the beginning of the story, with a nice outsider becoming the prey for a gang of overly privileged rich kids who are the ruling click in school. Nik Steele is an immediately likable main character. He’s a foster kid, who has been moved around most of his life and from the little background history you are given, he has recently been expelled from a college he was happy at, at least for a while. So when he arrives at the office of the Dean of the college, with it’s opulent furnishings to go along with the rich descriptions of the college campus and buildings, you get it! He is the poor kid on campus you are supposed to root for and do. Every part of the Academy of Holy Name is over the top, from the hallways, marble floors, top chef dinners and even the uniform to be worn while attending. Only the finest materials, only the best furniture, and the most exquisite of landscaping to the vaunted architecture of the college that highlights the difference between Nik and the rest of the student body.
The kings themselves are physically interesting, especially Theo with his artfully colored red hair and mint green eyes. Seth and Dante are equally gorgeous if not a little more generic in appearance. One of my quibbles with Quinn Anderson is with the characterizations. All of the main characters has some really interesting components to their personalities, especially Theo with his calm demeanor tied in with his deep thoughts and hidden agenda. The problem is that Theo is not part of the main couple, Seth is. And Seth is given so little back history that it is hard to feel something other than disgust at his behavior. Anderson needs to give us a reason to understand why his pride is so important to him that all his actions are geared towards shoring it up. We need to understand him in order to like him despite his actions towards Nik, and that full understanding is never reached, at least in my opinion. Dante too seems little more than a cardboard character comprised of his handsome visage, his perfect taste in clothes, wine and apartment decor. Yet as one of the “Kings of Campus” surely we should be given more of his backstory as well. We are given to understand that Theo, Seth and Dante grew up together but other than a few sentences telling us they sabotaged each others science projects, stole each others text books or slashed each others tires, we have no idea where they came from or how their little group came into being. Only Nik comes forward as a living, breathing person, flawed with a chip on his shoulder that we totally get. But as with the others, I wanted to know more about Nik’s history. What happened to make him a foster child? He seems so very grounded in his own skin and personality for someone shifted from place to place. Where does that strength of character come from? The characters and story needs a solid foundation upon which to build the framework for the plot and it doesn’t have one.
That said, the author does deliver some great little touches with the plot and timeline. Anderson throws us some great surprises just when we least expect it and ends up with a plot much deeper in complexity than its outlines suggest. In fact, the manner in which Anderson delivers the narrative underscores the problems with the lack of depth in characterization when held up against the rest of the novel. It’s that very unevenness between the two that pulls the entire story down. I absolutely loved parts of this story, I love the surprises that pop up within Anderson’s tale, and I liked the main characters for the most part. The sex is hot and steamy, so much so that I kept thinking “what age are these kids?” so experienced did the sex play come across. A slight quibble but in keeping with the inconsistencies I found throughout the novel.
This is the first book I have read by Quinn Anderson and now I am going to search out more by this author based on the promise and details I love from In Excess. I do recommend reading In Excess because there is so much to admire about the story and Anderson’s descriptive writing. Let me know what you think, ok?
Cover. Normally I am a fan of London Burden but this cover leaves me cold.
October 8, 2013
First I'd like to say that I know that the author had written this book first as a Naruto fanfiction and later published it as a real novel.
“Much to his chagrin, the door opened almost immediately, and he was greeted by a tall, slender man with a shock of gray hair that belied his youthful appearance.”
I found kakashi in the first five pages from the description alone. Me being the obsessed Naruto fan that I am would of course know Kakashi’s description.
“Within the shadow of the tree, a young man was lying on top of a picnic table, his arms crossed under his head and his legs spread out like he had not a care in the world. His deep mahogany hair and dark clothing made him blend almost seamlessly with the shadows. Only his skin—white like fresh snow—gave him away. It was no wonder Nik had nearly missed him.”
I have found Sasuke.
I found this book while searching for good SasuNaru fanfiction on Fanfiction.net. I came across this story when I was searching and found out the author had pulled the story since she had decided to publish it as a novel.
Curious, I went through my means and ways to get the book. As I was reading I found so many parallels to the Naruto characters it wasn’t funny. Theo was described as having red hair and mint eyes, and I know exactly who he was based on. In fact, the author hardly changed Theo’s looks at all.
Yep, Theo is, basically, this guy, Gaara. In my opinion the author just changed the name. Even their personalities are exactly the same. The same cannot be said for Dante, but believe me when I tell you I know who the author based him on. Or, at least, changed the looks and the name but kept the personality intact.
This is Neji Hyuuga, the character Dante was based on. He is constantly shipped with Gaara in a lot of fanfiction, so you can see where the Theo/Dante parts came from. The appearance of Dante may have been changed (a lot) but believe me, the personality is almost exactly the same.
I am pretty sure you all want to see Seth. Well, I know exactly who Seth was based on and, believe me, they look exactly the same.
If I’m not mistaken… Seth would be this guy.
Yeppers. Sasuke Uchiha. Even the first letter of the name is the same. His eyes are also black, but he has his magical eye powers activated here.
Maybe I should show you Seth and Nik… would you like that?
See, I told you. These are just fanarts for the original characters (Sasuke and Naruto) but you can also see the Seth/Nik. See, the first letters of the names are the same.
The school setting of the story is also a very popular FF trend. I can hardly blame the author, but she seemed to have simply changed the names of the characters and changed their looks a bit. Even the Dean was the same as the character he was based on. I mean, his gray hair, and youthful appearance? Well…
All I could see was this guy.
Now, I’m not complaining. This was a very fun read (except for the, uh, racy parts which I skipped out of embarrassment… don’t judge me) but I couldn’t help but replace all the names. Whenver Theo and Dante interacted, all I could think was “This is so Gaa/Neji”. And whenever Seth/Nik moments would happen, I would be like “The SasuNaru is strong in this one.”
All in all, I feel like the author could have written this better.
“Much to his chagrin, the door opened almost immediately, and he was greeted by a tall, slender man with a shock of gray hair that belied his youthful appearance.”
I found kakashi in the first five pages from the description alone. Me being the obsessed Naruto fan that I am would of course know Kakashi’s description.
“Within the shadow of the tree, a young man was lying on top of a picnic table, his arms crossed under his head and his legs spread out like he had not a care in the world. His deep mahogany hair and dark clothing made him blend almost seamlessly with the shadows. Only his skin—white like fresh snow—gave him away. It was no wonder Nik had nearly missed him.”
I have found Sasuke.
I found this book while searching for good SasuNaru fanfiction on Fanfiction.net. I came across this story when I was searching and found out the author had pulled the story since she had decided to publish it as a novel.
Curious, I went through my means and ways to get the book. As I was reading I found so many parallels to the Naruto characters it wasn’t funny. Theo was described as having red hair and mint eyes, and I know exactly who he was based on. In fact, the author hardly changed Theo’s looks at all.
Yep, Theo is, basically, this guy, Gaara. In my opinion the author just changed the name. Even their personalities are exactly the same. The same cannot be said for Dante, but believe me when I tell you I know who the author based him on. Or, at least, changed the looks and the name but kept the personality intact.
This is Neji Hyuuga, the character Dante was based on. He is constantly shipped with Gaara in a lot of fanfiction, so you can see where the Theo/Dante parts came from. The appearance of Dante may have been changed (a lot) but believe me, the personality is almost exactly the same.
I am pretty sure you all want to see Seth. Well, I know exactly who Seth was based on and, believe me, they look exactly the same.
If I’m not mistaken… Seth would be this guy.
Yeppers. Sasuke Uchiha. Even the first letter of the name is the same. His eyes are also black, but he has his magical eye powers activated here.
Maybe I should show you Seth and Nik… would you like that?
See, I told you. These are just fanarts for the original characters (Sasuke and Naruto) but you can also see the Seth/Nik. See, the first letters of the names are the same.
The school setting of the story is also a very popular FF trend. I can hardly blame the author, but she seemed to have simply changed the names of the characters and changed their looks a bit. Even the Dean was the same as the character he was based on. I mean, his gray hair, and youthful appearance? Well…
All I could see was this guy.
Now, I’m not complaining. This was a very fun read (except for the, uh, racy parts which I skipped out of embarrassment… don’t judge me) but I couldn’t help but replace all the names. Whenver Theo and Dante interacted, all I could think was “This is so Gaa/Neji”. And whenever Seth/Nik moments would happen, I would be like “The SasuNaru is strong in this one.”
All in all, I feel like the author could have written this better.
August 30, 2012
I seriously loved this. It's use of language is stunning, and the woman who wrote it has obviously been writing for a long time, even if this is her first novel. I read the whole thing in one sitting, even though it had me up until 4 in the morning. I absolutely had to know what happened! The suspense is magnificent, and the plot, while seeming cliche at first, was actually very well done. The author took an old idea and put a completely new spin on it, whilst adding sexiness and great characters in the meantime. My favorite character was actually Theo, one of the supporting males. He gives out a lot of great advice when poor Nik doesn't know how to handle his attraction to Seth. You see the author's background in Psychology come out a lot, but in a good and totally believable way. Her characters are very human, even if they look like perfect models, and I enjoyed that immensely. Highly recommend!
August 9, 2012
4 stars because I wish Nik would have lasted longer into the seduction. :)
Nik is a new scholarship transfer student to a private college, for (mostly) rich students. He expects to be treated differently and mostly that's true until he catches the eyes of the school king and his two friends. Then there is a bet and Nik is made into the final game point, whoever of the three friends and rivals will manage to bed him first will win. So the games of seduction and ploting begin but not all play to win. When feeling are thrown into the mix, will the players make the right decision or play the game to the bitter end?
Well written school romance story, you can feel the magnetism and tension rise, with every step in the game. Secrets begin to unfold and I kept hoping that Nik would hold out longer and act a bit differently afterwards. Still a good book!
Nik is a new scholarship transfer student to a private college, for (mostly) rich students. He expects to be treated differently and mostly that's true until he catches the eyes of the school king and his two friends. Then there is a bet and Nik is made into the final game point, whoever of the three friends and rivals will manage to bed him first will win. So the games of seduction and ploting begin but not all play to win. When feeling are thrown into the mix, will the players make the right decision or play the game to the bitter end?
Well written school romance story, you can feel the magnetism and tension rise, with every step in the game. Secrets begin to unfold and I kept hoping that Nik would hold out longer and act a bit differently afterwards. Still a good book!
June 6, 2015
This is one of the best college books I have ever read. I didn’t expect it to be this good when I started reading, but it captivated me right from the start with its tense atmosphere, its interesting plot and its really vain but fascinating characters.
I loved everyone, but Nikolas was the one who I could wholeheartedly support. He’s very smart and sharp, he’s loyal, he can stand up for himself and he doesn’t put up with anything. The author added some small details about him that made him more unusual and more attractive to me – like talking to himself aloud ‘alarmingly often’ and drawing. I laughed so much when other students noticed it and started to think he was crazy. Nikolas is a strong person, I sighed with relief when he didn’t become jelly in Seth’s hands right away. He seriously fought his attraction but he also was truthful with himself. He could honestly admit when he did something wrong; in most cases once he made a decision, he didn’t regret it, even if it only hurt him in the end. He just sucked it up and accepted the consequences. Nik had to go through a lot in the past but it didn’t destroy his ability to trust and believe in someone – he gave Seth a chance even knowing that most likely it would turn out to be a bad idea. And he was right – mostly.
Seth, Theo and Dante are mysterious and very alluring. The most popular and worshiped students, they treat everyone like they are beneath them, like they truly are Kings of the Academy and of the entire world. Theo and Dante are more like observers while Seth is selfish and spoiled. Rejection stuns him, he just can’t get that someone might resist his charms. But despite his feelings of entitlement, despite his hurtful and cruel actions, I still loved him. I could see the potential in him – he could change for the better, like Theo and Dante did under each other’s influence. Seth just had to find the right person, and I can’t imagine anyone better than Nik for him. During the book he changed a lot – and it’s obvious that he will change even more in the future, provided that Nik stays with him.
There is so much focus on characters’ emotions that after a while I started to feel like the Academy was truly the entire world, like nothing existed outside of it. On one hand, the majority of characters were vastly pretentious, so much that at times it was bordering on ridiculous. On the other – it made sense to me, because the Academy is a small and crazily expensive place. It’s only natural that such strong hierarchy was set up. Everyone but Nik is very concentrated on their lives in the Academy, even such likeable and smart characters like Dante and Theo. Poverty in the world, difficulties of work, injustice, murders – it doesn’t concern them, the only thing that matters is their own personal problems. At first I found it strange, but then I realized that it was done on purpose. It made me feel even more that I was indeed a participant in weird games in the Academy myself.
I loved the ‘bet’ plot line. I loved how Seth was hopelessly falling for Nikolas, how incredibly jealous and possessive he got when he thought someone else had a chance to take him away. What Seth did in the end was terrible – I knew he was selfish and cruel, but even I didn’t expect it. It was so obvious that Seth was already deeply, obsessively in love with Nik, I couldn’t believe he hurt him so much.
Yes, I wanted Seth to grovel to deserve forgiveness – to grovel a lot. He didn’t, though he *was* remorseful and Nik didn’t forgive him right away. Usually I want more, but here I had to accept that Nik’s reaction was very realistic, considering what a person he is. Seth’s furious, crazy explosion of rage when he saw Nik with another man was excellent – and it was enough. I loved the fact that even in the end of the book Nik didn’t say he’s in love with Seth – he said he *could* learn to love him, but not immediately. It made me love this book even more.
I loved the author’s style. It was unusual – very flowery, very descriptive, making even small thing intense. When I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. The ‘bet’ plot and the ‘bad popular boy falls in love with someone not so popular’ plot are my favorite. I don’t believe that any plot can be cliché, a writer always brings something new into it, and if they are talented, then the story will be even more enjoyable. This one was. ‘In Excess’ is a classic to me, a story so intense, so emotional and captivating that I couldn’t stop reading even for a second.
I look forward to reading more works by Quinn Anderson!
I loved everyone, but Nikolas was the one who I could wholeheartedly support. He’s very smart and sharp, he’s loyal, he can stand up for himself and he doesn’t put up with anything. The author added some small details about him that made him more unusual and more attractive to me – like talking to himself aloud ‘alarmingly often’ and drawing. I laughed so much when other students noticed it and started to think he was crazy. Nikolas is a strong person, I sighed with relief when he didn’t become jelly in Seth’s hands right away. He seriously fought his attraction but he also was truthful with himself. He could honestly admit when he did something wrong; in most cases once he made a decision, he didn’t regret it, even if it only hurt him in the end. He just sucked it up and accepted the consequences. Nik had to go through a lot in the past but it didn’t destroy his ability to trust and believe in someone – he gave Seth a chance even knowing that most likely it would turn out to be a bad idea. And he was right – mostly.
Seth, Theo and Dante are mysterious and very alluring. The most popular and worshiped students, they treat everyone like they are beneath them, like they truly are Kings of the Academy and of the entire world. Theo and Dante are more like observers while Seth is selfish and spoiled. Rejection stuns him, he just can’t get that someone might resist his charms. But despite his feelings of entitlement, despite his hurtful and cruel actions, I still loved him. I could see the potential in him – he could change for the better, like Theo and Dante did under each other’s influence. Seth just had to find the right person, and I can’t imagine anyone better than Nik for him. During the book he changed a lot – and it’s obvious that he will change even more in the future, provided that Nik stays with him.
There is so much focus on characters’ emotions that after a while I started to feel like the Academy was truly the entire world, like nothing existed outside of it. On one hand, the majority of characters were vastly pretentious, so much that at times it was bordering on ridiculous. On the other – it made sense to me, because the Academy is a small and crazily expensive place. It’s only natural that such strong hierarchy was set up. Everyone but Nik is very concentrated on their lives in the Academy, even such likeable and smart characters like Dante and Theo. Poverty in the world, difficulties of work, injustice, murders – it doesn’t concern them, the only thing that matters is their own personal problems. At first I found it strange, but then I realized that it was done on purpose. It made me feel even more that I was indeed a participant in weird games in the Academy myself.
I loved the ‘bet’ plot line. I loved how Seth was hopelessly falling for Nikolas, how incredibly jealous and possessive he got when he thought someone else had a chance to take him away. What Seth did in the end was terrible – I knew he was selfish and cruel, but even I didn’t expect it. It was so obvious that Seth was already deeply, obsessively in love with Nik, I couldn’t believe he hurt him so much.
Yes, I wanted Seth to grovel to deserve forgiveness – to grovel a lot. He didn’t, though he *was* remorseful and Nik didn’t forgive him right away. Usually I want more, but here I had to accept that Nik’s reaction was very realistic, considering what a person he is. Seth’s furious, crazy explosion of rage when he saw Nik with another man was excellent – and it was enough. I loved the fact that even in the end of the book Nik didn’t say he’s in love with Seth – he said he *could* learn to love him, but not immediately. It made me love this book even more.
I loved the author’s style. It was unusual – very flowery, very descriptive, making even small thing intense. When I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. The ‘bet’ plot and the ‘bad popular boy falls in love with someone not so popular’ plot are my favorite. I don’t believe that any plot can be cliché, a writer always brings something new into it, and if they are talented, then the story will be even more enjoyable. This one was. ‘In Excess’ is a classic to me, a story so intense, so emotional and captivating that I couldn’t stop reading even for a second.
I look forward to reading more works by Quinn Anderson!
November 3, 2014
I'm sure this is a lovely story. I'm sure other people will like it. But it's so totally a shojo manga in light novel form that I found myself fleeing for my life. (I can only take being bombarded by so many tropes in one place, you know. And when they're yaoi/shojo tropes...well, that makes it all the worse.)
A shojo yaoi in light novel form. Wonderful =_= This encompasses some of my greatest pet peeves :D
And THAT's why I want to kill it with fire.
*shudders. I am reminded again of all the reasons I stopped reading manga...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go purge my mind.
(Quinn, your writing itself isn't bad. It's just the subject you wrote about that's driving me to...what is the idiom, drink? Hmm...perhaps something a bit stronger than that...
And there is still the distinct "fanfic" feel about it. Maybe that's just because I have a passing acquaintance with Naruto and all of the characters are still described to look vaguely the same (I've only ever been able to force myself to read the first volume, so I can't say much about personality. I think Nik's perchance to violence as a solution to everything is reflective of Naruto?). Maybe it's something more. *shrugs. That's all the mental energy I feel like investing into this issue.
You can take this however you want, but I never once thought "some people really should be allowed to write" as I did in my brief an quickly aborted attempts to hack through Fifty Shades of Grey [honestly, how can someone write so poorly? I literally could not force myself to read on because the writing was so egregious. Instead, I thought "some things really should never make its way to print.")
2 stars instead of 1 because the writing in and of itself isn't bad.
A shojo yaoi in light novel form. Wonderful =_= This encompasses some of my greatest pet peeves :D
And THAT's why I want to kill it with fire.
*shudders. I am reminded again of all the reasons I stopped reading manga...
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go purge my mind.
(Quinn, your writing itself isn't bad. It's just the subject you wrote about that's driving me to...what is the idiom, drink? Hmm...perhaps something a bit stronger than that...
And there is still the distinct "fanfic" feel about it. Maybe that's just because I have a passing acquaintance with Naruto and all of the characters are still described to look vaguely the same (I've only ever been able to force myself to read the first volume, so I can't say much about personality. I think Nik's perchance to violence as a solution to everything is reflective of Naruto?). Maybe it's something more. *shrugs. That's all the mental energy I feel like investing into this issue.
You can take this however you want, but I never once thought "some people really should be allowed to write" as I did in my brief an quickly aborted attempts to hack through Fifty Shades of Grey [honestly, how can someone write so poorly? I literally could not force myself to read on because the writing was so egregious. Instead, I thought "some things really should never make its way to print.")
2 stars instead of 1 because the writing in and of itself isn't bad.
February 11, 2015
5/10
I've found this book on site dedicated to Naruto fanfics, so I know that originally it was a fanfic about Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara and etc. Then it was rewritten to be an original story, and thank God, because the book has nothing to do with Naruto in point of boys' personalities and it would hurt to read it with their names. Also the characters don't seem to be well thought-out, I failed to justify the inconsistence of their nature by the presence of some secrets they have. The situation persists for at least first half of the book, and therefore I've stopped futher reading.
The book can easily claim to be an average one, it's not really good, but it's not really bad either. Sometimes the book's style is too stilted for what 19-year-old boys must feel, but it can be me who haven't met a single young man with such poetic thinking. I guess for those who meet a m/m novel for the first time the book is delightful. I am more experienced reader.
I've found this book on site dedicated to Naruto fanfics, so I know that originally it was a fanfic about Naruto, Sasuke, Gaara and etc. Then it was rewritten to be an original story, and thank God, because the book has nothing to do with Naruto in point of boys' personalities and it would hurt to read it with their names. Also the characters don't seem to be well thought-out, I failed to justify the inconsistence of their nature by the presence of some secrets they have. The situation persists for at least first half of the book, and therefore I've stopped futher reading.
The book can easily claim to be an average one, it's not really good, but it's not really bad either. Sometimes the book's style is too stilted for what 19-year-old boys must feel, but it can be me who haven't met a single young man with such poetic thinking. I guess for those who meet a m/m novel for the first time the book is delightful. I am more experienced reader.
June 1, 2016
I have so many mixed feelings about this novel. On the one hand the plot was very interesting and almost likened to a "Cruel Intentions" vibe. The "rich clique" was pretty well developed with distinct characteristics. Each character having their very own personalities and quirks, I really enjoyed that.
But on the other hand, the writing was kind of off-putting. The overuse of smilies and metaphors were almost too much. It felt as if they went in while editing and added these overly descriptive elements that they believed would add refinement to the novel, but sadly, it cheapened the experience a bit. It wasn't needed.
The love connection was great! I could safely say I felt this couple was well suited. I enjoyed their unique journey and the little twist that was added. Now all in all I enjoyed it and would rank it a solid 3.75 stars (I'll round up).
But on the other hand, the writing was kind of off-putting. The overuse of smilies and metaphors were almost too much. It felt as if they went in while editing and added these overly descriptive elements that they believed would add refinement to the novel, but sadly, it cheapened the experience a bit. It wasn't needed.
The love connection was great! I could safely say I felt this couple was well suited. I enjoyed their unique journey and the little twist that was added. Now all in all I enjoyed it and would rank it a solid 3.75 stars (I'll round up).
July 12, 2015
God, this is just so bad and tedious I'm not gonna be surprised if this was first written as a fanfic to fulfill some kind of cheap fantasy.
Don't get me wrong, I read fanfics all the time. But ones that are filled with shallow plot, neglect the characters so much that I don't friggin care about them at all, and desperately use any reason to make the characters get into each other pants? (harem-bet and sex-as-the-prize tropes??! really??!)
Bye bye, I right-click-delete them.
Don't get me wrong, I read fanfics all the time. But ones that are filled with shallow plot, neglect the characters so much that I don't friggin care about them at all, and desperately use any reason to make the characters get into each other pants? (harem-bet and sex-as-the-prize tropes??! really??!)
Bye bye, I right-click-delete them.
September 3, 2012
I feel like I've read this before. I'm wondering if it was first a fanfic? Anyway, it was alright but I couldn't connect with either MC and that's usually a mood killer for me. Beautifully written, though.
August 17, 2012
3.75
I enjoyed this novel, though I can't say I particularly like any of the MC's. It was entertaining, and I wanted to keep reading to see how it developed, but the romance didn't sweep me away. I think I found the MCs both a little annoying.
I enjoyed this novel, though I can't say I particularly like any of the MC's. It was entertaining, and I wanted to keep reading to see how it developed, but the romance didn't sweep me away. I think I found the MCs both a little annoying.
November 3, 2012
It was good. It reminds me of the fanfiction I'd loved reading :)
Shelved as 'unfinished'
January 31, 2018DNF at 38%
Now the initial euphoria has worn off, I can't take it anymore. 😅
It's not because it's a Hana Yori Dango x Naruto fanfic actually, just like other reviewers complained. I actually would love to see the crossover because HYD is one of my all time favorites shoujo manga. I only read first volume of Naruto though. So I was quite excited at first to have another F4 here, the flower boys of HYD but with charas from Naruto. However, nothing beats the original.
The exhilaration of reminiscing the HYD's elements died down quite abruptly due to the constant gratuitous reminders of how beautiful, sexy, gorgeous, handsome, magnetic, flawless our flower boys here, either in similes or in epithets, in almost every fucking paragraph. 😰
I get it the arrogant brats are so perfect from head to toe, but you don't need to remind me like a broken record, on and on and on. 😬 I hate it when it's too much or excessive, the admiration part I mean, please keep it at moderate level like once or twice is okay or never at all is preferable, I want them to love the content too, more than the case. Usually this kind of author using this kind of writing style is the one that struggle hard to flesh out their characters, to make them more than two dimensional, not cardboard cutout. I had the same experience with The Tiger King by Patricia Logan. That book is a waste of time, just like this one.
Now the initial euphoria has worn off, I can't take it anymore. 😅
It's not because it's a Hana Yori Dango x Naruto fanfic actually, just like other reviewers complained. I actually would love to see the crossover because HYD is one of my all time favorites shoujo manga. I only read first volume of Naruto though. So I was quite excited at first to have another F4 here, the flower boys of HYD but with charas from Naruto. However, nothing beats the original.
The exhilaration of reminiscing the HYD's elements died down quite abruptly due to the constant gratuitous reminders of how beautiful, sexy, gorgeous, handsome, magnetic, flawless our flower boys here, either in similes or in epithets, in almost every fucking paragraph. 😰
I get it the arrogant brats are so perfect from head to toe, but you don't need to remind me like a broken record, on and on and on. 😬 I hate it when it's too much or excessive, the admiration part I mean, please keep it at moderate level like once or twice is okay or never at all is preferable, I want them to love the content too, more than the case. Usually this kind of author using this kind of writing style is the one that struggle hard to flesh out their characters, to make them more than two dimensional, not cardboard cutout. I had the same experience with The Tiger King by Patricia Logan. That book is a waste of time, just like this one.
November 2, 2018
This is all sorts of nonsensical and the timeline was so messy - but that didn't stop me from rooting for these characters. I surprisingly really enjoyed this very much. The deception, tension, aggression...so good.
August 13, 2019
Meteor garden's F4. (Gay version) 🤣
April 28, 2021
Even after years, I STILL preferebe it in SasuNaru version, You once wrote. ☺️
Love going back to it. 💛
Love going back to it. 💛
August 5, 2022
at least it was twisty, otherwise a painful experience
October 4, 2012
Nik is forced to transfer colleges at the beginning of his sophomore after being involved in a school scandal. He hopes to make a fresh start and stay under the radar at the new school, but he manages to catch the attention of the most popular kid on campus his first day there. This guy, Seth, and his two best friends are rich, spoiled brats who amuse themselves by playing with people as though they were pawns in a game of chess. Seth and his friends make a bet to see which of the three can get Nik into bed first. They are fiercely competitive, and will do anything to win.
Nik is not so easily deceived, however. When these three start paying attention to him, Nik figures out he’s part of some kind of game, though he doesn’t know the specifics.
Nik is a great character. He’s feisty and does his best not to let the others see how much they’re getting to him. I loved the banter between Nik and Seth. It was nice to see Nik stand his ground and fight back, despite his growing attraction to Seth. I was a bit frustrated throughout the middle of the book because I wanted to know more about Nik’s history, but eventually, enough was revealed to satisfy my curiosity.
The other characters (Seth, Theo, and Dante) aren’t as well developed. I never fully understood their motivations, and their dialog isn’t always believable, especially for their age. They each play an important role in the plot, but I was hoping for more depth.
I enjoyed the sexual tension between Nik and Seth, and when they finally do get together, their chemistry is scorching (albeit a bit over the top). The last quarter of the book was the most enjoyable. There were some unexpected twists in what, until that point, seemed to be a predictable plot. I was satisfied with the ending for all four characters.
Nik is not so easily deceived, however. When these three start paying attention to him, Nik figures out he’s part of some kind of game, though he doesn’t know the specifics.
Nik is a great character. He’s feisty and does his best not to let the others see how much they’re getting to him. I loved the banter between Nik and Seth. It was nice to see Nik stand his ground and fight back, despite his growing attraction to Seth. I was a bit frustrated throughout the middle of the book because I wanted to know more about Nik’s history, but eventually, enough was revealed to satisfy my curiosity.
The other characters (Seth, Theo, and Dante) aren’t as well developed. I never fully understood their motivations, and their dialog isn’t always believable, especially for their age. They each play an important role in the plot, but I was hoping for more depth.
I enjoyed the sexual tension between Nik and Seth, and when they finally do get together, their chemistry is scorching (albeit a bit over the top). The last quarter of the book was the most enjoyable. There were some unexpected twists in what, until that point, seemed to be a predictable plot. I was satisfied with the ending for all four characters.
June 21, 2014
Oh how i loved this book! "In excess" hahaha i will never forget the play on words in the title! I read it way back when it was a fanfic and fell in love with the characters, the writing, and the drama! But before i go on YES this was a fanfic originally, and YES is was one of the many SasuNaru fics on the net, but that DOESN'T mean it isn't a great book!
I simply fell in love with this book and no matter what, when i read it Nikolas will forever be Naruto and Seth will forever be Sasuke to me. I am so happy that a naruto yaoi fanfic made it here, yes i really am! It was a great romantic book, i enjoyed every minute of it; however, even back when i read the fanfic i still was angry and this "seth" character! I know we're supposed to like him and everything but i would have preferred NaruGaaraNaru *cough* i mean some Nikolas and Theo. "Seth" just made me angry. He's a jerk, an incredibly irritating prick, but you still kinda like him anyway---infuriating yes? Either way the ending did get me by suprize, i really did think "seth" was going to out "nik"; and when he just got up and left... claiming everything was just to win the game well.....*insert angry face here!* i was so frustrated and annoyed! It worked out in the end but still i kinda hate seth!
Great book - personally i found it better as a fanfic since the characters were originally naruto and Sasuke and the characters here still feel more naruto based then original so I'll stick with my fanfic version! :)
In case people wanted to know the pun in the title is "NXS" for Naruto x Sasuke get it? In ( for the "N") Ex- (for the "x") -cess (and the rest of ex-cess for the "S"). Haha love that!
I simply fell in love with this book and no matter what, when i read it Nikolas will forever be Naruto and Seth will forever be Sasuke to me. I am so happy that a naruto yaoi fanfic made it here, yes i really am! It was a great romantic book, i enjoyed every minute of it; however, even back when i read the fanfic i still was angry and this "seth" character! I know we're supposed to like him and everything but i would have preferred NaruGaaraNaru *cough* i mean some Nikolas and Theo. "Seth" just made me angry. He's a jerk, an incredibly irritating prick, but you still kinda like him anyway---infuriating yes? Either way the ending did get me by suprize, i really did think "seth" was going to out "nik"; and when he just got up and left... claiming everything was just to win the game well.....*insert angry face here!* i was so frustrated and annoyed! It worked out in the end but still i kinda hate seth!
Great book - personally i found it better as a fanfic since the characters were originally naruto and Sasuke and the characters here still feel more naruto based then original so I'll stick with my fanfic version! :)
In case people wanted to know the pun in the title is "NXS" for Naruto x Sasuke get it? In ( for the "N") Ex- (for the "x") -cess (and the rest of ex-cess for the "S"). Haha love that!
October 15, 2012
3.5
Normally stories that begin with a seduction bet are turn-offs for me, but I decided to go ahead with this one since the premise is three different guys trying to bed the "chosen victim" instead of they more typical "I bet you can't / I bet I can" scenario. I'm glad I did because this was a good read and contained a twist I wasn't expecting that made it even better. Nik had chemistry with all three of the guys trying to bag him, but with Seth it was super hot - something Seth really wasn't expecting along with the possessiveness and jealousy; he had no idea what to do with those emotions, and I enjoyed seeing him get tripped up in a trap of his own making.
It would have been a 4 - 4.5 point read except for one thing: It was set at University, but read like it was in a high school. Generally, once kids hit 18+ and go to college things like "school rulers" with sycophantic followers go away, and I've never seen a college that has 8 structured class periods scheduled daily in which students are expected to attend every class period (usually college classes are scattered throughout the day/week and last different amounts of time based on credit hours). If the author had set this at a private high school it would have made more sense, I think. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed it.
Normally stories that begin with a seduction bet are turn-offs for me, but I decided to go ahead with this one since the premise is three different guys trying to bed the "chosen victim" instead of they more typical "I bet you can't / I bet I can" scenario. I'm glad I did because this was a good read and contained a twist I wasn't expecting that made it even better. Nik had chemistry with all three of the guys trying to bag him, but with Seth it was super hot - something Seth really wasn't expecting along with the possessiveness and jealousy; he had no idea what to do with those emotions, and I enjoyed seeing him get tripped up in a trap of his own making.
It would have been a 4 - 4.5 point read except for one thing: It was set at University, but read like it was in a high school. Generally, once kids hit 18+ and go to college things like "school rulers" with sycophantic followers go away, and I've never seen a college that has 8 structured class periods scheduled daily in which students are expected to attend every class period (usually college classes are scattered throughout the day/week and last different amounts of time based on credit hours). If the author had set this at a private high school it would have made more sense, I think. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed it.
October 15, 2012
I´d be something between 3 and 4 stars to me. I liked many parts in this book just because I like books from school backgrounds. It reminded me of some mangas because the theme of school kings is quite popular. I liked Nick even if there could be more detail about his background. Whole book I wanted him to tell Seth that now it will be him dictating rules and being dominant one, in bed or out. Theo and Dante were better characters than Seth and it´s a pity they didn´t have more space. I like their ending a lot. The only real problem I have with this book is that save from Nick they were too promiscuous for me.
January 4, 2016
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked Nik...with Seth.... I'm not really sure.
Love-hate?
I certainly wish this book was longer...or a book for Dante and Theo. I know, I know....
Love-hate?
I certainly wish this book was longer...or a book for Dante and Theo. I know, I know....
August 8, 2013
I've been reading this since 10 hours ago and it's now officially 3:20 am. just gonna make this review short. good book. love the cute story. if you're in to things that happen in schools, i recommend it. not very profound, common even, but the read surely made me happy. love the supporting characters. PS: Seth and Nick love to kiss - hard.
September 12, 2013
I'll be the first to admit that I originally read this with a motive (one not to be spoken of ever unless you want a whole lot of backstory) and I came away nothing short of amazed. I don't buy hard copies of books all that often, but I bought this one. I sincerely enjoyed it. It was was hot and light, and....yeah. Read it.
July 2, 2016
I got very irritated with the book, some of my reasons include
1. were these people in college? or high school? or what? it kept flip flopping and ended up being rather irritating
2. how old were these people? if they're teenagers, how have they been having sex for "years"? the author made it sound like they're constantly having sex with people and they've had like 100 people in bed.
1. were these people in college? or high school? or what? it kept flip flopping and ended up being rather irritating
2. how old were these people? if they're teenagers, how have they been having sex for "years"? the author made it sound like they're constantly having sex with people and they've had like 100 people in bed.
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