Hateful Vows

A Dark Bully Romance (Wicked Falls Elite, Book 1)

De: C. Hallman

Narrado por: Chloe Ryan, Sean Masters

"I wanted something, and I took it. That’s how it works, little bird.”

This city has been ruled by the five families since before I was born. Now, Wicked Falls Elite is ruled by their sons.

Everyone hates me here but none more than Briggs Weston, and he has vowed to make my life a living hell.

Briggs is as gorgeous as he is unhinged, sinister, and untouchable.

But if he thinks I’m going to bow down to him without a fight, he is in for a rude awakening.

*This is the first book in the Wicked Falls Elite series, but it can be read as a standalone. Please be advised that this story includes many triggers. A complete list of triggers can be found inside the book. This story ends in a HEA.*

©2024 by Bleeding Heart Press. (P)2025 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Possessive, obsessive, and dark. This enemies to lovers bully romance is unique, brilliantly written, and unputdownable."—USA Today Bestselling author Stevie J. Cole

"This is definitely one of my fave books for 2024! You can always get me with Enemies to lovers and bully and I absolutely devoured this one! I love a good obsessed hero and when Briggs brought that on, it was just delicious. There's a lot happening, so get ready for all the action and all the feels! I highly recommend this one!"—dark romance author Nikita

"C Hallman is an absolute genius! This book was for a lack of better words brilliant. I devoured this story. It's dark, Bully, and delicious. The way Briggs energy comes off the pages is chefs kiss, and Wren is his perfect match. C Hallman has a way with dark bully romances and making you fall in love with the bully like no other and this did not disappoint. It was the perfect recipe for us bully loving girls and I need more. I cannot wait for the rest of this series. So freaking good!”—TheBookishGirlReviews

Better Than I Thought It would be.

I actually like bully stories, but this ,one here kinda threw me a bit with the Name of the book.

My brain thought eventually it would involve a marriage, but that's not what the name of the book meant or where it went.

The Story was pretty good too but there were some triggers.

The Narrators did an amazing job with their Charictors, and bringing them to life.

In this book , it tells a story of what The Quote GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION Means, For Wren.

To sum it up ...
Wren was marked as trash because her mom somewhat slept around.
Wrens mom wasn't a bad person , she just found herself in a situation which labeled her as such.

Now Briggs was dealing with a lot of hurt and resentment and took it out on Wren because of her mom , when Wren had nothing to do with his
issues.

Him being top dog on campus and being 1 member of the 5 elite families, Briggs Buddies followed his lead, as well as the campus and town in hating on Wren.

What I liked about this book was there was no Craxy Exs to deal with !

And this was a 2 character romance, which There was a point i thought it was gonna be multiple guys, ehhh I wasn't feeling it at that point but hung with the story So I was glad to see that didn't take place.

There were A few Sex Scenes, some Vanilla and anel but no bdsm.

What I also liked about this book is although this was a story , in some parts not all but

it is something that could actually happen and the characters portrayed in it could be how folks could have behaved and reacted in this type of scenario. Even in the end Briggs feelings were honest and genuine.

I didn't want to give anything away, but tried to give an honest review of the book.

Something I personally like to add to a review is a characters. description to better connect with them .

WREN : Long chocolate brown hair, Light Blue Eyes .

BRIGGS : Short Brown Hair and Green Eyes .

Would I recommend this book

Yeah I think I would.

With the Triggers it may not be for everyone , so check them out if that applies to you ,
but they didn't apply to me.

I kinda can't wait for the next book to come out now .😊

I’d forgotten how good this was!

This was a reread for me, first time I listened though. The narrator did an amazing job and brought the story to new levels. The heat tension, passion, bullying or on point traditional C.Hallman work. There is no other bully romance author out there like her.
All in all a great refresher so I can go onto books 2 through six as it looks like this series is heating up and I need to catch up to what’s going on with whom.

So-So

I love a good bully romance, but I like a girl to have/get some respect in the end. This book left me depressed. Like the HEA was tainted. The MFC just doesn't feel worshipped enough in the end.

spicy and captivating

this was not only spicy but truly captivating. it had non con and dub con elements. These two have a sizzling chemistry that is wrapped in anger and fear and want. I was breathless and wanting more.

WICKEDLY ADDICTIVE!

Wickedly hateful and downright addictive A Bully Romance that’s designed to be the most entertaining 🖤


Audiobook Review 🎧🔥
Hateful Vows Wicked Falls Elite Bk 1.
by C. Hallman
🎙️Narrated by Sean Masters and Chloe Ryan
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is Briggs and Wren story

⸻ I wanted something, and I took it. That’s how it works, little bird.”

Main Characters
    •    Wren – A resilient yet emotionally guarded heroine. She carries the weight of past and current situations and tries to protect herself from further damage, even when her heart wants something different. Her internal conflict drives much of the emotional tension.

    •    Briggs– The broody, determined hero who isn’t afraid to fight for what he wants. Beneath his confident exterior is vulnerability and regret, especially tied to past decisions that still haunt him and catapult him to bad behavior.

The chemistry between Wren and Briggs is intense, layered with unresolved feelings, heartbreaking miscommunication, and undeniable attraction.

As the story progresses Briggs and Wren found themselves into situations where it forces them both to confront their feelings.

〰️*🖤*〰️

But Listennnnn 🎙️

The audiobook features dual narration which enhances the push-and-pull dynamic between Wren and Briggs.
    •    The narrator Chloe Ryan captures Wren’s vulnerability and quiet strength, especially during emotional confrontations.
    •    While THE Sean Masters brings depth to Brigg’s protective, oftentimes controversial stubborn personality, balancing arrogance with sincerity.

The emotional scenes—especially arguments and confessions—hit harder in audio because of the vocal nuance and pacing.
Ryan and Masters were absolutely brilliant in this story!

〰️🖤〰️

VIBES TO LOVE
💔 Enemies To Lovers Romance
🔥 Angsty Love Story
🖤Dark Academia
🧡 Emotional Redemption
🥀 Miscommunication
👀 Unfinished Business
🖤Bully Romance
🛑 Protective Hero
💞 Deep Emotional Connection

〰️🖤〰️

What Works Well

Emotional Depth:
C. Hallman excels at writing characters who feel flawed and almost real. The pain, longing, and unresolved tension feel authentic rather than melodramatic to me.

Chemistry & Banter:
The back-and-forth dialogue between Wren and Briggs carries both intense heat and incredible heart.


Again, Ryan and Masters as the narrators elevate pivotal scenes—especially vulnerable admissions and heated confrontations. The pacing keeps the story engaging without dragging.
For Me Sean is a literal Master when it comes to storytelling. And Ryan… she has slide easily into becoming one of favorite narrators to listen to.

〰️☠️〰️

Final Thoughts 💭

Hatful Vows by C. Hallman is an emotionally charged contemporary romance that blends angst, longing, and redemption into a deeply character-driven story. In audiobook format, the emotional intensity is amplified through strong dual narration, making the listening experience for romance fans who love messy hearts more engaging.

The audiobook enhances the rawness of the story, making the emotional payoff even more satisfying. and hard-earned happy endings.
But for me I think it would have been more immersive if done in Duet narration.
But nonetheless I absolutely enjoyed listening.



Potential Drawback or not
    •    Heavy angst may not appeal to readers who prefer light, low-conflict romance.
    •    Miscommunication plays a significant role, which can feel frustrating if that trope isn’t your favorite. But for those who love these kinds of vibes ..it’s worth the listen.


⭐Rating: 5/5 , Spice:4/5 Performance: 10/10

🎧 Best For: Fans of angsty, character-driven contemporary romance with strong dual narration.


Read and Listen on Kindle Unlimited which is my favorite way!
If you haven’t already done so you should check it out.

Until next time Besties
One Love 💕 one book at a time
〰️🦋𝒢ℯℴ𝓇ℊ𝒾ℴ𝓊𝓈🦋〰️