The Scarab Thief # 1 by C.L. Stone
Kayli resorts to pick-pocketing to support her brother no thanks to their drunk father. But while she was on the "job" she catches the attention of the Academy boys or maybe the other way around? This happens at the same time with "The Ghost Bird Series" and at times the two stories will overlap. Actually, it's a bit grown up version but the totally opposite of the earlier series. The genre is under new adult which means the themes are mature like their outlook in life and more risque situations. I liked it that it's not another TGBS. It was a breath of fresh air. I couldn't take another long story of waiting for the heroine to kiss anyone! One is enough. The heroine and the boys also have their own unique personalities that are totally different from TGBS. I also liked that there's the reverse harem stock characters of twins and the villain. I had an Ouran moment when she tried to guess the twins' identities. I thought a twenty plus book deal is an ambitious but a heaven-sent news to fans, but creating another and a bolder, sexier Academy boys seems too good to be true. But then again this shouldn't be a surprise to us reverse harem fans since spin-offs are a common occurrence in otomes. But I'm not entirely hooked with the story yet. The Academy boys of Ashley Waters High still holds a special place in my heart. We'll see as the series progress.