The Academy Saga: The Elite & Gifted by CJ Daly

Be careful what you wish for . . .

Barely seventeen and I’m already suffocating. Since my mother’s death, my father has basically checked out, leaving us kids to fend for ourselves out in the New Mexico scrub. All I want is a little distraction from my pathetic life.

When two mysterious guys show up at the diner where I work, I think my wish has come true. Until they start giving me a hard time. I’ve learned that pretty and poor is a bad combination; it just seems to bring out the bully in some people—like those two alpha jerks. Something about them twitches my internal antennae–they’re gorgeous, elite, and positively ooze danger. And for some reason they want me. But not to worry, they’re just passing through. I mean, I’m never going to see them again. Right? Then they appear in an alley one night, to either rescue or kidnap me (I’m still not sure which), before disappearing.

I put the bizarre encounters out of my mind because I have bigger problems to worry about, like money. And that secret military academy that’s been pursuing my gifted little brother. When one of their cadets shows up in my small town, he’s an instant sensation. And just happens to be one of those mysterious guys. Coincidence? Mama said there’s no such thing, and to always trust my instinct. But that might be kind of hard, because every time I’m around Cadet Davenport, my gut starts flip-flopping on me . . . and my heart.

My Review

This story is a twisted young adult military romance about recruiting for an Elite Academy. Peter Davenport is a sweet bad boy with charm, manners, and personality. He is sent to mentor a possible recruit and look more closely at the Connelly Family. He meets Katie, and the young adult angst begins as she doesn’t trust him but can’t help falling in love with him. Is he telling the truth? Is it all a lie? This story is heartbreaking, swoony, and truths are revealed, but the end will leave you shocked. This gripping romance and the twisted tale will have you completely sucked into the story. 

This book came up in my recommend ads, and the blurb caught my attention. We begin in the prologue with Cadet Peter Davenport is a bad boy breaking the Academy’s rules when he can and getting assigned a mission; he is an elite cadet but doesn’t seem to act like it. The finely veiled threats from the general are a quick peek into this Academy and a little of his background he can’t fail. 

The first chapter jumps to Katie. She lives in barren New Mexico on land with her father and two brothers. Her life is rustic, with no internet or cell phone, and her responsibilities are to take care of her brother’s health and well-being. She has an intriguing first encounter at work with Ranger, Mr. Asshat, and Baseball Cap, who I think might be Cadet Davenport. 

This book is mainly from Katie’s point of view. Her birthday night turns out to be an adventure, and she is not inadvertently saved by the diner duo of male hotness. Things get even more intriguing as they begin their school year. I like the author’s use of the word man-nip. I feel it accurately describes the atmosphere around the school as they embrace the new student, Peter. 

This book is about Katie fighting against herself and her intuition. She does get closer to Cadet Peter, but when things get steamy, he backtracks to just friends. A lot of teenage drama ensues but not sure if it is justified. This reads more like young adult fiction and romance with much adolescent angst. I swear Katie is too brilliant for her own good and very hormonal. This book gets heartbreaking as it plays out exactly like it is set up. However, I didn’t expect the riveting end to the story, the revealed twisted truths, or the intense action. The end of this book stunned me. The author did bring back the love triangle thing she was playing with early on, much to my annoyance. Ranger is an alpha ass, and I don’t love his character; mostly, he irritates me, and I want to smack him. Unfortunately, Katie and her siblings don’t win in the end. But I won’t spoil how insanely twisted this gets; you’ll want to read it yourself. 

There are more books in this series, and they look very interesting, but I’m not sure if I want to read them or not yet. I will admit this was one heck of a start to this series, and if the following books deal with Katie and Peter, I would be more than interested in continuing it. I’m kinda intrigued by what may be at this allusive Academy. 

Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into the second book in this series, but I highly encourage you to try it. You can find the entire series here.

If you want to read The Academy Saga: The Elite & Gifted by CJ Daly, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Assocaite, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book, you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories Academy, Military, and Enemies to Lovers.