Spotlight: Cruel Rule by J.T. Hardt

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Series: Royal Oaks Prep Book 1

Release: September 28, 2025

I kissed the king of Royal Oaks Prep. Now I’m his favorite target.

Leo Holt is rich, ruthless, and ridiculously hot.

Captain of the basketball team.

Worshipped by the school.

Feared by everyone else.

And me?

I'm the new girl. The nobody.

The mistake he never saw coming.

One stolen kiss at a summer bonfire—that’s all it took to paint a target on my back.

Now he’s made it his mission to destroy me, one brutal rumor at a time.

But I don’t scare easy.

I don’t cry in the bathroom.

And I sure as hell don’t bow to bullies—no matter how good they look in a varsity jacket.

Leo Holt thinks he can break me?

He’s dead wrong.

Because I’ve got secrets of my own.

And when the queen rises… the king falls.

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

Genre/Tropes:

  • High school bully romance

  • Enemies-to-lovers tension

  • Alpha bad boys & fierce heroines

  • Prep school drama with real heart

  • First kisses, cruel games, and slow-burn passion

About the Author

✨ Author of swoon & scorch

📚 Stories with heart, heat & edge

💻 Writing one HEA at a time

📍Small towns | Big feelings

Connect:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0FHGB7MCS

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-t-hardt

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jthardt1/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jthardt