"When I tell you that he hates me, you'll probably assume it's because he's a jerk...but you'd be wrong. He's not a jerk. I am." --- Several years ago tragedy struck Emma's home, leaving her broken... like a cup with cracks spiraling and slithering around the edges. Slowly, bitterness crept in like tar, hardening between each fracture to resemble a deceitful wholeness. She became a monster, and targeted her venom on the sweetest person she could find: Trinity Nixon. Too bad the boy Emma longed for was Trinity's brother. Now, as Emma fights to win the heart of the boy who despises her, she's forced to hide her demons. She paints her fragile cup in pinks, yellows, and oranges - all the colors of the sun. She paints on a smile, and an unusual sense of humor, so that the world will view her as bright and cheerful, when in reality she's breaking. But she's completely unprepared for the acidic truth that melts away the tar, demolishing her shell, and awakening the Emma White buried deep inside. --- Book 1 in The Dismantled Pride series *Story was previously titled "Faking It"

Veronica 'Vannie' Lewis finds only two things of importance in her entire 16-year old life: her future acting career and Chance Newman, her best friend in the world. When Chance is snatched away by his long-time crush, Vannie is devastated. She starts to hate Ava Charleston with her entire being. And eventually, only two things consume her thoughts: REVENGE and TAKING BACK HER BEST FRIEND. But with the suave Leo Thompson entering her life and persuading her to join the drama club, Vannie is starting to question whether or not the result of her revenge plan is worth the consequences she will face. With FRIENDSHIP and LOVE at risk, will Vannie be able to overcome the five stages of losing her best friend?

Read so many cliched teen romances that you can't even tell their plots apart? Read this.