Fast-paced and sizzling with a forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance, My Fault is the first book in Mercedes Ron’s Culpable trilogy. This suspenseful YA series untangles the threads of love, trauma, and secrets, perfect for fans of Ugly Love and After.

Seventeen-year-old Noah Morgan loves her quiet, normal life in Toronto. But when her mother returns from a cruise unexpectedly married to a billionaire and announces they are moving to L.A., Noah is suddenly shoved out of her comfort zone and into a glittering world of illegal street races, lavish pool parties, and spoiled rich kids.
And her new stepbrother Nicholas is the most spoiled of them all. Arrogant, aloof, and viciously attractive, Nick is everything she hates, especially when she learns his bad boy persona isn’t just a façade. She’s spent her life running from danger, and Nick is danger incarnate. Yet neither of them can prevent the powerful attraction that flares between them―enough to turn their worlds upside-down and tempt them beyond all reason.

But Noah’s past may be even more dangerous than their forbidden romance. And if he wants her, Nick will have to decide if he’s willing to risk everything.

my thoughts:

Before picking up My Fault, I strongly advise checking the relevant trigger warnings.

I went into My Fault with significant expectations. The Amazon film adaptation has been circulating widely on Bookstagram, generating considerable hype. I’m aware that setting expectations based on hype is risky, yet I did so anyway. Ultimately, this novel proved to be a profound disappointment.

Nick and Noah rank among the most frustrating main characters I’ve encountered. Noah, in particular, was deeply problematic. Her characterization was defined by perpetual dissatisfaction, cruelty, and at times, a baffling lack of judgment. In one glaring instance, she accepts a drink from a stranger at a party and, unsurprisingly, it’s drugged. While this is alarming enough, she then inexplicably pins the blame on Nick, her stepbrother. He didn’t provide the drink, encourage her to drink it, or even interact with her during the incident; in fact, he intervened to help her. Her logic in assigning fault to him remains entirely unclear.

This incident is representative of a broader pattern: Noah consistently makes poor choices and then evades any accountability, directing blame instead toward Nick, her mother, or her mother’s decision to marry Nick’s father. Admittedly, Nick is far from blameless and often treats Noah appallingly. However, Noah’s refusal to acknowledge her own role in these conflicts is a major flaw.

As for Nick, the widespread praise for his “badass” and “amazing” persona fell flat for me. He came across as a spoiled rich kid, merely playing the part of a rebel. While he may command a “gang,” his lifestyle is ultimately funded by his father’s wealth, undermining any authentic bad-boy image.

The supporting characters were severely underdeveloped, functioning as little more than one-dimensional props that barely impacted the narrative. The story is overwhelmingly the “Nick and Noah show.”

The plot was virtually non-existent. The entire narrative revolves around their mutual attraction, the reasons they shouldn’t act on it, and them ultimately becoming involved. That’s the entirety of it. Unfortunately, the romantic elements fail to compensate for the book’s other shortcomings. The chemistry between Nick and Noah felt forced, and their relationship dynamics were more cringe-inducing than compelling.

Overall, I cannot recommend spending time on My Fault. It’s a lackluster and underwhelming entry in the forbidden step-sibling romance genre. Based on this experience, Mercedes Ron is an author I likely won’t be reading again.