A juicy, addictive boarding school novel packed with fall campus vibes, secrets, scandal, and senior year drama.
Release date: September 15, 2026
Publisher: Little Brown
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Synopsis:
Class is back in session!
It’s the start of another school year at Tiffin, with our favorite characters from The Academy returning for senior year – “sixth form” in Tiffin‑speak – a time of college admissions and trying not to crack under pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs.
In the wake of Honey Vandermeid’s exit, will the new college counselor be up to the task? What do the cards hold in store for Tiffin’s It couple, Charley and East? What will become of underground speakeasy Priorities? And what was in Cinnamon Peters’s final email?
Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham answer these burning questions and more in The Thoroughbreds, a page‑turning story about friendship, treachery, ambition, and sacrifice.
Review:
I enjoyed The Academy, but I really loved The Thoroughbreds. Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham took everything that worked for me in the first book—the sprawling ensemble cast, boarding school setting, gossip, secrets, friendships, romances, and scandal—and made it even more addictive the second time around. This is such a perfect fall campus read: juicy, escapist, and just a little bit soapy in the absolute best way.
We’re back at Tiffin for senior year, which means college applications, parties, relationships, betrayals, and plenty of questionable decisions. Several of the burning questions left hanging at the end of The Academy are finally answered, and I loved getting some of those reveals while watching entirely new drama unfold. There are a lot of characters and storylines in play, but that’s part of the fun for me. Hilderbrand has always been so good at creating big ensemble casts whose lives overlap and collide, and that same skill works incredibly well in the boarding school setting. There are a few darker and more serious issues mixed into the story, but overall this remained the kind of entertaining, gossipy escape I wanted.
This is the second book in the series, and I definitely recommend reading the books in order. Technically, you could start here and follow the story, but The Thoroughbreds spoils several major developments from The Academy, so I’d only skip book one if spoilers don’t bother you. Personally, I liked this one even more than the first. And even though these kids have now graduated, I’m not ready to say goodbye! I would happily follow this crew straight to college, or return to Tiffin with a whole new class of messy teenagers. Either way, I hope we’re not done with this world yet.
Perfect for readers who love:
- Fall campus and boarding school settings
- Gossipy, scandal filled fiction
- Large ensemble casts
- Interconnected relationships and storylines
- Secrets, betrayals, and messy friendships
- Rich kid drama
- Addictive, TV show style storytelling
- Escapist reads with a little emotional depth
Overall rating: 4.5/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Novelgossip!
Novelgossip 