This one kept me on the edge of my seat! I had no idea what the ending was going to be and enjoyed all of the twists and turns.

This was fantastic and such a fun read. I loved it so much and kept turning the pages. Can’t wait to be able to share this with friends.

I'm not sure what to say about 'Bad Things Feel Best'. There isn't much I can say about the plot without spoiling the ups and downs of the story, which did keep me guessing until the end, but not in the way I anticipated it would going in. The characters were fun, though maybe a bit one dimensional. I did appreciate the comedic banter between Hazel and her best friend Kehlani. The pacing was a bit off. I found it hard to get into the story until about a third of the way through. The middle third of the book was probably the portion I enjoyed the most. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I went into it viewing it as a romantic comedy instead a of a thriller/romantic suspense novel.

Loved this book, very funny moments but also very creepy moments too. It gave me verity by Colleen Hoover vibes and can honestly say it was great.

God, this book had some very very funny moments, and then some very very creepy moments. It reminded me a lot of Verity, Although I kept flipping those pages, curious where Smoak was taking her story, I would've loved more romance. I was expecting an adult romance, but it was more romantic thriller with fade-to-black scenes.

Thanks for the advanced copy. And for creating Kehlani who really stole the show.

I read other books by the author in the past and i know that she’s a well known and loved one.
Unfortunately this book didn’t do anything for me and I started and put it down so many times in the last few weeks. I can’t get pass the immaturity of the main character and her attics. She’s weird, immature and just annoying at times.
And the overall story didn’t had a beginning and end for me to enjoy it as I was expecting.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

Absolutely loved this book! I have followed Ivys books for nearly 3 years now and again Ivy has smashed it. I love how it is different from the other series and took me on a journey. Well done Ivy 💖

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I was intrigued by the description although I did end up feeling disappointed but It was quick and easy to read. I thought it was weird how uneasy he made her yet she seemed like she wanted to jump his bones the whole time. I enjoyed the mystery and it kept me hooked for awhile but would have liked more of the romance. I will say I predicted the ending and would have liked a bigger twist and wanted to like the characters more than I did.

I did not know much about the plot before I dweled into the book, but I must admit it took me by surprise.

The plot, despite its predictability could have worked better if it were not of the subpar execution. The misdirections are obvious and frustrating.

But my biggest complaint is about the characters. They fall flat despite the intrigue and the secret that they have been covered with. The plot is inconclusive, with unwanted love triangles.

However, Smoak does a great job developing the atmosphere, keeping it creepy throughout. The romance, despite its potential, is not believable. It has decent pacing.

The book could have benefitted from developing the characters further.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC and to the publisher for the copy.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

This was a different Type of read then what I am used to reading but I do have to say it had me second guessing a lot of things. Was the house haunted? Were there vampires? Could Miss Serrano speak? Who was Mr. Remington really?

I also enjoyed the back and forth dialogue between Kehlani and Hazel. They had me chuckling a few times.

Overall a great read.

I’ve never read anything by this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just knew I needed it because the cover drew me in completely. While it wasn’t my favorite, I still really enjoyed the twists and turns. I just wanted something more.

What drew me in was the cover of the book, then the title, and then the Synopsis which had me instantly downloading. Because a thriller-y vibe? Suspense? WITH romance?? I was down for this COMBO so so much.

ALSO I CALLED THAT PLOT TWIST AJAJSKSKSK, I was like “Hmm what if…👀”. That’s what the fun is with the mystery types of books, is all the “What-ifs” that you come up with while reading!

For this book though, I struggled getting into it at the beginning because the Main Girl was irritating to read and the Main Guy was a wall. That main girl was down BAD almost immediately, which had me saying “BFFR” to my screen. Many times. 🫣

But I’m glad I stayed until the end, despite the rocky start. Because this story was a whole JOURNEY in a way. The all-consuming theories you come up with is fun too.👀

Publish date: August 8, 2023 🖤
Rating: 4.5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

“A young writer searching for inspiration instead finds danger, betrayal, and romance in a spellbinding novel by USA Today bestselling author Ivy Smoak.”

I love Ivy Smoak’s books so it’s no surprise that I loved this one as well! Hazel, an inspiring author, comes to an estate as a new assistant for a famous author who she’s hoping to learn from. Only, she finds out she’s actually the assistants assistant and Mr. Remmington, her new “boss”, is not making her stay feel very welcome. Instead it feels as though she’s trying to scare her away.. and keeping a lot of secrets. Hazel is trying to uncover the many secrets she feels are being kept from her about Athena, Mr. Remmington, and this spooky estate, but can she do that when feelings are getting involved? And what is to come of her book she’s been working on while there? 🫣💗

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Hazel Fox arrives at the mysterious mansion of a best selling author to serve as her new assistant.

However, once she arrives, she learns she is the actually going to be the assistant to the assistant, the condescending, must be called Mr. Remington.

While the mansion backs up to the Ocean, and Mr. Remington buys Hazel new clothes to fit her new assistant role, something strange is going on. Hazel has yet to meet her employer, Mr. Remington is allergic to garlic, and the housekeeper runs out of the room every time Hazel speaks to her, what has she gotten herself into?

I didn’t care so much for the budding relationship, but mlre intrigued in the big not so big reveal.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Ok, so this began with Hazel Fox, who just got a new job as an assistant for an author, and after she moved to this author's house that was located on a private island, instead of meeting her, she met a guy named Mr. Remington.

Mr.Remington is giving off a weird vibe. He has very strict rules, such as not calling him by his first name which I don't understand why, and not wearing shoes inside the house.
And even knowing all of that, Hazel still decided to stay.

Hazel is a horny, annoying, immature, and generally dislikeable. I feel like she needs to get laid instead of getting a job.
I was so unimpressed by the plot. The author attempted to portray Mr. Remington as a morally gray character, but it fell flat.
There's no chemistry, no character development. The nonexistence of the "thriller". The whole story is a mess and just lost it's direction. I thought the writing was cringeworthy and ridiculous. I tried so hard to find a single thing I liked about this book, but, sorry, there was none.

Smoak's writing is captivating and sucks readers into the story from the very beginning. She artfully weaves together different plotlines, keeping readers on edge until the very end. The characters are well-developed and complex, with each carrying their own share of baggage and emotional scars. It's easy to get emotionally invested in their story, rooting for them even when their decisions don't always make sense.

My only gripe was the glaringly obvious plot twist. I ended up spending my time waiting for the end game, rather than enjoying the mystique and thrill involved. Luckily, it did have some extra twists in there too - which I won't talk about, so I don't spoil anything.

This is perfect for Ivy's fans and fans of thriller alike. It was such a short, enjoyable read so everyone can take a chance on it. Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy to review.

*Thank you to Montlake, Ivy Smoak, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

I might be the only one who did not finish Ivy Smoak's Hunted Series. I hated the main character and found her immature and almost narcissistic in her tendencies. I am always willing to give an author a second chance. Ivy Smoak is beloved by many. I am sad to say that I found Hazel, the protagonist in her latest novel immature and almost narcissistic. She is in her early 20s but acts like a teenager. But the truth is, I didn't really get it. And the ending left a lot of things unexplained; the cold skin, why everyone stares at her throat, the odd people at the beach party etc. I don't want to give any spoilers but this could have been such a great book. It IS a great story but I feel like Hazel ruined it with her immaturity. I also dislike when the BFF has absolutely no life of her own; no friends, no boyfriends etc. She lives for when Hazel calls her. This is a book I wanted to love but we need strong badass characters.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review

⭐⭐⭐💫
3.5 stars
"If she weren’t so naive, she would have run. She would have been able to feel the coolness in the air. She would have seen the signs unfold along the long drive."


Thank you netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Reading this book was one hell of a ride. It is full of thrill and suspense, sometimes bordering on spooky. I jumped into this book thinking it was just some thriller, but to my surprise and delight,
it is a romantic thriller.

The writing was good, it was easy to understand and the scenes from the book were playing in my head.

Now the plotline. Initially I was having some difficulty connecting with the characters. Hazel to be honest is very infuriating and makes series of bad decisions and definitely a fool. Also she is horny 24/7 and wanted to jump on Mr. Remington as soon as she saw him. But still I overlooked those facts and continued on. Kehlani was a typical best friend, to say I didn't like her wouldn't be wrong.

As a person who has read so many thrillers and that surprising me with main plot twist is very highly unlikely I already knew [ Mr. Remington is Athena Quinn when I was barely 2 chapters in. (hide spoiler)]. Anyways, the events leading up to the climax is all matters to me. And it was not that strong as I wanted them to be. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book a lot.

For those who loved Verity and Lock Every Door, I would recommend this book to you.

"But I’ve seen this play out before. She’s going to push away her fears for one intoxicating touch. It is always the things that are bad for us that feel the best. And only time can teach you such lessons."

I really enjoyed reading this book until the twist SPOILER
was Atlas and Hudson weren’t vampires! After all that, it was wrapped up in a really unassuming bow and I wasn’t happy at all. It’s a good read, I was just disappointed as it was a good lead up to a story that never emerged.