Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, & Ivy Smoak for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hazel Fox gets hired to be the PA to a world famous author, but instead of meeting her she ends up working with Mr. Remington.

He's very old school, very broodish, and very attractive.

Hazel isn't given much information when she moves in to this novelists' home, but she runs with what she's given. She tries to keep her hands to herself *wink wink* but she ends up breaking rules and digging deeper in to something she isn't understanding than maybe she should.

This is a great mystery romance book, but it's got it's faults as well.

Things I liked:

1. The tension between Hazel & Mr. Remington.
2. The mystery, the fact that it keeps you kind of guessing throughout.
3. This story has spice, but that's not all it's about.

Things I didn't like:

1. The fact that it sounds very... Twilight-ish. I can't say much more than that without giving some of the story line away. Just trust me, lol.
2. There's no real resolution? Like.. it feels a bit forced.
3. I want more spice. This is no hit to the author, I just expected more in a romance haha.

All in all, I'd read this again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ivy Smoak & Montlake for an arc of Bad Things Feel Best in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

The story centers around Hazel & Mr. Remington who Hazel has to work with when she arrives for her new job on a private island. She thought she’d be working with a famous novelist that she admires. Mr. Remington is very rude & cold to Hazel, acting as if he is trying to get her to quit. He is super secretive and won’t even tell her his first name. But Hazel is still drawn to Mr. Remington because he is just so gorgeous and mysterious. She is determined to find out what he is hiding, not matter the cost.

I was hooked on the synopsis of the book immediately! The title is perfect!!

This book was such an edge of your seat thriller. I sat down and read it in one sitting. Usually in a book, I can get to the end of a chapter that seems like a good stopping point to take a break, but not with this one. There are no good stopping points, you will be dying to keep reading until the very last word. So, make sure you have plenty of time to finish once you start it.

Very fast paced & thrilling. Why is it that most of us get such a thrill out of partaking in the things that we know are bad for us? Man, that element really added to the story.

This book doesn’t publish until August 8, 2023, but I highly suggest picking a copy of up. So, soooooooooo good!
5/5 Stars

I absolutely love Ivy’s writing. She is one of my favorite authors, so when I was able to get this ARC super early, I started it so fast.
There was so much that I loved about this story and some that kind of have me bummed.
I loved the creepy/thriller vibes. I liked the characters. The plot was there and I hated having to put it down before finishing it.
What bummed me out about this book, is that it didn’t give many answers to questions that were asked throughout the book. It leaves you thinking the possibility of what the people on the island could be or why they were the way they were, but you were never actually given an actual answer.
It ended where there is a possibility for a second book to maybe get all the answers and maybe more in depth story/information for the characters.

Bad Things Feel Best is a thrilling story told with a gorgeous writing style. It is the first book I've read by Ivy Smoak and I found it to be highly entertaining. It's not a genre I would usually read but for the most part I really enjoyed it. I was hoping for a little more romance but I really loved the vibes and overall creepiness of the book.

I was so impressed with this book. The twist and turns keeps you guessing until the end. The mystery and secrets keep you in suspense. A young, inspiring author has no idea what she signed up for when taking the job of assistant to a reclusive but famous writer. Can our heroine help the author find her way back after her last few books have been lackluster or will the mystery of who Mr. Remington really is send her running back to New York? So unlike the rest of Ivy’s stories but the incredible story telling did not disappoint, as per expected. It was like finding your favorite author all over again.

This book was one of my favorite books by Ivy!!! She definitely has a way of luring you into her books and keeping you there till the end. Her emotional rollercoaster and heartwarming stories definitely are worth the read.

Just amazing! This story is so well written but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ivy she is a phenomenal writer and every story captivates you until the very end and Bad Things Feel Best is amazing. I loved the suspense I loved Mr. Remington and Hazel. This story really does captivate you from page one and you just have to know and it keeps you going. Ivy will never disappoint me with her writing and another one for the shelfs it’s such a good book.

As part of Ivy’s ARC team, I was able to read this book early and was provided a copy through NetGalley for my honest opinion. This book releases in August so though it is quite a wait for the rest of the Smoaksters, it is going to get some great hype.

Holy Smoak (see what I did there?)!! This book was so good! It’s definitely not Ivy’s typical book style I’ve grown to love, but I found myself completely obsessed with this story and read 75% of it in one go! Ivy was able to suck me in and take me for a ride as always. I don’t want to include any spoilers, so I’ll try to word this as best as I can.

Hazel, an aspiring author, is doing everything in her power to figure out the mysterious Mr. Remington (her new boss apparently), while also trying to meet Athena Quinn, the author she wants to draw inspiration from to help her write her own thriller novel. He infuriates her at every turn with all the secrets he keeps and why he just does so many weird things. What are you up to Mr. Remington?? It takes meeting the pool boy (name left out for a reason) to discover some interesting facts about him and a sorta love triangle forms. He lets slip what Mr. Remington’s first name is and Hazel can’t wait to use this to pry for more information.

As the story unfolds, we get clues as to who (or what) Mr. Remington is, and I definitely was down the rabbit hole forming my own theory as to what is going on. I loved the strong friendship with Kehlani! They had a ride-or-die relationship and she was gonna have Hazel’s back no matter what. I also loved how Hazel reminded me of Ash with her awkwardness and vulnerability and the familiarity of that character personality drew me in more.

I was able to deduce the mystery of Athena Quinn early on, but there were times I was thrown off slightly and had to question whether I was correct or not. There were a few plot twists and the mystery and thrills kept me turning pages like no other!

Now, I’m not a stranger to Ivy’s books and have read almost all, and this one did not disappoint. It was unexpected coming into the read with what was going to happen in this book. By being a standalone separate from the mingling of other character cameos we are prone to seeing in her books and not something I’m used to from Ivy, it makes it that much more interesting. It left me wanting so much more and I would love to see some more Hazel and Remington later on!

The spice in this book was bare minimal. There was some angst, lust, and desire, but nothing sexual until close to the end, but let me tell you, I was so caught up in the story that I didn’t even miss the spice (coming from a big smut reader). I shocked even myself at that! It has a satisfying finale to the slow slow slow burn and overall, a great, fun read. It gave me a pallet cleansing and was very enjoyable!

Another amazing read from Ivy Smoak! I didn’t have much to go on before starting it, but once I did I could not put it down. I loved that it had mystery and romance but I honestly didn’t know how it was going to end! I loved Mr. Remington and Miss Fox I would definitely read more about their story!

Bad Things Feel Best
by Ivy Smoak
Hazel Fox arrives at her new job on a private island hoping to get inspiration from a renowned novelist, only to discover she won’t be working with the author after all. She won’t even get to meet her. Instead, she’ll be assisting the handsome—and infuriating—Mr. Remington.
Mr. Remington unnerves Hazel from the moment they meet. Not only because he’s cold and strict and seems hell-bent on getting her to quit…but because his eyes are the same color as the ocean in their backyard. And his intense gaze always seems to be trained on her. Mr. Remington refuses to share any personal information about himself—not even his first name. But if there’s one thing Hazel is certain of in this beautiful, isolated estate, it’s that Mr. Remington has secrets. And those secrets are dangerous.


I enjoyed the novel. It did move very slowly though. Hazel was just a mess. She does everything that she can to jeopardize the rules of her job. Something sinister is going on, and Hazel is determined to discover the truth…no matter how close she has to get to Mr. Remington. After all, it’s the things that are bad for us that feel best. Mr. Remington is full of rules, very strange ones, Hazel soon discovers everything is not as it is painted to be. I wanted to scream at Hazel to just leave.

This was my first book by this author, and let me just say, it did not disappoint! I really liked this one!

*I highly recommend going into this story blindly without reading reviews containing spoilers as it will greatly detract from the reading experience*

Bad Things Feel Best is a story with a lot to unpack. Ivy Smoak knows how to hook readers right from the start of every book and this story is no different. It's suspenseful, mysterious, funny, and a bit crazy. Smoak loves to take readers in different directions and this one had quite a few curveballs. And in this story, some were easier to predict than others. When you think you know where the story is going, Smoak jukes one way and then another to try to throw you off balance. The main female character, Hazel is a typical Smoak heroine. She's a bit indecisive, a bit meek, and often confused, constantly second-guessing herself. But she's strong in her own way even while making my head spin. Several times I wanted to smack some sense into her (which often happens with Smoak's female characters) but that only made her more interesting and dare I say endearing. Mr. Remmington is a total enigma. He's brusque, off-putting, and totally eccentric. He was very confusing not only to Hazel but also to me. Just when I thought I had him figured out, he went and did something that had me scratching my head.

Smoak did a great job keeping the mystery and suspense alive throughout the story. It kept me from wanting to put the book down. I found myself totally engrossed, trying to figure out what the heck was going on and what was going to happen next. The ending to me felt slightly rushed though. I thought for sure that the author would end it with one of her typical cliffhangers but I was pleasantly surprised that my theory was wrong and that there was an actual ending to make this a standalone story. I do wish that there was more to the end of the story with these characters which is why I couldn't give it a five-star review. I just needed a bit "more". But, overall I really did like this story and would definitely recommend it. 4 stars

Ivy did it again! I'm a HUGE Ivy Smoak fan and loved every second of this book! Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Bad Things Feel Best releases August 8, 2023

*contains spoilers*

This was the most ridiculously predictable thing I’ve read. Yet it also wasn’t? What the fuck was this…
The only good takeaway here was that it was a really fast and easy read.

<i>Bad Things Feel Best</i> spans just over one month, from August 28 - October 1.
Hazel Fox is an aspiring author from New York and has applied to be the assistant to best selling author, Athena Quinn. This position lands her with a live-in situation in a gated mansion overlooking the beach on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Except, instead of Athena Quinn, Hazel is faced with a man named Mr. Remington who insists on only using surnames, is always cold to the touch, is hardly ever present during the day or night, and speaks with phrases that are not at all modern.

Hazel spends her time being “the assistant to the assistant”, sifting through copious amounts of hate mail, while also trying to weasel her way into every crevice of this house that she so clearly was told not to enter.

It truly baffled me how freaking clueless Hazel was. Despite “living with Athena”, Athena never actually made an appearance, and that should have set off some alarms or red flags, but nope!! Apparently not!
And the way she never once clued in or recognized that the manuscript she stumbled across was an exact replica of her arrival to the mansion?! PLS YOU ARE HIS MUSE, how can you be so blind to something that is right in front of your face!?


TLDR: I really didn’t like how for 99% of this book I was convinced that this was some vampire story, and then apparently in the last 1% it wasn’t?? Like?? Might as well just run with it because there were so many freaking plot points that made this a glaringly cliché vampire story — the cold hands, jars of bulk “tomato sauce”, no bed in his bedroom, seemingly never eating any meals, avoiding sunlight, all of the portraits from the 1600’s that made him look like he hasn’t aged a single day, all of the old language, being allergic to garlic… I could go on and on.

Were all of the neighbours, cops, and security guard in on Remington’s ruse as an author? It just seemed like so much work to involve all of those people, and for what? It makes no sense.

The romance was not believable in the slightest. Remington was so absent throughout this story, and you’re telling me she somehow was able to fall in love with him? How? Every interaction between them had Hazel at the receiving end of curt answers.
That one intimate scene in the ocean was so unnecessary, and I was cringing so hard reading the part when Hazel was drunk and he had her bent over the table in her thong.


I might comp this to Verity by Colleen Hoover just for the creepy vibes of the house and the author characters.

I’ve never been more confused after reading a book. It’s about a girl writing a book using the characters of this book who also write books about this girl. It’s the inception of books. That’s not a compliment. I've read other books by Ivy Smoak and I liked them but this missed the mark, hard.

There were some random editing notes like using the term 'Spanish moss' 4 times in the first 2 pages and using 'Mr. Remington' 4 or 5 times on the same page, that could be fixed.

Toward the end I was waiting for someone to come out with a camera and yell ‘you’ve been punked’ because this entire story felt satirical in nature.

The only positive is that Ivy is a skilled writer, so while the story is not good, it’s easy to read, which makes it easier to get to the end. And then never think about it again.

1 star. The premise sounded super interesting, but I sadly didn’t enjoy the book at all.

I found the writing to be cringey and bad. The characters weren’t convincing as people and the entire set-up at the house was just ridiculous. All the characters were very flat and the protagonist was incredibly annoying and infuriating. She didn’t understand the meaning of boundaries or privacy.

Nothing about this was in any way suspenseful. It was trying very hard to be “gothic”, which didn’t work in any way for me. It just came off as creepy and it wasn’t put together very well. Everything about it reminded me of bad fanfiction.

Not a fun time.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Bad things feel best" by Ivy Smoak. A spicy, emotional story that will be a great addition to any romance lover's shelf!

This book is night and day compared to Ivy's recent books. It was gripping, full of suspense and I couldn't put it down! The further into the story I got the deeper I got immersed into the twists and secrets and couldn't wait until it all unfolded!

It's night and day whereas it's not a RomCom with laugh out loud moments and full of emotion but still an absolute smasher of a book, superb characters, a storyline that will hook you in and definite 5 stars! Loved it!

Hazel has landed her dream job, assisting a world renown author, but her high hopes for her new job vanish as soon as she arrives at the old southern mansion within a strange gated community. Creepy things start to happen and Hazel feels like she is constantly being watched. This book had a few twists and turns but they were kind of expected so my joy for this book was short-lived. This book was more hallmark mystery vibes than a full on thriller vibes.

**Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review**

I love books with great plot twists and Ivy Smoak did it fantastically. With a mysterious mansion and even more mysterious characters in and around the mansion, wanna be writer, Hazel comes to a southern private island to be an assistant to one of the best writers in the country. But where is she and what are all the secrets and clues Hazel finds? Of course imagination grows right along with our heroine and kept me guessing the entire time. A great book, you don’t want to put down.