Really really good book that will take you on a ride the whole way through. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Billionare romances are not my thing.....usually, but this one knocked it out of the park! I may be a convert. The whole book was twisty and turny with a good amount of spice. But that cliffhanger had my mouth hanging open. I was utterly stunned and ready to read what Dani Antoinette puts out next.

Venom and Lace by Dani Antoinette

General Fiction (Adult) - New Adult - Romance
Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op

"Not all monsters hide under your bed. Some of them entice you into theirs."

This book is fantastic, Dani Antoinette did such a phenomenal job with the first book in the Venom Series, I'm not sure what could top this. This isn't just some billionaire romance with a wife he didn't want, some deeper plots and twists keep you glued to the story trying to unravel it all.
The characters are perfectly written, stumbling into each other's lives unknowing what would become of it all. I love this story dearly.

A Billionaire Fake Relationship Romance? Sign me up!
Everything about this is amazing! The plot, all the little twist and turns, my mind is blown. I could not for the life of me put this down. Venom and Lace had the perfect balance of cute, fun romance as well as mystery and spice. The connection between all the characters are phenomenally.
The cliffhanger had me fallin out of my chair. I did not see that coming! I am so excited to start the next book! Dani Antoinette did a fantastic job with this I highly recommend reading!

Venom and Lace is a thrilling, sexy, and humorous enemies-to-lovers romance novel by Dani Antoinette. It is the first book in the Venom series, and it is sure to leave readers wanting more.

The story follows Nova La Roux, a successful businesswoman who is blackmailed into entering into a fake relationship with Ryker Venom, a ruthless billionaire CEO. Ryker is known for being cold and calculating, but Nova is not intimidated. She is determined to see through his facade and prove to the world that he is not as heartless as he seems.

As Nova and Ryker spend more time together, they begin to develop a genuine attraction for each other. However, their relationship is complicated by their past rivalry and the secrets that they are both keeping.

Antoinette does a masterful job of developing her characters and building tension between them. Nova is a strong and independent woman who is not afraid to stand up to Ryker. Ryker is a complex character who is both charming and dangerous. The chemistry between the two characters is undeniable, and their romance is both passionate and heartwarming.

In addition to the romance, Venom and Lace also features a suspenseful plot. There are several twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Antoinette also includes some lighthearted humor in the story, which helps to balance out the more serious moments.

Overall, Venom and Lace is a well-written and entertaining romance novel. It is sure to please fans of the genre, as well as readers who enjoy a good suspenseful story.

This felt like how 50Shades felt. A little too underdeveloped in the actual relationship part, overcompensating with spice. I didn’t love this one and probably won’t continue.

I would like to firstly thank Netgalley for this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book,

I went into this book with very high expectations but sadly I didn't love this as much as I wanted to.

I will start with my favourite parts! CIAN hehe.

I really enjoyed his character, he was dark, secretive, spicy and all the good stuff but we just didn't get enough of him in this book, there was a chapter in this book where he and the main character visited a house (no spoilers) and this was one of my favourite scenes of the full book, there was back story, emotions and the truth that the readers were waiting for.

I also really loved the ending of this book and I think the second book has so much potential after that ending.

Now for the not so great stuff, I felt like the relationship between the main character and Ryzen was way to coincidental and didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Girl meets boy in elevator, boy owns building and then they are engaged because someone snapped a photo of them?

Overall if you're looking for a quick read I feel like this one could be a good one to pick up however I it took me until 70% to start enjoying the book.

This book offered an intriguing take on the often-favoured engagement of convenience trope, blending suspense seamlessly. The narrative presented unexpected twists, compelling the reader to decipher the truth alongside the protagonist. It struck a harmonious balance between engaging plot and spice. While I relished the journey, the ending seemed a tad hurried and complex. Nonetheless, the author's style has piqued my interest, and I eagerly await the second book.

Venom & Lace is the newest 50 Shades with a love triangle (shady deals, rich men, uncovering secrets). I’m not going to pretend this was the greatest literary fiction of our time but it was entertaining and left on a cliff hanger. Will I read book #2? Probably without super high expectations.

Enemies to lovers, fake engagement, blackmail, billionaires – this book has all of the dark romance tropes wrapped up with a pretty bow. Definitely an easy read that was entertaining and a bit spicy. I didn’t love all of the manipulation within, but it should be expected from a dark romance book. Didn’t stop me from continuing to read! Good plot and a nice pace and that cliffhanger! Definitely looking forward to the next installment.

I want to thank NetGalley, Dani Antoinette and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the e-ARC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are honest, my own and left voluntarily.

enemies to lovers, fake engagement, and billionaires? what more could you want?! This book was such a fun engaging read!

I never expected to get so invested in Nova's story because billionaires aren't normally something I get into, but WOW. . I was so into it I immediately thought "I can't wait to read the next one." I love the badass fun, confident women in this story! The men are drool inducing, the burn is slow and the story is compelling

I love this book from start to finish. I would recommend this book. The cover was initially what drew me to the book and it’s a fantastic and imaginative story that stops you from putting it down

What a wild ride! I cant believe the whiplash this book gives you between two hunky men! Oh lordy! Who is telling the truth though? Novas fake fiancee or the hunk who lights her world on fire? Definitely looking forward to the next one!

This book had ALL the dark romance tropes; billionaire romance, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity and fake dating. Just when you thought you had it all figured out BAM you don’t. Book two is needed and required.

The summary says this book ends on a cliffhanger, and it doesn't lie. Blackmailed into a fake engagement, Nova finds herself conflicted when forced in the middle of a violent grudge between her rich fake-finance and someone she can't get out of her head. I feel like this is a secret mafia romance in the making, so would be interested to see where the author takes these characters in the second book. Overall, an entertaining read.

This was a NetGalley review.

Eh.

This wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good either. I wouldn't even qualify it as average.

The writing is repetitive, the pacing is strange, and a lot of the (extremely busy) story is predictable. I thought this would be a bit more smutty, but it wasn't and perhaps that is its flaw. If the writing (in regards to character development and plot) was not going to surpass average then at least make this book a full smut book. It aimed to be both and fell short on both fronts.

I would still be willing to read another Dani Antoinette book because there is potential for growth.

I loved the main character - a feisty, strong-willed businesswoman - who finds herself in a fake engagement to try and save her business and a love triangle to add to her drama!
I found the relationship between Nova and Ryzen I found peculiar - at the start it seemed that they had some great sexual tension but this seemed to fizzle out pretty quickly. I liked the addition of Cain - now that is sexual tension!
I found the constant flirting between whether she trusted Ryzen or Cain a bit off putting and felt at times it was to try and create an issue where one wasn’t needed.

It mentions at the beginning that it ends on a cliffhanger - this is true but isn’t one that would immediately make me read the next one. I probably will still read the next book because it was an easy read and had some decent spicy scenes but wasn’t the most gripping book I’ve read.

Yes pleaseeeeee!!! If book#2 was out I would RUN to KU to read it right now. This is the perfect blend of twists and turns from the very first chapter. Nova is a business owner who has to enter an engagement of convenience to help her business and it begins a wild twist of stories between her fake fiancè and his ex best friend. This book has you on your toes the ENTIRE time you're reading. So good. Solid read for sure and I cannot wait to read book number two. There were a couple time jumps in the beginning that threw me off but overall this book was really great and as a new to me author I'm hooked! Thanks so much for the early release!!

This book was so interesting and was perfectly paced. It kept me entertained the whole time and I look forward to reading more from this author.