Venom and Lace, the newest release by Dani Antoinette, is a captivating enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance that left me on the edge of my seat. The book features Nova, a business-savvy and outspoken protagonist who is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the success of her and her best friend's sexual well-being business. Even if that means posing as the fake fiancé of Ryzen Goodacre, Chicago’s most eligible bachelor, who is also her rich and grumpy neighbour.

Ryzen's ruthless pursuit to be number one has made him one of the richest men in the city, and Nova finds herself blackmailed into proving to the world that they are madly in love. However, Nova isn't like most women, and she refuses to follow the rules blindly. She is determined to protect her dreams, but little does she know that Cian Blackwood, Ryzen's bitter rival, is waiting to destroy anyone who stands in his way, including her and her heart.

Antoinette has done a fantastic job with the characters, each having their own distinct personalities and motives that keep the story engaging. Nova's strength and independence make her an admirable protagonist, while Ryzen's complexity adds depth to his character. However, it is Cian's haunting past and intense need for revenge that truly steals the show.

The writing is beautifully crafted, with a perfect balance of dialogue and narrative, making the story easy to follow and the characters easy to connect with. The slow-burn romance is well executed, and the love triangle adds an extra layer of tension to the story.

The book's ending leaves readers with a shocking cliffhanger that will leave them eagerly anticipating the next instalment. I found myself dragging my feet in finishing it because I just didn't want it to end. As a result, I am more than willing to do questionable things for an ARC of the next instalment.

Overall, Venom and Lace is an enthralling read that I highly recommend. Antoinette has created a unique and compelling world filled with complex characters, romance, and a plot that will leave you begging for more. If you haven't already, add this book to your TBR list and don't miss out on this amazing story.

This review has been shared on Instagram (@literaryinspired), GoodReads and my personal blog (literaryinspired.com).

Omg what did I just read!!
I thought i wasn't going to love this book but i did love it- the cliffhanger at the end my god!
I really liked the way the book was written in first pov, it seemed like Nova was talking to the readers, the audience.
Definitely loved this book and the slow burn and plot twists!!

Thank you NetGalley, Dani Antoinette and to the publisher to let me read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Venom and Lace by Dani Antoinette
Out now on Kindle Unlimited!
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶 (3+ detailed scenes, toys)

Blurb: Nova La Roux's life was finally getting good. Her sexual wellness business with her best friend was taking off, and she was moving into a new, upscale apartment. Everything was looking up until she ran into Ryzen Goodacre, and her world was flipped upside. Agreeing to a fake engagement to Chicago's most eligible bachelor was going to be more than she bargained for. Ryzen's friend turned arch-nemesis, Cian Blackwood, was determined to get his revenge no matter the cost. Unfortunately, Nova was right in the middle of the brewing storm.

This is book 1 of a new romantic series by Dani. This book is told from the female main character's, Nova's, POV. There are some dark topics discussed, which include child abuse and drug use. Be sure to read trigger warnings before indulging.

Thoughts: Venom and Lace had me from the literal first sentence all the way to the last! This book is full of twists and turns, mystery, hidden villains, and a stalker. Nova is a strong, sex positive, and sassy female main character you just have to love. Cian can call me whatever nickname he wants any day of the week, and I will answer 🥵. This is a fast-paced, excellently detailed story allowing the reader to easily envision the events unfolding and get sucked right in. When Dani says it ends on a cliffhanger, she meant a heart pounding, what in the heck is going on kind of cliffhanger. In the last 40 pages, my heart was racing, trying to figure out what was going to happen, and the end had my jaw on the floor, followed by a very loud "NO." I did not want it to end, and I cannot wait for the next books to come out.

Thank you NetGalley, Dani, and Victory Editing for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I literally could not put this book down. Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review and most of all Dani Antoinette for writing such an incredible book! That cliffhanger tho! Can't say I wasn't warned.

Life must really have it out for Nova, because when billionaire Ryzen offers her a fake engagement in exchange for her to keep her office location, she can't turn him down. Enter Cian, the once best friend turned enemy of Ryzen. Cian and Ryzen have a painful history, and Nova gets thrown right in the middle of their revenge on one another. How much will Ryzen ask of his fake fiance to get what he wants? How much pain must Nova endure to secure everything shes worked so hard for? And to what extent will Cian go to get back at the one who took everything from him?

This book has it all; love, lust and spice. Lies and betrayal. Success and failure. I picked this book up one afternoon, read a couple chapters, picked it up the next morning and had it finished by mid afternoon that same day. This book is so amazing. Dani Antoinette's writing is incredible! A style that flows easily and a story line that's paced perfectly. I will and am very anxiously be waiting for book 2.

Great read and the characters in the book were funny and witty. The author did an amazing job of keeping the book entertaining! can't wait to read more from this author and see what else is in store!

Damn I enjoyed this book! Super sexy characters, twists, turns, and spice galore. I didn’t expect to be as invested in Nova’s life as I became. The main protagonist is the co-owner of a sexual wellness shop. She’s sassy, outrageous, a badass lioness, and curiously relatable. I love her style. Total escapism with a killer cliffhanger — you know how you have different book friends? I know exactly who I’ll be recommending this one to. Only problem now… the wait for the next one.

Yes yes yes!! Hot hot hot!! A must read. This was go good and I couldn't put it down.
I just reviewed Venom and Lace by Dani Antoinette. #VenomandLace #NetGalley
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3.5/5 stars
3/5 spice
I do not know where to begin.
First and foremost, thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book.

I honestly feel so conflicted with how I feel about this book.
Was the plot amazing? yes.
Did I love the Heroine? yes
Do I hate confusions? yes

HOWEVER, I do love a good adult romance filled with drama and angst. This book does end with a cliffhanger, which I totally understand.
But do I hate having to wait for the next book? yes 😂 yes I do. But for this series, I'm willing to wait.

Would recommend this book to anyone is looking to have a quick angsty slow burn with a dash of spice.

A word of advice before jumping into this book, "Trust no one. Absolutely NO ONE".

Sweet heavens and all that's sacred in this world, where should I even begin?? First off MY MIND IS STILL BLOWN AWAY, I'M SHAKING, I WANT TO SCREAM AND BREAK SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS SO FREAKING GOOD AND I CANNOT HOLD IT IN ME! GAH!!!

Okay, but seriously, where should I actually begin?! Wow, wow, wow! Just WOW!

So I definitely didn't expect this rollecoaster of emotions, I didn't expect the book would take such turns when I started reading it, it's super different from your typical romance books, and I definitely didn't expect I'd become obsessed with Venom and Lace but here we are AND I AIN'T EVEN SORRY! OBSESSED AND FREAKING HAPPY!

The author's writing is fantastic-amazing-perfect! Seriously. Such an easy read, the pace is perfect, everything is perfect!

Okay! Okay. Let's start with a motherfucking queen here aka Nova La Roux because GURL this character is literally motherfucking GOALS! Gosh, she's so fucking confident, she's such a badass, she's bossy, she's powerful, she's sexy AS FUCK, she's funny - SHE'S LITERALLY THE DEFINITION OF GOALS Y'ALL!! I absolutely love her!
I also absolutely get her confusion, because if I were in her shoes I'd probably (most definitely) flee the country. Yup.

Okay, Ryzen Goodacre - not gonna lie, I fell hard for his charm, all gentleman-like-self, and being completely honest - give me a sexy af billionaire and I'm a goner. Yup, that easy.

And then enters Cian Blackwood with his majestic entrance and I knew that it was it for me.

I seriously don't want to give any of the story away because this book is so so good that I genuinely-one-million-percent recommend you picking this up. But let me tell you what annoyed the shit ouf ot me: TO BE CONTINUED?! ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! I literally almost threw my Kindle against the wall BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO ME! TO US! *ugly-crying-and-sobbing-in-the-corner-thank-you-very-much*

I so cannot wait for the second book. And the third. And the fourth. And however many more books Dani Antoinette is willing to give me BECAUSE I'M HERE FOR IT ALL! GIMME, GIMME, GIMME!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Victory Editing and Dani Antoinette for providing me the early copy of this book!

Let me be honest and tell you, the only reason I requested to read this book is because of how beautiful the cover looked. But boy or boy, did I go for a ride!

The first chapter! I laughed, read it to my husband, he laughed!

I love the main character, I love the “love triangle”. Fake dating, the tension with the “boyfriends” rival!

So fast paced. I could not put this book down! And by 90% I was holding my breathe! The ending! Making me wish there was more! Can’t wait to continue reading this story in the future!

Holy eff. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to get into this book, truthfully, because I am not a huge fan of the billionaire trope, but holy HECK, I NEED MORE. The back and forth between Ryzen and Cian was insane, and I wasn’t sure who to trust, who to love and who to hate. Nova is such a badass woman, and I have no doubt that the second book is going to be even more kick ass. I won’t spoil anything, but the ending… WHEW, @authordaniantoinette you had me sweating! I cannot wait to read the second book, and find out what happens to Nova, Ryzen, and how Cian’s side of the story goes😅 I NEED TO KNOWWWWW!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN TO BE CONTINUED?! The book is short enough for more! I read this book in a day and just want more, nova is just a good girl who runs a sex toy business looking to expand and keep her mind off men and on her work.. until she falls for a bad daddy. Rivals Ryzen and Cian both turn her life upside down in all the best and worst ways, leaving her catching her breath on what (or who) to do and who to trust

This book took a completely different direction than I had initially suspected. It’s different from your typical romance as there were twists and turns that I was not prepared for!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the sex positivity with Nova being the co-owner of a sexual wellness store. I also loved how this was so much more than a romance book where I constantly had no clue who to believe and which things were lies.

This book was so interesting and intriguing with a big ass cliff-hanger that I can’t wait for the next book to see where the series goes. I need so many answers!!

This exact review will be posted to my Instagram (@kates.readss) within 5 hours. It will also be posted on Goodreads & Amazon.

my god. this book 🫶🏻 this was so good, you need to read this one. billionaire romance and fake marriage? YES, sign me up.

but then you start reading and OH MY, this plot 🤌🏻 the twists and turns? PERFECT. my head was spinning all the time

this book was just the perfect balance between a cute and fun romance, spice, mysteries and friendship.

a warning that there’s a cliffhanger in the end of the book. truly can’t wait to read the rest of this series 🤌🏻

thank you NetGalley for this ARC. the views expressed are my own, freely given.

Thank you to Dani Antoinette, NetGalley & Victory Editing for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest and willing review.


3.5/5 Stars
3/5 Spice Rating

I won't lie, I grabbed this book because of the cover more than I did the description. It's a beautiful book cover and the description is captivating.

The insides of the book were not at all what I had expected walking in to this story.

This is a singular, fake engagement/marriage, billionaire, grumpy/sunshine esc story.

Nova has a whirlwind experience a few months prior to the current timeline in this book, with a man she doesn't know the identity of. However, her current predicament has lead her into the arms of Ryzen Goodacre, a billionaire who's proposed an arrangement of a fake engagement to win over one of his clients.

The spice in the book is pretty good, the story was a little lackluster at the beginning but around 40-50% in I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was happening.

This book does end on a cliffhanger, which I'm not a huge fan of, but because I have to know I will probably need the second book.

I LOVED this. Thank you so much to net galley for allowing me to read early.

The suspense, the SPICE, the cliffhanger ! I can’t wait to read the second one ! By far the best book I have read in March!

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

This book was addicting. I read it in one sitting I couldn't put it down. And that cliffhanger?!?!?!? The pacing at times was a little weird but other than that it was a great book! I had a great time reading it and I can't wait until I can read book 2!!!

Oh my god. LOVE. A perfect balance between spice, humour, friendship, mystery, and suspense. This book had me hooked from the beginning. With a witty and relatable main character, I enjoyed every moment of Novas ups and downs. Constantly trying to figure out what was next, I always found myself pleasantly surprised with the twists and turns I never would have expected. I will be adding this book to my TBRA (to be read again)!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I really like the FMC, Nova. The ride is twisty and wild. I guessed a few plot points but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the storyline. I was unaware this was a book 1 and ended at a cliff hanger but I'm definitely interested to read book 2 and see where this all goes. I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I don't think this book book was necessarily great. The main character seemed a little not necessarily childish but young. I guessed the majority of the twist in this book and thought potentially Nova is a little tstl. Also would have liked a little more description of Chicago, it’s one of my fav cities. I think in general the story could use a little more description. But I enjoyed this ride and will be reading the next one. Thank you for the advance copy NetGalley.