Wow. This book was chock-full of spice but had enough sweetness to temper it. I thought the reality TV aspect was a fun plot point and I loved that we got enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and the one bed trope!!! It’s like this book was tailor-made for me. I liked that this was light enough to be a beach read but had enough depth that I became invested in the characters. This was such a fun read and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Olivia and Chuck have undeniable chemistry, but their fights are explosive. After one such very public blowout that someone recorded on their phone, their fight goes viral. When a reality game show picks up the video and offers them a spot on their show and offers a million dollars each, it sounds to good to be true. Olivia really needs the money, Chuck just wants another chance with her. But this might be the hardest money they ever earn. One month living together– one bed, one bathroom, and no touching.
This was a cute story with so many funny scenes. The tension throughout the month was so high I was starting to wonder when, not if, they'd finally give in.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I should have known. The first chapter shows the volatility in Olivia and Chuck's relationship. The premise of the unusual reality show with the rules for no physical contact and the promise of one million dollars was so tempting. In the end, the game show part was not what I liked about this book. Here are three things I loved:

📷Olivia's back story was a fascinating piece that I would have liked to be more prominent throughout.
🐶Minnie the pug and several other dogs are infused into the plot late in the game. I would have loved to see at least one dog join our story earlier in the book.
📚The Epilogue was a delight. Holly James does a wonderful job of wrapping up the book and giving us a very satisfying ending.

This was a bad book choice for me. Many readers have already loved this book. Please check some of the five- and four-star reviews if you are interested in pursuing this book. I really loved The Deja Glitch by this author, but this one was not for me. There was too much of the physical attraction between the two for my tastes and the heart/mind connection was overshadowed. It was sweet that the author gives her husband a shout out in the Acknowledgments for helping her block out the love scenes. 😉

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Publication Day!

Olivia and Chuck have chemistry… explosive, volatile chemistry. Their dramatic breakup goes viral and they end up being the stars of a reality show. Read this book if you are looking for a bunch of tropes stir-fried into a cute, humor book.

Name Your Price follows Chuck, a B-List unemployed actor and Olivia, a writer, a recently split couple who have an epic in-public breakup that catapults them into the spotlight. Both struggling in their own ways, agree to participate in a reality-TV show that forces them to live together in an effort to win one million dollars, each. Considering their recent split, the rules enforced by the tv show and their sizzling chemistry, the month-long uninterrupted stay promises to push them both to the edge. I would LOVE to have something like this airing on TV right now, it's a unique spin on the lovers to enemies to lovers trope. This book is for you if you are a fan of the one bed/forced proximity trope. I had a difficult time liking either of the characters, they both had mean streaks and easy quips for each other that made them seem childish at times (hello, foot stomping!) Not quite sure if their chemistry makes up for it. Olivia's friendship with her best friend was a major plus.

3.5 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Olivia, a magazine writer, and Chuck, a B-list actor, break-up in monumental fashion, they don't realize it is being caught on film by a bystander. This video goes viral and catches the eye of the producers of the TV show, Name Your Price, who offer them the opportunity to make some big money! All they have to do is live together for one month! Sounds simple enough, but of course this isn't The Kardashians, and the show wants to ensure they get "good TV" footage... Insert crazy challenges. Will they be able to make it through? Will they get the big payout? Will this experience tear them further apart?
The premise of this one definitely caught my attention. My husband and I love reality TV, so this sounded right up my alley. And while it does deal somewhat with the making of the show, this is not just a fluffy reality TV book! There is some real heart to these characters and I loved the development and growth they portrayed.
If you like romances where they MCs go through some crazy stuff but allow it to grow them, where they have chemistry for days but struggle with real hurts, then this one is for you! Even if you're not a fan of reality TV, I think you'll enjoy it!
I was given an advanced copy from @netgalley for my honest review, and you can get your copy tomorrow, 30 July!
#NetGalley #NameYourPrice

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Name Your Price!

4/5

General Description: Olivia and Chuck have a tumultuous relationship. When their break up goes viral, a reality show called "Name Your Price" approaches them with an offer: live together for one month and win a million dollars. Both Olivia and Chuck need the money, so when they agree, they recognize that this won't be a cake walk. With no where to go, one bed, and one bathroom, Olivia and Chuck have to decide if living together for a month will be the best thing for their relationship, or the worst.

The goods:
- I love reality tv and this book perfectly encapsulates the over-the-top reality TV scenarios that I love. If you like reality TV, you can't go wrong here. If you don't like reality tv, skip over it.
- You get complete resolution at the end of the book which I always appreciate in stand alones.
- The twists you get with the Hollywood backstory of Chuck were interesting.
- Olivia's family backstory was a unique perspective on scandal.

The loss of a star:
- I felt like Olivia and Chuck were pretty one-dimensional unfortunately. They both seemed to have one problem to fix and that was it. I wish they were able to look deeper into themselves for reflection and had more complexities.

Overall: IF YOU LOVE REALITY TV, PICK THIS UP!

This is a reality tv show wrapped up in a book. This story follows Olivia and Chuck who both have very striking personalities. They broke up in a very public way and now find themselves in a reality show situation.

The premise of this book really intrigued me. I'm not always a fan of second chance romances, they either work for me or they don't. This one leaned towards the don't. I struggled with the writing style and found it difficult to truly connect with the characters.

I enjoyed Chuck's character much more than Olivia's. While Chuck was sweet, Olivia was grating.

Overall the story was a quick read and I would be interested to check out other books by this author

I actually really enjoyed this one!

After a fiery break up that spilled out into the street and was ultimately captured on video, Olivia hopes she'll never have to see Chuck Walsh again. That is until a reality show offers them one million dollars to live together for a month.

One million would certainly make a difference in each of their lives, but these two are highly combustible, ripping each others clothes off one minute and then ready to tear the other's throat out the next.

I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and their vulnerabilities as the story progressed. They're passionate yes but there's something there under the surface that makes these two perfect for each other if they can only learn to communicate. Chuck turns out to be really sweet and kind of swoony and Olivia isn't a nagging, avoid and deflect, shrew like she comes off as at first.

Quick, entertaining read, that had me rooting for the main characters to make it work!

Would definitely read this author again!

Ok, so Name Your Price was so stinking cute. I liked the premise, and the execution was delightful. Two exes trapped in a house together for a month with a million dollars at stake--each--oh, and there's a no touching rule. For every kiss or cuddle (or more), they forfeit some of the prize money. Their close proximity is testing all their limits--but it's also drawing them closer emotionally (which is hard with the no touching rule).

This is the definition of the perfect second-chance romance. No notes. I loved it, beginning to end.

Thank you Penguin Random House/Dutton for the advance review copy (and PRH Audio for the audiobook.

Update: The link is now live.
https://open.substack.com/pub/lynneperednia/p/review-name-your-price?r=1twqiv&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
To be posted closer to publication date; site link below


Name Your Price
By Holly James
Contemporary romance
Dutton
July 2024

Olivia has put up with a lot from Chuck in their time together. He's hot, the sparks never stop flying and she likes his family. But he's high-maintenance, worried about his looks as he tries to get his big break in acting. And when it hurts too hard, she runs.

One day, their usual break-up fight spills out in public. It's filmed and becomes a viral sensation. They are both humiliated. Chuck, who was just fired from a big movie, may have seen the end of his career. Olivia is running out of money trying to keep her beloved grandmother in her assisted living apartment.

Then reality TV comes to the rescue. If they can manage to live together in a rented home for a month without touching or killing each other, they'll get a million dollars. Olivia agrees if they each get a million. And it's on.

The premise to Holly James's latest romance, Name Your Price, may seem over the top. But James does a wonderful job of letting readers get to know who Olivia and Chuck really are. And why they have acted the way they have.

As the pair are confronted with challenges set by the production team, trying to not let their families panic, and dealing with both an overenthusiastic emcee and their continued attraction, Olivia and Chuck have their hands full. As they each begin to realize some things, and have episodes of communicating honestly with each other, the story remains smooth but with a solid foundation.

Name Your Price is enjoyable because it makes sense why Olivia and Chuck have acted the way they have, and because their finally opening up to each other and a solid relationship is realistic within the parameters of what they are dealing with and their established characters.

Holly James has written a breezy, funny and sexy romance that also has a lot of heart.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️ 2/5

This book was honestly perfect! No notes!!

Going in, I did not know what to expect. I was drawn in by the comparison to Love Island and Big Brother and was not disappointed! After an absolutely explosive public breakup caught on video, Olivia and Chuck find themselves one million dollars richer if they can manage to live together for one month with no Wi-Fi and without touching. For two exes who cannot stand each other, this should be easy peasy… at least it should be if the chemistry between these two wasn’t alive and well! It is the perfect setup for this second chance romance.

I was obsessed with the push and pull of Chuck and Olivia’s relationship, their attraction to one another was undeniable. It seriously oozed off of the page!

Through all the twists and turns revealed by the producers of the show, Chuck and Olivia find themselves getting to know one another on new levels. With each bombshell dropped, the two find themselves crossing lines to come to the other’s defense or to provide comfort. It was heartwarming to watch and made me cheer harder for these two.

Name Your Price just might be my favorite celebrity romance! It was balanced with both light and heavy moments, hilarious one-liners, and goosebump-inducing tension. This is a must-read for my fellow romance lovers! You will not be disappointed!

Thank you to Holly James (@hellohollyjames) and Dutton Books (@duttonbooks) for the gifted ARC.

If someone offered you $1,000,000 to live with your ex that you just broke up with for one month and never leave the house, would you do it? Olivia and Chuck are faced with this question when their breakup goes viral and a TV game show ("Name Your Price") comes knocking to ask them that question.

This was such a cute book. I loved the game show type setting where our two characters find themselves as they're working on coming to terms with the end of their relationship. Olivia and Chuck have palpable chemistry but this is a slower burn book as they try to find their way of should we or should we not be together. The banter was great, and the connection between Olivia and Chuck kept me invested.

This is a solidly entertaining story. There's great chemistry between the main characters, and I loved the Hollywood setting. The characters are well rounded and have real problems, with history that is flushed out and makes them ones you are rooting for. Olivia, in particular, is wrestling with her family legacy and how it's affected her, and her relationships. Holly James's books should be getting a little more attention, as they have been consistently well done.

4.5 stars Thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for the E-ARC. Let me start of by saying that if this game show ever comes to real life I want to be called to be on it. Olivia and Chuck have a CRAY CRAY relationship and they are thrown together in a house for a month and they will win some money. The way that these characters grow was so good to watch. I love when a book just flows together making it so easy to read I started it in the morning and literally finished within 5 min till midnight.

Looking for a book with a reality tv plot that you may actually watch in real life? Then look no further than Name Your Price!

Olivia and Chuck are two spitfires that virally broke up in a public video. Viral enough that the producers for Name Your Price want them to stay in a house for a month and conquer challenges in exchange for a million dollars. Needing to help her grandmother, Violet agrees to go on the show on her terms. Needing to change up his image and show others he's not the bad boy the public makes him out to be, Chuck says yes as well. However; once both enter the house, they realize they are in for more than they bargained for with unrequited feelings bursting out in the open. Soon enough, not enough money in the world will stop one of these lovebirds from doing the unthinkable.

Name Your Price had an interesting premise and some "omg" challenge moments however; I wasn't sold on the chemistry between both Olivia and Chuck. I could see them more as friends who just happened to be stuck in aa house without being permitted physical contact. I was more invested with the second half of the story and Chucks' overall storyline, while this was a single point of view story focused more on Olivia.

After reading The Deja Glitch, I knew I'd love another Holly James book. Name Your Price is the perfect end-of-summer, easy investment book. I was invested from the moment Olivia took her shirt off in public haha - and I enjoyed reading it, knowing I was waiting for the 2 of them to get back together.
This is for sure a light + fluffy read, and so worth the read.

Holly James does it again! I always look forward to her reads!
Name Your Price by Holly James was a fun and delightful rom-com.
James knocked it out of the park with this one.
Olivia and Chuck were so much fun to be around!
An exciting Hollywood romance that I devoured in one day.
I found it to be a quick and enjoyable read that will definitely stick with you long after the last page.

Thank You NetGalley and Dutton for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

4.5 stars Enjoyed this one! I really enjoyed this book! This second chance couple story with a side of forced proximity made for a fun plot line. Part way in the book, the reader is introduced to extra pieces that gives us more depth to the story. I found this one to be worth the read! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the early copy of this read.

Read if you like:
📺 Reality TV
🤬 Explosive Couples
🎥 Hollywood Gossip
🥈 Second Chance Romances

If you like messy dating shows, viral videos, and Hollywood relationship gossip and speculation…. Well, then this light and fluffy romance is definitely for you!

This story features two Hollywood types one being a low level actor and one the love child of prior Hollywood stars that were caught cheating by her conception that died when she was a young child.

So when their explosive breakup is caught on camera and posted to the internet and becomes a viral video, of course a reality TV show, Name Your Price, that has been struggling with their ratings wants to hop on this money maker of their viral video!

When forced to live together for a month without being able to leave, things start to spice up, and communication that these two never really had, finally starts to blossom… until a secret comes out by the production team that turns everything on its head…

I was so excited for this book and so glad it lived up to the hype! Thank you to Dell for my ARC and my finished copy and to PRHA for my gifted audiobook in exchange for my review!