“What are you to me now?” I whisper.
He shakes his head, uncertain, but he grips my gaze. “I’m just your Rocky”
My Rocky.

4,5 stars

*Tropes*
~best friend’s older brother
~morally grey characters
~high angst
~grumpy / grimpy
~con artists

The book left a rather bitter aftertaste after reading it as the whole story is much deeper then it seems at first sight. Although there were enough tension and spicy scenes, it is not a typical love story. I think of it more as of self-discovery and self-healing novel that will only gather pace in next books.

Phoebe, Rocky, Hailey and their brothers were raised by two families of con artists who used them for scam schemes since birth and as they grew up, they became main participants themselves. Living under parents’ control they were not given a choice not only who to become, what to like, who to be friends with and who to love, but also were not given the proper life skills to have a normal life. In every chapter I can really feel the pain of the characters as they don’t know who they really are, what they want in life, where they are going.

Our main characters Phoebe and Rocky are both complex characters. Phoebe, who has been used as a seductress all her life, had to do and endure many difficult and dirty things at “jobs”. She is aware of her beauty and has accepted this role, using it automatically in everyday life. However, at the same time, she wants to escape from it, but she doesn't know how. Rocky, despite being cold and sarcastic, feels it is his duty to protect everyone in the group. I enjoyed reading his chapters, seeing how he was torn between wanting to be a knight in shining armor for Phoebe and arguments against their relationship. He might not have become my book boyfriend, but he is definitely one of the most complex characters I've seen in romance books. Since childhood, Phoebe and Rocky have been closely connected, so even though they resist the feelings, it is clear that they are meant for each other. I enjoyed the chemistry and emotional rollercoaster between these two, and I look forward to seeing their romance develop in future books.

The action at the beginning is quite slow and I’d like to know more about their past “jobs” so hope it will be added in future books. Anyway for me, it was a great start, and I will gladly jump into this series watching how the characters find their ways and their voices.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this arc!

I had so much fun with this and was disappointed in it all the same time. It was unputdownable and I found myself drawn to the story, never forcing myself to read. But this book could have been so much better! The story was great but not well executed. The characters didn’t feel distinct and the writing reallly bothered me at times. It wasn’t polished. KBR sacrifice setting and staging in a scene for dramatics and shock. It was confusing! The book needed more attention/ editing/ something! It felt like a draft.

Either way I will be continuing with this series because I neeeeeeed to know what happens. High hopes this series will just get better and better.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkeley for the chance to read this early!

This book put the slow in slow burn, but since it’s book one in a series, it’s more about setting up the story for later books. I overall enjoyed it, although at times it felt like there were too many storylines at once. And some of them felt like they were just delivered to the reader without much of a backstory. I am interested to continue the series to see where it goes.

3.5 stars

I was not in the mood for this story when I started reading this. The Richie sisters definitely have a great formula down. I still do not respect the Daisy and Ryke storyline due to Daisy being a minor when Ryke became sexually attracted and I have a hard time picking up other books by them as much as they have the toxic-romance storyline down.

DNF at 50%

this book fell really flat for me. i was so excited to read it and i just found myself so bored. i expected it to be more fast paced but nothing really happened. it was pitched as “twisty” and “angsty” yet i felt none of that from the half that i read. it can be argued i didn’t give the book a fair enough chance, but i made it halfway through which is further than i normally go when i’m not enjoying a book. i didn’t feel any chemistry between rocky & phoebe either which really affected how i felt. i may give this another chance later but this just wasn’t for me at this time.

— 4 stars ★

thoughts Ꮺ
— This book was SO much fun to read! I was very intrigued by the plot so I was super excited to see when I was approved for an ARC version. The writing was super easy to get into and it never felt like it was two different people writing one book (which is usually my concern when going into duo-authored novels). Krista and Becca did really well in making a cohesive book that had me wanting to learn more about these families full of con artists.

Normally I find myself always loving the female main character and then either loving or being "meh" about the male main character. So far, I LOVE Rocky way more than I even care for Phoebe. Part of the one star removal from the rating is because I really wanted Phoebe to have more depth to her. However, I do think the trauma she went through during her years contributed to her feeling nothing more than a pawn or a item. Rocky just had so many layers to him and I found myself wanting to discover ALL of it. The way I need rocky is concerning to feminism.

Nonetheless, the two main characters are soooo delicious together. They give major soulmates/fated mates vibes as well as hints of the friends to lovers to enemies to lovers kind-of-trope (but let's be real, they were never really enemies). This couple is who I CONSTANTLY think of when listening to "imgonnagetyouback" by miss Taylor Swift. There's so much angst and deeply rooted love between Phoebe and Rocky that it just made me wish I had more time with them officially together.

There's so much tension, secrets, and drama in the mid to later parts of this book that had me gagged. It was such a good start to the series and I am invested in reading the future of Phoebe and Rocky!

overall Ꮺ
— This is my favorite arc read yet. I will definitely buy the paperback version of this book and adding it to my collection, as well as going back and annotating my favorite parts.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun read.
It has a lot of characters to keep track of, so if you get mixed around with lots of names, keep that in mind.
Annotating would have been soooo helpful.
I really enjoy the FMC and her badass-ery
And rocky is 🤌🏻 chefs kiss.
It was an easy read, I read the whole thing in one sitting because I just didn’t want to put it down.
It’s not crazy spicy but it does have some good spice.
And the banter is everything. Good banter automatically makes a book great imo lol.
I would recommend this book.

I had a lot of fun reading this! Two families of con artists, two best friends looking for a fresh start, a love that can never be acted upon, and a past that can’t be left behind. I really loved both MCs, Phoebe and Rocky, and getting each of their POVs. They had so much chemistry and the slow burn was killer.

I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time waiting for the other shoe to drop and not knowing who to trust. I really enjoyed the flashbacks into their life of crime and learning what went down that caused them to leave it all behind. The cast of characters was great and I’m looking forward to learning more about them in the next book, not to mention the wild ending!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

These authors write romance like no other!! It had me so invested in the story and caring so incredibly much like i actually know the characters! Thuu I s boon had me cheering and swooning the whole time! A must read!!!!

I want more! Give it to me! The relationship between Rocky and Phoebe was so great. I loved the glances and the duel perspective. I need the next book ASAP to see what happens in Victoria next. I loved reading the previous cons and their overall impact on the story at large. Great Great Great.

HOLY SHIT THIS WAS SO FUCKING GOOD!!!!! the speed at which i became invested in this story and these characters should be cause for concern!!! god i loved this so much!!!!! i am almost speechless!!! this exceeded all of my expectations!!!! it was everything and more!!! i am so in love with this new found family!!! phoebe, rocky, hailey, oliver, nova, trevor!!!!!! immediately some of my favorite friendships and sibling relationships i’ve ever read!!! what an amazing start to a new series!!! the wait for book 2 is going to be torture!!!!! i am filled with so many emotions- this book just made me excited about reading- this book is everything that i love about reading!!!
phoebe and rocky made me so emo!!!! i love their banter, their deeply rooted connection, the way they take care of each other, how their actions always speak louder than their words and the way they’re loyal to a fault! phoebe and rocky are two people you always want on your side!! their slow burn romance was sooooo GOOD!!! the constant push and pull of wanting to be together but not letting themselves go there- i mean it made for the juiciest tension!!!! when i say these two had me in a tight chokehold i mean TIGHT!!!
the premise of this story is so unique and unlike anything i’ve ever read! bless the brains of krista and becca because this blew my mind!! between all the twist and turns, the drama, the secrets, the mystery and all the dots you’re trying to connect, it’s so easy to get completely wrapped up in this world and forget you’re reading. i truly had the time of my life! the last like 15% had me on the edge of my seat!!! eyeballs moving a mile a minute needing to know what happened next!! the multiple GASPS that fell out of me!!! and that ending!!!!! it’s gonna haunt me ‘til i have answers!!!!!

thank you so much to netgalley and berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

4.5 stars! 🕸️

one thing about KBR, they know how to write an epic romance about flawed characters with disorderly lives and it hits every! single! time! this was such an entertaining read and i practically finished it all in one sitting. this book was filled with lies and deception and the question of “what’s real?”. the plot was such a cool concept, it kept me on the edge of my seat with all the suspense and stakes building up. this book definitely gave me addicted/calloway vibes but with a twist!

phoebe & rocky:
phoebe is such a strong and resilient character who has endured so many hardships but got back up again every single time. rocky is a selfless character who is willing to do anything for the people he loves and cares for even if that means he is in the crossfire. his personality kind of reminded me of lo a little bit too. their romance was so angsty and messy which made the slow-burn that much better. their history and chemistry had me rooting for them from the beginning.🍓🕷️

the found family was found familying and i can’t wait to see what is to come for them. i couldn't help but think of the core6 while i read this because of how strong their bonds were. it's them but in an alternate universe lol. i can't wait to read more about the supporting characters in the future.

this was something new from KBR, but i'm sure that if you loved the addicted universe you will enjoy this as well!! i will try and patiently wait for the next book because wtf was that last 10%?? 😭

ok this one had me instantly hooked. it felt so different from all the other books i’ve read. i loved the addicted series and when i read the synopsis of this one i was like “sign me the heck up”. and while i had a good time with this one and was certainly entertained it just felt a little underwhelming for me. i found myself not really enjoying the duel timelines. i wanted more from the present timeline and when we did get that there wasn’t a whole lot of that chemistry i was craving. the connection was definitely there but with all the build up of them getting together i just felt a little i wanted more?? like more ANGST?? i can see a lot of people really liking this one and i would still recommend i just think it wasn’t for me. i did love the vibes and rocky is hot hahahah.

thank you netgalley + berkley for the e-arc!!

I really wanted to like this one, but it ended up being a dnf for me. I have found that I just don’t tend to enjoy books by these authors :(

I had to take a second before I wrote this review to process. This book had me spiraling and questioning everything in the best possible way. These characters are all so lovable in their own way. I love how each has their own demon they are battling and yet they all want the best for each other. The angst was TOP TIER along with the banter. I knew right away that Rocky was going to be an interesting character. I attached myself to him right away. By the halfway point he made it instantly on the list of book men I wish were real. He’s the type of character that would throw himself in front of a bullet for those he cares about. The more I read, the more layers of him were pulled away and I just fell more and more in love with his character. Phoebe was such a strong and intricate female MC. She carries so much weight on her shoulders and constantly battles with herself and who she is at her core. I loved watching her face her demons head on in the name of protecting those she loves. I’m already itching for the second one and this book hasn’t even hit the shelves yet!

Angsty, messy and toxic love with found family set in a wealthy coastal town, written by the people who gave me two of of my all time favourite couples, it's like this book was made for me.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book pulled me in from the beginning. I have not read the addicted series because the summary did not appeal to me, but now I am rethinking that decision. The writing in this book was very well done, and I love the story and the premise. I actually got upset when the book was over because I wasn’t ready to finish and it did leave off on a cliffhanger. I truly hope they continue this as a series. I loved the relationships with the characters and the spicy scenes. Regardless of if they were fantasy (in a characters, head) or actuality were so hot! I want to learn more about both of these families and the truth about T( iykyk no spoilers!!). I’m really hoping for a book 2 and I said that like five times now but I’m not done with these characters and story yet and I’m not ready to let go!!

Dishonestly yours was a unique plot for me and sounded like something I had not read before. Phoebe and Hailey are grifters/con artists that have decided to try a more honest life in a new town. Hailey’s brother Rocky goes along with them because he doesn’t think it’s the best idea. It was meant to be short term, but he sticks around.

Throughout the first few chapters we learn that Phoebe and Rocky have pretended to be many things to each other during their cons, and currently Phoebe explains to the new landlord that Rocky is her ex-husband. You can feel the angst between them. I was left wondering why they just don’t get together already. It dragged on though and I ended up not caring at some point.

Throughout flashbacks, we get more details about their lives and the job that can’t be named. I just felt like it took too long for me and I started to lose interest. Maybe the plot type/subject matter is just something that is not for me. This was the first book in the series and it just did not hook me. I want to be able to explain how the characters and plot made me feel, but I’m just not left with anything memorable right now.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Our lives were always fantasies, and our parents taught us how to construct them and then rebuild when they started to crack.”

WOW WOW WOW, what an absolutely phenomenal book. The plot of this book was just so unique, it truly felt like a breath of fresh air. I have never (EVER) read a book quite like this.

Two different con families ✅
Best friends older brother ✅
Forbidden romance ✅
Childhood crush ✅
Broody MMC ✅
Banter ✅
Morally grey characters ✅
Major plot twists ✅

I’m so obsessed with Rocky and Phoebe. Instantly submitted a preorder. I fear I can die happy now after reading this. (That Cliffy though… I might have to hang around much longer.)

5/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

Oooooh I loved this book! I haven’t read a series (one that must be read in order, that is) in quite some time so I’m already itching for the second book to be released.

This book had a great combination of romance, suspense, and tension. I really enjoyed the characters as well as learning their backstories and (some of) their secrets.

It’s going to be really hard to summarize this without spoiling anything so I’ll just say that this is definitely a book you’re going to want to read.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!