4 stars ⭐️ and 4 spice 🌶️
Tropes: one night stand, age gap, fake dating/ marriage of convenience, billionaire, reformed playboy, Alphahole

Grayson doesn't do relationships or feelings or anything more than one night. After meeting Jovana at a bar and taking her home their one night stand ends with him telling her that this is it and not to expect any more from him. Jovana doesn't do one night stands and leaves his apartment furious. Even with his one night only rule, Grayson can't stop thinking about Jovana. He goes on a yacht trip with six women to try to forget her but with no luck. While trying to convince himself that she was nothing he goes off on a no marriage rant that got recorded and posted online. This is a big problem as Grayson and his two best friends started a hookup and dating app and Grayson was the one who started the marriage track for the app. They start loosing business because people don't trust their service if the creator don't believe what they're selling. In order to fix this they make Grayson enter a marriage contract for a year to convince people that he not only believes in marriage but is living proof that it can happen with their app. The perfect person to help with this is of course his one night stand Jovana. Still mad at him over what happened, she does agree as this arrangement will help her too and she's still holding onto feelings for him hoping he'll change. The two reluctantly enter into a fake dating arrangement and then marriage of convenience. Through spending more time together they get to know one another and can't keep their hands off each other. The angst, banter, and spice between these two is off the charts! Their chemistry is explosive and soon their physical relationship turns to more, and their real relationship takes off while in the midst of their agreement.

I listened to an advanced listening copy for this and I loved the audiobook. I would recommend it! If you enjoy Marni's books definitely check this one out it's a good one!

I really like Marni’s billionaire series’. Each man has his own terrible qualities that you end up loving by the end of the book!

I wish this had been duet narration but I did really enjoy it!

Mr. Wicked is book #2 in the Hooked series. and I am hooked! I went between reading and listening to the audio - Andi Arndt and Ryan West nailed it when it came to Jovana and Grayson. I do love a good fake marriage trope, there was decent spice and I love a good HEA.

I enjoyed the banter and chemistry between these attraction-at-first site lovers, one unprepared to accept his feelings other than those physical for … whom he knew was different from all the rest.

A fair amount of distain from Grayson at the beginning, which created the angst the story so needed, until the middle of the book along with a fair amount of hot steam among the denial. In fact, the spice was delightful dirty / sexy.

My only quibble was the plot line was rather predictable, not unoriginal to many such stories I’ve read before. Grayson soon arrives to care for his one-night stand, then fake fiancée simply, through realization.

The voice performances were excellent, both male and female renditions and other characters. I enjoyed the story more for its audiobook that made me feel front and center in the characters’ actions and feelings.

Overall, good read enhanced if consumed by through voice performance.

This is the second book in the Hooked series by Marni Mann. It can be read as a stand alone, which is how I listened to it. I kind wish I had read or listened to the first book before this one but it didn't effect the story much at all. This story started a bit slow for me for some reason. About 1/4 of the way through it seemed to catch my attention more.
Andi Arndt and Ryan West did amazing as the narrators.

This story revolves around Greyson, a man who wants nothing to do with love. He will do one night stands and then never see the woman again. He and his 2 best friends created a dating app for "Hooking" up, which took off and was a great success. Until Greyson dose a massive screw up in the media.
And then there is Jovana, the hopeless romantic, who works at a bar as a waitress and doing her best to make it as a social media influencer. She wants the fairytale relationship. No one night stands, true love, forever.

These 2 end up in a fake relationship in hopes to save his company and launch her career...only she has her sights more on proving to him real love can exist...with her.

I was given an ALC to listen to and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I listened to the audio version & Ryan West & Andi Arndt killed it as Grayson & Jovana!!! Perfect matches!

There’s nothing I love more than watching the confirmed bachelor player fall hard for his sassy, independent fake fiancé.

Grayson, after growing up with mommy issues, was dead set on never falling in love until Jovana walked into his life. The very popular lifestyle influencer always knew she wanted the happily ever after marriage like her parents but after one special night & a very rude morning after she figured that it would NOT be with Grayson. That is until a PR scandal broke & their shared chemistry leads them into a marriage of convenience to save Grayson’s dating app, Hooked.

The banter between these two characters was great & their chemistry was off the charts!! Great supporting characters too. The way Grayson’s friends are always the voice of reason!!!

I relatively new to Marni Mann but so far I’ve enjoyed every thing I’ve read or listened to. Also I haven’t read the first book in this series, so this can most definitely be read as a standalone.

When Billionaire Grayson took Jovana home from the bar, little did he know he would end up marrying her. Grayson is one of the cofounders for a marriage app, and when some pictures of him leak, he needs to reform his image. Grayson left Jovana heartbroken after that one night, and now he’s back asking for the ultimate favor, to marry him. I loved the chemistry between these two. I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook narrated by Andi Arndt and Ryan West. This was a perfect pairing for Grayson and Jovana. They complemented the characters so well. They brought the story to life in my head. If you like a grumpy sunshine, fake relationship, and billionaire you will love this audiobook.

Oh wow, Mr. Wicked is truly WICKED!! Wow oh wow does Mr. Wicked, by Marni Mann, stand up to its name. Grayson Tanner is a man who does not want a true/real relationship with any woman and his actions definitely demonstrate that belief in the beginning. Jovana Winters on the other hand is looking for her Prince Charming, he can be a bit wicked too in her opinion. Unfortunately for Jovana, Grayson showed he was definitely wicked but not her prince their first night together. I really enjoyed Mr. Wicked, Hooked series book 2, both the audio and the ebook. Andi Arndt and Ryan West do a great job of bringing Jovana and Grayson to life. Loved the story, the characters are well developed, and the narrators are great. So, if like wicked and handsome alpha characters and strong heroines who know what they like and want for their futures then I think you’ll Mr. Wicked. Spice level *****+

Mr. Wicked is oh so wicked! He's out for a good time with no strings. Now he needs to fix a PR nightmare and settle down—enter his wild one night stand he can’t stop thinking about! Jovana doesn’t want a no strings, fake marriage but she comes around to help Grayson fix his image.

See what happens as their sparks fly! Andi Arndt and Ryan West brought these two characters to life in a dual narration audiobook.

Marni Mann didn’t disappoint with this character driven, hot, alpha billionaire, fake marriage story!

Thank you @valentine_pr_ @marnimann @brilliancepublishing for the ALC to listen and give my honest review!

This is definitely my favorite of the series so far. I love a grumpy alphahole so dang much hahaha Grayson encompasses that too a tee! A billionaire who helps run a dating app that has a one night stand with a social media influencer Jovana. Both have very different perspectives on love and relationships. Both can hold their own though! Driven and determined they both go for their own thing while helping each other out as well in the time being. It gets hot 🔥 let me tell you. A page turner with loads of banter and heat all while hoping we see Grayson break that shell just a little. 😍

Definitely recommend this one and if you love a good audio this was fantastic! I couldn't turn it off and flew through it in a day.

This is the singularly worst start to a book I've ever read. Man goes to bar. Man sees hot waitress at bar. Hot waitress also thinks man is hot. Very forward. Man tells her she is hot. Hot waitress readily agrees to sleep with him. They sleep together. (I assumed this last part. I DNFd the book at this point.) I assume there is going to be some conflict at a later point, probably revolved around the MMC being a womanizer that every woman recognizes because he started a hook-up app, *rolls eyes* I am not usually this harsh, but this is truly that horrible. I think women's rights were set back 50 years within a few chapters.

4.5/5 Stars 3/5 Spice

Tropes:
Billionaire
Age Gap
Grumpy × Sunshine
Bad Boy / Good Girl
Fake Marriage

Relationship: MIF

🎧 Narration: ryan west was so good. i had never heard him in an audiobook before & i will be keeping my eye open for more of his work in the future bc i loved his voice & delivery. he just did former playboy so well. & andi arndt did a phenomenal job as jovana - which i expected be her performances are always some of my favorites. i listened on 2x & both narrators were easy to understand & kept a natural cadence even at the faster speed.

okay y'all know i'm a sucker for a billionaire romance - then add age gap & grumpy × sunshine & obviously, i was all in. thennnnn i got to the fake marriage & y'all, that was it. i was hooked. 🤭grayson has a PR nightmare situation & needs a way to improve his image STAT to avoid things getting worse for the dating app he helped create. enter jovana- the sexy af one night stand that he just can't get out of his head. these two & the tension had me in a complete chokehold. & the spice 😮‍💨😮‍💨 *so good* - i did the audio & these two had me sweating. definitely recommend this one y'all!

This is the second book in the Hooked Series. This is a series of interconnected standalone stories. Grayson and Jovana's story is fun, passionate, and engaging. I liked the banter, and the sizzling chemistry. Grayson, a billionaire, is handsome, grumpy, and enigmatic. Jovana is beautiful, sunshine, and smart. They are opposites attract, and they are perfect together. The supporting characters are great. I liked Holden and Easton. This is a great grumpy/sunshine fake relationship romance. Andi Arndt and Ryan West did an excellent job bringing this story to life. I enjoyed it. This is one of my favorite books written by Mani Mann. Looking forward to listening to Easton and Holden's story.

Grayson, Grayson, Grayson… A hot, complicated, stubborn man who has met his match. And a perfect match it turned out to be. Jovana is tough, sweet and the perfect one to help him fix his image after an unfortunate video of him went viral. A marriage of convenience, but the sparks & chemistry between these two is undeniable. I very much enjoyed the banter and chemistry between them. And I truly enjoyed listening to Ryan West & Andi Arndt. Two favorite narrators made it a lot of fun to listen to.

Mr. Wicked is the second book in the Hooked series. It’s a fake dating, enemies to lovers romance.

Grayson and Jovana’s love was such a fun, entertaining story. From the intense chemistry to the growing feelings and all the steam in between had me drawn in until the end. I loved that she gave back just as good.

Andi Arndt and Ryan West did a great job portraying these characters and bringing them to life.

Holy spicy goodness! Marni Mann writes my exact favorite brand of spicy books! Grayson and Jovana's story had some of my favorite components: billionaire, fake dating, second chance, and just enough angst to keep me hooked! Their chemistry had me binge listening, I just couldn't press pause!

Wonder where marni keeps this hot men hidden in her home. She just plucks out dashing debonair billionaires, one after the other from her magic pen and we, as readers, can do nothing but fall hard for these all consuming alphas .
Grayson is as Grumpy as a pumice stone. As stubborn and in denial as a mountain
Jovana is a ray of sunshine but some dark corners of Grayson are too far for her light to reach.
But she doesn't give up holding his hand.
I loved the raw connection, sensitive emotions swirling between them. Except it's a no strings attached pure physical need, while her heart has already been pockmarked by his past demons.

Mr wicked, Mr good times, Mr i'll fudge your brains out meets his match in emotional torture and its fun watching him eat the humble pie.
4 stars for parallel lives

helloooooo alpha hole!!!! Marni does dirty talking alpha hole like no other. the character arc//development for Grayson is chefs kiss.

jovana is such a great FMC too. Their dynamic makes for dynamite in the bedroom but also such a swooney story!!!

AUDIO WAS SO GOOD

Ryan West was a new narrator for me but did a good job portraying Greyson the Wicked Bachelor. Of course, Andi Arndt is fabulous as always. Narrating was on point...
Greyson the bachelor who is against love due to his past goes on a vacation and comes back to a major problem he created. Jovana shared one night with him and after his vacation leaves his dating app company and his partners on verge of losing everything they have built. He must clean it up his mess, Jovana is the one person that can help him but will she after the way he treated her? Honestly her mindset and actions to change him irritated me. She knew who he was and doing everything with the intention to make him love her I didn't like.

This is the first book I've read by Marni Mann, and although 'Mr. Wicked' is the second in the 'Hooked' series, it can be read as a standalone. The series revolves around three best friends who create a dating app called Hooked.

This book follows Grayson, one of the Hooked partners, who has no interest in finding love, whether through his own app or otherwise. When Grayson is caught contradicting the purpose of the app with his bachelor lifestyle, particularly given that he created the marriage arm of the app, the PR firm suggests he settle down in a fake relationship and marry a woman to prove his belief in Hooked.

Enter Jovana, a social media influencer and waitress whom Grayson met months prior during one of her shifts. Although their connection was immediate, Grayson was only interested in a one-night stand, while Jovana sought a meaningful relationship.

With a proposition she cannot refuse, Jovana agrees to marry Grayson, hoping to transform their fake marriage into a real one, believing that Grayson harbors deeper feelings for her.

Despite being nicknamed 'Mr. Wicked' due to his mischievous antics, Grayson finds himself genuinely caring for Jovana, who has a kind and nurturing personality, albeit sometimes feisty. And even though their chemistry is sizzling, the in-between moments where Grayson starts acknowledging his true feelings for her make his reputation redeemable.

I highly recommend the audiobook version narrated by Andi Arndt and Ryan West. They both do a fantastic job at bringing the characters to life. If you enjoy books featuring alpha billionaires, age gap (M30, F22), fake marriage, and spice, you will definitely enjoy the blissful 12 hours of this audiobook!