Thank you so much to @dreamscape_media @librofm @read_bloom for the ALC/gifted copy!

𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Truly Madly Deeply
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: L.J. Shen
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: Lila Winters, Teddy Hamilton
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: September 10, 2024
4⭐️

💕 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 💕
This book was swoony, spicy, sweet, hilarious, nostalgic, and fun! My 90s loving heart appreciates the 90s music as chapter headings (loved)! It was messy and chaotic at times, and sweet and swoony too.

Cal is quirky and completely her own person, and Row is her best friend Dylan’s brother. Row sees past what everyone else says isn’t worth wading through and I love that about him, among other things. Row is a die hard number 1 Cal fan and never lets up on that except to be honest and protect his heart.

Cal is clumsy and quirky and has some more things to learn about herself from some trauma she’s endured. I enjoyed seeing her growth and resilience, and I loved hearing how she was raised and so proud to be who she was even if she wasn’t like everyone else.

I enjoyed the ending and had some fun laughs at some crazy stuff mixed in too. I’m curious what is in story for Dylan in the future!

🎧 𝙉𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 🎧
Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton were perfect for Cal and Row. Lila is always a fantastic quirky, charming narrator and fit Cal’s unique sunshiney personality. Row’s grump personality was pulled off by the swoony Teddy Hamilton, who definitely fits the mold that Row is described under. His broodiness is stellar. They both brought the story to life and the audiobook really was the way to take in this story!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
💕 Grumpy Sunshine
💕 Broody, Moody Chefs
💕 Troubled Traumatic Pasts
💕 90s Songs References
💕 Super Spicy 🌶️

L.J. Shen's books are always captivatihng and layered. I enjoyed thi book and the narration-- Truly, Madly, Deeply!!!

This was my first book by L.J. Shen, and I honestly did not know what to expect. When I saw Cal and Row's story surprised me in the best way possible. This is a romance, but it is on the darker side, which I enjoyed. The characters in this story are so unique. As I learned more about Cal's past trauma, my heart hurt for her. She has been through a lot, and people have not always treated her well. Cal can be incredibly insecure, but she is also very strong. She truly deserved to be with someone who would make her feel safe. Row is an alpha-hole who was cruel and always seemed angry. Turns out he was trying to protect his heart. Some of the interactions between Cal and Row were hard to witness, but I loved seeing them both become vulnerable with each other. Row was truly madly and deeply in love with Cal.

This is a slow burn, so it took some time for that love to shine through, but when it did, I couldn't help but root for these two. Once they pushed past the messiness of the events that kept them apart, they were able to see they were meant to be together. There are so many things I loved about this book! I loved the banter, chat messages, and the side characters. I also loved seeing the villains get exactly what they deserved. I really enjoyed the writing and L.J. Shen's ability to make me feel every single emotion. As a lover of 90s music, the playlist and chapter titles made me giddy! This book is special and is more than a love story. Truly Madly Deeply is about overcoming trauma, realizing your self-worth, and rediscovering yourself.

Narration:
Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton perform this audiobook in dual style narration. They both did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Teddy was the perfect grumpy but vulnerable Row. Lila brought all the emotions associated with Cal's struggle with past trauma. This story is an emotional rollercoaster, and both narrators did well in making it feel real. I felt the chemistry, and I loved how well they performed the banter.

TRULY MADLY DEEPLY is the first in the Forbidden Love series that centers around Michelin-starred chef Ambrose Casablancas and Calla “Cal” Litvin.

Loved their angsty banter and his gruff personality! I read and listened and thought the dual narration by Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton was fun.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-second chance romance
-best friend’s brother
-enemies to lovers
-grumpy x sunshine
-celebrity chef
-he falls first

*many thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Another spicy romance that I couldn't put down!! I listened to the audio while following along with the text and it was so fun!! Very sexy with a little second chance romance!!

*Thank you partner @dreamscape_media for the #gifted audiobook.*

This is a darker romance which perfectly matched my mood. My heart broke for Cal as her past was unveiled chapter by chapter. And yet, I also found myself yelling at her to get out of her own way. And then there’s Row whose grumpiness and lashing out at Cal initially turned me against him until I saw that it was his protective mechanism to keep himself from falling harder for Cal. I loved how he articulated his feelings for Cal.

Thankfully, the online, secret identity chats leant some much needed comic relief.

Audiobook thoughts:
Teddy Hamilton nailed Row’s grumpy, abrasive personality and turned up the heat with his narration of Row’s dirty talk. Cal’s quirky, sunshiney personality really came through with Lila Winters’ performance.

Read if you like:
* second chance
* best friend's brother
* enemies to lovers
* celebrity chef
* small town romance
* Slow burn
* Grumpy x sunshine
* He falls first and hard
* It’s always been you

This was a sweet and spice enemies to lovers/grumpy x sunshine romance that really shows the rollercoaster of love. I really enjoyed the banter between Ambrose and Cal and their overall chemistry was was so well written that I was rooting for them the whole time!

This book did discuss some tough subjects such as mental health and abuse that I thought was handled very well.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the performances by Teddy Hamilton and Lila Winters.

I 100% requested this audiobook for the narrators and they did not disappoint. Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton are at the top of my list for favorite romance narrators, and they did an amazing job.

This was my first L.J.Shen novel and I can understand why she is loved my so many readers. Unfortunately, this novel didn’t blow me away. I love some of the tropes in this book, but miscommunication is on trope that I do not enjoy and this one was full of it.

While Truly Madly Deeply missed the mark for me, so many other readers have loved it.

Truly, Madly, Deeply by L.J. Shen delivers an irresistible blend of grumpy vs. sunshine romance, packed with tension, heart, and just the right amount of angst. Ambrose Casablancas, a renowned Michelin-starred chef, is everything you’d expect from a brooding, focused, and successful man—conceited, unattainable, and with an undeniable passion for food. His life is a whirlwind of high-stakes work, from opening a new restaurant to handling a stalker, leaving little room for anything else. Except, of course, Calla Litvin, his baby sister’s best friend and a complication he can’t seem to shake.

Calla is quirky, compassionate, and a little clumsy, but she’s also fiercely independent, struggling to find her way after a messy breakup and a series of personal losses. When she lands at Ambrose’s doorstep looking for both a job and redemption, the simmering attraction between them flares to life. Their past is full of unresolved tension, and now, Cal is no longer the girl he once knew—she’s a woman Ambrose can’t resist.

This enemies-to-lovers story is filled with wit, sizzling chemistry, and emotional depth. The push-and-pull dynamic between Ambrose and Cal makes for a captivating journey of self-discovery, redemption, and, ultimately, love. Shen masterfully brings to life two characters who are impossible not to root for.

A big thank you to the publisher for providing the chance to experience this fiery and heartfelt romance.

4⭐⭐⭐⭐



* dark romance, anti hero,almost hate to love.


*this is very different story for what used to write , this is on 50 50 level.
Almost thre guy is on the narcistic phase but of course its fiction and it was different views for other people and its not definitely for me .
Apart from skipping a few bits of that intercation the story was pretty good and the spice on this book is only medium.

thannkyou for the arc copy of this boo for a honest review .



⭐shaye.reads

I ate up every second of this book! Cal and Row were everything!! Just a bit of miscommunication sets Cal and Row down paths that lead away from each other, but the tension when they finally cross again is perfection. These two couldn’t fight their feelings if they tried. I also LOVE the pen pal/you don’t know the person you’re talking to online is right in front of you. So many times it leads to unrealized confessions of love & when they finally put it together and look back and realize all along, it’s one of my favorite things!!

This was HOT and such an addictive book, once I started I didn’t want to stop! Ambrose and Cal are a grumpy x sunshine, enemies to lovers, high heat, hell of a good time! He’s a chef, so of course we have a little food play!
Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton narrate and do a wonderful job bringing the characters to life! The casting is spot on. I definitely recommend giving this a listen.

This isn't a typical romance that I would read, but I enjoyed it. The narrators added so much to the story, and I liked the audio book.

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🎧

L.J Shen is a master of her craft. I don’t think I have read a book by her I haven’t loved. She has a way with words that suck you in and completely consume you to the point that you spend days thinking about the book and the characters even after you’ve finished it and Truly Madly Deeply was no exception.

You’ll enjoy this book if you like these tropes… ♡

✿ Small Town Romance
♡ Enemies-to-Lovers
✿ Grumpy/Sunshine
♡ Boss/Employee
✿ Touch Her or Die Vibes
♡ Alpha Hero
✿ Slow Burn
♡ He Falls First
✿ Best Friends Brother
♡ It’s Always Been You
✿ All Her Firsts
♡ Undeniable Attraction
✿ Intense Chemistry
♡ Sassy & Sarcastic Heroine
✿ Emotionally Charged
♡ Forbidden Romance
✿ Bully Romance
♡ Smutty
✿ Top-Tier Banter
♡ He Falls Hard
✿ Dual POV

Trigger Warnings…

⚠ Bullying
⚠ Child Abuse
⚠ Sexual Harassment
⚠ Child Exploitation
⚠ Violence Against Teenager
⚠ Cyber Bullying
⚠ Mention of Overdose
⚠ Androphobia
⚠ Death of a Parent


Truly Madly Deeply is book one in the Forbidden Love series and oh my god it was one hell of a start to the series.

Cal is quirky, she’s been there some hell in her life so she’s a little broken and she finds it hard to trust many people and finds it hard to open up to people too. She’s very independent and has never had to rely on anyone for help. She’s kind, compassionate, and a character you can’t help but fall in love with. She is back in her hometown for the first time in a long time. She’s there to help her grieving mother after her father passed away. While in town and helping her mother through this rough and heartbreaking time, she decides that it’s time she tries to mend an old broken friendship with her former best friend, Dylan. While doing that, she finds herself crossing paths with Dylan’s older brother Ambrose aka Ro again.
Bringing back memories of a night they spent together that meant everything to one person but was just another number to add to their score for the other. Being back in town is the last place she wants to be in but she has no other choice but to grieve and heal from the loss of her father I think this has made her start to heal from the pain and hurt in her past, setting her on a completely different course in her life.

Ambrose is such a tool for everyone. He’s moody and dominant and when he wants something, he gets it. However, he’s a completely different person when it comes to Cal. She brings out another side of him.

After leaving town, Ambrose made a name for himself as an amazing, talented, and famous chef. He also appeared as a reality TV show judge. Now he’s back in his hometown he has opened up a small pop-up restaurant and Cal is the last person he expects to see again but the moment he does, the feelings her had for her and the memories they shared all come rushing back. Will Cal and Ambrose reunite? Or is their past better left in the past? Have they grown and healed from past traumas?

This book took me on one hell of a ride. One minute I was laughing at the sarcastic one-liners and the banter and the next I was wiping tears from my eyes. There was so much to unpack from this story and this love story. This story represented self-worth, insecurities, acceptance, loss, grief, passion, love, vulnerability overcoming past trauma, and facing your fears and setbacks. It was powerful and very relatable to me which was the reason why it grabbed hold of my heart so much. So many of the things these two went through, I have experienced in some way in my life too.

The chemistry between the two was undeniable and intense, to say the least. You could see they were meant to be together and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Ambrose would do anything for Cal. I was swooning.

I think this has taken first place when it comes to my favorite books by this author. I went through so many emotions while reading/listening to this. It was so hard not to love the characters and even the side characters, which I’m hoping we get to see more of!

Highly recommend this!!

5 STARS!

I absolutely love that Row fell first.
I wish he would have said something all those years ago instead of playing it cool. And Dylan didn't tell her BEST FRIEND. That's wild.
Cal was awkward but loveable. I didn't like her so much in the beginning, because she told a loooooot of lies, for no reason.
This book was written for the miscommunication trope, which is not one of my favorites.
I do think some areas could have been improved, like the main characters actually acting their age, but overall I enjoyed the book enough I'd read the sequel.
3.5/5 stars rounded up.

I started to write a synopsis, but it got too messy. I'll just skip over that.

The enjoyed the basic elements of this book. The story, the background, the characters.
I did not enjoy the details.

First the names. All of them, basically. Including the town. (Though there is apparently a town named Staindrop in England.) When Gravity (a human character) entered, I about threw my phone out the window.

Second, the logistics. The math doesn't math most of the time. Row's restaurant alone- who renovates a building and creates a fancy restaurant for a year. And how does this fancy restaurant in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE earn Michelin stars? So many things do not make sense. Including Cal's phobia of men.

There are more examples, but those are the two that really got me.

Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton narrate the audiobook. Teddy is one of my favorites!

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

💕𝕋𝕣𝕦𝕝𝕪 𝕄𝕒𝕕𝕝𝕪, 𝔻𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕝𝕪 - 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕕𝕕𝕖𝕟 𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝟙 - ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳: 𝘓.𝘑. 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘯 - @authorljshen

𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦: 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢 “ 𝘊𝘢𝘭” 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘷𝘪𝘯 & 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦 “𝘙𝘰𝘸” 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘴

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
💕"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝘼𝙇𝙒𝘼𝙔𝙎 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪"
🫶🏻"𝘚𝘩𝘦'𝘴 𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝘺𝘰𝘶"
💕𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙'𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧
🫶🏻𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
💕𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙
🫶🏻"𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪?"
💕𝘏𝘦'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝙗𝙤𝙨𝙨
🫶🏻𝙂𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙮 𝙭 𝙎𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚
💕𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿!𝙚
🫶🏻"𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴"
💕𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴
🫶🏻𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩/𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙃𝘼𝙍𝘿𝙀𝙍
💕𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 by 𝙇𝙅 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙣 is another 𝙈𝘼𝙎𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙋𝙄𝙀𝘾𝙀! This book 𝙍𝙄𝙋𝙋𝙀𝘿 my heart out, stomped on it and then gradually taped it back together in ways only Leigh is able to do and Cal and Row will be one of my favorite angsty couples for months if not years to come! This book was a lot different than what LJ normally writes but was also 𝙒𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙇𝙔 captivating from the 𝙁𝙄𝙍𝙎𝙏 page! Row and Cal were a 𝙈𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙔 𝙍𝙊𝙈𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀 waiting to happen and I absolutely 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 every word, feelings, twist and turn until the words “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙀𝙣𝙙!”

This book kicks off 𝙃𝘼𝙒𝙏 and the tension between the two MCs only grows as the book goes on! LJ immediately dove into the heat between a younger Cal and Row but then did us 𝘿𝙄𝙍𝙏𝙔 with the tragic breaking up of two best friends. The emotions she portrayed in that first chapter alone sucked me into this book and they was she was able to capitalize on the 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂 emotions between Row, Cal and Dylan upon Cal’s return home years later kept me reading to see what would happen between the two. While the romance in this book was swoon-level good, the friendship between Cal and Dylan was really one of my favorite parts in this book! The two of these women were 𝙃𝘼𝙉𝘿𝙎 𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉 hilariously witty. The way they bolstered each other and leaned on the other during this book showed true friendships and healing - an LJ strength!

𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮, 𝘿𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 is a 𝙎𝙇𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙊𝙒 𝘽𝙐𝙍𝙉 romance with high angst, tension and simmering emotions throughout. Row and Cal are 𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏𝙇𝙔 𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙀𝙍𝙁𝙀𝘾𝙏 for each other but are also so 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝘽𝙍𝙊𝙆𝙀𝙉 that they both are a little hesitant to get hurt…or epically oblivious and in denial in Cal’s case! LJ created their romance perfectly and in a way that put the emotional turmoil in her other books to shame! Cal’s journey to finding herself and healing her traumas was 𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙂𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙇𝙇𝙔 𝘽𝙀𝘼𝙐𝙏𝙄𝙁𝙐𝙇 to read and it was only elevated with Row’s relentless need to support her, care for her and 𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙑𝙀𝙇𝙔 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 her to pieces!

The amount of utter 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙊𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 Ambrose Casablancas had for Cal shot him to the top of my book boyfriend list and it’s safe to say he is up there competing with another LJ classic - 𝙑𝘼𝙐𝙂𝙃𝙉 𝙎𝙋𝙀𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙍! Row was my character in this book, his 𝘼𝙇𝙋𝙃𝘼𝙃𝙊𝙇𝙀-𝙄𝙎𝙃𝙉𝙀𝙎𝙎 was next level at first but I 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 his snark and personality all the way through! His banter and friendship with Rhyland kept things entertaining since Rhyland gave his sh*t for all the pent up feelings and 𝙐𝙉𝘿𝙔𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀 he had for Cal and I also 𝙇𝙊𝙑𝙀𝘿 all the antagonism they put each other through. LJ however, shined with the enemy vibes between him and Kieran! I 𝘾𝘼𝙉𝙉𝙊𝙏 wait for Kieran’s book, if only to see Row go postal about his sister falling in love!

Overall, this book was 568 pages of lust, angst, turmoil and learning to love yourself. Leigh wrote a beautiful book full of characters that are 𝙧𝙖𝙬, 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩, and 𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙇 but also 𝙐𝙏𝙏𝙀𝙍𝙇𝙔 𝘾𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙄𝙑𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙉𝙂 in a story. She did what she does best and provided us with a new book boyfriend with a 𝙙𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝, 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 and 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 for his woman that is guaranteed to 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 in the angsty romance lists! Cal and Row were a romance I’ll be revisiting and one that left me satisfied but wanting more of both them and the other wonderful characters Leigh introduced in this series so far!

(P.S. - Let’s talk about 𝙏𝘼𝙏𝙀! Can we get his book pretty please, cherry on top? I would love to read all about that man’s built up 𝙏𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉 and 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝘿!)

𝘙𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 100+; 𝘓𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘽𝙇𝙀𝙒 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬! 𝘊𝘢𝘭'𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘰𝘸'𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝙄𝙈𝙋𝙊𝙎𝙎𝙄𝘽𝙇𝙀 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥!

Cal (Calla Litvin) has been in love with her best friend’s brother, Ro (Ambrose Casablancas) for as long as she can recall…except she doesn’t realize it until she’s in her early twenties. Ro has been madly in love with Cal since the moment he laid eyes on her, but his heart begins to break when he realizes she may not love him back. With an upcoming major life change, can Cal and Ro figure out that they are destined to be together?

First of all, I was gravitated toward this book because it’s L.J. Shen. Second, I love the grumpy x sunshine and enemies to lovers tropes, in addition to the fact that it’s a standalone in a series. I fell for the MMC so hard…like yes, he’s a major asshole at times, but OMG…he is so fiercely in love with Cal and will do anything for her, even help her fight her demons. *swoon* I cannot wait to read more by this author and more in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Media for the opportunity to listen to an Advanced Listener’s Copy (ALC) in exchange for my honest opinion.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book stands apart from others LJ has written and I loved it! I am a big fan of this author so it’s fun to see her try something different and just win at it! There is the angst we love from her present her with a sit of a slow burn on the romance. Listen, I don’t even like slow burn but he. Tension was just fantastic! The 90’s tid bits and nostalgia were such a good addition as well!

I loved Row Casablancas! He was so swoon and OTT obsessed with Cal. The was he held a torch for her just had me down bad! His journey in this story was so beautiful! His ambition and drive was sexy. We love a successful man but we love to see MMC really pining! Omg and does he! So damn hot!

Cal was quirky but in the best way! I don’t typically love “quirky” but something about her just captured my heart! I felt for her and laughed with her. Sometimes I did want to shake her but only because I loved the way Row loved her and she deserved to experience it without hesitation.

This book rightfully got 3.5 peppers from me! It was hot, hot, hot when the spark fly! Cal was a very, very lucky woman! And so am I because I had the audiobook which was fantastic! Teddy Hamilton and Lila Winters did an amazing job bringing this one to life!

I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to more from this new world!

I like when the guy falls hard, is closeted to admit it out loud, yet his secretive actions prove his love. Ro and Ca have known each other since high school-he was even her first-and connect again once Cal returns back to their hometown. Although I found the plot line to be dragging some and one spicy scene a bit out of the norm and uncomfortable, overall, the story was a good open-door romance told in dual, first person PoV. I listened to this on audio and I really enjoyed it, the dual narration was fantastic…both narrators had so much emotion and their pacing was impeccable. 3.75 for the book, 4..5 stars for the narrators.