Overruled came in hot and did not disappoint! The banter was top-tier, the chemistry was undeniable, and the spice? Whew! Your honor, I’d like to file a motion to never recover.

I do wish there had been just a tiny bit more plot development or external conflict. It leaned pretty heavily into the romance bubble but honestly? I ate it up anyway. If you’re here for steam, smart women, and hot lawyers with secret soft sides, you’re absolutely in the right courtroom.

This is my first “courtroom”’romance I’ve read and I loved it. Two divorce attorneys and opposing counsel equals great competition and banter between the two main characters! Lana makes you fall in love with characters but also makes you loathe a couple entirely. The twist at the end is didn’t see coming! Thank you Net Galley & the publisher for this ARC!

While I did enjoy Overruled, I feel that Lana Ferguson's strength is in her fantasy romances. The characters are well rounded and their interactions are fun, but there's just something missing for me.

Not my favourtite Lana Ferguson book. Workplace(ish) romance are not a trope I usually enjoy, but I wanted to give it a try because I normally love this author. Didn't predict what happend at the end with the case, but I also realized that law stories are not for me.

3.5 stars round up to a 4 because the writing and story were good, it just wasn't the book for me.

Oh, this was so good for me. It’s been a minute since I read a Lana Ferguson book and her writing scratches an itch in my brain so well.

I’ve been on a insta-love kick (not my fav, but that’s how my tbr has stacked up lately) and this was seemingly some variant of it, because we start off in a spicy scene between our enemies with benefits. I wasn’t sure if that dynamic was going to sit well with me, but it absolutely did.

Ezra was one of the most interesting, complex, and well fleshed out MMC’s I’ve read. His backstory was so intriguing and responsible for at least half of the reason I was so enthralled.

Danica on the other hand was just fine to me. She was relatable with her relationship traumas, but I do think her familial trauma and backstory was kind of a stretch. I honestly just tried to ignore that part.

The two of them together were completely electric, though. The way they anticipated each other moves in and out of the courtroom was so fun to read. The whole B Plot of the high profile divorce case with our main characters as opposing counsel was genius and thrilling and had me on the edge of my seat.

Very grateful that this book reminded me I need to be circulating more Lana Ferguson in my tbr.

I just don't think this author is for me.. Enemies to lovers is a hard trope - I felt the FMC protest too much, like I didn't even know the real reason why she hated the MMC? It seemed over the top and extremely petty, she needed to grow up. Read 20% and its a DNF for me.

This book brings the spice immediately. We’re talking page one. No waiting until the 75% mark for a single scene—there were three before I even hit 30%. 🙈 Normally, that might wear me out a bit, but Ferguson writes it so well.

This is a classic rivals-to-lovers, he-falls-first contemporary romcom. The beats are familiar, but the execution kept me engaged—I flew through it in under a day! I genuinely liked both main characters (and that’s saying something, because I never fall for blonde MMCs—give me dark and brooding any day).

I also appreciated the nuanced exploration of cheating. Neither MC cheats or is cheated on, but as divorce lawyers, it’s part of their daily lives. It added some really thoughtful layers, almost reminding me of Beach Read by Emily Henry.

If you’re into spice, dirty talk, and that rivals-to-lovers tension, this one’s worth picking up.

Another Ferguson that absolutely hits! It's the comedy for me, every time. Makes me bark laugh and giggle. I usually do not love books with lawyers and law, but this was pleasant surprise. Would definitely recommend!

There was a lot I liked about this book, and I definitely enjoyed Danica and Ezra more toward the end of the book than I did at the beginning.

This is often the case as the longer a book goes, the better you get to know the characters, but in this one it was more that the parts of the story where they really didn't get along aside from friends with benefits felt a little forced and like the author needed them to not get along for a while and went with this...and it didn't make sense for as long as it was used as a plot device.

Once the story got past that and started focusing on who they were to one another, it really started to work and I was able to enjoy the characters and the story.

I enjoyed and recommend this title.

This was such a fun book that was VERY different than anything I have read before (well, in the sense that they’re lawyers, not the romance) I thought the actual romance between Ezra and Dani was fun and while the miscommunication was a bit frustrating, I thought they resolved it quickly and how a normal couple would.

The whole plot with Ezra’s father being an actual villain that is represent of a villain in a dark romance was a bit jarring which is why I’m taking off one star.

The spicy scenes were SPICY. She’s killer at writing them. I applaud her.

Overall, I am absolutely open to reading more books from this author, and if there’s a book about Nick and Vera I will be tuning in.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

EXCUSE ME. I dare say this is the *best* enemies to lovers workplace rom ive read this year!! maybe top 3 of all time?! holyyy smokes. I love every single one of Lana’s love stories but she was channeling some kind of banter magic when she wrote these two. 😍 the way Dani and Ezra matched wits?!? gah I’m a sucker for smart bickering!! and the spice may have hit early but somehow it still felt like a slow burn?! the mutual secret pining except Ezra was down bad bad for her?! OBSESSED. and then the mutual vulnerability to emotional growth?? I couldn’t put this one down!! dang I loved it!

When he falls hard, so do I… and Ezra falls first and fast in the new Lana Ferguson romance.

What used to be ambition at work quickly shifts into full-on determination to win over Danica. But the job is easier said than done due to her being happily married to her job.

Danica is the FMC for the women who work hard, who thrive, and who refuse to apologize for their success. She’s the top lawyer in her region but when her fiercest opponent in court becomes her biggest distraction too, things get complicated. The question becomes - can Ezra argue his way into her heart, afterall?

This is a delicious twist on enemies-to-lovers because they’re not just emotionally at odds, they’re literal professional rivals. One wins, the other loses. It creates amazing tension

While Danica’s avoidance of emotional connection (and even basic communication) was frustrating at times, the depth and trauma of her backstory made it all make sense for her character. Both characters are layered with a dark history to contend with.

I really enjoyed this book, but am still so hung up on how this couple started off.

Possible minor spoilers ahead.

Dani and Ezra are two divorce attorneys on opposing cousels--so we've got that workplace rivalry thing going from the start, but the kicker is they've already been "hate" hooking up for a few months. Their angsty banter is great, they clearly don't get along at the start, so there is very clear growth in the relationship. We see both of them working through baggage with marriage and family, and they are pitted against each other in a really high-profile divorce case.

If I wasn't dumped right into their already established casual hook-up situation, I'm not sure if I would have been sold--they really seemed to hate each other. I believed it because it was established, but I so frequently found myself zoning out wondering who had initiated their first hook-up? Who asked to exchange numbers? Basically, my brain was so distracted by the who, what, when, where, why and how of it all.

I really enjoyed the book as a whole. I did love to see the character growth, and the natural chemistry between the pair was very apparent. The book very much gives us the "he fell first" vibe, but I still wanted more of the backstory. I'm rounding up, if given the option, this would probably be a 3.5 star for me.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Berkley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lana has become an author where I am preordering and looking forward to her books! She does a wonderful job with banter and build up, and her characters seem to come off one way when really they are another way in actuality. I really enjoyed Dani and Ezra! I liked that we are starting the story off where they are already in a situation ship of sorts, but Ezra wants more. Dani was so turned off by relationships. It was fun to watch Ezra change her mind about what they could look like. I once again LOVED the banter in this one, but there was an added element of banter in a professional setting because they were both lawyers. I liked that this banter and arguing was 1000% foreplay for them. I really liked Ezra! Dani had this perspective of him that was just wrong, and the more we learned about his life circumstances the more my heart broke for what he had been through and how he had learned to play a part. I always love when main characters are able to better each other- and that was the case in this one. Both of them had been set on courses in their lives and kind of taken a back seat to those circumstances. But after some time together and some prodding, they were able to push each other out of their comfort zones for the betterment of themselves. Also let me tell you Lana KNOWS how to do some SPICE. Ezra had the most wonderful mouth in the bedroom- he loved getting Dani all riled up, and I am here for it!

Dani knows she needs to stop this situation ship she has found herself in with her rival attorney, Ezra. But it’s like she looses all sense around him. He makes her body sing and her mind race in the best and worst way. They could never be more. It just wouldn’t work. And then Dani gets the case of her career. The one that is going to bring her all the way to the top. And who is the opposing counsel- Ezra. The same Ezra who she has pushed pause on and asked to keep things professional. But the more she is around Ezra the more she realizes she doesn’t want him to not be in her life outside of work. She doesn’t want to walk away from him. As scary as it is, she wants to explore this pull between them. And so they do. She is honest about her fears. She was led to believe something when she was younger and that has forever altered how she sees relationships. Ezra though is so much different than she thought. She thought he was a playboy and a user. When in reality, he is a sweetheart. He is dedicated. He has a lot going on in his family that is just tragic. But when something comes out in this case that no one else should know, Dani goes into protective mode. She pushes him away and then realizes she made a mistake. Now she has to figure out if what she feels for him is worth embracing or if she is going to continue to run scared for the rest of her life.

Ezra has one thing in his life that he looks forward to- his time with Dani. His rival counsel on most of his cases. The woman who is so prickly on the outside but who he can make sing with how he touches her. The woman who makes him want more. But he recognizes he can’t push her. He has to go at her pace. But when she acknowledges that there is in fact something between them and wants to pursue it, he almost has to pinch himself to make sure he isn’t dreaming. Is this real life? The woman of his dreams wants to try things out with him. So slowly but surely she lowers her walls around him. She lets him in. And Ezra understands how big of a gift that is. So he does the same. He lets her see behind the mask that is his family. And she doesn’t run away. In fact she digs her heels in an wants to help. All seems to be so well until something happens in their case. Something that freaks Dani out and makes her misjudge. And now Ezra is questioning a lot and realizing he is done with the way things were. He knows she is his endgame but also knows he has to wait for her to get there. He just hopes that she does.

I really enjoyed this one! The characters were loveable an relatable. Dani was so terrified of letting someone in. Giving someone the power to hurt her- and who hasn’t felt that way before. Meanwhile Ezra was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He needed a push and Dani gave it to him. I loved how their relationship blossomed. And though the angst was different - I enjoyed that as well. It was more of a who will acknowledge that this thing is real versus just a hook up. I would not be opposed to a book about Dani’s coworkers- just saying Lana. I definitely recommend this one for a fun, laugh out loud, sexy rom com with some large feelings!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a great romance book, loved seeing the relationship between Dani and Ezra. Lana Ferguson is a fantastic writer and storyteller.

I honestly loved this book. I had been listening to such terrible books and this one was everything I didn’t know I needed. It was constantly engaging and I didn’t want to stop listening. Yes the spice was amazing, but there was an actual plot. Law has always been fascinating to me and I loved listening to it. I will definitely be recommending this book to others!!

✨ Review ✨ Overruled by Lana Ferguson

Thanks to Berkley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Full of the main characters fighting -- fighting their attraction for each other and fighting in the courtroom.

In this enemies-to-lovers lawyers romance, there's great tension and banter between the main characters, Dani and Ezra are opposing counsel regularly on divorce cases. I flew through the pages they were fighting with each other. However, the rest of the plot though felt a little slow and felt full of highs and lows where it soared and dragged

Most importantly, Purrgood Marshall, the geniously-named cat, was one of my favorite parts 🐱

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: f/m contemporary romance
Setting: Austin, TX
Pub Date: Jul 01 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ enemies-to-lovers
⭕️ courtroom drama
⭕️ complicated families

📖 Bookish Thoughts
I’ve liked Lana Ferguson’s other books, but Overruled didn’t hit the mark for me. Danica was exhausting. She was indecisive, defensive, and the way she acted toward her parents felt bratty and immature. I kept waiting for her to grow or reflect, but it never really happened.

I didn’t dislike Ezra and Danica as a couple, but their connection didn’t really spark for me either.
The romance also took a backseat to the constant family drama for both characters. Still, it wasn’t a total miss but just not my favorite.

💼 What You Can Expect:
• Grumpy x sunshine
• He falls first
• Enemies with benefits
• Workplace Romance

📖 Final Score: 3 stars
🗓️ Pub Date: July 1, 2025
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

📖 Ok I liked this! I’ve never been super interested in law or courtroom scenes, but I thought the author did a fantastic job writing it into the story.

I really loved Ezra and Dani, despite their shortcomings and enjoyed their chemistry!

The subplots were deep and well written and kept me intrigued. Overall, I’m so glad I picked it up! Another quick, romantic, easy-to-love story by Lana Ferguson!

Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (& front page 1)

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for an arc in exchange for my review.

This one was super fun! Great banter, and I loved their rivalry! Very much a golden retriever x black cat dynamic. The "its the last time" aspect was so funny!