3.5 stars
I'm struggling on what to rate this.

I loved Ezra but Dani was something else.
I was not expecting them to already be "together" when the book started. I was expecting a build-up. Tension between 2 opposing councils. but like they said in the book, it was more like foreplay.

I loved Ezra's story. What he grew up dealing with and overcoming it.

they were both each others safe space and it was really nice to see.

thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this earc.

Lana never fails me. I loved this book! Enemies to lovers who hook up in secret? black cat FMC and golden retriever mmc? YES. Such a fun read. Our FMC needs to be a little nicer but that's my only complaint.

(4.5 Stars) Thank you, Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the gifted digital and audio advanced copies!

Danica Pierce and Ezra Hart are two of the top divorce attorneys in Austin, Texas. They are each at the top of their game. She’s a workaholic. He’s full of himself. They are bitter rivals in the courtroom. The current case is critical for Danica. Her client could have a huge payday, and if she wins, she’ll be up for partner. She just has to beat Ezra. There’s only one thing…they are also sleeping together. True enemies with benefits. But when Danica begins to realize that Ezra may actually be quite different from how she’s perceived him, with career challenges of his own, she begins to (to her horror) wonder if this thing between them might be more. And then she finds out what’s been on Ezra’s mind.

This is my fourth Lana Ferguson book, and I think it is my favorite. It is smart, complex, and full of heart. Like her other books, Ferguson has a great way of creating third-act drama that initially creates conflict for our main characters while ultimately drawing them closer together toward a common goal. The complexity of Ezra and Danica's backstories allowed for genuine growth in both of them, while their stubborn personalities created a wealth of fun and banter. It was a wildly entertaining read that I inhaled in a day.

🎧 Audiobook Notes 🎧 Samantha Summers and Connor Crais are absolute perfection in this duet narration. Like, perfect. The snarky, steamy banter. The slow-burn confession of way more than enemies with benefits. The family complexities. They bring all of it perfectly to life. (11 hrs and 33 mins)

I loved this so much! The romance was great, and the chemistry between Dani and Ezra was electric! I also appreciated that even though it was a spicy romance, there was also substance.

It was fun to follow along with each of them during the trial, and to learn more about their backstories. Lana Ferguson is quickly becoming an auto read author for me!

5/5 Stars 3/5 Spice

Tropes:
Rivals to Lovers
Workplace
Forbidden
Black Cat x Golden Retriever
He Falls First

🎧 Narration: Duet: 2.2x - Samantha Summers & Connor Crais
🥵 okay thennnn this was SO good in audio. i always love samantha in lana’s audiobooks & she really shined in this one with her banter & emotional depth. surprising absolutely no one connor crais was perfection. his down bad golden retriever vibes and smirky banter had me in a chokehold the whole book. trust me, if you’re an audio girlie this one is a must!

ezra - raw next question. i am down so bad for this man. but not quite as down bad as he is for dani. 🤣 god these two were so fun. i caught myself grinning & giggling the whole time from their banter & spice. the mouth on ezra 💦💦 dani never stood a chance truly. this was such a fun enemies with benefits vibe. it added some good character arcs with their family dynamics that i thought really elevated the story. overall this was a win for me. five big fat gold stars. now to binge lana’s backlist!

Two divorce lawyers, Danica and Ezra can’t keep their hands to themselves or comebacks, lol, end up facing off in court. I really enjoyed this steamy romance, Lana has become one of my auto-buy authors because none of her books have been bad! Danica and Ezra had amazing chemistry, funny banter, and just the right amount of drama. Ezra was such a great MMC, swoon worthy for sure! I was hooked from the beginning! I’d definitely recommend this book, and author to anyone who loves a steamy romance!

Overruled by Lana Ferguson is guilty of being one of the absolute best & most magnetic enemies to lovers romances I’ve ever read. Overruled is about two opposing but also rival lawyers that actually can’t stand one another but also can’t stand away from each other. The tension practically zings off the page so much that it is absolutely palpable.

This is the fourth book I’ve read from this author & while they are all wildly different, they all possess the author’s charming & entertaining writing style that is unique to their voice. I have loved everything I’ve read from this author.

Overruled is great for those looking to read…
💜 Rival Lawyers
💜 Enemies With Benefits
💜 Grumpy x Sunshine
💜 He Falls First
💜 “This is the last time!”
💜 Bathroom Shenanigans

Overruled felt like a watching a movie where you are absolutely rooting for the rivals to realize they are really lying to themselves when they say it’s just benefits. Overruled provides the steamy scenes with excellent emotional stories & histories for an intriguing & excellent romance that will have you turning the pages. I highly recommend Overruled.

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

Enemies with benefits to lovers, is that a trope? It is now!

Dani and Ezra are often opposing council in contentious divorces. But from page one, they are boning (yes, boning, and I stick by that word choice!) Dani is lucky enough to work with her two best friends. She also has divorced parents who are best friends, which has caused her marriage related trauma. Ezra works in the family law firm and there is clearly some family drama but I will let you discover that dear reader. As they work opposite sides of a nasty divorce, they realize that they want more than boning. Can they make a relationship work, even as his father and brother stick their noses into the case?

This is a pretty cute romantic comedy, the characters are easy to relate to and fun to read. There is a lot of lawyer jargon, and as I have nothing to do with law, I cannot assess if it was accurate.

It was set in Austin and over the summer but there was no talk of sweat or the heat, which was strange.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I think I purposely took my time reading this one because of how much I was enjoying it. This book follows two divorce lawyers, Ezra & Dani, who also happen to be fwb’s. But we know that rarely ever works so to watch them fall for each other throughout the book was so fun. I was so invested in not only Dani and Ezra’s story but also their clients they were representing in a messy divorce. I like how the author made both stories very entertaining. Sometimes the outside noise the characters deal with is a little boring and feels unnecessary but the storyline between their clients also had me wanting to keep reading the book. This book is fun and flirty and serious af and had me so mad at some parts but I loved everything about it. Ezra was my favorite right from the beginning. I love his humor and how much he longed for Dani. The tension between these two was so good. At some parts I did find Dani a little annoying the way she was so angry with her parents and the constant internal fights she had with herself with the way she was feeling about Ezra. Out of both characters, I liked Ezra the most.
Easy 5/5 for me!

This is a rom com with just the right amount of heart. I was grinning like a lovestruck idiot while reading this one. The chemistry?? YES The banter?? TOP TIER! I found myself rooting so hard for our main characters. The kind of couple that cant stand to be near eachother but also away from eachother. My favorite trope is a second chance romacne, so if your into that, some courtroom drama and a bit of spice,...Overruled will absolutely win the case.

Heartfelt, spirited, and romantic!

Overruled is a sweet, amusing tale that takes you into the life of the devoted, workaholic Danica and the arrogant, successful Ezra as they discover that there may be more to their relationship than heated banter, pretend feelings, and occasional hookups.

The writing is fun and light. The characters are hardworking, complex, and supportive. And the plot is a charming tale bursting with heart, humour, self-discovery, secrets, chemistry, attraction, sexy times, and familial strain.

Overall, Overruled is a steamy, touching, uplifting tale by Ferguson that I adored and absolutely devoured from start to finish.

This book was so fun from start to finish!! It can be hard with romance books to be hooked the entire time, but this one was truly a blast.
This book gave me such Legally Blonde vibes? And I was not mad about it one bit. I think there was a really good balance of dealing with the case while also focusing on Ezra and Dani's relationship; I felt like these two plot points never overshadowed one another.
Ezra and Dani's banter was SO GOOD. I was giggling and kicking my feet. It was also nice to jump right into it rather than have an explanation of when they started hooking up because they already felt so natural together, we didn't need the back story.
For my first Lana Ferguson book, this was 10/10! I can't wait to read more!!

Another fun, spicy romance from Lana Ferguson. "Overruled" follows two attorneys on opposing sides of a nasty divorce. When the book opens, Dani and Ezra are already embroiled in a bitter enemies with benefits relationship that Dani can't seem to walk away from. As their paths continue to cross in more and more meaningful ways, their physical encounters start to take on an emotional tone that Dani is not prepared to face. Meanwhile, Dani is desperately trying to get justice for her client Bianca, who has been repeatedly wronged by her soon to be ex husband Lorenzo (represented by Ezra). Further complicating matters is Ezra's fractious relationship with his family, especially his father who employs him.

Things I loved: Dani's incredible competence, Bianca and Dani's relationship, the *spice*, the Hart brothers character arcs. the nuanced representation of people making the best mistakes they can at the time.

Big thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overruled by Lana Ferguson is a sizzling, smart, and emotionally resonant romance that delivers both heat and heart. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between the two leads crackles with tension, and the legal backdrop adds a fun, fresh twist to the familiar trope. Ferguson’s writing is sharp and witty, with dialogue that feels natural and characters that are well-developed and compelling.

The chemistry between the protagonists is undeniable, and the slow-burn build-up pays off with steamy scenes that don’t overshadow the emotional depth of the story. There’s also a welcome thread of vulnerability woven through the narrative—both characters are more than just banter and bravado, and their personal growth feels earned by the end.

Why not five stars? Some pacing issues in the middle dragged a bit, and a couple of side characters felt underused. But overall, this is a smartly written romance that balances fun and feels in all the right ways.

A great pick for fans of contemporary romance with a strong heroine, sharp banter, and a lot of heart. Looking forward to what Lana Ferguson writes next!

Thank you @berkleyromance for the free digital copy! #berkleypartner

Truly if @lanafergusonwrites writes it, I’m reading it.

I loooooved this book. Dani and Ezra’s rival-to-lovers/rivals-with-benefits story was witty and candid, with equal amounts of heart. Dani is a firecracker; amazing grump with amazing comebacks. Ezra is sunshine and happiness, with his favorite past time driving Dani crazy when he’s not driving her wild 🥵 he might be my fave Lana MMC to date.

The book starts off with a bang (literally) and just keeps up the momentum. The cast of characters was amazing; even the hateful, spiteful ones served a purpose, and the end was so satisfying.

Lana, if you see this, I’d like to personally request an Eli story 👀 juuuuuust saying 🤗

I love Lana’s books and her writing, I enjoyed this although it did fall a little flat for me. The MC’s had chemistry, but I couldn’t really feel the romance I was looking for. The rivalry aspect felt a little repetitive, with them hating each other but always coming back for more. Overall I enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley for the ARC!

This is the kind of enemies-to-lovers, workplace-romance gold that had me smirking, swooning, and occasionally yelling “JUST KISS ALREADY!” at my book. Danica is a tough-as-nails divorce lawyer who’s all business until Ezra (her charming, maddening rival) shows up and wrecks her perfectly compartmentalized life. The banter is sharp, the tension delicious, and the emotional payoff totally worth it.

I knocked off one star only because I wanted a bit more depth in the last third, but honestly? This book is a total win if you're into steamy slow burns with big feelings and bigger stubborn streaks. Pick it up if you love watching two people fight like hell not to fall in love and lose spectacularly.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you @berkleyromance for this gifted book!

“I’ll wait as long as it takes for her. Because I meant it, what I told her all those weeks ago. That she’s absolutely worth staying for. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

Overruled is a fast paced romance between rival divorce lawyers that love to push each other. I was giddy with every court scene we got between them. You could practically feel the tension, loathing, and want through the pages. I ended up reading this in one sitting!

✨Danica is the black cat divorce lawyer who loves pushing Ezra every chance she gets. She doesn’t want to want him but it’s impossible not to. Not that she’ll ever admit that though.

✨Ezra is the golden retriever divorce lawyer who falls first and hard for Danica. The way he constantly reassured her how wanted she was had me swooning. He is also a cat dad to the cutest gentleman. While he is sweet, he also has a mouth.

✨I love a dual narrated audiobook and this one is narrated by Samantha Summers and Connor Crais and they nailed it! My recent drive to Indy was spent listening to this audio and I felt like I was sucked into the story with how they brought it to life.

Overruled has:
⚖️ Rival lawyers
📖 He falls first
🐈‍⬛ Black cat X golden retriever
🥞 Enemies w benefits
🧑🏽‍⚖️ Spice
💙 Banter & tension

This was everything I come to expect from a Lana book. It was fast-paced and really spicy. I literally have no complaints. This was a fun one on audiobook. Recommend! Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an e-arc of this book.

Lana Ferguson is definitely the queen of great spicy romances. She continues to showcase her amazing creativity and brings so much variety to her Romcoms, they are all so unique.

I definitely recommend this one to fans of enemies to lovers. It was expertly executed!