Overruled by Lana Ferguson is Danica and Ezra’s story about two divorce lawyers who are friends with benefits; unexpectedly finding themselves battling each other in the courtroom. With off the charts chemistry, these opposing counsels can’t seem to keep their hands off each other outside of court. With enjoyable banter, emotional depth of past wounds, and the spice between them made this steamy romance a fun read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#Berkley #NetGalley #Overruled

5 Stars

I completely DEVOURED this book in one sitting. I'm not joking... one sitting. It's been a long time since a romance has had me so hooked that I genuinely COULD NOT STOP READING and had to read through a decent bedtime, a late bedtime, and a "how-are-you-going-to-function-tomorrow" bedtime JUST SO I COULD FINISH. Lana Ferguson grabs you the SECOND the book opens and has you screaming for more (much like Danica does with Ezra... ayo!). This enemies-with-benefits trope was DELICIOUS, and the tension was EXQUISITE. Two divorce attorneys that use each other for *release* have to represent a couple in the throes of divorce, forcing their proximity? PERFECTION. I don't want to spoil it, but if you loved that scene in The Hating Game where Lucy realizes Josh painted his wall to match her eye color, you will LOVE Ezra and his feelings for Danica.

Overruled by Lana Ferguson is a steamy, banter filled delight. Ezra and Dani, both divorce lawyers at rival firms, have electric chemistry that crackles through every scene. I was thoroughly entertained by their snarky, flirty interactions…Ezra’s subtle pining contrasted perfectly with Dani’s constant mantra of “this is the last time,” which, of course, never sticks.

Beyond the heat, there’s emotional depth, especially with the courtroom drama that added another layer of intrigue to the story. I appreciated how Ferguson balanced humor, romance, and real life stakes without letting any one element overshadow the others.

My only gripe was with Dani’s reaction to her parents’ divorce. Her immaturity around their continued friendship didn’t sit right with me, especially as someone from a divorced family who values amicable co-parenting. I just didn’t get it.

Connor Craig and Samantha Summers brought these characters to life brilliantly in the audiobook. Their duet narration added richness and emotion to the story, making it even more immersive.

Hating Games vibes, banter + rivalry - I was definitely entertained by Danica & Ezra’s story! ✨

Thank you Berkley & Penguin Random House Audio for the ARC & ALC. All opinions are my own.

✦ tropes & stuff:
⚖️ rival lawyers
✨ enemies with benefits
🐈‍⬛ black cat x golden retriever
🤭 “this is the last time” on repeat
💙 he falls first
🧳 family trauma/baggage
💞 dual 1st person pov

•┈••✦ review ✦••┈•

🎧 audio/ebook | ⭐️: 4.5 | 🌶️: 3 |

This was a fun read/listen. Danica & Ezra were quite the pair, and I loved the whole “this is the last time” - but we all KNOW she’s coming back for more - energy! 😍

💭 what I loved about this one:
- their banter & dynamic
- “I don’t WANT to want you”
- how Ezra was definitely secretly crushing on Danica hard, and she was resisting falling for him every step of the way

🙃 what didn’t quite work for me:
- it took me a bit to get into and I’m not sure why!
- there wasn’t really anything unique about this, it was kind of forgettable
- Danica’s views on her parents’ relationship felt immature, and it didn’t really make sense why it affected her SO deeply as an adult

🎙 narrated by: Samantha Summers & Connor Crais
🎧 audiobook thoughts:
DUET narration is always a hit for me! I love this duo, and they really fit the MCs super well 😍

Dani loves being a divorce lawyer, she is married to her job and very passionate about it. Ezra is often the lawyer on the other side of the table, good looking, charming and pompous and stirs up a passionate hatred in Dani. Except that hatred turns to something else whenever they are alone and Dani just can’t quit Ezra. Now on a new case against each other they spend more time together and Dani starts to realize that Ezra is actually very different than she originally assumed.

]I debated this one because I generally don’t enjoy lawyer books (since I am one and I end up finding flaws) but I figured divorce law is so different than what I do that I‘d be ok. This one is very spicy (at least for me) - starting with the opening scene (I usually like to be eased in to a story a bit). I really liked Ezra’s backstory (more than Dani’s actually) and I did enjoy reading this, but it got a little silly at times. But if you want a cute and spicy read this definitely fits the bill, I was entertained the entire time. I listened to about half of this one and while I thought the narrators were great, I prefer my spicy scenes on the page (it’s hard to walk around in public listening to some of it).

3.75 stars

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for the ARC to review

I'm conflicted about this one. Listen I rarely ever side with a man but I think the MMC deserved better in this one. Dani was just mean, on many occasions 😭 The chemistry between them was fire but I wasn't really feeling the romantic aspect between them.

The rivalry between these two lawyers also felt a bit forced and repetitive. They are enemies with benefits but the FMC kept saying they needed to stop sleeping with each other but she would be back the next day. 🫠 We were just going around in circles.

I did really enjoy the legal plot of the story and the side characters (Dani's best friends). At one point, I was more interested in their storyline than the main characters 🥲

This was a bingeable book but sadly it wasn't really for me.

This was a fairly standard rom-com to me. I still enjoyed it, but there wasn’t anything that happened in the plot that made me impressed by it. The two main characters, Ezra and Danica, are divorce lawyers at competing law firms and are set to face each other in court over the biggest court case of their careers. There’s a lot riding on how the case plays out: Danica is up to become partner at her firm and if Ezra loses he’ll face the wrath from his father (the head of the firm). But they have a secret: they can’t keep away from each other. Danica is the grumpy to Ezra’s sunshine. And he’ll get her to fall in love with him even if it means the end of his career.

I like the characters and how they were just perfect for each other in terms of understanding and connection. The court case plot was interesting, but it became dry and tedious at times, same with Ezra and Danica’s relationship. It felt like the plot moved at a snail’s pace and that the author was only writing a plot to be able to write a multitude of explicit scenes. I enjoy spice in my books, but not when it feels like that’s all the book is. I think this could have been written better, but it was okay overall.

This is my second Lana Ferguson book and I had such a good time with this one. It follows Ezra and Dani - two lawyers who are opposing each other in a high stakes divorce case. I loved the banter between the two of them and I found the court room drama/case details interesting to follow. I loved the way the relationship progressed (enemies to lovers, he falls first), and the character growth in both main characters as they deal with their own personal family drama and figuring out their feelings for each other.

Overall I am so glad I picked this is up and highly recommend!! It is a fast paced read and I enjoyed it so much. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the eARC :)

Only got through a few chapters and simply could not keep going. It just wasn’t for me between feeling like this picked up in the middle + spice scenes right from page 1.

Well well well. Hello new book I absolutely love and cannot and will not stop talking about!

Enemies to lovers? Divorce lawyers? A very spicy rivalry? Say less.

Danica and Ezra are constantly at each other’s throats—in and out of the courtroom—and their banter is so sharp it could cut through prenups. She wants partnership. He plays dirty. They absolutely shouldn’t fall into a no-strings-attached fling…but they do. And oops, ✨ feelings ✨

Beneath all the snark and steam are two people with messy pasts and even messier hearts, just trying not to lose themselves—or each other—during the biggest case of their careers.

I devoured every page. The tension? Immaculate. The chemistry? Off the charts. The banter is top notch. The emotions, the yearning!!! Ezra and Dani had me kicking my feet, laughing out loud, holding my breath, and rooting for them from the very beginning. Also, Nate and Vera? ICONS!

This book reminded me so much of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne (one of my all time favorites), and if you loved that one as well, definitely pick this up when it’s out next week!

A billion thanks to Berkley for the ARC!

Lana’s books are always a treat and this is no exception. Dani and Ezra had such a great banter. A delightful read!

Clever, funny, good pacing (I ate it up and read it in a day, couldn’t put it down)
The family drama. Relationship drama. Courthouse drama, it was so fun. The banter between two lawyers that get off on opposing each other in court was hilarious. A very spicy romance with layered characters that both experienced family traumas that shape how they handle relationships.

Rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes
🧑‍⚖️ Rival lawyers
⚖️ Enemies to love
🏙️ Workplace romance
🌦️ Grumpy x sunshine
🚫 Forbidden romance
💘 He falls HARD

“F*ck!ng Ezra Hart.”

“That’s it. Look how well you’re taking me. You want this just as much as I do, don’t you?”

“I like you greedy for me.”

“Don’t you know?” I lean in, brushing my lips across hers, smiling. “I’ve loved you for ages, Dani. I’ve just been waiting for you to catch up.”

Wow wow WOW! This may just be my favorite Lana book…actually YES IT IS!! I adore these characters so much. Dani is such a relatable character and Erza is ✨delish✨ with a 🔥nasty🔥 mouth! I love the lawyer and court aspects of this story and I thought it gave it such a different feel to her other books! She really can do no wrong😍 Overruled is definitely her steamiest book yet! The spice in this one😮‍💨 What a flippin ride!

--What I Loved--
This is probably my favorite book from Lana Ferguson! You can expect laughs, spice, and little bit of hard hitting drama from her books, and Overruled has been my favorite balance of the three elements. Ezra was an absolute cinnamon roll (when he wasn’t in the court room!) and I was invested in his family drama. Danica had her own emotional issues that added to the plot.

-He falls first-always a favorite!
-I loved their banter — witty, flirty, and fast-paced.
-The family drama for both main characters was interesting and added another layer to the plot.

--What Didn’t Quite Work for Me--
My main complaint was the length of the story. I’m not generally a fan of romance or thriller books longer than 325-350 pages. It plot is fast paced though so it does go by pretty quickly.

-Danica was a little annoying at first but she has great character development.
-Although I did enjoy the family drama, I will admit sometimes it took away from the romance plot of the book.
-I would have loved a flash back chapter of Danica and Ezra meeting for the first time from both their POVs.

--Spice Level--
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

Pretty spicy but I know there are spicier books out there.

--Overall Thoughts--
Overruled was a delightful rom-com with a touch of family drama. This would be an excellent beach or pool read this summer because it is a fast-paced book with spicy time. I will definitely be adding this book to my collection and look forward to more releases from Lana Ferguson.

A sexy yet sensitive book with enough smut and legal arguments to satisfy, this is one of my favorite Lana Ferguson books!!!!! Recommend to anyone who likes to argue and smash in equal measure.

A fun and flirty rival to lovers story where he falls first!

Danica & Ezra have been opposing lawyers for most of their careers. They’re relationship has always been tense and they found ways to relieve some of that tension together. While the physical connection is there the emotional connection takes a little longer to blossom.

I was an Ezra fan from the start and the dual POV helped me get fully immersed in their story. If you like Lana Ferguson’s previous works you’ll love this one! I definitely would recommend to readers who enjoy rivals to lovers and sassy FMCs!

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC!

I just eat up everything Lana Ferguson writes! Her steamy romcom's are always top notch with all the best banter, drama and SPICE! This was my first "lawyer romance" and I really enjoyed the dynamic! The rivals with benefits vibes were so fun and filled with the best tension. I absolutely adored Ezra and his golden retriever personality. Our FMC, Danica, is all black cat. The fact that they had each other's names in their phones as "asshole" and "sour patch" was cracking me up. And let me tell you, the spice was on point. Ezra and his filthy mouth was a highlight of this book for me.

I also enjoyed the case they were working on through the story, I really had thought I had called the little plot twist there but was, of course, wrong lol. I also loved how both Ezra and Dani were having their own family struggles and how they were able to overcome those. The character development was spot on and I loved watching it all unfold. I can't comment on the accuracy of the law terminology since my expertise on anything Law is from Legally Blond or Law & Order SVU 😂 But it definitely wasn't confusing and I found myself enjoying the drama of the court scenes.

This was such a fun read that I couldn't put down. I read this in less than 24 hours and I'm so excited to read more books by Lana Ferguson in the future!

Thank you Berkley Pub, Netgally and the author for the eArc to read and review!

This was one of the horniest books I’ve read in a while!!!

We start off with a literal bang 💥 and it’s hate enfused sex, work, texting, everything. I kinda loved it! Both characters are super badass, especially our FMC, Dani. And our MMC, Ezra, has daddy issues and a dirty mouth that will always be an automatic YES from me.

I actually loved the relationship growth from being hate fuck buddies to actually being in a romantic relationship (don’t worry the hate fucks don’t go away). I also love a good courtroom drama and having it in a book was so fun! I need more of that.

Read if you like:
🌶️ hot spice (3/5)
👩‍⚖️ courtroom drama
🤓 workplace romance
😤 rivals to lovers
💥 hate sex fuck buddies
😭 family drama
😮‍💨 he falls first and he is obsessed

I really enjoyed The Nanny and The Fake Mate but Overruled didn't work for me the same way. We do get some great banter in this story and it is spicy but I didn't fully feel like the romance was the focus of the story here. The FMC and the MMC were already involved at the beginning of the story and I felt like the story was more framed by the divorce case they worked on together.

Additionally, I was surprised by how dark this story was I would have liked to see trigger warnings for: Parental abuse, domestic violence and an off page suicide attempt. If you are hoping for a lighter romcom this story is not that. If you want a spicy romance with darker elements and spice this might be a good choice.

Overruled delivers a sizzling, enemies-to-lovers romance between two high‑stakes divorce lawyers—Danica and Ezra—who can't stop battling each other in court…and in bed. The electric banter, addictive courtroom drama, and steamy chemistry make it a binge‑worthy read. It’s smart, spicy, and surprisingly heartfelt, with strong character growth and a satisfying emotional payoff.