Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc!

The Dirty Version is raw, bold, and definitely unpolished. Some parts had me hooked with sharp insights and gritty storytelling, while others dragged and felt a little all over the place. It has moments that hit hard, but it doesn’t always stay consistent. Not a favorite, not a flop, just somewhere in the middle.

This book just was not a good fit for me. I couldn’t connect with the fmc or the plot line and wasn’t able to keep going with reading. DNF at about 50%.

"The Dirty Version" details an author's struggle to stay true to her published book, which became a feminist bestseller, as a television production is being formulated. Everyone knows that "sex sells," so when her feminist book, which was about a woman from a colony of women only who rescues a man on the shore and surprise - she has a relationship with him and gets pregnant. The director wants to spice the book up and add more sex, as well as change the ending of the book, where the woman gives birth to a male child and throws it off a cliff to maintain the "women only" island.

Natasha, (Tash), the author tries to ignore the director's efforts, until she is assigned an "intimacy coordinator," who will help her write the "dirty parts" that the director wants. Of course, the coordinator is a sexy man, and she falls for him. Will Tash be able to allow changes to her book's storyline without "selling out?"

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of this title. The Dirty Version is available now!

This book was certainly well written but I had trouble engaging with the characters. Caleb (the MMC) is a self-proclaimed feminist and Tash (the FMC) thinks “there are no good men”, both two archetypes that are very difficult to interact with. Obviously, over the course of the book they grow with each other but I struggled to get past some of their difficult personality traits.

The main focal point of the plot revolves around Tash’s novel, which was implied to be super feminist and profound, but whatever symbolism the baby sacrifice was supposed to represent went right over my head, so that part of plot didn’t land for me.

Overall, it wasn’t my personal cup of tea, but it had its moments.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Loved this debut rom com, it needs more attention! Main character Tash wrote a feminist dystopian novel which was an unexpected hit, and now it’s being made into a tv series. Too bad the producer is not her style, and he has insisted she add more sex to the scripts. Enter Caleb, part of an intimacy coordinator business who they have brought in to work with Tash to sex up the scripts.

And I just enjoyed every minute of this one and flew through it. Loved both Tash and Caleb’s unique backgrounds, loved the banter, loved Tash’s best friend - and kind of wish I could read Tash’s dystopian book too!

For those who know me and are surprised to see me reviewing a book with “dirty” in the title, rest assured that the title is not representative of the book - the studio may want “the dirty version” of the script from Tash, but just like the work she ends up doing with Caleb, the book is more subtle - a slow burn that is sexy but not explicit at all. So if you’re someone who is looking for 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ you might be disappointed with that title, but for me it was perfect.

This is a smart, funny, and delightfully steamy rom-com that skewers Hollywood’s obsession with style over substance. When Tash, a fiercely feminist author, is forced to rewrite her novel for a blockbuster-happy director, she’s paired with Caleb—the studio’s frustratingly charming intimacy coordinator. What starts as creative tension turns into undeniable chemistry, and their collaboration blurs the line between fiction and real life.

I was excited about this one based off the premise; a dystopian author whose book is being turned into a script & the studio heads are requiring her to work with an intimacy coordinator to make it more sexually appealing to the audience.

From the gorgeous cover to the synopsis, this book had everything going for it to be one I loved, but for some reason it just wasn’t for me and I had a hard time pinpointing why. I enjoyed parts of it, and especially enjoyed Caleb as a character but there was something unlikeable for me about Tash that just didn’t make her relatable to me in a way that I could connect with the story in the way I was hoping for. I enjoyed the details of the story more than the plot and character growth, so I would read this author again but this just wasn’t the book for me. It didn’t hold my attention like I was hoping for and I think having Caleb’s POV would have made the book less difficult for me to get into, seeing both sides would have made the chemistry more pronounced for me because I truly loved the concept of this one!

ARC Review- 2.5 Stars

I liked the epilogue but there were many times throughout this book that I just didn't care about the storyline and characters. This unfortunately put me in a reading slump and I just didn't care to pick up my kindle to read it. I wished I loved it more because the synopsis was very intriguing but it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley And Harper Perennial for sending me and ARC of this book.

This was not exactly my best read but it was alright. I was definitely pulled in by the chemistry between Tash and Caleb. All that lingering and flirting with the metaphorical conversations just got me waiting for them to finally kiss or get together. Loved their chemistry. Tash is smart and Caleb is basically a sweetheart.

However I just felt like that there was too much jargon being used. Maybe it’s just me but for some reason I felt the writing could have felt better with just simple use of words. I can’t help but feel it was super complex. Also maybe it didn’t sit great with me because I’m not someone who reads sci-fi or dystopian novels so I could barely be interested in Tash’s book The Colony.

The concept of this book was cute and I enjoyed the author’s writing style – quick paced and engaging. The FMC was overly stuck in these very one-sided views, which would have been fine if her growth had been more apparent. Like many other reviewers have said, the character growth was lacking. Tash sees things as very black and white, which got old quick, but her arc didn’t feel fully fleshed out. And for all the talk of blocking, there were a few scenes that were hard to follow. I did like the writing style, so will be looking out for Kahn’s next book, but this one just left me wanting more.

Tash’s feminist dystopian novel has been picked up by a studio, which most authors would be thrilled about, but in this case the indie studio that originally picked it up no longer exists and a new large studio now is making the series. Unfortunately Tash feels that her strong feminist vision of the book is being buried by the need to make money - they want it to be sexier. The studio even goes so far as to hire an intimacy coordinator, Caleb to help Tash write the new spicy scenes. As much as Tash is resistant to Caleb and his role, the sparks between them are undeniable, and it may even make the series better in the end.

Despite the name, this is not a spicy book. I read it by the pool and it was actually the perfect respite for me, I read it in between some truly sad books. I really liked the characters, their dynamics and the story itself. While I always enjoy a book about writing, this added the additional element of adapting your book to a script which added a nice layer to the trope. This is a fun, read in a day novel.


Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the ARC to review

Tash has written a hit novel, unfortunately she’s not exactly thrilled with how the director intends to translate it onto film. Instead of a female empowerment story he wants to make it hot and heavy. That’s were Caleb comes in. He’s the intimacy coordinator and Tash is going to have to work with him to write a script the director will accept. I’ve always been a fan of the enemies to lovers trope. While I have no idea how Hollywood actually works, it wouldn’t be surprised if much of what is portrayed were true. Not quite as light and breezy as I expected but still enjoyable. 3.5 stars. I’d like to thank Harper Perennial and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Dirty Version.

https://www.amazon.com/review/RD7R7M2BAKQ1H/ref=pe_123899240_1043597390_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This book sounded like a fun read. Unfortunately the writing style just wasn't for me. It was difficult to stay focused on the story and after struggling to read it I gave up at 21%.

There may be some who enjoy this story but,unfortunately it wasn't for me.

This one had such a strong premise, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. The female main character was so rigid and self-righteous that it made it hard to stay invested. Her complete unwillingness to see things from anyone else’s point of view turned what could’ve been a compelling story into a frustrating read. I kept hoping for growth or nuance, but by the end, I was just ready for it to be over. Great concept, but the character work really let it down.

The Dirty Version by Turner Gable Kahn was just amazing!
I absolutely loved this book. It had a good pacing, it was really cute, and the chemistry was on point!
The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read.

Thank you, @TurnerGableKahn and @HarperPerennial for my free advanced copy. #harperperennialpartner

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
The Dirty Version by Turner Gable Kahn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 240
Genre: Romcom
Release Date: July 1, 2025
🥳#HappyPubWeek!🎉

Natasha “Tash” Grover excitedly sold the dramatic rights to her hit feminist novel to an indie film studio. What she didn’t expect was for her work to end up in the hands of a huge action movie franchise director who plans to sex up her novel into a steamy television series. In an effort to maintain some control over her work, she is forced to work closely with an intimacy coordinator on those spicy scenes. Soon, Tash is in the middle of her own enemies-to-lovers romance.

I really enjoyed this cute romcom, especially since enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romcom tropes. Despite the title, this isn’t a particularly dirty romance though, in case that’s what you’re looking for. It does have a compelling storyline and good characters though. And it’s available for free with #KindleUnlimited.

Tash was thrilled when the dramatic rights to her surprise-hit feminist novel were snapped up by. And now the director wants “the dirty version” of her book, demanding Tash transform the strong, complex female warriors she created into eye candy. The studio assigns Tash to its golden-boy intimacy coordinator to help her add spice to the script. Tash resents Caleb from the first word of the first sentence they write together, certain he’s the enemy and too handsome to be trusted. But the longer they collaborate on her characters, the more she’s attracted to his firm grasp of emotional (and fine, physical) nudity. Soon they’re burning up the bedsheets along with their new pages, blurring romantic storylines. But just when Tash feels it’s all coming together, the whole plot falls apart. Can she find a narrative that saves her show and her own love story, or are both lost forever?

📚 What a fun read! A book about a book - that’s being made into an adaptation! I raced through this one in a matter of hours! It was fun and light and touched on deeply sensitive subjects very well! And Tash was so relatable and I loved how passionate she was about her book. However - I totally understood the need to ‘raunch’ it up a bit for TV, and felt everyone around Tash understood this aside from her. And whilst I loved her passion I felt maybe she could have been a little less defensive about it all. Especially as everyone around her was literally doing everything they could to help and advise. I loved the poetic parallel between The Colony and what was happening with Tash and Caleb 🥹 SWOON.

Thank you to @harperperennial and @netgalley for this Advanced Reader Copy

#NetGalley #TheDirtyVersion #AdvancedReaderCopy #TurnerGableKahn

I sadly could not finish this book as the writing style really wasn’t for me. I felt as though I was reading a peer-reviewed article and it did not match the romance genre.

I stayed up late to try to finish this and my tablet died with 20 pages left. Ahhhh. This starts with a Miscommunication trope and turned into happy/grumpy maybe even sunshine/hate. I loved the easy going nature of the MMC and how comfortable he is with himself. Which is the complete opposite of our FMC who is trying to find herself. This gives me what women want vibes for our MMC and I’m not going to lie. I love this backstory. I don’t love how they worked off site and were alone for their meetings. As a woman this gives me unsafe vibes and as the main male character states about creating a place of trust and safety this seemed the opposite. But as a romance book this actually obviously sets the scene and increasing the intimacy and brings the pining and tension out in our story. I really enjoyed this story and loved the dynamic between them. The way they work together and blend is so swoony. I also want to read the Colony. Can we have a mini novella please.

When an author sells her dramatic rights for her feminist, dystopian novel, The Colony, sparks fly when an intimacy coordinator is tasked with helping the author spice up the screenplay in The Dirty Version by Turner Gable Kahn.

Tash, the author of the book, is having a hard time letting her vision go. When push comes to shove, and she has to give the producer an answer about whether she wants to do the rewrites, things don’t look promising, especially when she’s assigned a male intimacy coordinator to work with her on the script!

Paired with Caleb, Tash is told Caleb is there to assist in taking her words from the page to the small screen. Caleb bends over backwards to let her voice be heard the way she intended while adding the sensuality needed for it to become a television show.

Watching the two almost come to blows at times was challenging to watch. Tash tends to speak first and then realizes the trouble she’s gotten herself into. She and Caleb mostly get along, but she does tend to push him away, especially if she doesn’t think he’s on her side. Her friend Janelle is always there for her, as is one of her brothers and his partner. There’s a romance brewing between Tash and Caleb, even if they are working together, and that should be the last thing on their minds.

Set in Florida, the author provides vivid descriptions, but I wanted more. Tash had several meltdowns, which isn’t a professional look. Unfortunately, she often tries to reign herself in, but it’s usually too late. She has difficulty with relationships—from her parents to a sibling and especially with her ex-boyfriends. She just doesn’t seem to know how to pick a love interest well.

While most of the story focuses on the difficulty of writing the script, a few other stories are also told. Tash and Caleb eventually find a way to work together, but when romance is sparked, will that be their downfall? There is closure with the epilogue, but I wish it went on just a little longer.

The Dirty Version details what it takes to get the written word from book to screen and how things can go haywire fast.

I rated the book 3.5 stars but rounded to 4 stars here and on other sites.

The review is posted on NovelsAlive.