Loved this fast paced, super spicy novella!
I felt the connection grow between T & K throughout the novella and was pulled into their story from the start.

Loved the epilogue ending!! Just perfect!!

Excited to read more books by Lexi Davis

For a novella this introduces characters that are so complex and lovable! I felt so invested in their story lines and their futures! It’s a fun, super spicy, quick read that was an excellent palate cleanser.

I absolutely loved this short and spicy novella. It had a good story and the spice was so good. I just wish it was longer.
K and T have issues finishing with a partner so they sign up for an unconventional therapy session. They are put in a room with a doctor watching and need to be intimate. The attraction and chemistry is there. Can they help each other?

This wasn't what I was expecting from the summary but I also wasn't disappointed. It was a very interesting read, like a short story of self exploration.

📚 Title: Hold Me For Now
✍️ Author: Lexi Davis
🗓️ Release Date: May 20, 2025
📘 Format: Ebook (ARC) — provided by NetGalley and Melissa Dymond in exchange for an honest review.

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🌟 Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

📝 Vibe Summary:
Hold Me For Now is a steamy, emotionally complex novella that explores intimacy, vulnerability, and healing in a way that’s both raw and tender. It’s about two broken people who walk into a clinical setup seeking help—and walk out with far more than they expected.

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📖 Story Review:

Initial Impressions:
I don’t typically gravitate toward novellas, but this one intrigued me from the very first line of the blurb. A clinical session that turns into something emotionally charged and unexpectedly intimate? I had to know more. Once I started reading, I was fully invested—and finished the entire thing in under an hour.

Characters & Emotional Depth:
Kristi and Trevor are two people weighed down by personal insecurities and emotional scars. What begins as a seemingly experimental appointment becomes an intensely honest encounter between two strangers learning what it means to connect. While their goals are clinical on the surface, the emotional stakes run much deeper.

Kristi’s emotional unraveling is subtle but powerful, especially when juxtaposed with Trevor’s discomfort and eventual vulnerability. His desire to “fix” her—not just physically, but emotionally—makes him a surprisingly endearing character, even in such a short timeframe. The quote, “I want you to feel fixed too, for yourself,” encapsulates his quiet, selfless longing to give her more than just temporary satisfaction.

Spice Level:
This novella delivers heat from nearly start to finish. The intimacy is explicit but purposeful, layered with emotional tension and genuine character exploration. It’s erotic, yes—but it’s also deeply human.

Critique & Final Thoughts:
If there’s one critique, it’s this: I wanted more. More time with the characters, more background, more emotional fallout. The novella ends just as I felt fully immersed in their dynamic. That said, it’s a testament to Lexi Davis’s ability to hook readers quickly and leave them wanting the full story. I would absolutely love to see this expanded into a full-length novel one day—and if that happens, I’ll be first in line to grab a copy.

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✅ Would I Recommend It?
Yes—especially for readers who love high-heat novellas with emotional substance, minimal fluff, and deeply flawed but sincere characters. Perfect for fans of quick-burn romance with therapeutic tension and real heart.

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📣 Disclaimers & Tags:
• This ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
• Content Warnings (CW):
Vulnerable explorations of intimacy and identity
Discussions about sexual dysfunction and performance pressure
Clinical sex therapy as a central setting
A married character navigating separa-tion/divorce
References to past toxic relationships
Themes of low self-worth, shame, and learning to speak up for your needs
Emotionally intense, open-door sexual content
Explicit language
Emotional manipulation (not by the main characters)
Voyeurism (for clinical purposes only— non-arousing and professional)

Goodreads review
I'm not trying to be mean but i can't lie and not post an honest review. I would have never picked this up if i didn't get it for free. This was bad. I honestly don't know how i found so many things i didn't like, given that it only has 60 pages.
The whole reason for the book is absurd and ridiculous.
And i want to make clear that i did not know what i was getting myself into (and that's my fault for thinking this was going to be a cute little romance novella) (it's not)
Gross. Cringe. Awkward That's how i'd describe this
This reads like two inexperienced teenagers going at it for the first time
Dr. Desire? Really? Are we deadass?
Quick summary: so basically the whole plot for this book is that two people (who are strangers to each other) can't have an orgasm and that they meet in a room where the do it until they get it, (like it's that easy if they had that problem for their whole lives, i doubt it would just work like that)and there's this person who claims to be a Doctor who watches and tells them how to do everything. And that's not even the worst part. The worst part is what gets the two of them to their orgasm. It's so ridiculous i don't even want to write this review bc I'm embarrassed for reading this.

They said i love you to each other and that's it, they both came and that's it. Hello? How do they magically say that and then they both get there?
THEY DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER AND THEY DONT LOVE EACH OTHER. THEY JUST MET! It's so ridiculous. How did something get them there that was literally not true and a lie?
This is what she says after:
"He didn't care. It was all a lie. He just needed to fuck me so he could get over his problem. Once it was solved, you saw what happened how quickly he ran out of here, back o her."
OF COURSE HE DOESN'T CARE.
HE DOESN'T KNOW YOU!
LIKE THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT?
He has a wife too which just added to my discomfort.
This is badly written and reads like a bad wattpad story.
I just think it's weird to come up with a story like that.
Anyone and i mean ANYONE could've written this

Holds your interest off the bat, I found both characters very intriguing and felt we got to know them well even with it being such a fast paced novella. Would have loved more! Enjoyed the writing style, will definitely be looking into the authors other works. Thanks for the ARC!

I was blown away by the unexpected depth of Hold Me For Now by Lexi Davis. Going in, I thought I knew what to expect, but this book pleasantly surprised me. Not only is it a spicy romance, but it's also a thought-provoking exploration of two broken characters trying to heal together.

Both K and T are haunted by their past demons, making them feel irreparably broken. As they work together to find what's missing, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth. I loved watching their relationship evolve and seeing how they helped each other heal.

The ending was satisfying, yet it left me wanting more. I'm invested in K and T's future and eager to know how their relationship develops. If you're looking for a unique, quick, and emotional read with a dash of spice, I highly recommend Hold Me For Now.

T, K and Dr. D - amazing characters with amazing plot. This is going to make you believe in destiny, and that love just happens. Both the characters were beautifully described for me to form an image of them in my mind. There's high spice so this book is going to make you go 🥵 in just s short duration. Overall, if you're up for a smutty short read, this one's the perfect pick for you. I really wish to read more about the two characters in future.

Thank you Lexi Davis & NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read & review Hold Me For Now.

What ride did I just get off of!? I just finished Hold Me For Now by Lexi Davis. Quick 67 page dark romance Novella.

K (Kristi) & T (Trevor) engage in consensual forced proximity to overCum a shared hurdle (see what I did there).

With a little assistance from Dr. Desire K & T confront issue that end up being deeper than they may have initially realized. The story was fast paced & I had a ton of questions but the point was made pretty clear. Inner love is very important and often affects the relationships you have with others.

The story itself was definitely unique, not anything I’ve read before, a little taboo but I think relevant if you

Spice ✅
Consensual forced proximity ✅
Strangers to lovers ✅

“What if—just for now—I could love you, and you loved me back? Two people searching for something they’ve never been given. Something we have to fight for—together.”

This was such a fun novella with two people pleasers who feel they need “fixing” to properly love and be pleasured. This was so much more than smut. This novella was packed with so much more emotion than you’d expect and I loved every minute of it. I would’ve loved another epilogue of what happens after bc I’m a nosy sucker for a HEA 🤭🩷

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with this book

 this was a beautiful little novella in totally. I went in blind to this, and it was so worth it, but check your trigger warnings, guys, do as I say, not as I do
This was my first Lexi Davis book but it definitely won't be my last start to finish this had me absolutely hooked how this was so short a read but still packed a good bout of emotions is beyond me absolutely amazing work will be recommending this to all my dark romance girlies

I do love a novella. As much as I enjoy reading longer novels, there’s something refreshing about a story with a lower time commitment. This was a quick, enjoyable read that still managed to touch on deeper themes around emotional and physical intimacy. I persoanlly wouldn't categorize this as a dark romance (not sure what that says about me), but be sure to check the content warnings before diving in.

The journey was spicy, but the ending was undeniably sweet. I’m proud of K and T. Often the hardest person to love and prioritize is yourself, and this story honored that truth beautifully.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Lexi Davis for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a short and sweet read as K and T use each other to (re)learn intimacy and communication in the bedroom, with the assistance of the supervising doctor. I flew through this novella, and especially enjoyed the epilogue and seeing how things ultimately resolved!

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for providing this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was such a short and sweet novella. The story line was a bit unconventional, and not a trope or plot I’ve ever encountered before. I enjoyed the uniqueness.

I was also able to keep up with the characters and plot despite it not being a full length novel. There were no gaps or vitally missing information and I read it all in one sitting. I really liked this novella and would’ve loved to read more. I would definitely pick up another book by this author.

#HoldMeForNow #NetGalley

3.5 stars

This novella follows our two main characters T and K. They meet at a clinical site that pairs strangers up to help deal with issues involving their sex lives. Both T and K can only orgasm by themselves. K has been single for a while and T is currently separated from his wife (although there is no cheating aspect since his wife/ex encourages the treatment).

This was a really fun and fast novella. It delves into a problem that I don’t feel like is touched on in a lot of romance books- so it is really refreshing to read about. I feel as though a lot of people can relate to the main characters in one way or another, whether it’s related to the main issue or not.

The book is also nice and spicy. The characters quickly get to know each other and learn to communicate what they need. I also appreciated the ending (although I won’t spoil it). The characters have a happy ending, but not in a way that feels too unrealistic.

I did have to lower my review a bit because although it is a novella, the characters just got too attached too fast. The connection between the main characters felt forced when we consider one character is still technically married.

Overall it was an enjoyable read! It’s a nice book to read as a breather.

Link to review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7643938669

Wow!! I was not expecting that!

This novella has genuinely changed my opinion on short stories. I’m never one to reach for them unless they are a part of a series that I’m reading but wow. I am so happy that I did!

This novella had me at the edge of tears whilst also being one of the most wholesome pieces of writing I have read.

Also that ending???? I need more!! 😭

Thank you to Lexi Davis and NetGalley for giving me access to read this, I loved it so much! I will DEFINITELY be recommending this to my friends for a short, spicy yet emotional read 💗

Out of sheer desperation and hope K & T enter into an experiment to help them find “relief” with a partner and not just themselves.

Upon meeting each other their initial thought is to not get too attached, thus not using names and just their initials. After several attempts of a doctor giving instructions and getting close but noooottt yet there, they change tactics. They open up, they show each other love and trust even if it is just for time being.

The attraction is strong in this short story and in so few pages both main characters learn so much about themselves. My favourite was - loving yourself first. Which I know first hand I struggle with.

I love a good short story that can bring out so much depth in a short period of time. Spice, growth, love, trust, support, this book has it all!

I read this book via NetGalley and i enjoyed it so much, it’s a dark romance novella and it was amazing! I loved the characters an the unique storyline!

I feel like this has alot of potential to be an actual book than a novella, because I wanted moreee from the characters! After the book ended I wanted to know what happens next, what happened to T after the divorce? Who is Dr. D and why do they do what they do??? I feel this is a universe that can be expanded in the future!

The writing was enjoyable, the plot was good and the characters felt real.
Would read more from this universe!