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!

No... That was too short! I want more!!
The theme of this book is so random and out of the box, but it worked beautifully. Unexpectedly sweet. I loved how K and T learned and opened themselves to be better for themselves, not for other people. I loved how unrealisticly realistic this story was.

Thank you to Lexi Davis, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for the copy of this book.

A spicy, short novella that is worth the read! All the layers, all the emotions. Intense, vulnerable; our main characters went through it. I wasn’t expecting 85 pages to have that much of an effect but I really enjoyed this!

Thank you to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op, Lexi Davis (Melissa Dymond), and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

this is literally the perfect steamy, quick read and i loved it!! it was spicy but also emotional and i enjoyed every second of it!! this story was beautiful in so many ways and the message was something i wasn’t expecting when i started it but it was just perfect and you’ll understand what i mean if you read it❤️

this is the first book i’ve read by the author and i’m definitely interested in reading more!!

*this review contains spoilers*
This felt way more like a medical how to than a romance. They don't even officially get together. And they are saying they love each other the same day they meet???
Honestly I wish I had my hour back. The book had so much premise but I think it should've been more fleshed out. Maybe have multiple sessions over time so when they actually fall for each other it feels more realistic. I also wish we had gotten to know more about the characters. The book feels beyond clinical and not romantic at all. The characters are very two-dimensional and I literally have no feelings towards them.

Hold Me For Now is a spicy and emotional novella that packs a punch. With its dark clinical setting and forced proximity, the chemistry between K and T sizzles from the start—but it’s the emotional vulnerability that really steals the show. Lexi Davis perfectly balances heat with heart, delivering a powerful strangers-to-lovers romance that’s as healing as it is intense. I appreciated the author’s clear trigger warnings and thoughtful approach to difficult themes. A fast, steamy read that leaves you rooting for two people to find comfort, even if just for now.

A really short novella about intimacy issues and self-love. It's hot, engaging and absolutely delicious.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

From the very first page Hold Me For Now had me in its grip. I loved the premise—a hush-hush “cure” that pairs two damaged souls for clinical exposure therapy—and the author turns that setup into one of the most memorable one-bed / forced-proximity stories I’ve read in ages. What makes this novella unforgettable isn’t just the spice (and there’s plenty of it)—it’s the raw vulnerability underneath every glance and whispered confession.

K’s lifelong search for “what’s wrong with me?” felt painfully real, and T’s own demons mirror hers with haunting symmetry. Watching them push—and occasionally shatter—each other’s limits was equal parts heart-wrenching and cathartic. Their banter crackles, the chemistry is molten, and the author balances darkness with tender moments that made me genuinely ache for their happiness.

Despite its novella length, the story never feels rushed. Every beat, from the first electric touch to the final promise of forever, lands with emotional weight. Dark-romance readers will appreciate the unapologetic heat, but it’s the hope threaded through the angst that elevates this book. I also loved the thoughtful trigger warnings; they let me dive in fully prepared.

If you crave strangers-to-lovers with forced proximity, sizzling tension, and broken characters who somehow make each other whole, Hold Me For Now will deliver in less than 100 pages! I inhaled it in one sitting, then sat in stunned silence, heart racing and tears threatening—in the best possible way.

✨ Book Review ✨
📖 Hold Me For Now by Lexi Davis
⭐ 4.25/5 | 🌶️ 4/5 | 🖥️ eReader read

Only 88 pages — but it wrecked me in the softest, most healing way.
This isn't smut. It’s slow, intentional intimacy wrapped in vulnerability and mutual care. Both characters feel broken in different ways, but through gentle connection and honest communication, they start learning how to feel safe, wanted, and whole — not just with each other, but with themselves.

Touch starvation, one bed (and yes, it matters), strangers to safe space — this novella is a masterclass in quiet emotional healing through physical closeness.

📌 Open door, soft kink vibes
📌 Sensual > spicy
📌 Emotional payoff without drama

If you’re looking for a short read that’ll leave you feeling seen and held — this is it.

🖤 eBook read for now, but it’s already on my Amazon wishlist for a physical copy.

Davis crafts an undeniable chemistry between characters that keeps you rooting for them and turning the page. 'Hold Me For Now' strikes a fine balance between vulnerability and strength; with smooth pacing and authentic character interaction, Davis illustrates the tenderness and awkwardness of finding a connection in unexpected places.

A captivating read for fans of quick-read dark romances, forced proximity and strangers-to-lovers!

I'll be looking forward to see what is next from this author!

Thank you to both NetGalley and the author, Lexi Davis, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

(Intended for Mature Audiences)

This was a very fun short read! I never finish a novella in one night but the pace was so good that it kept me interested the whole time & I didn’t go to bed till like 1 am after a little bit of a crying fit. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the epilogue but that is just a small snippet cause the writing as a whole was very impactful for such a short book.

Hold Me for Now written by Lexi Davis is a short and spicy dark romance novella. 
FMC K and MMC T are struggling with personal issues and seek help from Dr. Desire. He's not your conventional doctor—but he's an effective one.
The story revolves around K and T's feelings, and how they tend to put others first rather than prioritizing themselves.
Through their consultations, they begin to uncover the root of their problems and form a powerful connection. But their lives still need healing.
Check out this short, spicy, dark novella—it'll keep you on your toes!

Short to the point spicy novella
The insta love felt a bit forced but the whole situation would be uncomfortable for the characters.
A lot of emotions packed into a few pages. With a cute ending.

Loved this!! If you are looking for a sensitive, character-driven romance novella that doesn’t treat physical intimacy as an easy fix—but something that deserves time, patience, and care, then this is for you!

I was really curious how the “clinical” aspect would play out and thought it would make me feel awkward for the characters. But the interactions between T, K and “Dr. D” were professional and not awkward at all. Dr. D kept them on track and redirected them to what was important for each of them and encouraged open and healthy communication between them.

While it’s a short read, it managed to really make me love both T and K and root for them to have success in what they were after! My only complaint is wanting more time with them

This was a cute, wholesome, quick read! It has an interesting premise and packed an emotional punch, even with it being short. And it was really well written!

The medical setting wasn’t my personal cup of tea, but that’s solely subjective. Part of me wonders why the room wouldn’t be set up to be at least somewhat seductive/mood-setting, but to be fair it does fit the clinical aspect of the plot.

I found the people-pleasing aspect extremely relatable. I also found myself wondering about whether, if this were real life, as many women would go do something like this since ours is less noticeable, which then led me to consider for the umpteenth how f***ed up it is that it’s never prioritized for us. So anyway this spawned some good reflection as well!

As a side note, I know Dr. D was more there to facilitate the plot, but I could totally see something like this easily turning into an interesting dystopian concept.

Overall I enjoyed it and actually would love to see more of K’s and T’s story unfold! Thanks to the author & Net Galley for the ARC!

This was such a quick , cute & spicy novella ! I Truly enjoyed this one. This is a strangers to lovers , close proximity romance with the most insane chemistry between the main characters . T & K both feel like something within them is “broken” & they are desperate to fix that . They signed up for an experiment , end up meeting each other and trying to solve their problem together ! This is supposed to be a safe and controlled environment where they can overcome their fears. But emotions started running high and things are not exactly as they expected!

For a quick novella read, this book was good. The characters were pretty well developed. It was an interesting storyline and well written.

Hold Me For Now is an 85 page spicy, novella. It is the story of T and K who with the help of Dr. Desire work through their most intimate issue, which happens to be an issue they both have in common. It is meant to be a purely physical endeavor, one encounter to solve their problems. But it turns into more as they have an instant connection which ends in T telling her he loves her, just for now.

This was such an interesting concept for a book. There sure was a lot of spice, but there was also emotion and chemistry. I don't know that I would characterize this as a dark romance book. It just isn't what I would normally think of when I think "dark romance". I thought it was a fun, unique, emotional, and spicy read! Highly recommend!

"For the ones who never learned how to ask for what they wanted. For the people pleasers, the overthinkers, the ones who stay quiet even when they’re screaming inside. I see you. Please know you deserve someone who knows all of you—and stays."

This is a novella so a quick read for me, it’s good but you have to take it at face value. The book doesn’t go into too much depth but you do start to get a good feel for their personalities as the book progresses. It’s emotionally charged and makes you really think about how important emotion is when being intimate with someone. I enjoyed this book but not something I’d usually read, Short, spicy and different to what I’m used to but it definitely piqued my interest from the get go, I read it in one sitting as I had to know if the therapy worked for them both. I keep seeing this book being called a dark, spicy romance. I’d agree that yes there is spice, but I personally wouldn’t consider it dark at all. Different yes but not dark.
Trigger Warnings ⚠️
- Clinical Sex therapy
- References to past toxic / dangerous relationships
- Explicit language
- Open door sex scenes
- Voyeurism (for clinical purposes)
- Cheating (technically, Male MC married but separated)
- Discussions about sexual disfunction
These are the main ones but .. please, please make sure you read them all before starting the book.

3.5 stars / rounded up to 4

This book may be short, but it packs a serious punch.

Hold Me For Now by Lexi Davis delivers all the feels in such a powerful, honest way. Kristi’s story really hit home for me—I saw so much of myself in how she viewed her self-worth and carried the weight of her past.

One line that stuck with me was: “I realized I needed to work on loving myself first, before I could love someone else. That's what I've been doing.” That hit deep. Lexi Davis has a way of writing that feels like she’s speaking directly to your heart.

Every page felt real, raw, and left a mark I wasn’t expecting.