I really enjoyed the overall storyline of the book. How the FMC and MMC met, how there relationship developed.

The narrators were PERFECT and this book had SO much promise but ultimately fell a little short for me. That being said I still couldn't stop listening and the story kept me intrigued. I could relate to Stevie and her quirkiness. She definitely couldn't pick up on social cues and constantly triggered Menace but they balanced each other out. Menace had some depth and I could understand why he was the way he was. Did he take it too far at times? Absolutely. But he had some redeeming qualities so I could tell how the author tried to round him out. I really liked how attention was brought to neurodivergency however, at times it felt very cliché and stereotypical. The pacing and cohesiveness was a little disjointed at times as well. Overall I believe the author has promise in her storytelling and I will be looking forward to the next book.

This is my second time reading this book after #Netgalley provided an audiobook copy for a review. Here is the formal intro to the Caselli Family which was released in the middle of the Quasim series. We meet Menace who was presented as Core's best friend and Stevie who Sky's cousin and primary babysitter (lol), in the Jahquel universe. Stevie finds herself in the middle of a scam that she is a victim of all because she wanted to make her own way in this world. However, finding herself in this mess leads her to Menace who proposes she marries him in order to not un-alive some people. After this, follows a journey of outrageous accusations, getting to know each other, hilarious nicknames and two very odd ADHD adults getting to live life together.
The audiobook made this funnier and absolutely unhinged. I did feel like the narrator for Stevie sounded older than what I would picture Stevie sounding but that is just me. However, the male narrator had a cadence that was perfect for Menace.

I gave it a 4-stars because it was a little bit unhinged but highly entertaining for me.

#10000HoursWithaRichMenace #NetGalley

Jahquel J.’s 10,000 Hours With a Rich Menace is an intoxicating blend of heat, heart, and hard edges. At its core, this is a story of two opposites colliding—Stevie, with her quiet strength and resilience, and Menace, a formidable figure whose name carries weight for a reason. Their connection is undeniable, and as their worlds intertwine, so do their transformations.

While the novel delivers on steamy, high-stakes romance, it’s the emotional evolution of both characters that sets it apart. Jahquel J. skillfully explores how love can be both a refuge and a catalyst for growth. Stevie may find strength in Menace, but it’s clear that he finds something even more essential in her—a grounding force he never knew he needed.

Dark, passionate, and powerfully character-driven, 10,000 Hours With a Rich Menace proves that sometimes the most unlikely connections are the ones that heal, challenge, and ultimately change us. A must-read for fans of romance with grit, depth, and undeniable chemistry.

10,000 Hours With A Rich Menace in short was fucking hilarious!

My favorite type of romance with just enough dark and urban elements.

Who doesn’t love forced proximity trope and gritty emotional dynamics? The humor and raw interpersonal drama… chefs kiss 💋

If you’ve read and liked…

✨Secure in the Arms of a Thug
✨In His Possession: Bought by a Black Mafia Prince
✨Demon’s Dream
…then add this to your TBR

In short, Jahquel J DOES. NOT. MISS‼️

Stevie’s mother just died and she is grieving and feeling down. To cheer her up, her best friend invited her on a girl trip to the Bahamas. This trip would be filled with luxury hotels, shopping and fine dining, paid for by her best friend’s boyfriend.
Stevie was enjoying this vacation. When her best friend was out for dinner with her boyfriend, she was taking a long and warm bubble bath. But when she opened her eyes there was a man standing over her. Then everything went black.

Stevie woke up in a warehouse in Staten Island. Here she found out that her best friend and her boyfriend stole money from Menace Caselli. Stevie’s best friend offered Stevie as his wife, to save her own ass. Stevie accepted to be his wife, if he wouldn’t hurt her friend. What will come from this arrangement?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was never a dull moment in this book.
I really loved the characters. Stevie and Menace were so funny together and their names for each other were cute and fun. I loved them together.
I listened to this book as an audiobook and the production was great. Both the narrators were really great.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wanda and Mitchell is a laugh out loud good time!!  Maverick doesn’t play about Stevie once he realizes she’s everything he didn’t know he needed.

Jahquel J is on her pen game and it shows. It touches on real life issues mixed with enough fiction drama to keep you listening and/or turning pages. Narration was good. If you’re new to the Delgato/Inferno world, welcome. Menace is just a spin off of two amazing series. Don’t miss out on his siblings books.

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I really really wanted to love this book, but it was hard to because I didn’t connect with the narrators in the audio. I am going to try and read it again without the audio to see if that was the issue. The MMC talked really fast and his voice was gruff but soft so I had to turn my audio all the way up to hear him. It wasn’t a bad story, I just wish I would have enjoyed it more.

4 stars.

"10,000 Hours With a Rich Menace" by Jahquel J. is pretty wild, and I really enjoyed it! It's a mess (complimentary). It's a dark romance, which I don't have much experience reading, but I found it to be just the right amount of scandalous and unhinged for me. Stevie and Menace are both layered characters who seemingly change by the book's end. Despite Menace's (many!) flaws, I found him slightly endearing??? Is something wrong with me? LOL! Stevie and Menace have terrific banter with one another. Even when they get angry with each other, there is still a connection and major spark between them (despite the, you know, kidnapping thing). I love a good arranged marriage book, so this satisfied me immensely! There is a ton of drama going on in this story, most of which felt fun and thrilling to read. I thoroughly enjoyed Simone Rothschild and Myles Washington's dual audiobook narration. I feel like they complemented one another very well here. Their narration is crisp, quick, and they work well together as Stevie and Menace. I was honestly addicted to the narration to the point where I couldn't stop listening and finished this book rather quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jahquel J., and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for letting my ears experience this wonderful book! This audio book is so amazing the book is great but the narrators give so much more life to this story! Both the mmc amd mfc are neurodivergent, but they don't let this hold them back in life or love. Menace was a menace before he met Stevie she did not change him but did bring out the best in him just as he did with her. This has a mafia feel to it, betrayal and all. If you don't fall for Menace and Stevie there is something wrong with you and you are likely rooting for Stevie's dad and friend. The spice in this is perfect it is steamy but adds to the story!

***Five Stars***

I don't think I was the intended audience for this book, but I don't care. I loved it.

Menace is absolutely UNHINGED in the best ways. Stevie was a lot naive but when it came down to it, she displayed a backbone not often found in romance books. I was entertained and engaged from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author for the opportunity to listen to and review this book.

I DNF’d this book. I really liked the synopsis but it was so slow and painful for me. I like my books to go more along the lines of the plot and this book at 30% hadn’t even hit the moment where they meet.

The narration wasn’t great. The female spoke at more of a normal speed to me. The male narration I would have to slow the speed or I didn’t understand what was being said. I believe this is one of the first books I have ever had that happen.

I think this book would be better read as opposed to listened to.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Loved this book now I want to go back and reread the other series that interconnect . Love the random statements from menace. I connected with Stevie’s character a lot with being different and not like what most women like. The narrators went great with the characters it helped paint a better picture of the characters for me

🎧 Audiobook Review | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
10,000 Hours with a Rich Menace by Jahquel J. was serving urban romance heat and chaos in the best way. This story had everything: forced proximity, arranged marriage, kidnapping (!!), and alllll the rich family drama your toxic little reader heart could ask for.

The audiobook narrators? Chef’s kiss—they brought the characters to life and kept me completely locked in.

Now let’s talk about the FMC. She was definitely naive—like, girl?? really??—but oddly enough, I understood her. Some people really do move through life like that, vibing to their own soundtrack, and Jahquel made that believable. Even with her naivety, she was layered, lovable, and her growth was so satisfying to watch. And the possessive, caring MMC? I ate that UP. The balance between soft moments and unhinged obsession was perfect.

This was a character-driven story with rich Black love, complicated family dynamics, and some characters I honestly wanted to square up with (and you will too!). The tension? On point. The romance? Unmatched. The toxic luxury vibes? Absolutely addictive.

If you’re into urban romance with a little darkness, a lot of heat, and characters who live and love LOUD, then go ahead and add this to your TBR immediately.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media. Jahquel J, and NetGalley for the audiobook.

First off this was a really good listen. The narrators were amazing. I enjoyed the storyline and the growth of the characters. I rate the story three stars because there was a lot of repetition in regard to the mmc and fmc personalities. For me it took away from the story a little bit. Overall I would still recommend.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I DNF ed at 50%. Nothing more than the blurb had happened at that point. I think the plot line was too slow for me

I could not finish this book - the narrator made it very challenging to focus on the story. While the story sounded intriguing, I could not get past the pacing and tone of the voice of the reader. I would much prefer to read the book versus listening.

10/10 Can I go back and reread this for a first time??? This was my first book by this author and baby I’m sad I’ve been missing out. There was so many times I was laughing and kicking my feet. I loved both MC’s. I can't wait to read the author's back log!!!

Thank you Dreamscape media for the free audiobook. Jahquel J will have you hooked once you start one of her books! When I wasn’t listening to the audiobook I was reading via kindle on my iPad mini or iPhone. The narrators did great!!

Wanda and Mitchell’s story was wild and interesting. I don’t want to post spoilers so I’m not even trying to post a summary. I loved the cameos of characters from the authors other series. I’ll read anything Jahquel J puts out and I’ll recommend this book to my black romance readers.

10,000 Hours With a Rich Menace had me hooked from the jump. I absolutely loved Stevie! She’s so sweet and pure, but not in a weak way. Her energy is soft but strong, and it was refreshing to see a female lead hold her own with just kindness and grace. She brought out a different side of everyone, especially Menace. Now let’s talk about him. Menace starts off cold, closed off, and definitely living up to the name... but the way he grows through this story? Whew. Watching him open up and slowly transforming into someone who actually feels was everything. You really see the shift not just because of Stevie, but because he wants more for himself. I loved how it wasn’t just a romance, it was about healing, trust, and leveling up emotionally. So good! I highly recommend if you love character growth, strong vibes, and a relationship that makes both people better.