If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s arrogant men. Attractive arrogant men? Even worse.
Like the guy at my local lap pool—the stupidly attractive, off-the-charts-full-of-himself guy who just tried to steal my parking space. Then he had the nerve to get out of his car and confront me about it.
Well, look, I did what I had to do. He knows exactly what I think about him, his fancy car, his tailored suit, and his beautiful, annoying face.
Okay, fine. I can admit there was a bit of chemistry. A lot of chemistry. Hate-filled chemistry, which I’m sure would be great in bed, if I could ever stoop so low as to actually sleep with him.
Doesn’t matter. I’m not giving him the parking space, thank you very much. I’m sure he has one reserved for him right in front of whatever soulless, swanky building serves as his office.
End of story.
Except I find out he does, in fact, have a spot reserved in front of a swanky building. My swanky building.
Because Mr. Parking Space is my new boss… …and hate-filled chemistry really is best worked out between the sheets.
Lilian Monroe lives in a luxurious jungle treehouse surrounded by lush greenery, with an army of scantily-clad men with rippling abdominal muscles ready to attend to her every need.
No, wait. That's not true.
Lilian Monroe spends her days dangling her feet into her pool, while a scantily-clad pool boy with rippling abdominal muscles feeds her chocolate-covered strawberries and massages her back.
Okay, okay. You got me. That's not true, either. Let's try again.
Lilian Monroe lives at home with her two children, three dogs, and twelve chickens. Her husband likes to work shirtless in the back yard. His sweaty, gleaming abdominal muscles ripple with every movement and he—
I'm sorry. I have to stop. Fine, I'll admit it. That one isn't true either.
How about this: Lilian Monroe loves thinking about men with rippling abdominal muscles serving her hand and foot, and she wants you to think about them too! She is an avid reader, writer, and lover of all things romance.
She loves everything from bad boys to billionaires. Her books are packed with sizzling-hot heat, action, suspense, and everything from second chances to single dads. She hates cheating and loves a good happily ever after (and rippling abs).
This is the book I thought I was reading but GR cataloged the book as Guilty. And I have to say that the two blurbs are radically different. This blurb didn't fit the overall book AT. ALL.
Yes, it fit the beginning of the book but that's it. The blurb for Guilty actually fits the book more:
He's a successful lawyer with a dark secret. She's just trying to make ends meet. When their paths cross, they realize one thing: the line between love and hate is paper-thin.
"'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." ... I call bullsh*t. I've loved and lost. Loss is too painful.
I'm done with love. My heart is hardened and my fate is sealed. I'm going to be on my own forever, just the way I like it.
... Until Nicole slides into my parking space and I see red.
Anger, desire, love, hate. Since when do they feel so similar?
When I walk away from her, I think it's over. ... and then she strolls into my office for her first day of work.
With every sassy remark and every flick of her eyebrow, she tears down the walls around my heart. Brick by brick, she annihilates my defenses.
She could be the one to save me... until a secret from my past threatens to tear us apart.
I'm guilty, and the only way to save her is to condemn myself.
Guilty is a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance. Grab this story of loss, love, and redemption today!
There's nothing wrong with that blurb except it presents a completely different book and it's a book I wasn't in the mood for.
Widow takes job at a law firm to find the a-hole guy who yelled at her about a parking space (!) at a swim club is a partner at the firm. We eventually watch them get involved (ugh!) and then he figures out that while he was rushing to the hospital to get to his own dying wife, he was the one who hits another car which happened to be her and her husband who dies (!). WTF?? Then he doesn't tell her for a long while, then his firm tries to help him cover it up(!). Then she learns she's pregnant (!) and he chooses an unusual way to make amends that would avoid jail time. And she still goes back to him.
I cannot fathom why this is at all romantic. The guy is an a-hole and a murderer. Then they will have the child and will never have a truthful story to tell them about how they met... just no.
Again, I really liked the beginning of the book. The further I read the more confusing it became. Our feminine main character changes from this selfempowered woman to someone who forgives as easaly as breathing. I don't really like the character progress and our male character is just a big ass. Which she doesn't seem to mind. It is just not doing it for me.
This was a very emotional & heartbreaking story. Like some of the other reviews, I found it to be rather difficult to believe. I really didn't like the premise of the story at all. One of the things that annoyed me was that Martin keeps calling Nicole "the love of his life." What did that make his dead wife then! Just overall, this was depressing & unbelievable to me.
So, while this is the title/asin that popped up on GR as I read on my kindle (which I didn't know until I finished reading), this WASN'T the book I read (in a sense). So, apparently the author retooled the book, changed the blurb and cover and that's not on GR.
I'll be honest, this blurb really fits the book better and honestly, I'm not sure I would have read it with this blurb. Not that there's anything wrong with it, just I wasn't in the mood for this type of book. I went into this book wanting a lighter/funnier book. This is the book I thought I was reading:
Dear Mr. Arrogant Jerk,
You claim I stole your parking space, but that’s because you’re a smug, full-of-yourself, patronizing bonehead. You think you’re entitled to everything you see. Newsflash: You’re not. As such, you can stop staring at my a**.
Sincerely, The girl whose day you just ruined.
That’s the letter I wish I slipped under that numbskull’s windshield wiper… … Until I show up for my first day at my dream job, and find out Mr. Arrogant Jerk is my new boss.
Wonderful. Fantastic. Typical.
The worst part? Martin Henderson, a.k.a. Mr. Arrogant Jerk, is devastatingly handsome. His sinful, brooding aura makes my stomach clench whenever he’s near. His voice sends sparks through my chest, and his piercing, irresistible eyes make me weak in the knees.
One thing is certain: I’m about to be in big, arrogant-jerk-induced trouble.
Note: Hate at First Sight was previously titled Guilty.
That doesn't sound angsty at all.
My other issue is that the author relied heavily on time jumps and while that's fine sometimes, I didn't feel like it worked well here. We lost valuable relationship building time to a time jump. And then everything blew up and things went downhill.
I read some of the other reviews and found that some reviewers considered this story unlikely unfolding as it did and hated the book. I believe that they forget that this is fiction and therefore can be presented anyway the author chooses whether you like it or not.
The author took an unlikely chance encounter and made it into a great fictional story. Yes, the chance of having this story happen in real time, is unlikely; but it is fiction. not biographical or meant to be plausible. Even biographical novels have scenarios that make the reader wonder how events happened in the sequence they do. The characters are well developed with both having flaws, history and lots of baggage. Both characters made you feel their pain, their happiness and finally their love for each other even under insurmountable odds.
I have started many trash novels that were terribly edited. I found few typos in this novel. I've read some novels whereas the entire novel is full of them and you wonder if that author even had someone to edit the content of their novel. That was not the case with this novel..
I enjoyed this novel and recommend that you give it a go. I have KU, therefore if I don't like a novel I just delete it. It never crossed my mind to delete this one.
Emotional and surprising. This book surprised me, I wouldn’t have called it a enemies to lovers story since it was more of a simple bad day, and instant attraction at first. The characters, their pain, suffering and agony was well written and explained. The author did a wonderful job in showing us the readers the emotions that the feel like characters were feeling and we felt their pain, joy and hurts. Only parts I didn’t buy was the insurance part. I’m a Agent. Would have been paid out much sooner, plus the settlement part not believable. Would have to gone to police. Doubt he would have gone to jail, or lost license. Since emotions were high and grief would have gotten off with only the payment of her bills, etc. Lastly he worked in Denver, big clients, partner. His wife would have been insured (even if not partner yet), and he would have much more money banked, invested with his pay rate. Especially since all he did was work, exercise and survive for a year.
The first book in the Confessions series an enemies to lovers romance, what a brilliant start to the series! For me this is the best I have ever read of Lilian Monroe’s books! One that I can only but highly recommend! So heartbreaking in parts that I sobbed for these wonderful, vulnerable characters with this beautiful story of love lost in grief and guilt! Way to go Lilian your best book yet! Written in such detail and with such empathy that you feel for this perfect couple! Both Nicole and Martin are widows, both drowning in their grief! But there is a spark when sarcastic Nicole meets Martin in a spat over a parking space! No one dares speak to Martin, aka Mr Hot Shot, like that, so he is intrigued! And so their love to hate begins! I urge you to read this amazing enemies to lovers HEA without laughing and crying your way through it and just saying at the end WOW I loved it! I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy
Sooooo, reading this I had moments of “wtf” “how?!??!!!” “Wow, ok” “that ain’t right” I’ve read books with spelling errors but his had timeline errors. Being that this was a HEA story I knew the outcome, but my goodness the “love conquers all” scenario was destroyed with this story. By that I mean it should not have conquered... MINER SPOILER 🚨 after her confession he still took the case and dismissed her feelings. If he had done the right thing before hand I would have been ok. But this was all types of wrong.
I continued the story because i decided let’s see how bad it can get. I stopped at the epilogue because no thank you. Not necessary.
I'm not sure if they are destined or fated or doomed to have their lives forever linked. It's a big world but it's actually kinda small - small enough for karma to have her twisted fun. For Nicole & Martin it's hard to say if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Both, unfortunately...or possibly fortunately. Whichever way, huge heartbreaking decisions need to be made.
This had too many coincidences to even be fun anymore. It's pretty much an 'mmm...kay' thing with an 'alrighty then' and a 'yeah, right' thrown in. I was disappointed.
I enjoyed reading their story but I wished Martin wasn’t the one that hit and run. It was too much to be forgiven. The whole time I hoped Nicole didn’t get the insurance money because there was someone else super powerful being protected or so. And after Martin jumping in conclusion that he was the responsible I really hoped they found who truly was or it was another car he HnR and they could be together without this far fetch forgiveness.... he did cause her husband death after all. (I didn’t know the book was named Guilty before, it would make more sense.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Great book, but I feel like the story was rushed, the story line was hard for me. Nicole and Martin both have a lot of grief to deal with,Martin had my heart on loss of his newborn baby, I felt his grief bc I, to have lost a child and then his wife. I wish my loss was just a story . I also felt for Nicole and her loss of her husband. Love always prevails and they both got a second HEA.
I am winded by the ups, downs, twists and turns that this story took me on! I wasn't crazy about Martin for a while, he was arrogant and full of himself. Then he just seemed weak and so self absorbed. Nicole was a great character, mostly, although I did get angry with her when she went back after following her principles. That's always a sign of a good author, to make me so emotional about the characters. Good storyline, thanks.
I don’t understand authors using the f*bomb all the time. Do they think regular people talk like that in everyday conversations, even with their boss? No, they don’t talk like that. It really distracts from the story. I don’t want to spoil the book for others, but the big secret that comes out just didn’t set right with me. It left a shadow on the rest of the book.
This is such a remarkable story. Nic (Nicole) and Martin meet when they are at their lowest point in their lives - and they instantly dislike each other. However, as they keep on meeting, they let their guard down and find the missing pieces in their lives, until...…..That's all you're getting out of the review. I can't say enough how I loved this book. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
I've read quite a few Lilian Monroe stories and she's one who creates stories i enjoy consistently. Lillian did not disappoint with this one, the twist at the end made it stand out from the rest and I really liked the way her characters played it out. A really good read & one I wouldn't mind reading over
Some love is just meant to be... no matter what forces are at work to tear it apart. It seemed that Martin made wrong decision after wrong decision in trying to get what he wanted. He just needed to find out what he needed and let the chips fall where they may. In the end we seem to get what we deserve.
I. Just. No. You'd never end up with the man that killed your husband. Absolutely not.
I really like this author and her writing is great but the whole story line is bonkers. This is not something you would be able to just get over and move on from.
Great writing as always, but just could not believe in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I loved and hated this book - Was Martin wrong in not telling Nicole about the night of the accident - Absolutely!!! But then there is Nicole, who couldn't care less that he not only lost his wife, Brianne, but lost his unborn child. So there is my love/hate for this book!!!
This is my 4th Lillian Monroe book in a row! Her writing is just spot on for me. Funny, sweet, spicy and oh so witty!!! This particular book had an event in it that ya know hindsight I should have seen coming but with her writing style it hit me outta nowhere in the best way. Huge fan and wish more of her stuff was on KU!
They both have dark pasts that are intertwined into their hopeful future. They have become each others beacon of light when nothing else had mattered to them over the past year but what will happen when the past and the truth catches up to them..... amazing book, well worth the read
A very emotional story. Martin and Nicole both lost their spouse. But after meeting each other they start feeling again only to realize that Martin is the reason for Nicole's loss
Not that it wasn’t a good book but it was slightly predictable. The book had a good story and followed a well laid out timeline. Not once was it a jumbled mess or skip forward to speed things along. And the ending was a perfectly played HEA
Enjoyed this book, romance with a different slant. Very intriguing, was not sure how it was going to turn out. Well written and thoroughly enjoyable. Definitely one for the holidays so when it keeps you up reading its not an issue.
DNF. The writing and story was very good but when I reached the 40% part (or so) the turn of the plot made it too hard for me to continue reading. It is no fault of the author or quality of the writing/storyline, just something personal.
This was a good read the only thing that spoilt it for me was that the ‘plot twist’ was so obvious from Just a few chapters in so I was just waiting for it all to blow up the whole time
Wow! So much emotion and heartwarming moments. Grief is hard, but coming together from it is beautiful. I would have named the baby the same because it felt like their spouses brought them together.
Whew! I’m going to have a book hangover from this one. All my emotions came out and that has not happened in a while for me. I can say that this one has me bad. Loved it
ok so this one starts off very very strong with the "tude. the crudeness from b the get go was repellent to me and I didn't finish the book or really even read a decent amount.