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Dressed to Kill
Harlow
Belladonna has two meanings—beautiful lady and deadly nightshade.
I’m both.
When my job as an elite assassin sends me overseas to Scelestus College, I think it’ll be a quick in and out.
Find a kidnapped little boy.
Murder the kidnapper.
Return home.
What I don’t expect is for Scelestus to be home to some of the worst criminals who have ever walked the streets. This is where their children go to learn, make connections, and develop alliances.
There’s Eliana and Easton, a pair of thieving twins. Eliana insists that I become her new best friend. And Easton hints he wants something…more.
Gabe, an aloof mafia heir with a penchant for hiding out in the library.
Bennett, my angry and sexy professor who infuriates me just as much as he arouses me.
And finally, Kingsley, the golden god, the football star…and also my target’s son.
After I poison my victims, I leave a lipstick stain on their cheek. I call it the Kiss of Death.
But these four boys bring me back to life.
I’ll do anything to keep all of us alive…including becoming an even bigger monster than the world turned me into.
Harlow is a part of the Dressed to Kill shared world but can be read as a standalone. No books need to be read before or after Harlow to understand the story. Harlow contains strong language, sexual situations, and violence. It’s also a whychoose romance, meaning our leading lady doesn’t have to choose between her love interests at the end.
I’m both.
When my job as an elite assassin sends me overseas to Scelestus College, I think it’ll be a quick in and out.
Find a kidnapped little boy.
Murder the kidnapper.
Return home.
What I don’t expect is for Scelestus to be home to some of the worst criminals who have ever walked the streets. This is where their children go to learn, make connections, and develop alliances.
There’s Eliana and Easton, a pair of thieving twins. Eliana insists that I become her new best friend. And Easton hints he wants something…more.
Gabe, an aloof mafia heir with a penchant for hiding out in the library.
Bennett, my angry and sexy professor who infuriates me just as much as he arouses me.
And finally, Kingsley, the golden god, the football star…and also my target’s son.
After I poison my victims, I leave a lipstick stain on their cheek. I call it the Kiss of Death.
But these four boys bring me back to life.
I’ll do anything to keep all of us alive…including becoming an even bigger monster than the world turned me into.
Harlow is a part of the Dressed to Kill shared world but can be read as a standalone. No books need to be read before or after Harlow to understand the story. Harlow contains strong language, sexual situations, and violence. It’s also a whychoose romance, meaning our leading lady doesn’t have to choose between her love interests at the end.
662 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2023
509 people are currently reading
846 people want to read
About the author
Katie May
99 books2,623 followersKatie May is a romance writer of numerous genres! She writes everything from horror to fantasy to contemporary. #whychoose
She has a gorgeous tabby cat who she adores, and she’s obsessed with coffee and horror movies.
She has a gorgeous tabby cat who she adores, and she’s obsessed with coffee and horror movies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 20, 2023
Most of it was good
3.5-4/5 stars.
The storyline was a good one. I always love reading about strong female leads. Harlow was a pretty bad@$$ FMC, but the author needed more detail and character building for her. She's the female lead but there were very few incidents where she did what she was designed to. The MMCs were mostly likable, but they also lack character build up. I just felt like there was something missing from this book. There was not much on the characters, so the reader can actually get to know them.
I did enjoy reading this first book, in a long series to come. It'll be good to see how the different authors write this series and if each FMC will cross from book to book, whether passing by each other or working together.
3.5-4/5 stars.
The storyline was a good one. I always love reading about strong female leads. Harlow was a pretty bad@$$ FMC, but the author needed more detail and character building for her. She's the female lead but there were very few incidents where she did what she was designed to. The MMCs were mostly likable, but they also lack character build up. I just felt like there was something missing from this book. There was not much on the characters, so the reader can actually get to know them.
I did enjoy reading this first book, in a long series to come. It'll be good to see how the different authors write this series and if each FMC will cross from book to book, whether passing by each other or working together.
September 28, 2023
if it just had a little bit more build up or we got to see a bit of the characters i would’ve like it waaaay more. it felt like it went from angsty to “i love you” so fast there was like no in between, and don’t get me wrong i love a good fast pace book but it was just missing a little vavavoom 🤌🏽
March 18, 2023
This was so so good!! Great mixture of mystery, suspense, drama, and steam! I loved that there was build-up to their relationships and that all the guys were understanding of her mission. Harlow was a great FMC and I also loved her relationship with El! Great read!
Can't wait for the other books in this shared universe!
Can't wait for the other books in this shared universe!
September 21, 2025
3.5 -4 stars: I do enjoy the world of the Belladonnas as their exquisite assassination skills appear to be unmatched, so getting back to it was quite a pleasant experience. Harlow is snarky, fierce and undoubtedly determined to complete her mission. However, this mission is not like the others for her as she is searching for a missing child and it seems that there is more to it than a mere kidnapping case.
When Harlow enters Scelestus College, I was a bit taken aback as the last thing I wanted was a college drama. Luckily, this was not one of those over dramatic experiences and I have to say that I did enjoy the bickering between her and Easton. It was dark, snarky and absolutely delicious. Gabe was quiet, observant and rather witty if I may say so. His connection to Harlow took time to develop and somehow these two were quite interesting to follow. Kingsley was probably the only one without any experience in the underground world, hence being the gentle soul here. Bennet was intense and that is putting it mildly. Now, I was unsure how I would feel about his 'forbidden' connection to Harlow, given he is her Professor, but then again, she is not really a student, just disguising as one.
The friendship between Harlow and Eliana was really well crafted. Where Eliana is bubbly, bright and outgoing young lady, Harlow is reserved, sarcastic and broody. Despite Harlow's hesitancy, she needed a strong friend and Eliana delivered 100%. Personally, I would love it if Eliana got her own story.
Overall, I did like the story as it did keep me interested throughout. The bit that did not quite work for me was probably the end of the book, they just kind of all came together rather suddenly, but then again it is a standalone book, so I reckon it was inevitable.
When Harlow enters Scelestus College, I was a bit taken aback as the last thing I wanted was a college drama. Luckily, this was not one of those over dramatic experiences and I have to say that I did enjoy the bickering between her and Easton. It was dark, snarky and absolutely delicious. Gabe was quiet, observant and rather witty if I may say so. His connection to Harlow took time to develop and somehow these two were quite interesting to follow. Kingsley was probably the only one without any experience in the underground world, hence being the gentle soul here. Bennet was intense and that is putting it mildly. Now, I was unsure how I would feel about his 'forbidden' connection to Harlow, given he is her Professor, but then again, she is not really a student, just disguising as one.
The friendship between Harlow and Eliana was really well crafted. Where Eliana is bubbly, bright and outgoing young lady, Harlow is reserved, sarcastic and broody. Despite Harlow's hesitancy, she needed a strong friend and Eliana delivered 100%. Personally, I would love it if Eliana got her own story.
Overall, I did like the story as it did keep me interested throughout. The bit that did not quite work for me was probably the end of the book, they just kind of all came together rather suddenly, but then again it is a standalone book, so I reckon it was inevitable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2023
Another fantastic read from TWO of my favorite authors, Katie May and R.A. Smyth!
Harlow is book #1 in a new interconnected standalone series and it was absolutely AMAZING!!
Our fmc, Harlow is one tough cookie! Although an assassin and someone who can clearly hold her own, the guys brought out a vulnerable and softer side that I really enjoyed reading about.
"𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬."
I absolutely enjoyed that the attachments between each guy were different and the authors were amazing at keeping those attractions unique and separate; each guy held a prominent and important piece in Harlow’s life.
I am super excited to learn about all of the other girls in Belladonna as the teases here and there made me crave more! I’m also super curious about Man. He’s a complete enigma and I know these ladies did that on purpose, so we’d come back for more lol.
I highly recommend this riveting story and I cannot wait for the next one!
Harlow is book #1 in a new interconnected standalone series and it was absolutely AMAZING!!
Our fmc, Harlow is one tough cookie! Although an assassin and someone who can clearly hold her own, the guys brought out a vulnerable and softer side that I really enjoyed reading about.
"𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬."
I absolutely enjoyed that the attachments between each guy were different and the authors were amazing at keeping those attractions unique and separate; each guy held a prominent and important piece in Harlow’s life.
I am super excited to learn about all of the other girls in Belladonna as the teases here and there made me crave more! I’m also super curious about Man. He’s a complete enigma and I know these ladies did that on purpose, so we’d come back for more lol.
I highly recommend this riveting story and I cannot wait for the next one!
June 5, 2023
When a child goes missing Harlow is anxious to find him, return him to his parents and take down those responsible. Like the other heroines in the series, Harlow is a badass and literally trained to be a killer, ghost and so much more. Her mission requires her to go undercover and become a student so she can get close to those responsible. Harlow was a easy to like heroine. Not only that but she is rather scary considering the many ways she could kill you and/or make you completely disappear. This is another RH standalone in the series and only loosely connects to the other books so no prior reading necessary.
March 21, 2023
Spoilers:
“Kingsley is my sunlight on a winter’s day. Easton has the power to make me smile. Bennett is the other half of my dark and twisted soul. And Gabe is my calm in the chaos.”
That sums the guys up pretty well. While this had dark subjects, the romance itself was not dark. The steam was adequate but it’s not anything revolutionary. No OWD or Pregnancy trope. Why Choose (No MM)
For how skilled she should have been, I felt a bit disappointed in the action scenes. I also expected more out of the belladonna side of things but it was summed up in the end of the book with like one line. I’d like to know more about “Man” but we shall see with the rest of the series. Aiden, Dom, and Zander in a future book? That would be cool.
“Kingsley is my sunlight on a winter’s day. Easton has the power to make me smile. Bennett is the other half of my dark and twisted soul. And Gabe is my calm in the chaos.”
That sums the guys up pretty well. While this had dark subjects, the romance itself was not dark. The steam was adequate but it’s not anything revolutionary. No OWD or Pregnancy trope. Why Choose (No MM)
For how skilled she should have been, I felt a bit disappointed in the action scenes. I also expected more out of the belladonna side of things but it was summed up in the end of the book with like one line. I’d like to know more about “Man” but we shall see with the rest of the series. Aiden, Dom, and Zander in a future book? That would be cool.
March 20, 2023
Rating: 3.25 Stars
POV(s): Multiple—First Person
Relationship: Reverse Harem
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
❥
Quick (Temporary?) Review: I don’t think that this book lived up to its potential. The characters and plot were intriguing, but they felt underdeveloped.
❥
Title: “Harlow” by Katie May, R.A. Smyth
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Triggers: Yes
Tags/Tropes:
➢ Academy-Romance
➢ Assassin-FMC
➢ Criminal-Careers
➢ Undercover-FMC
POV(s): Multiple—First Person
Relationship: Reverse Harem
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
❥
Quick (Temporary?) Review: I don’t think that this book lived up to its potential. The characters and plot were intriguing, but they felt underdeveloped.
❥
Title: “Harlow” by Katie May, R.A. Smyth
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Triggers: Yes
Tags/Tropes:
➢ Academy-Romance
➢ Assassin-FMC
➢ Criminal-Careers
➢ Undercover-FMC
May 5, 2023
it was ok.
It did feel really juvenile at times. She was this bad a&$ killer but was pretty wimpy throughout the story. Why do writers do that to the h’s? Claim that the h is so hard core but never writes them to be. And some of the comments and sexual interactions don’t come off as someone we are told is so experienced. Felt like a YA book.
It did feel really juvenile at times. She was this bad a&$ killer but was pretty wimpy throughout the story. Why do writers do that to the h’s? Claim that the h is so hard core but never writes them to be. And some of the comments and sexual interactions don’t come off as someone we are told is so experienced. Felt like a YA book.
July 31, 2023
"Kingsley is my sunlight on a winter’s day. Easton has the power to make me smile. Bennett is the other half of my dark and twisted soul. And Gabe is my calm in the chaos."
This book was so good!! Right from the start, I absolutely love what Harlow did for a living! Yeah murder is bad. Blah blah blah. Who cares, especially the people she killed? The true monsters of the world. I love Harlow herself. She's reserved and oh so bad ass! I can't help but love her. Her aversion to touch due to some trauma that's touched on is so accurate. At least it was for me. The author did an amazing job building up the relationships between Harlow and all 4 guys. While the lust was instant, the relationship wasn't. They all had to work at it. And the tension within the first 100 pages was 🔥🔥🔥 they hadn't even done more than Kiss and it was hot!!!!! I also love the fact that each guy gave Harlow something different, and she gave them each something. They were each special to her in different ways. They all received something so desperately needed. I love that the Man allowed her to break away. I was afraid of how that would work, but it made me happy that she wasn't forced to stay. But to me, the best part had to be the plot itself. The way it unraveled. It wasn't just a placement for the romance. I loved how it was combined together! This book definitely makes it to my top favorites for this year!
This book was so good!! Right from the start, I absolutely love what Harlow did for a living! Yeah murder is bad. Blah blah blah. Who cares, especially the people she killed? The true monsters of the world. I love Harlow herself. She's reserved and oh so bad ass! I can't help but love her. Her aversion to touch due to some trauma that's touched on is so accurate. At least it was for me. The author did an amazing job building up the relationships between Harlow and all 4 guys. While the lust was instant, the relationship wasn't. They all had to work at it. And the tension within the first 100 pages was 🔥🔥🔥 they hadn't even done more than Kiss and it was hot!!!!! I also love the fact that each guy gave Harlow something different, and she gave them each something. They were each special to her in different ways. They all received something so desperately needed. I love that the Man allowed her to break away. I was afraid of how that would work, but it made me happy that she wasn't forced to stay. But to me, the best part had to be the plot itself. The way it unraveled. It wasn't just a placement for the romance. I loved how it was combined together! This book definitely makes it to my top favorites for this year!
March 31, 2023
I loved this story so much except for the ending, which seemed a little rushed, which is most likely because, in these shared worlds, they are given limits to work within.
Harlow is sassy, strong, and fiercely independent because she has had to be her whole life when suddenly she finds herself in a situation where she cannot escape people.
El sweeps into her life like a hurricane of Pink Glitter and finds a chink in Harlow's armor to burrow into her heart as the oddest best friend an assassin can have.
They are at a school for the criminal elite in training, but you don't really see any of this much, and I would have liked to see a bit more here and there so that it actually felt like a school full of dangerous characters.
The Guys are all absolutely loveable in their own ways, and the relationships are reasonably well-defined. However, they mention polly relationships a couple of times which this is not at all.
Overall an entertaining story with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments to brighten your day.
Harlow is sassy, strong, and fiercely independent because she has had to be her whole life when suddenly she finds herself in a situation where she cannot escape people.
El sweeps into her life like a hurricane of Pink Glitter and finds a chink in Harlow's armor to burrow into her heart as the oddest best friend an assassin can have.
They are at a school for the criminal elite in training, but you don't really see any of this much, and I would have liked to see a bit more here and there so that it actually felt like a school full of dangerous characters.
The Guys are all absolutely loveable in their own ways, and the relationships are reasonably well-defined. However, they mention polly relationships a couple of times which this is not at all.
Overall an entertaining story with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments to brighten your day.
June 4, 2024
beautiful book...*sniffles*
Harlow is an assassin, sent to find who's kidnapping young boys-and her suspect? Well, his son goes to a certain academy for criminals, basically. All she has to do is seduce him and get him to spill his guts about his father's operation. Except...he's not what she expected. He's not heartless. And he does certain things to her heart. But he's not the only one she wants.
“Tell me about yourself!” Eliana continues. “What’s your name? What
do you like to do?”
“I sacrifice ravens on stone altars to be able to talk to the spirits of
trees,”
harlow just makes me crack up
“Since I realized I could paint all stop signs green to confuse people,” I
say in that same deadened voice.
This time, her lips don’t even twitch, her smile remaining firmly in
place.
“That’s…really nice! Super fun! Super-duper fun! And remind me again
of your name?”
“Hippopotamus.” I give her a dry look.
“Oh! That’s so pretty!” she gushes.
if only harlow had girls in her harem...i would join tbh
Harlow is an assassin, sent to find who's kidnapping young boys-and her suspect? Well, his son goes to a certain academy for criminals, basically. All she has to do is seduce him and get him to spill his guts about his father's operation. Except...he's not what she expected. He's not heartless. And he does certain things to her heart. But he's not the only one she wants.
“Tell me about yourself!” Eliana continues. “What’s your name? What
do you like to do?”
“I sacrifice ravens on stone altars to be able to talk to the spirits of
trees,”
harlow just makes me crack up
“Since I realized I could paint all stop signs green to confuse people,” I
say in that same deadened voice.
This time, her lips don’t even twitch, her smile remaining firmly in
place.
“That’s…really nice! Super fun! Super-duper fun! And remind me again
of your name?”
“Hippopotamus.” I give her a dry look.
“Oh! That’s so pretty!” she gushes.
if only harlow had girls in her harem...i would join tbh
October 17, 2023
Big disappointment. An assassin book but the trained assassin gets her ass handed by a former criminal lawyer. She's a terrible actress. El is annoying as hell with her blatant stupidity. And Harlow tries to be badass with her never-clean-nails-despite-being-a-germophobe. The men like her and I genuinely gave no clue WHY. What does she have as a character that is special? That makes her standout? Is it her TERRIBLE, UNDONE, NAILS because WOW nail polish really breaks a good badass character (the book was done for me when I read about her nails in comparison to Abbie's. It's a minor detail but it bothered me SM) Argh. And I'm sad because I like both authors... R.A. Smyth writes great female characters, idk why Harlow fell flat for me. Sad. Hopefully the other books are better than this one...a tip for the writers when writing assassin books: watch some movies with good FMC, like Kill Bill or whatever lol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2023
The constant back and forth and the constant I CANT TELL THEM is super annoying.
The snark and sass of the FMC is 10/10 and the communication WHEN IT DOES happen is solid but leaves you unsatisfied due to her not telling the truth to everyone and the constant “shoe about to drop” feeling.
This was pretty cute and an easy read
I really did like the banter and when they all got together eventually as a team or family unit that was pretty good
This is definitely not an emotional book, nor is it one where we will feel like they connected on a deep level at all
They dropped the bomb and it feels like they didn’t know each other long enough or very much about each other to even say that but the actual idea behind the book is pretty solid
The snark and sass of the FMC is 10/10 and the communication WHEN IT DOES happen is solid but leaves you unsatisfied due to her not telling the truth to everyone and the constant “shoe about to drop” feeling.
This was pretty cute and an easy read
I really did like the banter and when they all got together eventually as a team or family unit that was pretty good
This is definitely not an emotional book, nor is it one where we will feel like they connected on a deep level at all
They dropped the bomb and it feels like they didn’t know each other long enough or very much about each other to even say that but the actual idea behind the book is pretty solid
December 18, 2023
Harlow
Assassin finds ability to touch after years. Looking for an abducted boy brings her to a school of criminals some with good hearts to follow her suspects son. Poison gal grows. I enjoyed the story, but didn’t care for the lack of loyalty to gals she grew up with.
Assassin finds ability to touch after years. Looking for an abducted boy brings her to a school of criminals some with good hearts to follow her suspects son. Poison gal grows. I enjoyed the story, but didn’t care for the lack of loyalty to gals she grew up with.
March 18, 2023
Multi POV though majority is Harlow. RH. Very very strong Wednesday vibes even down to the peppy roommate whom I adore. Look, I almost always love all the guys in a RH but Gabe and Easton have my heart in this one. 3 best friends, a professor, and an assassin for hire—what more could you want? Already know this series of standalones is gonna be killer (literally).
*this is a series of standalones written by various authors. This is book 1. Books are releasing every 2 weeks and there will be 10 total!
CW: human trafficking/child trafficking, child murder/abuse (most of this is mentioned/hinted at not shown)
*this is a series of standalones written by various authors. This is book 1. Books are releasing every 2 weeks and there will be 10 total!
CW: human trafficking/child trafficking, child murder/abuse (most of this is mentioned/hinted at not shown)
November 13, 2025
the characters are likable but as others said, there needed to be more character development. Also, took a star off for her having unprotected sex with no discussion of protection, with three of her four guys the first time she fucks them. Bundled into that is the author writing a novel set in Norway with the college sport team playing American football instead of soccer.
April 30, 2023
If I had to describe this book in one word, the word would be fine. The premise was interesting and is what prompted me to read the book. The characters were ok. I never got overly invested in any of them and could not stand Eliana. It’s not a bad book but it’s the best either. I might pick up the second just see where the story goes with another girl but if I didn’t read another in the series, I don’t think I would miss out on anything.
April 18, 2025
Crime and vengeance at its hottest
The characters are diverse while also having certain threads in common, the action (plot and steam) builds and twists, and there are some hilarious moments to enjoy in between (three words: bathroom sound effects - I laughed so hard I couldn't stop crying). 😊
The characters are diverse while also having certain threads in common, the action (plot and steam) builds and twists, and there are some hilarious moments to enjoy in between (three words: bathroom sound effects - I laughed so hard I couldn't stop crying). 😊
April 9, 2023
I’d say this is between a 3-4 for me but I’m going to round up for the fact that it had so much potential and considering how short it was I feel like it accomplished what it was meant to. I was going to say it reminded me of Pacific Prep and realized R.A. Smyth contributed which makes so much sense!
I loved the premise of this book. I found the Belladonna’s super intriguing. Like a bad *ss version of Charlie’s Angels. You have a whole house of women who are trained killers and a handler named “Man”. Harlow is sent to a college to try and gain intel on a target. I always love when the heroine is insanely strong and surprises the guys. This was definitely the case. Again, reminds me of Pacific Prep the the professor, 3 guys who are best friends, each with a different personality. Easton who reminds me of Cam, Gabe who reminds me of West, Kingsley who reminds me of Mason, and Bennett who reminds me of Beck. Similar personalities for sure.
This was a slow burn so we really didn’t get any action spice wise until the 70% mark. I liked how they all got a scene individually and then we got one with them all together at the end. I enjoyed the build up between the characters and how Harlow gets over her aversion to touch with each. I also liked that we got a virgin male character which is very uncommon!
I do wish we had gotten to see Harlow in action more. We got it at the end but for most of the book it was pretty low key. Considering she’s an assassin I would’ve liked to see that utilized more in the book. I also wouldn’t have minded it being longer. It’s SO hard to do a RH in one book and get the necessary character development where you believe their emotions are real. I loved the banter though and why each of them had an interest in Harlow. Overall this book had amazing potential and was otherwise a fun short read with a sassy dark FMC.
I loved the premise of this book. I found the Belladonna’s super intriguing. Like a bad *ss version of Charlie’s Angels. You have a whole house of women who are trained killers and a handler named “Man”. Harlow is sent to a college to try and gain intel on a target. I always love when the heroine is insanely strong and surprises the guys. This was definitely the case. Again, reminds me of Pacific Prep the the professor, 3 guys who are best friends, each with a different personality. Easton who reminds me of Cam, Gabe who reminds me of West, Kingsley who reminds me of Mason, and Bennett who reminds me of Beck. Similar personalities for sure.
This was a slow burn so we really didn’t get any action spice wise until the 70% mark. I liked how they all got a scene individually and then we got one with them all together at the end. I enjoyed the build up between the characters and how Harlow gets over her aversion to touch with each. I also liked that we got a virgin male character which is very uncommon!
I do wish we had gotten to see Harlow in action more. We got it at the end but for most of the book it was pretty low key. Considering she’s an assassin I would’ve liked to see that utilized more in the book. I also wouldn’t have minded it being longer. It’s SO hard to do a RH in one book and get the necessary character development where you believe their emotions are real. I loved the banter though and why each of them had an interest in Harlow. Overall this book had amazing potential and was otherwise a fun short read with a sassy dark FMC.
June 20, 2023
DNF 36% YA R.H.
I felt like I was reading a high school students fantasy.
Unrealistic, factually inaccurate, and very awkward to get through at times.
I would have loved it as a teenager. Now…just leaves me cringing with embarrassment, and wishing one of the authors had done the research that would have made this work.
I did seriously enjoy the humour, it’s the sole reason I read as far as I did.
Particularly enjoyed the banter between characters, who all but a couple were great fun.
But come on, one immature, neurotic, YA, to handle a child kidnapping…with the main focus away from the one confirmed perpetrator?
Waiting for at least a week to investigate the paper trail and money side of things, and only after the hottie guy [whose only connection is circumstantial, via family] has been cleared via her ‘instincts’? 🤣😂
These are just the early instances of what is off.
I don’t want to needlessly criticise. The writing quality is fantastic, flows easily, enjoyable, good dialogue…it’s weird how good it can be, and also sooo bad at the same time.
Remember those fantasies you had as a kid after watching, or reading a fav story?
Where you place yourself in the lead, as the hero?
Maybe you try to write it up? Making it up as you go, filling in the gaps with whatever you’ve learned from tv and fiction? Knowing it’s blatantly obvious it’s not right, but it’s your fantasy…you save the day, do something unbelievable, get the love interest, everyone thinks you’re it and a bit…?
Then a few years later you read it again, and don’t know whether to laugh or hide with embarrassment.
Truthfully, it’s quite surprising and confusing, that there can be so much obvious talent, and also so much youthful inaccuracy 🤷♀️
I felt like I was reading a high school students fantasy.
Unrealistic, factually inaccurate, and very awkward to get through at times.
I would have loved it as a teenager. Now…just leaves me cringing with embarrassment, and wishing one of the authors had done the research that would have made this work.
I did seriously enjoy the humour, it’s the sole reason I read as far as I did.
Particularly enjoyed the banter between characters, who all but a couple were great fun.
But come on, one immature, neurotic, YA, to handle a child kidnapping…with the main focus away from the one confirmed perpetrator?
Waiting for at least a week to investigate the paper trail and money side of things, and only after the hottie guy [whose only connection is circumstantial, via family] has been cleared via her ‘instincts’? 🤣😂
These are just the early instances of what is off.
I don’t want to needlessly criticise. The writing quality is fantastic, flows easily, enjoyable, good dialogue…it’s weird how good it can be, and also sooo bad at the same time.
Remember those fantasies you had as a kid after watching, or reading a fav story?
Where you place yourself in the lead, as the hero?
Maybe you try to write it up? Making it up as you go, filling in the gaps with whatever you’ve learned from tv and fiction? Knowing it’s blatantly obvious it’s not right, but it’s your fantasy…you save the day, do something unbelievable, get the love interest, everyone thinks you’re it and a bit…?
Then a few years later you read it again, and don’t know whether to laugh or hide with embarrassment.
Truthfully, it’s quite surprising and confusing, that there can be so much obvious talent, and also so much youthful inaccuracy 🤷♀️
August 28, 2023
This was mostly a good read, and I would have rated it higher, but there are a few things that bothered me about the book.
1) Biggest gripe: The FMC starts with a germ/touch thing that is treated super inconsistently.
2)I cannot believe I'm saying this, because normally I never would, but this book would have benefited from being longer. There was some great story and character development happening at several points, especially the beginning, and I feel that having more time to unfurl those things at a better pace would have made the emotional pay off so much better. If you have so many interesting characters, you should develop them more. And although there was some of that (like when we saw glimpses of H's past, B's past/investigation, E&E's or Gabe's private lives), there could have been more.
3) This started to read like an excellent action book that happened to have a RH plot, but ended like a more typical RH book that happened to have some action. I think that the authors lost time trying to hit some RH tropes instead of just building them naturally into the narrative. This was a higher caliber of the usual RH book though.
4) Okay, there wasn't a ton of this, but occasionally, our FMC acted like she wasn't a conditioned and trained assassin for the convenience of plot. That is annoying.
5) I know this is a dumb gripe, but I'm still going to say it. The book kept switching language banks from American to British English. I'm fine going with either, but it didn't seem consistent.
5.5) Also dumb, sorry there is a Chinese restaurant takeout/takeaway on a small isolated unknown Scandinavian island? This is such a small and insignificant part of the book, yet it really took me out of it.
I think I rated this lower than I would've because it raised my expectations of it in the beginning. It wanted me to ask more of it than the typical RH. However, this is a lot better than your typical RH
1) Biggest gripe: The FMC starts with a germ/touch thing that is treated super inconsistently.
2)I cannot believe I'm saying this, because normally I never would, but this book would have benefited from being longer. There was some great story and character development happening at several points, especially the beginning, and I feel that having more time to unfurl those things at a better pace would have made the emotional pay off so much better. If you have so many interesting characters, you should develop them more. And although there was some of that (like when we saw glimpses of H's past, B's past/investigation, E&E's or Gabe's private lives), there could have been more.
3) This started to read like an excellent action book that happened to have a RH plot, but ended like a more typical RH book that happened to have some action. I think that the authors lost time trying to hit some RH tropes instead of just building them naturally into the narrative. This was a higher caliber of the usual RH book though.
4) Okay, there wasn't a ton of this, but occasionally, our FMC acted like she wasn't a conditioned and trained assassin for the convenience of plot. That is annoying.
5) I know this is a dumb gripe, but I'm still going to say it. The book kept switching language banks from American to British English. I'm fine going with either, but it didn't seem consistent.
5.5) Also dumb, sorry there is a Chinese restaurant takeout/takeaway on a small isolated unknown Scandinavian island? This is such a small and insignificant part of the book, yet it really took me out of it.
I think I rated this lower than I would've because it raised my expectations of it in the beginning. It wanted me to ask more of it than the typical RH. However, this is a lot better than your typical RH
July 17, 2023
I'm giving this story 2.5 out of 5, i've read another book in this series of stand alone and thank god i did cause if i'd started with that book, i would have thought every other one are similar (spoiler alert, they are not) and would have not given the rest of the serie a chance.
First of all, am i the only one thinking this is clearly a rip off version of Wednesday Addams new serie on Netflix??? Like Harlow sounds like a carbon copy of Wednesday and her bff like a (poor) copy of Enid? Even the premise of a "criminal" school compare to a supernatural school, the haunted prison date like the date Wednesday had with Tyler, it's so similar i was baffled no one mentioned it with their reviews, i would have not cared about the inspiration if the book had been good but where Wednesday was a 15 year old teenager who certain decisions was justifiable, Harlow is clearly an adult and for someone who is supposed to be this badass assassin, she was laughable at best, i really couldn't take her seriously, like really, the bathroom thingy was clearly an attempt of humor cause you're telling me as a badass killer that's the only plan you came with, you could have tell your friend that you wanted to be alone for a moment and to give you some space.
Please authors, i beg you to stop writing your clearly grown ass female main character as if they were 13 years old, it's cringey and us adults when we read adults books about adults we expect them to act like wise, not like some overgrown teenager who still haven't learned how to control their hormones or emotions.
First of all, am i the only one thinking this is clearly a rip off version of Wednesday Addams new serie on Netflix??? Like Harlow sounds like a carbon copy of Wednesday and her bff like a (poor) copy of Enid? Even the premise of a "criminal" school compare to a supernatural school, the haunted prison date like the date Wednesday had with Tyler, it's so similar i was baffled no one mentioned it with their reviews, i would have not cared about the inspiration if the book had been good but where Wednesday was a 15 year old teenager who certain decisions was justifiable, Harlow is clearly an adult and for someone who is supposed to be this badass assassin, she was laughable at best, i really couldn't take her seriously, like really, the bathroom thingy was clearly an attempt of humor cause you're telling me as a badass killer that's the only plan you came with, you could have tell your friend that you wanted to be alone for a moment and to give you some space.
Please authors, i beg you to stop writing your clearly grown ass female main character as if they were 13 years old, it's cringey and us adults when we read adults books about adults we expect them to act like wise, not like some overgrown teenager who still haven't learned how to control their hormones or emotions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2024
Secret assassin, bada$$ female, a variety of men... what more do you need?
This book was fantastic. It's the first of eleven standalone books of the "Dressed to Kill" series, each written by a different author. I've read one previously before ("Darcy"), which I also really enjoyed, so from my experience so far, they picked great authors to do these Belladonnas justice!
Each female assassin (called Belladonnas) was raised and trained from a very young age to be what they are. The gentleman in charge of the organization, simply called "Man," is essentially their adopted father who took them in and taught them all they know.
Harlow is given a mission to look for a missing young boy, kidnapped in broad daylight. Suspecting a US state senator, she decides to get close to his son, Kingsley. Harlow is used to being on her own, doing things by herself, and not having time or patience to make friends. Things change at the school for criminals. However, when her very persistent roommate decide they are going to be besties no matter what, and her twin brother doesn't help matters. While on the mission, she becomes close to the twins, as well as a couple of other students, and even finds common ground with one of her grumpy professors.
This is a bit of a dark read, but not too dark. There's violence, death, and talks of things that could be triggers for some readers (check for trigger warnings at the beginning of the book!). It's going to be a book I purchase in the future!
This book was fantastic. It's the first of eleven standalone books of the "Dressed to Kill" series, each written by a different author. I've read one previously before ("Darcy"), which I also really enjoyed, so from my experience so far, they picked great authors to do these Belladonnas justice!
Each female assassin (called Belladonnas) was raised and trained from a very young age to be what they are. The gentleman in charge of the organization, simply called "Man," is essentially their adopted father who took them in and taught them all they know.
Harlow is given a mission to look for a missing young boy, kidnapped in broad daylight. Suspecting a US state senator, she decides to get close to his son, Kingsley. Harlow is used to being on her own, doing things by herself, and not having time or patience to make friends. Things change at the school for criminals. However, when her very persistent roommate decide they are going to be besties no matter what, and her twin brother doesn't help matters. While on the mission, she becomes close to the twins, as well as a couple of other students, and even finds common ground with one of her grumpy professors.
This is a bit of a dark read, but not too dark. There's violence, death, and talks of things that could be triggers for some readers (check for trigger warnings at the beginning of the book!). It's going to be a book I purchase in the future!
Read
July 31, 2023"Kingsley is my sunlight on a winter’s day. Easton has the power to make me smile. Bennett is the other half of my dark and twisted soul. And Gabe is my calm in the chaos."
This book was so good!! Right from the start, I absolutely love what Harlow did for a living! Yeah murder is bad. Blah blah blah. Who cares, especially the people she killed? The true monsters of the world. I love Harlow herself. She's reserved and oh so bad ass! I can't help but love her. Her aversion to touch due to some trauma that's touched on is so accurate. At least it was for me. The author did an amazing job building up the relationships between Harlow and all 4 guys. While the lust was instant, the relationship wasn't. They all had to work at it. And the tension within the first 100 pages was 🔥🔥🔥 they hadn't even done more than Kiss and it was hot!!!!! I also love the fact that each guy gave Harlow something different, and she gave them each something. They were each special to her in different ways. They all received something so desperately needed. I love that the Man allowed her to break away. I was afraid of how that would work, but it made me happy that she wasn't forced to stay. But to me, the best part had to be the plot itself. The way it unraveled. It wasn't just a placement for the romance. I loved how it was combined together! This book definitely makes it to my top favorites for this year!
This book was so good!! Right from the start, I absolutely love what Harlow did for a living! Yeah murder is bad. Blah blah blah. Who cares, especially the people she killed? The true monsters of the world. I love Harlow herself. She's reserved and oh so bad ass! I can't help but love her. Her aversion to touch due to some trauma that's touched on is so accurate. At least it was for me. The author did an amazing job building up the relationships between Harlow and all 4 guys. While the lust was instant, the relationship wasn't. They all had to work at it. And the tension within the first 100 pages was 🔥🔥🔥 they hadn't even done more than Kiss and it was hot!!!!! I also love the fact that each guy gave Harlow something different, and she gave them each something. They were each special to her in different ways. They all received something so desperately needed. I love that the Man allowed her to break away. I was afraid of how that would work, but it made me happy that she wasn't forced to stay. But to me, the best part had to be the plot itself. The way it unraveled. It wasn't just a placement for the romance. I loved how it was combined together! This book definitely makes it to my top favorites for this year!
March 17, 2023
Writing a standalone RH is difficult because of the many relationships that need to be developed. I wouldn't have minded if this was a duet at least. Let the characters breathe!
However, Harlow is able to form something special with each of her guys before any "action" happens. She's not cocky like that chick from Den of Vipers but she's supposed to be badass and unfortunately we don't see that until the end of the book. It does seem like instalust\insta-attraction within a couple of days. We aren't really given a real timeline on how long this enfolds.
Even though the plot revolves about a kidnapping which is a dark subject, the overall story is not. It's full of funny & sexy banter between the characters. No bullying.
She has 4 guys:
Kingsley - sweet football guy. king of campus
Easton - thief and flirty
Bennett - aggressive angry teacher (former criminal lawyer)
Gabe - quiet mobster's kid that loves doing Harlow's homework
And add in the bff that's bubbly and acts like a overactive puppy, Eliana (Easton's twin) we've got a kidnapping caper! Totally feels like Scooby doo and the gang at one point.
It's a quick enjoyable read. Don't expect too much depth in it.
However, Harlow is able to form something special with each of her guys before any "action" happens. She's not cocky like that chick from Den of Vipers but she's supposed to be badass and unfortunately we don't see that until the end of the book. It does seem like instalust\insta-attraction within a couple of days. We aren't really given a real timeline on how long this enfolds.
Even though the plot revolves about a kidnapping which is a dark subject, the overall story is not. It's full of funny & sexy banter between the characters. No bullying.
She has 4 guys:
Kingsley - sweet football guy. king of campus
Easton - thief and flirty
Bennett - aggressive angry teacher (former criminal lawyer)
Gabe - quiet mobster's kid that loves doing Harlow's homework
And add in the bff that's bubbly and acts like a overactive puppy, Eliana (Easton's twin) we've got a kidnapping caper! Totally feels like Scooby doo and the gang at one point.
It's a quick enjoyable read. Don't expect too much depth in it.
March 22, 2023
I wish I had more of this group!!!
Oddly I found this RH standalone kind of sweet and fun most times rather than super dark and angsty like I anticipated. Harlow is on a mission to find a missing person by connecting with some suspects at a college for criminals. She has instant chemistry with Kingsley and Easton and then develops a connection with Gabe and Bennett as the story progresses. They are all super playful with each other, except for Gabe who is a broody one. Harlow gave me all the Wednesday vibes with her super dry humor and distaste for color and fun but it worked for her and the guys really latched onto it along with El, Easton’s twin. The two girls also have a great friendship that develops too and had me laughing here and there in the story.
This plot moves super fast because it was a standalone but easily could’ve been drawn out more into a series so we could really build a world for this crew. I think I just wanted the story to be longer overall so there was more character development and world building that could happen or maybe be a series all about this group instead of a standalone. It was still a great mafia/assassin/college read and a great start to the multi author series!
Oddly I found this RH standalone kind of sweet and fun most times rather than super dark and angsty like I anticipated. Harlow is on a mission to find a missing person by connecting with some suspects at a college for criminals. She has instant chemistry with Kingsley and Easton and then develops a connection with Gabe and Bennett as the story progresses. They are all super playful with each other, except for Gabe who is a broody one. Harlow gave me all the Wednesday vibes with her super dry humor and distaste for color and fun but it worked for her and the guys really latched onto it along with El, Easton’s twin. The two girls also have a great friendship that develops too and had me laughing here and there in the story.
This plot moves super fast because it was a standalone but easily could’ve been drawn out more into a series so we could really build a world for this crew. I think I just wanted the story to be longer overall so there was more character development and world building that could happen or maybe be a series all about this group instead of a standalone. It was still a great mafia/assassin/college read and a great start to the multi author series!
June 2, 2023
Wow!!! I don't know if I can express the amazingness from this book. I love how it begins and I love how it ends. The MF character is one kickass lady who I wouldn't want to meet on the street. Well maybe so. I don't know. She has her own signature when it comes to her job. I think that is awesome. Though going to a school literally put together for criminal's kids to go to college is something that I feel could possible be out there. We shall never know though. The work these criminals have to do sound exhausting honestly but it seems like so much fun. Also the taboo in this book. Even though this book started out with a job, things begin to slide sideways. Throw in a one night stand who sounds smoking hot but a complete asshole. Then there are the three. Who wouldn't fall for them. Even is some are out right stupid sometimes. Gotta love a group of men who can do the dirty work and still be smoking hot. I do love how this book ends. I would love to see a flash foward of their next journey. It just has to be amazing.
July 20, 2023
I really wanted to like this book, because it is part of a killer series which is ultimately one of my favorite topics. But it felt very heavy handed and ran in circles a lot, it strayed too much from the reason Harlow was there to focus on other aspects such as the romance. Yes, I know it's a reverse harem and relationships need to develop, but there needs to be a balance between the romance and the main plot and I feel like there wasn't that here (though I'm not surprised because it's by two authors I'm not too fond of), and that made the book not quite click for me. The boys were also so Meh that I couldn't connect with them or their relationships with Harlow. In the end, I realized that the only reason I kept reading it was because of Arlo. I wanted them to find him, so I opted to skip the other half of the book and get straight to the part where they rescued him.
There are other books in the saga that I'm more interested in and by authors I enjoy a bit more than Katie and Smyth, I hope I like those better.
There are other books in the saga that I'm more interested in and by authors I enjoy a bit more than Katie and Smyth, I hope I like those better.
October 1, 2024
I would give this book 3.5 stars.
Tropes to look for : ▪︎assassin fmc ▪︎college setting ▪︎Only one bed
▪︎criminal families ▪︎themes of kidnapping/trafficking of people outside the main characters group
Genres : ▪︎standalone ▪︎reverse harem ▪︎dark contemporary romance
I enjoyed it enough. Gabe was probably my favourite character followed by the fmc. I liked the goofy Easton and kind, charming Kingsley as well. The only mmc I couldn't connect with was Bennett, who felt like was there was to fulfill some teacher/student fantasy, that's all. I couldn't see him being with Harlow if he wasn't a teacher. I feel like their relationship needed more depth. That being said, I think the last 30 percent or so was a bit rushed to tie it up in a neat little bow. I wish the author spent a few pages and taken it slower. The intimate scenes felt like chores.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
Tropes to look for : ▪︎assassin fmc ▪︎college setting ▪︎Only one bed
▪︎criminal families ▪︎themes of kidnapping/trafficking of people outside the main characters group
Genres : ▪︎standalone ▪︎reverse harem ▪︎dark contemporary romance
I enjoyed it enough. Gabe was probably my favourite character followed by the fmc. I liked the goofy Easton and kind, charming Kingsley as well. The only mmc I couldn't connect with was Bennett, who felt like was there was to fulfill some teacher/student fantasy, that's all. I couldn't see him being with Harlow if he wasn't a teacher. I feel like their relationship needed more depth. That being said, I think the last 30 percent or so was a bit rushed to tie it up in a neat little bow. I wish the author spent a few pages and taken it slower. The intimate scenes felt like chores.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
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