My love is an affliction. It's not meant to be fixed, it's not worthy of protection, and it can never be conquered. It is sick. I am a poison that even the coldest of hearts can't survive. Or at least that's what I grew up believing.
Left to my own devices from a young age, I grew up with zero love or guidance. I was an unwanted mistake my parents were forced to endure. Loneliness followed me everywhere. It's how I know real love doesn't exist, and those that believe they have it are disillusioned by sacrifice as if that alone made their bond worthy. Some would say I'm a romantic masochist, but maybe I had to be because only an unbelieving heart could step into its own twisted fairytale through impulse and temptation.
When I flew across the country and showed up on my boyfriend's doorstep determined to cut ties with the diseased roots that continued to feed my sick heart, it was for him. For us. I didn't expect him to throw open the doors and allow his brother and rival to blur the lines between love and hate stealing a piece of my heart for their own.
My strength. My tormentor. My love.
However, not everything is what it seems, and people with beginnings like ours don't get happily ever afters. The scars of our hearts defined our love. It was not welcomed. It was not painless. It was fought for with blood, sweat, and tears and tasted like sweet venom.
*This book is meant for audiences 18+. Please read responsibly.
L.A. Ferro has had a love for storytelling her entire life. For as long as she can remember she put herself to sleep plotting stories in her head. That thirst for a good tale led her to books where she became an avid reader.
The unapologetically dramatic characters, steamy scenes, and happily ever afters found inside the pages of romance novels irrevocably transformed her. The world of romance ran away with her heart, and she knew her passion for love would be her craft.
When she’s not trailing after one of her three crazy kids, she loves to construct messy ‘happily ever afters’ that take her readers on a journey full of angst, lust, and obsession with page-turning enchantment.
Chasing her literary dreams, she hopes to captivate her readers with the stories that have lived rent-free in her mind for years. As an avid reader, dominant alpha males and feisty heroines have always stolen her heart and she is optimistic her books will bring the same amount of heart and heat that inspired her.
I got 50% through it and it was just not good. I usually don’t rate the books I don’t finish, but this book is just too much drama and too many moody ass men.
I don’t like ANY of the characters, and I don’t have the patience or brain power to keep forcing myself to finish this.
Here's the thing I love about L.A. Ferro (well, I love a lot of things about L.A., but this one is at the top of my list):
She doesn’t write cookie-cutter romance. She doesn’t write books where you know what’s going to happen. She makes you think. She’s keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you get comfortable assuming you know where things are headed, she flips the script. That makes for a great writer. That makes for a special writer. That’s what L.A. Ferro is.
This is her 5th book and I feel like they just keep getting better and more intricate (I love them all in different ways). Her ability to get you inside the mind of a character is unmatched. In Sweet Venom we’re treated to the inner workings of not one, not two, not three, but FOUR minds. What a gift! I’m never one to include spoilers, but this why choose is different from the rest because of the depth of the characters and how their paths cross. She manages to create amazing chemistry between Vivi and her three men, both separately and as a group. And the steam… WOW!
I’m saying no more because you need to read this book. HEAR ME: READ THIS BOOK! I promise you’ll love it like I did.
This was different in the best kind of way. This was a whole new take on enemies to lovers, RH. You get a piece of every character and you feel all the feelings they feel, the devastation, the sadness, the loneliness. Vi had to go through the mental pits to get where she was and found amazing men along the way.
DNF @ 45% I was so bored and confused the entire time. It’s just another basic “girl with trauma thinks she’s a badass and doesn’t care what others think!” type of book. But it felt like there was a book before this that I haven’t read with the way they were talking about people and events like you were already supposed to know about it all. And I couldn’t even track the story that was happening in this one with the way it kind of jumped around. Just all around unimpressive and disappointing.
I received an ARC copy of Sweet Venom by L.A. Ferro, a why choose romance in the dark trope world of RH and I completely inhaled it. Thank you so much for entrusting me with such a wonderful copy of your work.
I was captivated from the very beginning as each character was introduced. Especially Vivian. I mean who doesn't like an independent, strong and sassy woman! Coupled with her strong and complex love interests, Ellis, Sebastian and Tate. All their worlds colliding, initially at the hands of Vivians boyfriend Ellis, who recognised what she craved to fulfill all her needs, and theirs, and bringing out the kinks he felt she hid. There's certainly no kink shaming in this book!
All three male love interests are a touch troubled and complicated, but completely lovable, and that's what makes them work. You can't help falling in love with them, in spite of their complex histories, secrets and questionable activities. Speaking of which, please heed the trigger warnings. Although just a shopping list for me at this point, this book is deliciously dark and an action parked stormy read for readers who enjoy mature content.
The cover is as gorgeous as the author's words. Written with multiple POV's, which I do thoroughly enjoy, and in this case it undoubtedly added to the excitement of the storyline.
This book was such an intoxicating, exciting, addictive and spicy read. If you want to disappear into a captivating read, then without any hesitation, I suggest you dive right between its delicious pages 🖤
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I received this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ✅Why choose ✅Ave Gap ✅Enemies to lovers ✅Friends to lovers ✅Found Family ✅Gentlemen’s club ✅Suspense romance
“I am a poison that even the coldest of hearts can't survive, but poison is in everything. It's the dosage that makes it lethal or a remedy. Maybe he can survive just a taste. The question is: Can I?”
I absolutely loved this book I read it in a day! I love Vivian’s character and her love of the gym and how she wants to create a safe space for women. As a Kinesiology graduate I love that!
The smut is on point. It’s an absolute wild ride! That follows Tate, Seb and Ellis who all fall for our FMC Vivian.
Too much telling about the character's past hardship as a way to excused their behaviors. Could not get connected to the characters. The only thing good was the steamy stuff. DNF..
Once again LA Ferro has done it! This book was sensational! It brings it all! This Reverse Harem is why why we love these types of books!
The character development and complexity was amazing and keeps you reading throughout. The story is one heck of a rollercoaster ride. This is a must read for any Reverse Harem Enemies to Lovers romance reader.
I devoured this book!! L.A. Ferro writes in such a beautiful way that grabs ahold of you instantly. Her characters are compelling with so many layers that keep you invested and NEEDING more!
This is a RH romance and boy was it HOT! It will be hard for you to pick a favorite because you will fall in love with all three of these men! Each have different personalities, pasts and secrets…the twists and turns throughout this book did not disappoint! Well done girl 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
🖤 Why Choose 🖤 Enemies to Lovers 🖤 Friends to Lovers 🖤 Hand Necklaces 🖤 Dark Secrets 🖤 Secret Identity 🖤 Multi POV 🖤 Different Worlds
L.A. Ferro is quickly becoming one of my top authors. She knows exactly how to get you hooked on her characters, gives the twists and turns but still throws you off when you think you know who or what is coming. Sweet Venom sucks you in the second you start reading. I did NOT want to stop reading to adult lol, and when I finished, I was sad it was over. Ferro is definitely an author on the rise!
Oh man, what i just read!!! I love a good RH and if it's a dark one it's so much better. But this one I just completely loved .Ellis , Sebastian and Tate with Vivian, what a melting pot of personalities. Each personality bring out such a different aspect of their version of love to the table that you are amazed at them. L.A Ferro, damn woman this book was so fracking good!!
The unity that is formed with all that gets revealed in this left me gasping wow, just wow..can't say anything more. Perfection loved it so!
Vivian comes back for Ellis and to reach for her dream of owning a woman’s gym. She goes to Ellis’ apartment but finds his brother Sebastian who she’s attracted to and hates at the same time. Her crew to build her gym has Tate and they are friends and are attracted to each other. While trying to live her life there are all kinds of secrets and hidden agendas going on. Who will be left standing? Great characters and storyline Highly recommended Amazing book I love Vivian, Ellis, Sebastian, and Tate the character development is excellent. The twists and turns keep you on the end of your seat, and the spice is hot. The supporting characters are amazing. I couldn’t put this book down. L.A. Ferro each book keeps getting better and better thank you
This book was not it, it was so confusing! Too many plot lines going on, I feel like I stepped into a series that started already. I don’t know who is related at this point or not. Do the guys like each other or not? We checking paternity or not? SMH 🤦🏻♀️ RH is my absolute favorite but my number 1 pet peeve is when the relationship doesn’t feel cohesive. She cheated on Ellis so many times, his brother was a POS from the start & the stalker was well a stalker 🤷🏻♀️ It just seemed like she needed more guys and was like okay I’ll take this one. Like Tate I think his name was came out of nowhere, she didn’t even like him at first & then Ellis told her she did so then she loved him 🙄 this prob should of been a MFM.
This book completely consumed my life. I didn’t want to put it down. It follows the story of Vivian, Ellis, Sebastian, and Tatum. It is multiple viewpoints which I loved. The FMC is shown to be a strong woman who knows what she wants but thinks she will never be able to have it. She didn’t have the best role models when it came to love. The men in her life teach her something about love in their own ways and make her see love doesn’t have to hurt. It is a reverse harem story with some amazing spice but the plot has you wanting to see what happens next.
Man each book I read by L.A. Ferro just gets better and better! While Wicked Beautiful Lies is still my favorite so far Sweet Venom is a VERY close second!
You’ve got Vivian (our strong, independent FMC) Ellis (the owner of a sex club) and Sebastian and Tate, it’s amazing to watch all four of them come together!
They are all broken in their own way, and they all connect and come together despite that! It’s an amazing and emotional why choose romance!
DnF. It just couldn't grab my interest. May try at another point. This was a tik tok teased book, but I couldn't make it to the part that was teased. I may try again another day
Holy smokes is this book addictive, I thought I would take my time reading the gorgeous ARC, but I quickly became obsessed with the characters & not to mention the spice that comes with them! This story starts with the viper also known as Miss Vivian Fiori, she has awful parents who treated her like absolute shit. Now she is has certain tastes when it comes to her sexual needs, but she is willing to change everything for the mastermind also known as Ellis Lykos. She ends up having to return to her childhood home for business reasons with her god awful parents right when things were getting good with Ellis, but that also gave her time to reflect on what she wanted. Upon her return she thinks she is a force to be reckoned with especially with Blush, but what she wasn’t ready for was how much the enemy also known as Sebastian Lykos wants her out of his brothers life completely. Sebastian is willing to try anything to get something on her, but he doesn’t understand this is just what his brother wants & he just hasn’t accepted it. Lucky for her she has a shadow close by known as Tatum Carroway, now this man can be a little much sometimes, but overall he is a sweet man that is just trying to do what’s best for his family. Now the spicy scenes between these men & Vivian are incredibly hot & heavy, which is just what you would expect with these characters. Now not all of them were on bored with the sharing their girl, but they quickly realized they were all in the right spot in life & they all loved her. I will say towards the end when everyone’s secrets & pasts start coming out I felt like I was literally picking my jaw off the floor! Overall this book does have a fantastic happily ever after & I definitely finished it in two days because I could hardly put it down, needing to know what happened next!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Kinks/Tropes: surprise pregnancy, mfmm, breathe play, DP, threesome, anal, toys, voyeurism/exhibitionism, biting, marking, praise, somnophilia (not in much detail, on scene and is over in a paragraph or less)
Thoughts:
I usually don’t like surprise pregnancies in books, it is just my own feelings. Maybe at another point in life I won’t cringe when they appear in books. However, I am not at that point and wish it was kept in the epilogue scenes. The POV from Seb when she is pregnant is what I needed but I didn’t want it to be what brought and kept the group together. I wanted the struggle of them fitting before it was brought in.
All in all, I fell for each of the MMCs and their backstories! Would 100% read again regardless of how annoyed I got with the FMC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
“EST” . omg Ferro keep doing it . I liveee Vipera 😌
Another one, I love everything about this many people can’t get with the polyamorous but Im with it , locked in!! 🔒THIS was l astonishing. Just the right amount of everything definitely a book I would recommend. How they all love Vi and how she loved them in a very different but special way. Well written. Ellis , Sebastian. Tatum . You are definitely going to fall. Her love was really sweet Venom. 🐍 I can’t get enough the suspense , the drama romance all wrapped in one. You really don’t want to miss you. All worth it .
The spice is spice . Whew I had to keep taking breaks to breatheeee ! So sexy!!!! 🫦
I loved this book. This book follows Vivian, Ellis, Sebastian and Tate. Vivian flys across country to her boyfriend Ellis but he throws her a curve ball. When he allows his brother and rival to blur the lines between love and hate. I loved the character development in this book. I did not see the twist at the end coming. I really enjoyed the story. I have now read allow of L.A. Ferro’s backlist. I can’t wait to read her new books.
Favorite Quote:“Unlike physical scars that leave a mark, mental ones can be masked. No one has to know you suffered, and because they don't see, they don't know it exists.”
Impeccably written!! A masterpiece!! A storyline that will keep you drawn in from page one and needing more and more!!
So raw and real! The way the character development evolved was nothing short of perfect.
The plot twists and shocks in the last 25% of the book had a vice grip on my heart and broke me in pieces but put me back together so quickly!
My first ever book by @L A Ferro and I cannot wait to dive into another one of her books asap! She might just be, no she IS, one of my new favorite authors.
1.2⭐️ the book was so confusing and wayyyyyy to many 18+ chapters. Tbh it felt like the plot was forced on me and there were so many plots that just didnt make sense to me....
Lmao no, just no. Was there a book I missed previously? What is this story even about? Even the spice was cringy at times. DNF pagw 142, can't do it anymore.
Have you ever wanted to read a book but also dread it at the same time becuase your ADHD is telling you you can’t focus on reading anything right now but try it anyways instead? That was me when i started this book and then immediately fell into the book and started hyperfocusing on it until I finished at 10pm.
Enough said I obvious loved it becuase i fell into it so fast after starting it. I feel like this book can show you that no matter how much money you have or don’t have at birth doesn’t mean you can’t go through some stuff when you are young.
This is a why choose. Hate to love (in one case for the guys) Yaboo type romance. I loved all of the characters and really wish this book didn’t end. I feel like I want more even though their story is done becuase I am still thinking about the characters. And even if I say you can’t make me choose in a why choose romance I still tend to have a favorite that i will lean towards.. Not in this one becuase I love them all equally. This is my second book by L.A. Ferro and I really can’t wait to read more. I love how she progresses with her plot lines and how she captures each character. Her stories are addictive and i crave the next one!
L managed to put almost all of my favorite tropes in one book. Enemies to lovers , why choose, friends to lovers … this book was amazing ! I absolutely loved every character and their growth, even Seb. This has multi pov. So you get to see inside all of their heads. The Viper. The Shadow. The Mastermind. And The Enemy. Vivian comes back for Elis after being away. But, when she comes back she didn’t expect to fall for multiple men. Will she choose one, or will she commit to all ? This book also contains twists and trigger warnings.
"Even a night is one too many. I have venom in my veins, and I can promise that even your cold heart wouldn't survive."