He pisses me off the second we meet. Doesn’t like my dog. He should be off-limits. But there's something about him that drives me crazy.
Jake is the rudest guy I've ever met, but his charm might just be my kryptonite. One rescue at a concert and everything changes. Maybe he's not all bad, and maybe, just maybe, he's exactly what I need. Working together, the tension explodes.
I'm convinced he's a bad idea. But he's hell-bent on proving me wrong. Can I resist the tension between us, or is this a bad idea worth risking my heart for?
Dynamic Contrast is a steamy rockstar/ enemies to lover’s romance. It's book two in the Hystoria series but can be read as a standalone.
This is the second book in the Hystoria series by Hailey Frost and, interestingly enough, only my second review so take that for what it’s worth.
I liked the first book, but liked this book even more. I tend to read dark romance so this was a nice change. It was an easy read with no cheating or OWD which is a huge plus to me. There was a minute I thought there would be no angst, but Hailey came through.
Hailey’s stories do not read like a new author. I am looking forward to book 3, Counterpoint.
I received this book as a ARC reader for my honest review.
This is the second book written by Hailey, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed as much as her first, if not more. My score: 5/5 Spice: 3/5 Characters: Layla: I really, really liked her. She made me laugh since the first chapter. She was a really enjoyable character, with a backbone, and a take-no-sh*t attitude. Jake: he was very cute and endearing, with a hot side when it came to the spicy times. Also looooved his dirrrrty mouth.
What I liked: I enjoyed the build of their relationship. I feel like it was believable, and I liked how Jake was taken with Layla from start, even if we do not get his POV. I LOLed a lot at how petty Layla's thoughts were about his driving hahah, she kept thinking about how bad of a driver he was just because of one incident, and it was really funny. The spice was very, very good, muuuuch better and detailed than the first book, which I can say I ENJOYED.
What I didn't like: Layla's relationship with Keira was not amazing, but I am glad it was resolved by the end. UGHHH the conflict - I would've liked more groveling. It was ok, but not that good haha, I was rolling my eyes while reading. He should've done a bit more.
Overall, this is a new favorite of mine, and I can honestly say that I am 1000000%%%% excited for the next one!!!!
I tried to keep this spoiler free, but please forgive me if I gave anything away.
EDITED to add that the puppy was a lovely addition, probably making me love this book more than I already did, since I also have a Golden Retriever and Hailey nailed their personality haha
I received this book as a ARC reader for my honest review.
TITLE: Dynamic Contrast GENRE: Contemporary Romance AUTHOR: Hailey Frost TROPE: Rockstar, Second Chance, Enemies-to-Lovers TYPE: Series (Hystoria Book 2) POV: First Person MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
Dynamic Contrast is the second book in the Hystoria series. Layla is an animal lover & artist who works as a makeup artist when called upon. Jake is a member of the band Hystoria, who is working on a new album. After Layla's morning gets off to a bad start, she meets the self-entitled parking spot thief (aka Jake), who tops her morning off by making his feelings known about his dislike for her dog.
Dynamic Contrast was a quick and easy read that kept me interested throughout. I would have liked a bit more angst for my personal taste and maybe more grovelling before things were concluded, but I did enjoy the story overall. I found Layla and Jake to be likeable characters, and I was rooting for them in the end. I am giving a rating of 4 / 5 stars.
I ate this book up. While a relationship between a rock musician and his makeup artist had the potential to be cliche, Dynamic Contrast managed to avoid it by blending romance with witty banter and some heated spice, making for an enjoyable and easy read.
Jake initially came across as a bit of a jerk, and with the labelled trope of enemies to lovers, I expected a lot worse from him as a character. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to meet a refreshing new character who, despite his early appearances, showed vulnerability and soft cinnamon roll vibes. The fact that he's got a fear of dogs was ironic, given that Layla has a golden retriever and Jake definitely gives off golden retriever energy.
Layla's character was brilliant; she was completely unaffected by fame, and social media meant nothing to her. She was completely unaware of who Jake was, so their interactions were entirely organic and genuine rather than her playing up to his celebrity status, which some people might have. I loved the level of sass she would give people when they treated her disrespectfully; she was straight-talking and wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. She also knew her worth. I couldn't help but smile at all the flirtatious banter between the two of them. They worked so well together, and despite some miscommunication and a short third-act break-up, I'm glad they got their happy ending.
The sideline characters were brilliant in this book, and while they weren't overly involved in the storyline, their small amounts of dialogue helped to build up the world in which Dynamic Contrast exists.
This was the second book of the series and it was a brand new love couple. Layla who loves animals and works as a make up artist and Jake a rockstar from the Hysteria rock band who was scared of dogs.
Layla:Once again this book has a strong female heroin, she knows what she wants, she leads the relationship but she is sweet and caring with her friends, animals and Jake.
Jake:At the first book he was not seen a lot so we didn’t know he was so funny, friendly and lovable. He was a rockstar but he had a soft spot for Layla from the beginning.
Overall I loved the book. It was once again a sweet romance book that I have read in one go. I enjoyed reading their story. It was a book with no unnecessary drama.
The only reason I gave ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars is that it was quick. I want it more of their story, more story in general, I want it for them to have more chapters as a couple and then some more. It was an easy story to follow and their love evolved so beautifully that I just want it a bit more.
Is a must read book if you love sweet romance with no unnecessary drama ❤️
[I received this book as an ARC reader and this is my honest review]
(I write the above with respect to the authors hard work)
Didn’t know this was a series when I picked it up. Definitely wish I would have know, especially as this was my first read by this author. Hoping that was why the first few chapters were SLOW, and didn’t really add anything to the story.
Once the bar scene and the phone call for the project were introduced I couldn’t put the book down. The spice was great and the details were 🤌💋 the twist and emotions behind it were realistic and relatable. LOVE mochi and sunshine, and how Jake overcame his fears through this love story in more ways then one.
I wish there was more character depth with Simon near the beginning of of the read-feels unfinished and rushed to introduce a character after setting the scene so much in the first few chapters. But hoping that in his book my questions are answered.
I received this book as an ARC review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Do you know how bad a book has to be for me to quit it at 75 percent?? These two are not healthy together. They have a purely physical relationship with zero emotional intimacy. Both characters lack emotional maturity. Layla is mouthy, immature, and petty. Jake is less than one dimensional. Half dimensional? I have no idea who Jake is as a person other than he used to be in a band and is terrified of dogs. You guys, I quit during a love scene. Bc it wasn't really a love scene it was something that lacked any emotional intimacy. Nope. Not my lane. Love scenes without depth or emotions is not for me. I'm out. I will not be continuing with this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’m not a big fan of books with single POV, I want to read both characters and feel their feelings and think their thoughts, but I loved the first book in this series so I wanted to keep reading it.
This was an easy, sweet read, there’s not much of a plot but I liked it and I loved the MMCs so much.
DNF Not a ton of character interaction and the FMC made it seem like she usually doesn’t sleep with people right away but she did with Jake?? And the amount of time Layla talked about her dog was a bit much. It felt like she was making problems out of nothing.
Even better than the first one in the series🤩 the chemistry was on point and the pacing was great😁 I really enjoyed the plot as well as the characters and their evolution throughout the book☺️ can’t wait for what this author has in store for me next⭐️4