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LA Hearts
The Harshest Hope
One lie tore us apart.
Another lie forced us back together.
The boy I was forbidden to love became a man with revenge in his eyes.
He was my prince in ripped jeans and tattered books.
I was the girl hiding in her parents’ mansion.
Our love was intense. Passionate. One I thought would last forever.
All it took was one secret, a devastating lie, and I lost everything.
Him. Our future. Hope.
Now he’s back, eleven years later.
Ruthless. Cunning. Cold. A shark in a business suit.
Adrian Scott built his empire on revenge.
He hates me, and I’m next in his plan.
I’m supposed to pretend to date him. Another lie. A smokescreen.
To fool the world into thinking The Shark is finally settling down.
I have no choice but to do as he asks or lose everything.
However, he still knows every curve and secret my body holds.
The lines between our lies and my heart blur more and more.
And I wonder if loving him is the harshest hope.
Tropes:
- Rags to riches
- Alpha-hole CEO
- Opposite sides of the tracks
- Revenge plot
- Billionaire
- Fake dating
- Star crossed lovers
- Second chance
- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Angsty and spicy goodness
Another lie forced us back together.
The boy I was forbidden to love became a man with revenge in his eyes.
He was my prince in ripped jeans and tattered books.
I was the girl hiding in her parents’ mansion.
Our love was intense. Passionate. One I thought would last forever.
All it took was one secret, a devastating lie, and I lost everything.
Him. Our future. Hope.
Now he’s back, eleven years later.
Ruthless. Cunning. Cold. A shark in a business suit.
Adrian Scott built his empire on revenge.
He hates me, and I’m next in his plan.
I’m supposed to pretend to date him. Another lie. A smokescreen.
To fool the world into thinking The Shark is finally settling down.
I have no choice but to do as he asks or lose everything.
However, he still knows every curve and secret my body holds.
The lines between our lies and my heart blur more and more.
And I wonder if loving him is the harshest hope.
Tropes:
- Rags to riches
- Alpha-hole CEO
- Opposite sides of the tracks
- Revenge plot
- Billionaire
- Fake dating
- Star crossed lovers
- Second chance
- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Angsty and spicy goodness
422 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2023
About the author
Victoria Lum
13 books395 followersVictoria is a lover of all things romance, including movies, books, and television shows. A hopeless romantic since childhood, she is always dreaming up stories and happily ever afters. Caramel lattes are her fuel in the morning and she can usually be found reading anything she can get her hands on. She lives with her family and a beautiful Siberian husky in sunny California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
June 11, 2024
rough four stars and i’m gonna try and forget the attempt at slang of turning “cause” into “cuz” in a line of dialogue only because it happened one time thank god 😭✋
September 19, 2023
To be honest, this book gave me so many emotions and it was impossible not to like it.
In "The Coldest Passion" we had a little glimpse of Adrian and Emily. So, I couldn't wait to read their story.
What I enjoyed within the story was the author gave us a prequel to how Emily and Adrian met, how they fell in love and how they separated. For me it was really sad seeing both of them not having to live together how they originally supposed to after so many years apart.
Adrian's pat was set on revenge. On the people who failed them and the girl that betrayed him (or he thinks she did). Emily always loved him and, even with the deal about the fake dating between them, she was still in love. But there is one problem - she knows that he hates her and it's killing her, because she can't tell him the truth. But with love, we know that our plans never work. It took Adrian a while for him to realize that he still loved Emily and to be happy, he had to let go of the revenge and finally be with her.
I was definitely happy with all the smut taking actions with those two. The heat was off the charts, the kink was perfect and don't get me started with the dirty talk 🥵🥵🥵.
There were definitely quite a lot of misunderstandings and secrets between them and not only because of the past. There was also a little bit of drama. But the love between those two was beyond everything.
There was still one thing I preferred to happen and it was - I wish Emily had told Adrian a bit earlier about what happened in the past.
Overall, I loved their story and I can't wait to read other books written by Victoria Lum.
***I received an ARC from Grey's Promo and this is my voluntary review.***
In "The Coldest Passion" we had a little glimpse of Adrian and Emily. So, I couldn't wait to read their story.
What I enjoyed within the story was the author gave us a prequel to how Emily and Adrian met, how they fell in love and how they separated. For me it was really sad seeing both of them not having to live together how they originally supposed to after so many years apart.
Adrian's pat was set on revenge. On the people who failed them and the girl that betrayed him (or he thinks she did). Emily always loved him and, even with the deal about the fake dating between them, she was still in love. But there is one problem - she knows that he hates her and it's killing her, because she can't tell him the truth. But with love, we know that our plans never work. It took Adrian a while for him to realize that he still loved Emily and to be happy, he had to let go of the revenge and finally be with her.
I was definitely happy with all the smut taking actions with those two. The heat was off the charts, the kink was perfect and don't get me started with the dirty talk 🥵🥵🥵.
There were definitely quite a lot of misunderstandings and secrets between them and not only because of the past. There was also a little bit of drama. But the love between those two was beyond everything.
There was still one thing I preferred to happen and it was - I wish Emily had told Adrian a bit earlier about what happened in the past.
Overall, I loved their story and I can't wait to read other books written by Victoria Lum.
***I received an ARC from Grey's Promo and this is my voluntary review.***
September 13, 2023
When Victoria said that this book would be Angsty, I didn't think it would be so much, I mean it had me crying from the second chapter and wow, even though I don't like to read books with a lot of drama, I think this book was really good, I trust Victoria and it's a good thing I did because this was a good story for Adrian and Emily.
The story is divided into two parts, the present and the past and I can tell you that I really liked this because it is not written in the form of memories but rather the story as such, from the moment they meet each other when the whole event happens until they are older and they meet again, it was very refreshing to read something like that.
When we meet Adrian in the first chapter we already know a little bit about what his story is about, a poor boy who wants more out of life but hasn't been dealt a good hand, his story is heartbreaking from the beginning, blow after blow he just wants a chance but the people around him don't see it and he promises himself that it will never happen again and when he is an adult he fulfills it, the transition from young Adrian to a man is wow, he completely stops being the broken boy and becomes the big businessman with a thirst for revenge.
We have Emily, who without a doubt was a character that I liked, we see her as a young woman in love, being there for Adrian and always defending him, she comes from a rich family so she has always had everything on a platter of gold, her relationship with her mother is a bit shaky and for something that is, believe it or not, is a bit predictable in this kind of tropes, she breaks up with Adrian and goes to another university, as an adult we know her in the previous two books as this free soul, this soul that doesn't care about almost anything and has a job that she loves and oh that job is what makes her meet Adrian again.
The story of this couple was a rollercoaster to read, from the beginning we see them so much in love and there for each other that it is hard to think that they would separate and well, needless to say I spent almost the entire first part of it crying for these two and when they get back together as adults, Adrian still feels that mistrust towards her but little by little they go back to what they were before and I really loved the evolution of each of these main characters, their story It is heartbreaking but beautiful to read.
Thank you Victoria for giving us such broken yet complete characters, I can't wait to read the next book.
Thanks to the author & Greys Promotion for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!
---
Cuando Victoria dijo que este libro iba a ser Angsty no pensé que seria tanto, o sea me tenia llorando desde el segundo capítulo y wow, si bien no me gusta leer libros con mucho drama siento que este libro fue re bueno, confíe en Victoria y que bueno que lo hice porque esta fue una buena historia para Adrian y Emily.
La historia se divide en dos partes, presente y pasado y les puedo decir que esto me gusto mucho porque no esta escrito es forma de recuerdos si no la historia como tal, desde que se conocen, pasa todo el suceso hasta que ya son mayores y se vuelven a reencontrar, fue muy refrescante leer algo así.
Cuando conocemos a Adrian en el primer capítulo ya sabemos un poco de qué va su historia, un chico pobre con ganas de más en la vida pero que la misma no le a dado una buena mano de cartas, su historia es desgarradora desde el principio, golpe tras golpe solo quiere una oportunidad pero la gente a su alrededor no lo ve y se promete a sí mismo que eso nunca iba a pasar de nuevo y ya cuando es adulto lo cumple, la transición de un Adrian joven a un hombre es wow, deja de ser completamente ese niño roto y se convierte en el gran hombre de negocios con sed de venganza.
Tenemos a Emily que sin duda alguna fue un personaje que me gusto, la vemos de joven enamorada, estando allí para Adrian y siempre defendiendolo, ella viene de una familia rica así que siempre ha tenido todo en bandeja de oro, ahora bien, su relación con su madre es algo temblorosa y por algo que aunque no lo crean es un poco predecible en este tipo de tropes ella se separa de Adrian y va a la universidad, ya de adulta la conocemos en los dos libros anteriores como esa alma libre, esa alma que no le importa casi nada y que tiene un trabajo que ama y oh ese trabajo es la que la hace volver a encontrarse con Adrian.
La historia de este par fue una montaña rusa de leer, desde el principio lo vemos tan enamorados y estando allí el uno para el otro que es difícil pensar que se separarian y bueno, demas decir que me la pase llorando casi toda la primera parte de este libro por estos dos y ya cuando vuelven a estar juntos ya de adultos vez que Adrian aun siente ese recelo hacia ella pero poco a poco van volviendo hacer lo que eran antes y me encanto mucho la evolución de cada uno de estos protagonistas, su historia es desgarradora pero hermosa de leer.
Gracias Victoria por traernos tan rotos pero a la vez tan completos personajes, no puedo esperar para leer el siguiente libro.
The story is divided into two parts, the present and the past and I can tell you that I really liked this because it is not written in the form of memories but rather the story as such, from the moment they meet each other when the whole event happens until they are older and they meet again, it was very refreshing to read something like that.
When we meet Adrian in the first chapter we already know a little bit about what his story is about, a poor boy who wants more out of life but hasn't been dealt a good hand, his story is heartbreaking from the beginning, blow after blow he just wants a chance but the people around him don't see it and he promises himself that it will never happen again and when he is an adult he fulfills it, the transition from young Adrian to a man is wow, he completely stops being the broken boy and becomes the big businessman with a thirst for revenge.
We have Emily, who without a doubt was a character that I liked, we see her as a young woman in love, being there for Adrian and always defending him, she comes from a rich family so she has always had everything on a platter of gold, her relationship with her mother is a bit shaky and for something that is, believe it or not, is a bit predictable in this kind of tropes, she breaks up with Adrian and goes to another university, as an adult we know her in the previous two books as this free soul, this soul that doesn't care about almost anything and has a job that she loves and oh that job is what makes her meet Adrian again.
The story of this couple was a rollercoaster to read, from the beginning we see them so much in love and there for each other that it is hard to think that they would separate and well, needless to say I spent almost the entire first part of it crying for these two and when they get back together as adults, Adrian still feels that mistrust towards her but little by little they go back to what they were before and I really loved the evolution of each of these main characters, their story It is heartbreaking but beautiful to read.
Thank you Victoria for giving us such broken yet complete characters, I can't wait to read the next book.
Thanks to the author & Greys Promotion for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review!!
---
Cuando Victoria dijo que este libro iba a ser Angsty no pensé que seria tanto, o sea me tenia llorando desde el segundo capítulo y wow, si bien no me gusta leer libros con mucho drama siento que este libro fue re bueno, confíe en Victoria y que bueno que lo hice porque esta fue una buena historia para Adrian y Emily.
La historia se divide en dos partes, presente y pasado y les puedo decir que esto me gusto mucho porque no esta escrito es forma de recuerdos si no la historia como tal, desde que se conocen, pasa todo el suceso hasta que ya son mayores y se vuelven a reencontrar, fue muy refrescante leer algo así.
Cuando conocemos a Adrian en el primer capítulo ya sabemos un poco de qué va su historia, un chico pobre con ganas de más en la vida pero que la misma no le a dado una buena mano de cartas, su historia es desgarradora desde el principio, golpe tras golpe solo quiere una oportunidad pero la gente a su alrededor no lo ve y se promete a sí mismo que eso nunca iba a pasar de nuevo y ya cuando es adulto lo cumple, la transición de un Adrian joven a un hombre es wow, deja de ser completamente ese niño roto y se convierte en el gran hombre de negocios con sed de venganza.
Tenemos a Emily que sin duda alguna fue un personaje que me gusto, la vemos de joven enamorada, estando allí para Adrian y siempre defendiendolo, ella viene de una familia rica así que siempre ha tenido todo en bandeja de oro, ahora bien, su relación con su madre es algo temblorosa y por algo que aunque no lo crean es un poco predecible en este tipo de tropes ella se separa de Adrian y va a la universidad, ya de adulta la conocemos en los dos libros anteriores como esa alma libre, esa alma que no le importa casi nada y que tiene un trabajo que ama y oh ese trabajo es la que la hace volver a encontrarse con Adrian.
La historia de este par fue una montaña rusa de leer, desde el principio lo vemos tan enamorados y estando allí el uno para el otro que es difícil pensar que se separarian y bueno, demas decir que me la pase llorando casi toda la primera parte de este libro por estos dos y ya cuando vuelven a estar juntos ya de adultos vez que Adrian aun siente ese recelo hacia ella pero poco a poco van volviendo hacer lo que eran antes y me encanto mucho la evolución de cada uno de estos protagonistas, su historia es desgarradora pero hermosa de leer.
Gracias Victoria por traernos tan rotos pero a la vez tan completos personajes, no puedo esperar para leer el siguiente libro.
September 12, 2023
I was chosen for Arc
This is the author's first book, but I will definitely read the first one, because my favorite tropes are in there.
As for this book, I am completely in love with the characters and their story. Adrian and Emily were able to find their way back to each other despite their past, they were able to build their perfect future ❤️
This is the author's first book, but I will definitely read the first one, because my favorite tropes are in there.
As for this book, I am completely in love with the characters and their story. Adrian and Emily were able to find their way back to each other despite their past, they were able to build their perfect future ❤️
November 7, 2023
(I received an ARC for this book)
trigger warnings will be at the bottom of this review, to avoid spoilers
https://www.victorialum.com/sensitive...
Usually, I prefer my second chance romances to be kind. Sweet. This however..this was a gutwrencher! And I enjoyed every second of it! Adrian and Emily meet their senior year of high school. They come from very different homes, very different social classes. But none of that matters. Until it does. And both of their worlds explode. Now, it’s a decade later, and wheels are in motion. Adrian has built an empire of demons and heartbreak. When Emily is tasked to create his public image, they’re thrust back into each other’s lives. Then the back and forth starts. The game of emotional ping pong. Tug of war with their own hearts, and mine! A kiss sealed their fate all those years ago. They definitely fall under the ‘soulmate’ category!
Pixie: 46
My Favorite Quotes:
• “I’m thankful I got to meet you too.”
• “And if I were to put my hand between your legs, would that p!ssy of yours be wet?”
• “I didn’t claim a single kiss tonight and the public is still watching.”
• “You’re breathtaking.”
• “How could I forget anything between the two of us?”
• “It has always been you. Always.”
• “I could never quit you.”
• “Yell, scream. I don’t care. Let the world know who you’re a sl!t for.”
• “Damn right, you love me.”
• “I’m this close to f!cking you again.”
• “My soul craves you.”
8/10 Dirty Birdy
4/10 Enemies to Lovers
6/10 Fake Relationship
5/10 Forced Proximity
8/10 Second Chance
5/10 Tearjerker
8/10 The CEO Type
8/10 Series
Trigger Warnings include:
death of a parent, terminal illness on page (cancer), grief, alcoholism, parental neglect, bullying, illegal fighting
This is my review for The Coldest Passion
This is my review for The Brightest Spark
trigger warnings will be at the bottom of this review, to avoid spoilers
https://www.victorialum.com/sensitive...
Usually, I prefer my second chance romances to be kind. Sweet. This however..this was a gutwrencher! And I enjoyed every second of it! Adrian and Emily meet their senior year of high school. They come from very different homes, very different social classes. But none of that matters. Until it does. And both of their worlds explode. Now, it’s a decade later, and wheels are in motion. Adrian has built an empire of demons and heartbreak. When Emily is tasked to create his public image, they’re thrust back into each other’s lives. Then the back and forth starts. The game of emotional ping pong. Tug of war with their own hearts, and mine! A kiss sealed their fate all those years ago. They definitely fall under the ‘soulmate’ category!
Pixie: 46
My Favorite Quotes:
• “I’m thankful I got to meet you too.”
• “And if I were to put my hand between your legs, would that p!ssy of yours be wet?”
• “I didn’t claim a single kiss tonight and the public is still watching.”
• “You’re breathtaking.”
• “How could I forget anything between the two of us?”
• “It has always been you. Always.”
• “I could never quit you.”
• “Yell, scream. I don’t care. Let the world know who you’re a sl!t for.”
• “Damn right, you love me.”
• “I’m this close to f!cking you again.”
• “My soul craves you.”
8/10 Dirty Birdy
4/10 Enemies to Lovers
6/10 Fake Relationship
5/10 Forced Proximity
8/10 Second Chance
5/10 Tearjerker
8/10 The CEO Type
8/10 Series
Trigger Warnings include:
death of a parent, terminal illness on page (cancer), grief, alcoholism, parental neglect, bullying, illegal fighting
This is my review for The Coldest Passion
This is my review for The Brightest Spark
June 14, 2026
I’m all sorts of sweaty after finishing this book! The tension, the not knowing, page after page, how it will end! The ending- ahhhhh!!!! This is my first Victoria Lum book but most definitely not the last!!! I’ve loved it, loved how the story developed between Adrian & Emily. It had a nice amount of spice too, not mad about that at all!
May 31, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Victoria has stated this book was the beginning of her angsty journey, and she definitely delivered amazing angst with this book. This was my final book to catch up on her backlist, and I was so impressed with how her writing improved with each book. Somehow, Victoria always manages to hit my emotions, and I was sobbing in this book.
Adrian and Emily came from different worlds but fell hard for each other during their senior year. Unfortunately, Adrian was dealing with so much pressure and was taking care of his family while his mother was dying from cancer. His father was falling apart, and they were in a bad financial situation with all her medical bills. I loved watching him open up to Emily. She was such a beautiful person who brought sunshine into his dark world. The way Emily provided support and a shoulder to cry on for Adrian with his mothers passing was extremely moving. I was crying so hard during those scenes, so just be prepared.
The first half of this book was so sweet yet emotional. Emily ends things harshly with Adrian for reasons, and he ends up using his anger and hatred to drive him to be successful. 11 years later, he has returned as a billionaire and has a plan for revenge. Emily has to help him with his public image and ends up being forced to fake date him.
The last half of the book was full of angst and longing. Adrian was such a swoony man when he was younger, and I was dying for him to realize the truth around their breakup so he could finally soften for Emily.
This was so close to a 6-star read, but I didn't love how long it took for the truth about their breakup to be revealed.
Still adored this couple!
TW: loss of a parent to cancer
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Victoria has stated this book was the beginning of her angsty journey, and she definitely delivered amazing angst with this book. This was my final book to catch up on her backlist, and I was so impressed with how her writing improved with each book. Somehow, Victoria always manages to hit my emotions, and I was sobbing in this book.
Adrian and Emily came from different worlds but fell hard for each other during their senior year. Unfortunately, Adrian was dealing with so much pressure and was taking care of his family while his mother was dying from cancer. His father was falling apart, and they were in a bad financial situation with all her medical bills. I loved watching him open up to Emily. She was such a beautiful person who brought sunshine into his dark world. The way Emily provided support and a shoulder to cry on for Adrian with his mothers passing was extremely moving. I was crying so hard during those scenes, so just be prepared.
The first half of this book was so sweet yet emotional. Emily ends things harshly with Adrian for reasons, and he ends up using his anger and hatred to drive him to be successful. 11 years later, he has returned as a billionaire and has a plan for revenge. Emily has to help him with his public image and ends up being forced to fake date him.
The last half of the book was full of angst and longing. Adrian was such a swoony man when he was younger, and I was dying for him to realize the truth around their breakup so he could finally soften for Emily.
This was so close to a 6-star read, but I didn't love how long it took for the truth about their breakup to be revealed.
Still adored this couple!
TW: loss of a parent to cancer
September 13, 2023
"The Harshest Hope" by Victoria Lum marked my first venture into Lum's works. Broken into two acts, I was totally captivated by Act One and felt my heart meaning in Act Two, I really enjoyed the story of Adrian and Emily find their way back together!
The first act of the book is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride filled with angst and heartache, centering around the lives of Adrian and Emily as teenagers. Their tumultuous journey during this formative time is where the story truly shines. The raw emotions, the depth of their connection, and the trials they face together create a compelling narrative that tugs at your heartstrings. As the story transitions to their adult lives, it remains satisfying to see how they've evolved individually and the path that leads them back to each other. However, it's the first part of the story that truly held my heart.
In terms of romantic tropes, "The Harshest Hope" leans more towards second chance and fake dating rather than enemies-to-lovers. While the latter is explored to a certain extent, it's not the primary focus of the story to me, or at least it didn’t shine through to me, as someone who reads dark romance. Instead, the novel delves into the complexities of second chances and the authenticity of their relationship as adults.
Overall, "The Harshest Hope" is a powerful and emotionally charged read. The intensity of Adrian and Emily's connection as teenagers and their compelling journey towards reconnection as adults make this a must-read for fans of second-chance romance. Whether you're drawn to the enemies-to-lovers dynamic or more intrigued by second chances and fake dating, this novel offers a well-crafted and engaging narrative that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
The first act of the book is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride filled with angst and heartache, centering around the lives of Adrian and Emily as teenagers. Their tumultuous journey during this formative time is where the story truly shines. The raw emotions, the depth of their connection, and the trials they face together create a compelling narrative that tugs at your heartstrings. As the story transitions to their adult lives, it remains satisfying to see how they've evolved individually and the path that leads them back to each other. However, it's the first part of the story that truly held my heart.
In terms of romantic tropes, "The Harshest Hope" leans more towards second chance and fake dating rather than enemies-to-lovers. While the latter is explored to a certain extent, it's not the primary focus of the story to me, or at least it didn’t shine through to me, as someone who reads dark romance. Instead, the novel delves into the complexities of second chances and the authenticity of their relationship as adults.
Overall, "The Harshest Hope" is a powerful and emotionally charged read. The intensity of Adrian and Emily's connection as teenagers and their compelling journey towards reconnection as adults make this a must-read for fans of second-chance romance. Whether you're drawn to the enemies-to-lovers dynamic or more intrigued by second chances and fake dating, this novel offers a well-crafted and engaging narrative that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
April 23, 2025
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and more!!!
The first time I came across this book when I decided to try Victoria Lum's book but for some twisted reason I have delayed reading this book. idk why exactly probably because I knew the moment I read the blurb that this book is going ruin me to shreds.
And today finally it happened, the book ruined me for good. The author gave them the trope of star-crossed lovers? And she actually meant it. I Loved Adrian and Emily to the point of madness and absolute craziness. God knows how I devoured this book within one day and I definitely don't regret it one bit. Adrian, I think I found the best man for this series along with Emily. All in one, I think I found my star crossed couple of this series and they will be always my favourite.
The book is too good to be true. DO GIVE IT A TRY!!
The first time I came across this book when I decided to try Victoria Lum's book but for some twisted reason I have delayed reading this book. idk why exactly probably because I knew the moment I read the blurb that this book is going ruin me to shreds.
And today finally it happened, the book ruined me for good. The author gave them the trope of star-crossed lovers? And she actually meant it. I Loved Adrian and Emily to the point of madness and absolute craziness. God knows how I devoured this book within one day and I definitely don't regret it one bit. Adrian, I think I found the best man for this series along with Emily. All in one, I think I found my star crossed couple of this series and they will be always my favourite.
The book is too good to be true. DO GIVE IT A TRY!!
September 4, 2023
*4.5
Victoria Lum has knocked it out of the park again with this book. The first part of the book takes place when they are in high school and falling in love for the first time. It’s a classic story with the rich girl and the boy from the wrong side of the track. It’s so cute and it broke my heart when they had to separate. Flash forward 11 years later and her pr firm is working with him. They have to fake date to boost his image. Can they get over the past and fall in love again?
I love that it has a dual timeline that is chronological. Starting out with them as kids is such a good idea and it was done so well. They fell in love so fast and it was adorable. She didn’t care about anyone else’s opinions, she just wanted Adrian.
Adrian didn’t want to repeat his parents mistakes and he was so worried about loving Emily. He didn’t want to drag her down and it was so heartbreaking to watch. These two kids loved each other more than anything else in the world.
When they have to fake date in the present, it was so good. He wanted to get revenge on her for how she broke up with him but he obviously fell in love with her again. They were never going to be able to resist each other but it was funny to see him try.
I really liked how Adrian fit in with the rest of the friend group. It felt very natural and it gave me lots of cameos. All the parts where he asked for advice from James and Parker were really cute. He just loves Emily so much and didn’t know how to deal with it.
Adrian and Emily are the best and all they ever wanted to do was make each others dreams come true. I won’t spoil it but they have an adorable thing with seashells that warms my heart.
I received an arc through grey’s promotions.
Victoria Lum has knocked it out of the park again with this book. The first part of the book takes place when they are in high school and falling in love for the first time. It’s a classic story with the rich girl and the boy from the wrong side of the track. It’s so cute and it broke my heart when they had to separate. Flash forward 11 years later and her pr firm is working with him. They have to fake date to boost his image. Can they get over the past and fall in love again?
I love that it has a dual timeline that is chronological. Starting out with them as kids is such a good idea and it was done so well. They fell in love so fast and it was adorable. She didn’t care about anyone else’s opinions, she just wanted Adrian.
Adrian didn’t want to repeat his parents mistakes and he was so worried about loving Emily. He didn’t want to drag her down and it was so heartbreaking to watch. These two kids loved each other more than anything else in the world.
When they have to fake date in the present, it was so good. He wanted to get revenge on her for how she broke up with him but he obviously fell in love with her again. They were never going to be able to resist each other but it was funny to see him try.
I really liked how Adrian fit in with the rest of the friend group. It felt very natural and it gave me lots of cameos. All the parts where he asked for advice from James and Parker were really cute. He just loves Emily so much and didn’t know how to deal with it.
Adrian and Emily are the best and all they ever wanted to do was make each others dreams come true. I won’t spoil it but they have an adorable thing with seashells that warms my heart.
I received an arc through grey’s promotions.
September 11, 2023
Victoria Lum is knocking the LA Hearts series out of the park with these books! Every addition to the series keeps making the newest book my new favorite! My soul was crushed with James and Jess, I cried so much! Then Parker and Liz took my breathe away with all Parker's dirty talk. Now Adrian and Emily ripped out my heart and ran off with it and I don't think they plan to give it back! How am I supposed to keep reading? I'm running out of body parts!
Adrian just wanted to get his family back together in one piece and he would have done absolutely anything to make that happen. He would have even sacrificed his own happiness if need be. He was just trying to survive his last six months in the year when he transferred to his new school. The school his mother went to and dreamed her soon would attend some day.
Upon arriving on his first day he knew his time here would be difficult with all the rich students whispers floating around about him and his family. Not hoping for much, Adrian meets a pixie named Emily. Emily is to show Adrian around the school, help him settle into his new classes, and promises that, "Emily Kingsly will not lead you astray."
Emily is excited for what the rest of her senior year of high school is going to bring. She keeps a busy schedule with cheer, playing the piano, hanging with her friends and making sure she stays out of her mother's disappointed stares. Emily doesn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps and marry the first guy her mother sets her up with. She wants to have a romantic kiss upon the Empire State Building at midnight on New Years Eve with the man she loves. She has so many dreams and wishes for her future and none of those include her mother's incessant input.
Adrian and Emily become fast friends dispite the stares and whispers from their fellow classmates. Getting to know each other and spending so much time together their friendship quickly turns to heated stares to sneaking to the ocean in the middle of the night to secret notes with lillies in lockers. With everything heating up so fast between them though knowing they must keep this a secret as Emily's mother would not allow such a relationship to continue.
When push comes to shove, choices must be made, bonds to be broken, and paths to be changed. Emily and Adrian must go their separate ways. That is until eleven years pass and they are reunited but not all reunions are to be celebrated. Will these two let bygones be bygones or will they let the flames of revenge burn then until nothing is left to be saved?
Adrian just wanted to get his family back together in one piece and he would have done absolutely anything to make that happen. He would have even sacrificed his own happiness if need be. He was just trying to survive his last six months in the year when he transferred to his new school. The school his mother went to and dreamed her soon would attend some day.
Upon arriving on his first day he knew his time here would be difficult with all the rich students whispers floating around about him and his family. Not hoping for much, Adrian meets a pixie named Emily. Emily is to show Adrian around the school, help him settle into his new classes, and promises that, "Emily Kingsly will not lead you astray."
Emily is excited for what the rest of her senior year of high school is going to bring. She keeps a busy schedule with cheer, playing the piano, hanging with her friends and making sure she stays out of her mother's disappointed stares. Emily doesn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps and marry the first guy her mother sets her up with. She wants to have a romantic kiss upon the Empire State Building at midnight on New Years Eve with the man she loves. She has so many dreams and wishes for her future and none of those include her mother's incessant input.
Adrian and Emily become fast friends dispite the stares and whispers from their fellow classmates. Getting to know each other and spending so much time together their friendship quickly turns to heated stares to sneaking to the ocean in the middle of the night to secret notes with lillies in lockers. With everything heating up so fast between them though knowing they must keep this a secret as Emily's mother would not allow such a relationship to continue.
When push comes to shove, choices must be made, bonds to be broken, and paths to be changed. Emily and Adrian must go their separate ways. That is until eleven years pass and they are reunited but not all reunions are to be celebrated. Will these two let bygones be bygones or will they let the flames of revenge burn then until nothing is left to be saved?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2024
Much to my dismay, I give this one a solid 3.5 ⭐️ rating.
I love how Victoria Lum’s novels are all about these romantic gestures and epic proposals. No one does it like her.
This here might have been the best epic proposal of all her books yet!
I knew from reading her other books that Adrian’s story was going to be one of my favourites. And Victoria did not disappoint. I can’t say the same of Emily though.
Even though I loved her in the first half of the book which was genius seeing as Victoria Lum made half of the book timed back to when they were 18/19 years old and the second half was 11 years later. But in the second half with Emily’s motto in life and her take on relationships, she just lost me there.
Just as I hate players and men who cannot commit to a relationship but make it their life’s mission to jump from one hookup to another; I equally abhor women who jump from 3 month relationship (her limit set for any relationship) to another. That doesn’t make her any better. In my dictionary she’s a player as well and there’s nothing worse than that.
Add to that my following observation: 👇🏻
Nothing good ever comes from being friends with your ex. I’ve always believed that. It is not fair for your current partner.
After all, sentiments and fluids have been shared with the ex, something intimate, that will not bode well with your current partner.
And exes, who have a fiance now, have no business acting like that. Whispering in your ear. Grabbing you by the waist and give koala hugs like that! 🙄 No siree.
It’s not a favourite of mine but it is still a Victoria Lum novel. A rollercoaster of angst, struggle, turmoil and endless passionate romance.
I love how Victoria Lum’s novels are all about these romantic gestures and epic proposals. No one does it like her.
This here might have been the best epic proposal of all her books yet!
I knew from reading her other books that Adrian’s story was going to be one of my favourites. And Victoria did not disappoint. I can’t say the same of Emily though.
Even though I loved her in the first half of the book which was genius seeing as Victoria Lum made half of the book timed back to when they were 18/19 years old and the second half was 11 years later. But in the second half with Emily’s motto in life and her take on relationships, she just lost me there.
Just as I hate players and men who cannot commit to a relationship but make it their life’s mission to jump from one hookup to another; I equally abhor women who jump from 3 month relationship (her limit set for any relationship) to another. That doesn’t make her any better. In my dictionary she’s a player as well and there’s nothing worse than that.
Add to that my following observation: 👇🏻
Nothing good ever comes from being friends with your ex. I’ve always believed that. It is not fair for your current partner.
After all, sentiments and fluids have been shared with the ex, something intimate, that will not bode well with your current partner.
And exes, who have a fiance now, have no business acting like that. Whispering in your ear. Grabbing you by the waist and give koala hugs like that! 🙄 No siree.
It’s not a favourite of mine but it is still a Victoria Lum novel. A rollercoaster of angst, struggle, turmoil and endless passionate romance.
September 21, 2023
I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Adrian and Emily are high school lovers that get reunited 11 years later for work. Adrian needs a girlfriend to improve his image to buy stocks. Emily is promised a promotion if she pretends to be Adrian’s girlfriend for a year. Of course from there lines get blurred and old feelings are ignited. Can they make it work this time around? Or will their secrets tear them apart?
Pros:
I enjoyed the plot- it kept me turning pages. I needed Emily and Adrian to end up together.
Likable characters- I found myself caring for these characters and cheering them on.
Cons:
Too much of the book is spent as teens- a large portion of the book follows the characters through high school. I would’ve liked it more if we spent less time as teens and more time as adults.
Spicy scenes- I didn’t care for the writing in these scenes. Some of the terms used really took me out of the story aside from that this book had a lot of spice which I really love!
Overall we have a standard romance with an interesting plot and likable characters. It really pulled at my heart strings at times and had some very sweet moments! I think it could’ve been a 4+ star if not for my above mentioned cons.
Adrian and Emily are high school lovers that get reunited 11 years later for work. Adrian needs a girlfriend to improve his image to buy stocks. Emily is promised a promotion if she pretends to be Adrian’s girlfriend for a year. Of course from there lines get blurred and old feelings are ignited. Can they make it work this time around? Or will their secrets tear them apart?
Pros:
I enjoyed the plot- it kept me turning pages. I needed Emily and Adrian to end up together.
Likable characters- I found myself caring for these characters and cheering them on.
Cons:
Too much of the book is spent as teens- a large portion of the book follows the characters through high school. I would’ve liked it more if we spent less time as teens and more time as adults.
Spicy scenes- I didn’t care for the writing in these scenes. Some of the terms used really took me out of the story aside from that this book had a lot of spice which I really love!
Overall we have a standard romance with an interesting plot and likable characters. It really pulled at my heart strings at times and had some very sweet moments! I think it could’ve been a 4+ star if not for my above mentioned cons.
September 10, 2023
I received this as an ARC and it was my first introduction to Victoria Lum and it will not be my last! I had no idea the ride I was in for! Adrian and Emily share a love so pure and beautiful, but when family gets in the way, hard decisions are forced. 11 years later they find their way back. Adrian has become the man he always wanted to be, but his success is driven by vengeance and rage. If you like
⭐️against all odds
⭐️angsty male leads
⭐️lovers to enemy’s to lovers
⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Then this book is for you!
⭐️against all odds
⭐️angsty male leads
⭐️lovers to enemy’s to lovers
⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Then this book is for you!
September 19, 2023
I received this book as an arc and this is my honest review. I enjoyed the book and I felt that Adrian and Emily were real people with real feelings and depth. However, I felt as though the beginning portion was a few chapters too long. I would have preferred to read less about them as teens and more about them as adults. I understand why it was important to add their love story, but the book felt off to me in the beginning as I did not realize it would be almost half of them as teens. Was not the story I was expecting but it was extremely well written and overall a well done story!
September 13, 2023
The Harshest Hope by Victoria Lum, in this novel we find Adrian Callahan, when we meet him for the first time he is in the middle of losing one of the most important people in his life and about to start a new school for his last year, but The latter, although it's only for a few months, is not easy at all, when he arrives at the new school and is looked down upon for being low-income, that is until, due to school policies, they make this small and beautiful girl accompany him to his first class, by which he is completely captivated. Emily Kingsley is sweet and is attracted to this new boy, only she is a girl with money and her family expects her to behave and act like one, so her relationship with Adrian is not well regarded, he accepts this and doesn't mind having to hide with her, while they live this idyllic teenage love, they dream and plan a future together where they achieve their dreams and he becomes the man her family accepts, only that everything will come to an abrupt end when Emily's mother, using information she has, forces her to end the relationship with Adrian or he and his family will be seriously affected. Out of fear, she accepts and ends the relationship with Adrian. He is devastated, his life has been one hard moment after another, so between the pain and anger he promises not to let himself be carried away by love or hope. After eleven years have passed, they crosses their paths again, but they are no longer what they were when they were teenagers. For Emily, this is the boy she has never been able to forget and for whom she has always felt a lot of guilt for breaking up way she did, but Adrian is no longer the boy she knew, for starters he changed his last name to Scott and has become a very successful and ruthless man in business, he has risen to the top, and although he seems to have it all, there is something inside that is missing. When Emily is assigned the task of creating Adrian's public image, the two are forced into an interaction that will lead us, along with them, into a tug-of-war with their own hearts.
This story is a journey into feelings, you suffer, you laugh, you love, you cry and you fall in love again with these characters whose story you will get hooked on and you won't want to let go, a very, very beautiful story that you won't want to let go. Highly recommended!
*Thanks to Victoria Lum and Grey's Promotions for my ARC. I voluntarily leave my honest review*
The Harshest Hope de Victoria Lum, en esta novela encontramos a Adrian Callahan, cuando lo conocemos por primera vez esta en medio de perder a uno de los seres más importantes de su vida y a punto de comenzar en una escuela nueva por su último año, pero esto último aunque es por solo unos meses no es nada sencillo, cuando llega a la nueva escuela y es menospreciado por ser de bajos recurso, eso hasta que, por políticas de la escuela, hacen que esta pequeña y hermosa chica le acompañe a su primera clase, por la cual queda completamente cautivado. Emily Kingsley, es dulce y se siente atraída por este chico nuevo, solo que es una chica con dinero y su familia espera que se comporte y actúe como tal, por lo que su relación con Adrian no es bien vista, él acepta esto y no le importa tener que esconderse con ella, mientras viven este amor idílico de adolescentes, sueñan y planean un futuro juntos donde alcancen sus sueños y él se convierta en el hombre que su familia acepte, sólo que todo llegará a su fin de una manera abrupta cuando la madre de Emily, valiéndose de una información que posee, le obligue a terminar la relación con Adrian o él y su familia se verán seriamente afectados, ella por miedo acepta y termina la relación con Adrian. Él queda devastado, su vida ha sido un momento duro tras otro, por lo que entre el dolor y la rabia promete no dejarse llevar por el amor o la esperanza. Luego de que han pasado once años el destine les vuelve a cruzar los caminos, pero ya no son lo que fueron cuando adolescentes, para Emily este es el chico al que nunca ha podido olvidar y por el que siempre ha sentido mucha culpa por haber terminado todo de la manera que lo hizo, pero Adrian ya no es el chico que ella conoció, para empezar se cambió el apellido a Scott y se ha convertido en un hombre muy exitoso y despiadado en los negocios, ha legado a la cima, y aunque parece tenerlo todo hay en su interior algo que le falta. Cuando a Emily se le asigna la tarea de crear la imagen pública de Adrian, ambos se ven forzados a interactuarlo que nos llevará, junto a ellos, a un tira y afloja con sus propios corazones.
Esta historia es un viaje a los sentimientos, sufres, ríes, amas, lloras y vuelves a enamorarte junto a estos personajes de los cuales te engancharás a su historia y no querrás soltarla, una muy muy hermosa historia que no querrás dejar pasar. ¡Altamente Recomendada!
*Gracias a Victoria Lum y a Grey's Promotions por mi ARC. Dejo voluntariamente mi reseña honesta*
This story is a journey into feelings, you suffer, you laugh, you love, you cry and you fall in love again with these characters whose story you will get hooked on and you won't want to let go, a very, very beautiful story that you won't want to let go. Highly recommended!
*Thanks to Victoria Lum and Grey's Promotions for my ARC. I voluntarily leave my honest review*
The Harshest Hope de Victoria Lum, en esta novela encontramos a Adrian Callahan, cuando lo conocemos por primera vez esta en medio de perder a uno de los seres más importantes de su vida y a punto de comenzar en una escuela nueva por su último año, pero esto último aunque es por solo unos meses no es nada sencillo, cuando llega a la nueva escuela y es menospreciado por ser de bajos recurso, eso hasta que, por políticas de la escuela, hacen que esta pequeña y hermosa chica le acompañe a su primera clase, por la cual queda completamente cautivado. Emily Kingsley, es dulce y se siente atraída por este chico nuevo, solo que es una chica con dinero y su familia espera que se comporte y actúe como tal, por lo que su relación con Adrian no es bien vista, él acepta esto y no le importa tener que esconderse con ella, mientras viven este amor idílico de adolescentes, sueñan y planean un futuro juntos donde alcancen sus sueños y él se convierta en el hombre que su familia acepte, sólo que todo llegará a su fin de una manera abrupta cuando la madre de Emily, valiéndose de una información que posee, le obligue a terminar la relación con Adrian o él y su familia se verán seriamente afectados, ella por miedo acepta y termina la relación con Adrian. Él queda devastado, su vida ha sido un momento duro tras otro, por lo que entre el dolor y la rabia promete no dejarse llevar por el amor o la esperanza. Luego de que han pasado once años el destine les vuelve a cruzar los caminos, pero ya no son lo que fueron cuando adolescentes, para Emily este es el chico al que nunca ha podido olvidar y por el que siempre ha sentido mucha culpa por haber terminado todo de la manera que lo hizo, pero Adrian ya no es el chico que ella conoció, para empezar se cambió el apellido a Scott y se ha convertido en un hombre muy exitoso y despiadado en los negocios, ha legado a la cima, y aunque parece tenerlo todo hay en su interior algo que le falta. Cuando a Emily se le asigna la tarea de crear la imagen pública de Adrian, ambos se ven forzados a interactuarlo que nos llevará, junto a ellos, a un tira y afloja con sus propios corazones.
Esta historia es un viaje a los sentimientos, sufres, ríes, amas, lloras y vuelves a enamorarte junto a estos personajes de los cuales te engancharás a su historia y no querrás soltarla, una muy muy hermosa historia que no querrás dejar pasar. ¡Altamente Recomendada!
*Gracias a Victoria Lum y a Grey's Promotions por mi ARC. Dejo voluntariamente mi reseña honesta*
September 12, 2023
So much more than expected
I have too many words & I’m having a hard time organizing them due to the immense book hangover. It’s been 24 hours & my brain is still mush!
The rollercoaster ride my heart and emotions took in this book was definitely a ride of a lifetime. Victoria has a way with words & descriptions that completely sucks you in & holds you hostage. She made me feel every emotion of the characters so deeply, that I found myself experiencing those emotions. I was legit excited when Adrian received good news, & I was a blubbering mess when he was handed yet another loss or obstacle. At every turn, there was a new emotion to experience right along with the characters.
Adrian Callahan/Scott is a young man that has been forced to mature way faster than he should have. He’s been helping to take care of his family for far too long, & never hesitates to sacrifice his wants or desires for his family. They’re all he has, after all.
Emily Kingsley is the product of an affluent mixed Asian family. She doesn’t know the struggles life can throw at you like Adrian does. And her Asian mother is determined that any relationship she enters will be a profitable match for the family. But sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants.
Adrian & Emily first meet on his first day at a new school. She’s assigned to show him the ropes. And as she happily quotes, “Emily Kingsley will not lead you astray.” These two share a connection from the start & become the type of friends that truly care. They support each other in their extracurricular activities, in their hopes, dreams, & ambitions. The love these two eventually shared as seniors in high school was the sweetest & absolute purest form of love. But, in the eyes of some, them coming from two different sides of the track, they were never destined to be together. Life, family interference, & lies caused a rift that broke ties & broke hearts.
Eleven years apart, and these two souls still knew each other. But with all this time apart, these souls had built up walls that needed more than a wrecking ball to demolish. Emily is now very accomplished at her PR firm, but she is a serial dater & thinks love & settling down is definitely not for her. Her philosophy, get out while things are still good & before they can go back. She’s just a wee bit jaded. But she’s not quite as jaded as Adrian. Adrian has become extremely wealthy & successful & is now on a mission of revenge. His whole existence is fueled by hatred from his youth & an intense desire to gain revenge on everyone who has wronged him & those he loves. Now known in the business world as “The Shark,” he must soften his image to obtain his next revenge plot. With the assistance of Emily’s PR Firm, a fake dating arrangement ensues. But as these two end up spending more and more time together, the level of disdain & hatred slowly simmers. Emily finds that her Adrian is still inside this now callous man, & he periodically shows her in making her childhood dreams come true one seashell at a time.
But is an old love from years ago enough? Are the hopes and dreams of a teenage girl enough? Through so many lies, secrets, manipulations, & through moments of pure love & desire, can these two knock down these walls around their souls & find their way back into each other’s hearts?
I have too many words & I’m having a hard time organizing them due to the immense book hangover. It’s been 24 hours & my brain is still mush!
The rollercoaster ride my heart and emotions took in this book was definitely a ride of a lifetime. Victoria has a way with words & descriptions that completely sucks you in & holds you hostage. She made me feel every emotion of the characters so deeply, that I found myself experiencing those emotions. I was legit excited when Adrian received good news, & I was a blubbering mess when he was handed yet another loss or obstacle. At every turn, there was a new emotion to experience right along with the characters.
Adrian Callahan/Scott is a young man that has been forced to mature way faster than he should have. He’s been helping to take care of his family for far too long, & never hesitates to sacrifice his wants or desires for his family. They’re all he has, after all.
Emily Kingsley is the product of an affluent mixed Asian family. She doesn’t know the struggles life can throw at you like Adrian does. And her Asian mother is determined that any relationship she enters will be a profitable match for the family. But sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants.
Adrian & Emily first meet on his first day at a new school. She’s assigned to show him the ropes. And as she happily quotes, “Emily Kingsley will not lead you astray.” These two share a connection from the start & become the type of friends that truly care. They support each other in their extracurricular activities, in their hopes, dreams, & ambitions. The love these two eventually shared as seniors in high school was the sweetest & absolute purest form of love. But, in the eyes of some, them coming from two different sides of the track, they were never destined to be together. Life, family interference, & lies caused a rift that broke ties & broke hearts.
Eleven years apart, and these two souls still knew each other. But with all this time apart, these souls had built up walls that needed more than a wrecking ball to demolish. Emily is now very accomplished at her PR firm, but she is a serial dater & thinks love & settling down is definitely not for her. Her philosophy, get out while things are still good & before they can go back. She’s just a wee bit jaded. But she’s not quite as jaded as Adrian. Adrian has become extremely wealthy & successful & is now on a mission of revenge. His whole existence is fueled by hatred from his youth & an intense desire to gain revenge on everyone who has wronged him & those he loves. Now known in the business world as “The Shark,” he must soften his image to obtain his next revenge plot. With the assistance of Emily’s PR Firm, a fake dating arrangement ensues. But as these two end up spending more and more time together, the level of disdain & hatred slowly simmers. Emily finds that her Adrian is still inside this now callous man, & he periodically shows her in making her childhood dreams come true one seashell at a time.
But is an old love from years ago enough? Are the hopes and dreams of a teenage girl enough? Through so many lies, secrets, manipulations, & through moments of pure love & desire, can these two knock down these walls around their souls & find their way back into each other’s hearts?
March 5, 2024
One thing I really like about starting a new book is when the first few pages grab my attention. It's in the writing, whether it's happy or sad, or emotional and heartbreaking, it doesn't matter, and Victoria has a really strong beginning in this story.
I feel sorry for what Adrian and his family are going through and this has been written with a lot of emotion, I could imagine what Adrian was feeling and could understand his attitude and his reactions toward the other students.
Emily was his complete opposite, from a well off family that wants for nothing, but despite this, she's down to earth and sweet and she looks past Adrian's surface and sees him for him.
They share some special moments and Adrian falls hard for his Pixie.
I like that we get to see their beginning and how they fell in love. Despite everything, Adrian really was a sweetheart to Emily. She never cared about what he did or didn't have, they had each other and were making plans to head off to college together.....until they weren't.
I could see how this chapter in their lives was going to tip Adrian over the edge. I could imagine him feeling like everything was slipping through his fingers and he didn't know how to hold on.
We are then witness to them coming face to face after 11 long years and to say this was the iciest reception is an understatement. It's a shock to Emily, very unexpected and not what she thought it would be. And now we get to tag along for the next phase of their lives.
Adrian's past and what he went through, hardened him and made him determined to prove everyone wrong and make something of himself and he was cut-throat about it. I found myself sympathising with Adrian, I mean the struggles he and his family had, you can absolutely understand why he is the way he is, I think people can go either way when things like this happen and he decided to avoid attachments and getting close to anyone besides him father and his sister.
The tension between Emily and Adrian could be cut with a knife as the story progressed. I really enjoyed how their characters were written throughout, especially the last half of the book. These two were forced together and while Adrian was closed off and cold, you could see that the more time he spent with Emily, he started thawing. I liked that these two characters didn't automatically jump to all kinds of conclusions either when finding out certain things, instead of acting impulsively and doing things they might regret, they sought advice from those closest to them and spoke to each other. All the lies were finally out in the open and they could finally move forward. I enjoyed Adrian's character growth. I really felt him to be a believable character and whilst he was cold and harsh, he never crossed too far over the line to hurt Emily.
Emily and Adrian's story was a really great read and recommended for anyone who enjoys a story with Romeo and Juliet vibes, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope and some really strong characters. Thank you and well done!
I feel sorry for what Adrian and his family are going through and this has been written with a lot of emotion, I could imagine what Adrian was feeling and could understand his attitude and his reactions toward the other students.
Emily was his complete opposite, from a well off family that wants for nothing, but despite this, she's down to earth and sweet and she looks past Adrian's surface and sees him for him.
They share some special moments and Adrian falls hard for his Pixie.
I like that we get to see their beginning and how they fell in love. Despite everything, Adrian really was a sweetheart to Emily. She never cared about what he did or didn't have, they had each other and were making plans to head off to college together.....until they weren't.
I could see how this chapter in their lives was going to tip Adrian over the edge. I could imagine him feeling like everything was slipping through his fingers and he didn't know how to hold on.
We are then witness to them coming face to face after 11 long years and to say this was the iciest reception is an understatement. It's a shock to Emily, very unexpected and not what she thought it would be. And now we get to tag along for the next phase of their lives.
Adrian's past and what he went through, hardened him and made him determined to prove everyone wrong and make something of himself and he was cut-throat about it. I found myself sympathising with Adrian, I mean the struggles he and his family had, you can absolutely understand why he is the way he is, I think people can go either way when things like this happen and he decided to avoid attachments and getting close to anyone besides him father and his sister.
The tension between Emily and Adrian could be cut with a knife as the story progressed. I really enjoyed how their characters were written throughout, especially the last half of the book. These two were forced together and while Adrian was closed off and cold, you could see that the more time he spent with Emily, he started thawing. I liked that these two characters didn't automatically jump to all kinds of conclusions either when finding out certain things, instead of acting impulsively and doing things they might regret, they sought advice from those closest to them and spoke to each other. All the lies were finally out in the open and they could finally move forward. I enjoyed Adrian's character growth. I really felt him to be a believable character and whilst he was cold and harsh, he never crossed too far over the line to hurt Emily.
Emily and Adrian's story was a really great read and recommended for anyone who enjoys a story with Romeo and Juliet vibes, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope and some really strong characters. Thank you and well done!
September 13, 2023
One thing I really like about starting a new book is when the first few pages grab my attention. It's in the writing, whether it's happy or sad, or emotional and heartbreaking, it doesn't matter, and Victoria has a really strong beginning in this story.
I feel sorry for what Adrian and his family are going through and this has been written with a lot of emotion, I could imagine what Adrian was feeling and could understand his attitude and his reactions toward the other students.
Emily was his complete opposite, from a well off family that wants for nothing, but despite this, she's down to earth and sweet and she looks past Adrian's surface and sees him for him.
They share some special moments and Adrian falls hard for his Pixie.
I like that we get to see their beginning and how they fell in love. Despite everything, Adrian really was a sweetheart to Emily. She never cared about what he did or didn't have, they had each other and were making plans to head off to college together.....until they weren't.
I could see how this chapter in their lives was going to tip Adrian over the edge. I could imagine him feeling like everything was slipping through his fingers and he didn't know how to hold on.
We are then witness to them coming face to face after 11 long years and to say this was the iciest reception is an understatement. It's a shock to Emily, very unexpected and not what she thought it would be. And now we get to tag along for the next phase of their lives.
Adrian's past and what he went through, hardened him and made him determined to prove everyone wrong and make something of himself and he was cut-throat about it. I found myself sympathising with Adrian, I mean the struggles he and his family had, you can absolutely understand why he is the way he is, I think people can go either way when things like this happen and he decided to avoid attachments and getting close to anyone besides him father and his sister.
The tension between Emily and Adrian could be cut with a knife as the story progressed. I really enjoyed how their characters were written throughout, especially the last half of the book. These two were forced together and while Adrian was closed off and cold, you could see that the more time he spent with Emily, he started thawing. I liked that these two characters didn't automatically jump to all kinds of conclusions either when finding out certain things, instead of acting impulsively and doing things they might regret, they sought advice from those closest to them and spoke to each other. All the lies were finally out in the open and they could finally move forward. I enjoyed Adrian's character growth. I really felt him to be a believable character and whilst he was cold and harsh, he never crossed too far over the line to hurt Emily.
Emily and Adrian's story was a really great read and recommended for anyone who enjoys a story with Romeo and Juliet vibes, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope and some really strong characters. Thank you and well done!
I feel sorry for what Adrian and his family are going through and this has been written with a lot of emotion, I could imagine what Adrian was feeling and could understand his attitude and his reactions toward the other students.
Emily was his complete opposite, from a well off family that wants for nothing, but despite this, she's down to earth and sweet and she looks past Adrian's surface and sees him for him.
They share some special moments and Adrian falls hard for his Pixie.
I like that we get to see their beginning and how they fell in love. Despite everything, Adrian really was a sweetheart to Emily. She never cared about what he did or didn't have, they had each other and were making plans to head off to college together.....until they weren't.
I could see how this chapter in their lives was going to tip Adrian over the edge. I could imagine him feeling like everything was slipping through his fingers and he didn't know how to hold on.
We are then witness to them coming face to face after 11 long years and to say this was the iciest reception is an understatement. It's a shock to Emily, very unexpected and not what she thought it would be. And now we get to tag along for the next phase of their lives.
Adrian's past and what he went through, hardened him and made him determined to prove everyone wrong and make something of himself and he was cut-throat about it. I found myself sympathising with Adrian, I mean the struggles he and his family had, you can absolutely understand why he is the way he is, I think people can go either way when things like this happen and he decided to avoid attachments and getting close to anyone besides him father and his sister.
The tension between Emily and Adrian could be cut with a knife as the story progressed. I really enjoyed how their characters were written throughout, especially the last half of the book. These two were forced together and while Adrian was closed off and cold, you could see that the more time he spent with Emily, he started thawing. I liked that these two characters didn't automatically jump to all kinds of conclusions either when finding out certain things, instead of acting impulsively and doing things they might regret, they sought advice from those closest to them and spoke to each other. All the lies were finally out in the open and they could finally move forward. I enjoyed Adrian's character growth. I really felt him to be a believable character and whilst he was cold and harsh, he never crossed too far over the line to hurt Emily.
Emily and Adrian's story was a really great read and recommended for anyone who enjoys a story with Romeo and Juliet vibes, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope and some really strong characters. Thank you and well done!
October 5, 2023
**ARC REVIEW**
"One lie tore us apart. Another lie forced us back together."
The Harshest Hope is book #3 in the LA Hearts series by Victoria Lum! This was my first experience with Victoria's writing and OMG it did not disappoint. PS I hadn't read the first two books in the series but it was easy to read as a stand-alone.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
Spice: 🔥🔥
If you like these tropes, you will enjoy reading this book :)
🐚 Second Chance
🐚 Star-Crossed Lovers
🐚 Rags to Riches
🐚 Fake Dating
🐚 Revenge Plot
🐚 Alpha-Hole Billionaire
🐚 Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
🐚 Opposite Sides of The Tracks
Adrian Callahan, Aka Adrian Scott went through a lot as a teenager. He lost his mum to cancer and tried his best to help support his family the best he could with what little they had. The only shinning light in his life was his Pixie. She filled his life with love, warmth, dreams of a future where they would want for nothing as long as they were together. However like Romeo and Juliet, they were torn apart, by none other than the one person who he thought was his future/his forever.
Emily Kingsley, aka Pixie, was the daughter of one of the richest families. She and Adrian were complete opposities but she loved Adrian Callahan with her whole heart. Due to certain events, her mother forces her hand and because she wanted Adrian to achieve his future dreams, she made the biggest sacrifice and broke not only Adrian's heart but her heart as well.
Now 11 years later they come face to face...
Adrian - cold as ice, cut throat, a billionaire with nothing but revenge in his sights. He wants revenge on Emily as well for breaking his heart. He hires her firm to clean up his name and give him an image that "he is in a serious relationship and ready to settle down". He wants to pretend to date her, get her to fall in love with him and then break her heart.
Emily - her heart aching for the person he used to be as the man she sees today is not the same person. How are they going to get through this year of being in each others orbit?
I loved this book so much!! It was an emotional rollercoaster where I cried soooooo much so please keep the tissues handy!
The moments I loved in this book
- the beach and what it meant to the both of them
- collecting the sea shells and what that represented
- Lilies
- The piano and the moonlight sonata - everytime that song was mentioned I was crying
Overall, I loved this book so much and I cannot wait for The Brightest Spark!
Thank you to Victoria for kindly sending me this arc to read and review. This review is my own honest opinion on the book :)
"One lie tore us apart. Another lie forced us back together."
The Harshest Hope is book #3 in the LA Hearts series by Victoria Lum! This was my first experience with Victoria's writing and OMG it did not disappoint. PS I hadn't read the first two books in the series but it was easy to read as a stand-alone.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
Spice: 🔥🔥
If you like these tropes, you will enjoy reading this book :)
🐚 Second Chance
🐚 Star-Crossed Lovers
🐚 Rags to Riches
🐚 Fake Dating
🐚 Revenge Plot
🐚 Alpha-Hole Billionaire
🐚 Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
🐚 Opposite Sides of The Tracks
Adrian Callahan, Aka Adrian Scott went through a lot as a teenager. He lost his mum to cancer and tried his best to help support his family the best he could with what little they had. The only shinning light in his life was his Pixie. She filled his life with love, warmth, dreams of a future where they would want for nothing as long as they were together. However like Romeo and Juliet, they were torn apart, by none other than the one person who he thought was his future/his forever.
Emily Kingsley, aka Pixie, was the daughter of one of the richest families. She and Adrian were complete opposities but she loved Adrian Callahan with her whole heart. Due to certain events, her mother forces her hand and because she wanted Adrian to achieve his future dreams, she made the biggest sacrifice and broke not only Adrian's heart but her heart as well.
Now 11 years later they come face to face...
Adrian - cold as ice, cut throat, a billionaire with nothing but revenge in his sights. He wants revenge on Emily as well for breaking his heart. He hires her firm to clean up his name and give him an image that "he is in a serious relationship and ready to settle down". He wants to pretend to date her, get her to fall in love with him and then break her heart.
Emily - her heart aching for the person he used to be as the man she sees today is not the same person. How are they going to get through this year of being in each others orbit?
I loved this book so much!! It was an emotional rollercoaster where I cried soooooo much so please keep the tissues handy!
The moments I loved in this book
- the beach and what it meant to the both of them
- collecting the sea shells and what that represented
- Lilies
- The piano and the moonlight sonata - everytime that song was mentioned I was crying
Overall, I loved this book so much and I cannot wait for The Brightest Spark!
Thank you to Victoria for kindly sending me this arc to read and review. This review is my own honest opinion on the book :)
September 3, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
Victoria Lum has once again given us a book full of so much angst. She puts these characters through the ringer before we get to their happily ever after. This is the story of Adrian and Emily.
Two timelines - college and then 11 years later ✔️
Billionaire romance ✔️
Rags to riches ✔️
Second chance romance ✔️
First love ✔️
Fake dating ✔️
Friends to lovers to enemies to lovers ✔️
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Angst level: 💔💔💔
Adrian grew up in a less than ideal financial situation. After his mother got sick with cancer, things started to go downhill financially for his family and he was stuck growing up quicker than he wanted to. But when his mom wanted him to go to her alma mater for his senior year, he knew that he needed to do this for her.
His welcome into this prestigious school was less than welcoming. There was only one bright spot in the constant ridicule and teasing and that was Emily. From day one, she embedded herself into his life and he couldn’t do anything but slowly fall in love with the rich girl who would never work out in the long run.
Their relationship in their senior year of high school was beautiful, but when one of them is given an indescribable and impossible choice, they are pulled apart for the next 11 years.
Fast forward to the present and Adrian has totally reinvented himself. He has become one of the richest men in the world, but that came with a cost. He is also one of the most broody and unapproachable men. So he hires a PR company to fix his image and get him to be seen as a family man. And of course he hires Emily’s PR company and she is lead on it. They decide that the two will fake date to show the world that Adrian can be family oriented and loving. But we all know how that can go - when the lines blur from fake to real.
There is so much else I want to say, but I am in the realm that you should go in blind. So many things happen - you will go from being so happy for these characters to wanting to throw your kindle at one or both of them. Their communication skills needed some work and so many issues could have been avoided and so much hurt could have been saved. But these two are definitely my new favorite couple of this authors! They go through so much, but the journey is worth the ending.
Also, loved seeing the side characters from previous books - especially Adrian’s friendship with Parker! The author definitely sets us up for a couple more books in the future and I cannot wait for them!!
Victoria Lum has once again given us a book full of so much angst. She puts these characters through the ringer before we get to their happily ever after. This is the story of Adrian and Emily.
Two timelines - college and then 11 years later ✔️
Billionaire romance ✔️
Rags to riches ✔️
Second chance romance ✔️
First love ✔️
Fake dating ✔️
Friends to lovers to enemies to lovers ✔️
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️
Angst level: 💔💔💔
Adrian grew up in a less than ideal financial situation. After his mother got sick with cancer, things started to go downhill financially for his family and he was stuck growing up quicker than he wanted to. But when his mom wanted him to go to her alma mater for his senior year, he knew that he needed to do this for her.
His welcome into this prestigious school was less than welcoming. There was only one bright spot in the constant ridicule and teasing and that was Emily. From day one, she embedded herself into his life and he couldn’t do anything but slowly fall in love with the rich girl who would never work out in the long run.
Their relationship in their senior year of high school was beautiful, but when one of them is given an indescribable and impossible choice, they are pulled apart for the next 11 years.
Fast forward to the present and Adrian has totally reinvented himself. He has become one of the richest men in the world, but that came with a cost. He is also one of the most broody and unapproachable men. So he hires a PR company to fix his image and get him to be seen as a family man. And of course he hires Emily’s PR company and she is lead on it. They decide that the two will fake date to show the world that Adrian can be family oriented and loving. But we all know how that can go - when the lines blur from fake to real.
There is so much else I want to say, but I am in the realm that you should go in blind. So many things happen - you will go from being so happy for these characters to wanting to throw your kindle at one or both of them. Their communication skills needed some work and so many issues could have been avoided and so much hurt could have been saved. But these two are definitely my new favorite couple of this authors! They go through so much, but the journey is worth the ending.
Also, loved seeing the side characters from previous books - especially Adrian’s friendship with Parker! The author definitely sets us up for a couple more books in the future and I cannot wait for them!!
January 25, 2026
I am currently writing this review with mush for a brain because The Harshest Hope has left me with the most intense book hangover of my life. It’s been 24 hours and I’m still not okay! Victoria Lum has officially mastered the art of "gut-wrenching angst," and seeing how much her writing has evolved with each book is incredible. I was sobbing by chapter two, so consider this your official warning: keep the tissues close.
This story is divided into two parts—the past and the present—and I loved that the history of Adrian and Emily wasn't just told through quick memories; we actually got to live through their senior year. Adrian was the "poor boy" from the wrong side of the tracks, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders while his family fell apart, and Emily was the "rich girl" sunshine who became his entire world. Their connection was so pure and moving, especially the way Emily supported him through his darkest moments. When they separated so harshly, it literally broke my heart into a million pieces.
Then we get the second half of the book which takes place 11 years after, and the "broken boy" has transformed into a billionaire known as "The Shark," and he is back for cold, hard revenge. Emily is now a jaded PR expert who doesn't believe in love, but she’s forced to help him fix his public image through a fake dating arrangement. The tension in the second half of the book is absolute torture because if I have to be honest—my heart was screaming for Emily to just tell Adrian the truth about the past a bit earlier! The weight of those secrets and the misunderstandings between them was so heavy, I was practically vibrating with the need for them to just talk. But even with that frustration, watching "The Shark" slowly soften for the only girl he ever loved was everything. Plus, the heat is off the charts—the kinks and the dirty talk had me blushing! 🥵 Victoria really delivered on the spice while still making the emotional evolution of these characters feel so earned. Watching Adrian slowly let go of his hatred to find his way back to the girl who used to make his childhood dreams come true "one seashell at a time" was just beautiful. This story is heartbreaking, spicy, and ultimately so healing.
I'm so excited to start the last book in the LA hearts series and my last backlist for Victoria Lum!
This story is divided into two parts—the past and the present—and I loved that the history of Adrian and Emily wasn't just told through quick memories; we actually got to live through their senior year. Adrian was the "poor boy" from the wrong side of the tracks, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders while his family fell apart, and Emily was the "rich girl" sunshine who became his entire world. Their connection was so pure and moving, especially the way Emily supported him through his darkest moments. When they separated so harshly, it literally broke my heart into a million pieces.
Then we get the second half of the book which takes place 11 years after, and the "broken boy" has transformed into a billionaire known as "The Shark," and he is back for cold, hard revenge. Emily is now a jaded PR expert who doesn't believe in love, but she’s forced to help him fix his public image through a fake dating arrangement. The tension in the second half of the book is absolute torture because if I have to be honest—my heart was screaming for Emily to just tell Adrian the truth about the past a bit earlier! The weight of those secrets and the misunderstandings between them was so heavy, I was practically vibrating with the need for them to just talk. But even with that frustration, watching "The Shark" slowly soften for the only girl he ever loved was everything. Plus, the heat is off the charts—the kinks and the dirty talk had me blushing! 🥵 Victoria really delivered on the spice while still making the emotional evolution of these characters feel so earned. Watching Adrian slowly let go of his hatred to find his way back to the girl who used to make his childhood dreams come true "one seashell at a time" was just beautiful. This story is heartbreaking, spicy, and ultimately so healing.
I'm so excited to start the last book in the LA hearts series and my last backlist for Victoria Lum!
August 31, 2023
4.75
i did receive the arc of this but i have been a fan of Victoria's other books. and so far this one is absolutely my fav
it's both sweet and spicy. i couldn't put this down
if you love dual timelines you will love this book. i love when a romance book has two different timelines of younger than meeting again when older it's one of my favorite tropes. i don't want to give too much away but this was so good i hope to see this become popular if you love romance books defiantly check this one out. i also highly recommend her others books as well. And they are on kindle unlimited i love the Sweetest AgonyThe Sweetest Agony by Victoria. SO defiantly check that one out too. Below i listed what the book is about and tropes.
One lie tore us apart.
Another lie forced us back together.
The boy I was forbidden to love became a man with revenge in his eyes.
He was my prince in ripped jeans and tattered books.
I was the girl hiding in her parents’ mansion.
Our love was intense. Passionate. One I thought would last forever.
All it took was one secret, a devastating lie, and I lost everything.
Him. Our future. Hope.
Now he’s back, eleven years later.
Ruthless. Cunning. Cold. A shark in a business suit.
Adrian Scott built his empire on revenge.
He hates me, and I’m next in his plan.
I’m supposed to pretend to date him. Another lie. A smokescreen.
To fool the world into thinking The Shark is finally settling down.
I have no choice but to do as he asks or lose everything.
However, he still knows every curve and secret my body holds.
The lines between our lies and my heart blur more and more.
And I wonder if loving him is the harshest hope.
Tropes:
- Rags to riches
- Star-crossed lovers
- Billionaire romance
- Opposite side of tracks
- Fake dating
- Alpha-hole CEO
- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Second-chance angsty, emotional romance
i did receive the arc of this but i have been a fan of Victoria's other books. and so far this one is absolutely my fav
it's both sweet and spicy. i couldn't put this down
if you love dual timelines you will love this book. i love when a romance book has two different timelines of younger than meeting again when older it's one of my favorite tropes. i don't want to give too much away but this was so good i hope to see this become popular if you love romance books defiantly check this one out. i also highly recommend her others books as well. And they are on kindle unlimited i love the Sweetest AgonyThe Sweetest Agony by Victoria. SO defiantly check that one out too. Below i listed what the book is about and tropes.
One lie tore us apart.
Another lie forced us back together.
The boy I was forbidden to love became a man with revenge in his eyes.
He was my prince in ripped jeans and tattered books.
I was the girl hiding in her parents’ mansion.
Our love was intense. Passionate. One I thought would last forever.
All it took was one secret, a devastating lie, and I lost everything.
Him. Our future. Hope.
Now he’s back, eleven years later.
Ruthless. Cunning. Cold. A shark in a business suit.
Adrian Scott built his empire on revenge.
He hates me, and I’m next in his plan.
I’m supposed to pretend to date him. Another lie. A smokescreen.
To fool the world into thinking The Shark is finally settling down.
I have no choice but to do as he asks or lose everything.
However, he still knows every curve and secret my body holds.
The lines between our lies and my heart blur more and more.
And I wonder if loving him is the harshest hope.
Tropes:
- Rags to riches
- Star-crossed lovers
- Billionaire romance
- Opposite side of tracks
- Fake dating
- Alpha-hole CEO
- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Second-chance angsty, emotional romance
May 8, 2025
💰Poor Boy x Rich Girl
❤️Romeo and Juliet x Count of Monte Cristo Vibes
👩❤️👨Fake Dating
💞Second Chance
❤️🔥Slow Burn Perfection
🤐Secrets and Revenge
👿Angst
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
Review:
The angst is meaty, the character layers are deep, the drama is compelling, and the romance is heart fluttering. We get a complex story of second chances, true love, revenge, tragedy, and forgiveness. Truly, this is a must read for those that enjoy to get lost in a book.
Adrian and Emily are our Romeo and Juliet inspired couple. A poor boy with big dreams, a good heart, and who stretches himself in all directions to protect and provide for his family. Emily is the "rich girl" who is mesmerized by the bright eyed, broody, and smart, Adrian. But as their friendship grows, a dark family lie pulls them a part.
Eleven years later they are paired up in order to stabilize Adrian's ruthless and cutthroat public image. He's become hardened and jaded due to the events of the past.
What makes this a stand out is there's this chess game of Adrian's going on in tandem with his push and pull relationship with Emily as they fake date. And it remains equally as present as the the romance. Like a boiling pot in the background, we worry if he's gonna follow through with his revenge, can he let his anger go for the love of Emily?
Adrian broke my heart with his pain but beneath his cold facade, he still has shades of the sweet boy he once was. He tries to tamper old feelings down in order to execute his plan of vengeance. What I ate up was seeing whether Adrian would sacrifice his goodness and his chance at true love in favor of exacting this vengeance. Truly big questions and it led to some of the most romantic gestures but also some heartbreaking ones.
I absolutely devoured this and loved how it took its time to tell drama and not rush into spice (trust the wait is worth it...like after 70% in). It's a modern day Romeo and Juliet meets Count of Monte Cristo and I was so here for it!
❤️Romeo and Juliet x Count of Monte Cristo Vibes
👩❤️👨Fake Dating
💞Second Chance
❤️🔥Slow Burn Perfection
🤐Secrets and Revenge
👿Angst
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
Review:
The angst is meaty, the character layers are deep, the drama is compelling, and the romance is heart fluttering. We get a complex story of second chances, true love, revenge, tragedy, and forgiveness. Truly, this is a must read for those that enjoy to get lost in a book.
Adrian and Emily are our Romeo and Juliet inspired couple. A poor boy with big dreams, a good heart, and who stretches himself in all directions to protect and provide for his family. Emily is the "rich girl" who is mesmerized by the bright eyed, broody, and smart, Adrian. But as their friendship grows, a dark family lie pulls them a part.
Eleven years later they are paired up in order to stabilize Adrian's ruthless and cutthroat public image. He's become hardened and jaded due to the events of the past.
What makes this a stand out is there's this chess game of Adrian's going on in tandem with his push and pull relationship with Emily as they fake date. And it remains equally as present as the the romance. Like a boiling pot in the background, we worry if he's gonna follow through with his revenge, can he let his anger go for the love of Emily?
Adrian broke my heart with his pain but beneath his cold facade, he still has shades of the sweet boy he once was. He tries to tamper old feelings down in order to execute his plan of vengeance. What I ate up was seeing whether Adrian would sacrifice his goodness and his chance at true love in favor of exacting this vengeance. Truly big questions and it led to some of the most romantic gestures but also some heartbreaking ones.
I absolutely devoured this and loved how it took its time to tell drama and not rush into spice (trust the wait is worth it...like after 70% in). It's a modern day Romeo and Juliet meets Count of Monte Cristo and I was so here for it!
September 14, 2023
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝓊𝓈𝒾𝒸 𝒾𝓈 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒷𝑒𝓉𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈.
💟 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩:
At Warwick Academy, social status is everything. Following his mothers dying wishes for a better future, Adrian agrees to attend Warwick and on the first day of school, his world is rocked by sweet Emily Kingsley. Emily and Adrian come from completely opposite sides of the track, but find themselves gravitating towards each other.
Initially, forbidden love blossomed between Emily and Adrian, who transformed into a vengeful man. Their intense love crumbled due to a devastating secret.
Now, eleven years later, he returns as a ruthless businessman seeking revenge. Emily must pretend to date him to protect her future. Despite the lies, their connection remains strong, leaving her to question if loving him is her most painful hope.
📖 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
This entire series is absolutely incredible. I'm tied to these characters like you wouldn't believe. But book #3 The Harshest Hope, is extremely special. You will feel all the feels with this emotional rollercoaster love between Adrian and Emily. This is easily one of my top 5 favorite books of the year, and I cannot rave enough about it. I really loved the meaningful little moments that came full circle at the very end. I can't wait for Sarah and Jack's story to unfold in the next book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five Magical Stars— add to your TBR immediately
🌙 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
- Rags to riches
- Alpha-hole CEO
- Opposite sides of the tracks
- Revenge plot
- Billionaire
- Fake dating
- Star crossed lovers
- Second chance
- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Angsty and spicy goodness
💟 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩:
At Warwick Academy, social status is everything. Following his mothers dying wishes for a better future, Adrian agrees to attend Warwick and on the first day of school, his world is rocked by sweet Emily Kingsley. Emily and Adrian come from completely opposite sides of the track, but find themselves gravitating towards each other.
Initially, forbidden love blossomed between Emily and Adrian, who transformed into a vengeful man. Their intense love crumbled due to a devastating secret.
Now, eleven years later, he returns as a ruthless businessman seeking revenge. Emily must pretend to date him to protect her future. Despite the lies, their connection remains strong, leaving her to question if loving him is her most painful hope.
📖 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰:
This entire series is absolutely incredible. I'm tied to these characters like you wouldn't believe. But book #3 The Harshest Hope, is extremely special. You will feel all the feels with this emotional rollercoaster love between Adrian and Emily. This is easily one of my top 5 favorite books of the year, and I cannot rave enough about it. I really loved the meaningful little moments that came full circle at the very end. I can't wait for Sarah and Jack's story to unfold in the next book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five Magical Stars— add to your TBR immediately
🌙 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
- Rags to riches
- Alpha-hole CEO
- Opposite sides of the tracks
- Revenge plot
- Billionaire
- Fake dating
- Star crossed lovers
- Second chance
- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Angsty and spicy goodness
September 11, 2023
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕… 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆, 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.
This is the third book in Victoria’s LA Hearts series and can be read as a standalone. However, I highly suggest reading all the books in order since past characters do make appearances in this book. This is definitely Victoria’s most angsty and heart-rendering book, and she put my emotions through the ringer. I was swooning one minute, crying the next, needing to fan myself with my Kindle and rooting for these characters from beginning to end. Adrian and Emily’s HEA was a hard fight, but the journey is worth every minute of it.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 is told in dual timeline chronologically. I really loved that the first half of this story focused on Adrian and Emily in high school, and that we were able to see these two teenagers from opposite sides of the track develop a friendship that inevitably befalls into young love. In true classic Romeo and Juliet fashion, when one family gives them an impossible choice, the relationship abruptly ends, and they are both left heartbroken and devastated.
Fast forward 11 years later, and Adrian is a very successful but broody billionaire that needs help fixing his image and making him appear as a family man. He hires Emily’s PR firm, and she winds up being the lead on this assignment and thrusted into a fake relationship with her long-lost love. But Adrian has one goal in mind. To seek revenge on his grandfather and the girl who broke his heart. Will they be able to forgive and forget their lies, secrets, and mistakes? Or will Adrian’s revenge destroy everything they’ve ever known?
𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚’𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.
This is the third book in Victoria’s LA Hearts series and can be read as a standalone. However, I highly suggest reading all the books in order since past characters do make appearances in this book. This is definitely Victoria’s most angsty and heart-rendering book, and she put my emotions through the ringer. I was swooning one minute, crying the next, needing to fan myself with my Kindle and rooting for these characters from beginning to end. Adrian and Emily’s HEA was a hard fight, but the journey is worth every minute of it.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 is told in dual timeline chronologically. I really loved that the first half of this story focused on Adrian and Emily in high school, and that we were able to see these two teenagers from opposite sides of the track develop a friendship that inevitably befalls into young love. In true classic Romeo and Juliet fashion, when one family gives them an impossible choice, the relationship abruptly ends, and they are both left heartbroken and devastated.
Fast forward 11 years later, and Adrian is a very successful but broody billionaire that needs help fixing his image and making him appear as a family man. He hires Emily’s PR firm, and she winds up being the lead on this assignment and thrusted into a fake relationship with her long-lost love. But Adrian has one goal in mind. To seek revenge on his grandfather and the girl who broke his heart. Will they be able to forgive and forget their lies, secrets, and mistakes? Or will Adrian’s revenge destroy everything they’ve ever known?
𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚’𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔.
September 16, 2023
Heartbreaking beautiful! This author has exquisitely explored the passion of young love, the heartbreak of circumstances beyond our control and anguish the scars our past can bring into adulthood.
This story follows our main characters Emily and Adrian who’s whirlwind young love gets torn apart but harsh and unyielding circumstances which leaves them both emotionally scarred and closed off to the idea of love. Their second chance comes years later if only they can let go of the past pain and embrace it.
This books had me swooning and smiling one moment and bawling my eyes out another. I loved both the main characters and the pain they went through had me crying for them and rooting them to prevail. The side characters where fun and have a beautiful found family vibe.
I read and reviewed this book as an ARC graciously sent to me for an honest review and didn’t realise it was book 3 in an interconnected standalone series. You can definitely read this book without having read the others, there are obviously glimpses of the previous couples HEAs as they are side characters in this book, but I don’t feel as though I was spoiled by anything that may be in those first two books. In fact this book has me excited to go back and experience their stories as well!
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (definitely some delicious spicy scenes and the mouth on the MMC is 🥵)
Tropes:
- Second chance romance
- Fake dating
- Billionaire romance
- Possessive touch her and I’ll end you vibes
- Mutual pinning
- Bad boy/good girl
This story follows our main characters Emily and Adrian who’s whirlwind young love gets torn apart but harsh and unyielding circumstances which leaves them both emotionally scarred and closed off to the idea of love. Their second chance comes years later if only they can let go of the past pain and embrace it.
This books had me swooning and smiling one moment and bawling my eyes out another. I loved both the main characters and the pain they went through had me crying for them and rooting them to prevail. The side characters where fun and have a beautiful found family vibe.
I read and reviewed this book as an ARC graciously sent to me for an honest review and didn’t realise it was book 3 in an interconnected standalone series. You can definitely read this book without having read the others, there are obviously glimpses of the previous couples HEAs as they are side characters in this book, but I don’t feel as though I was spoiled by anything that may be in those first two books. In fact this book has me excited to go back and experience their stories as well!
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (definitely some delicious spicy scenes and the mouth on the MMC is 🥵)
Tropes:
- Second chance romance
- Fake dating
- Billionaire romance
- Possessive touch her and I’ll end you vibes
- Mutual pinning
- Bad boy/good girl
September 14, 2023
ARC Review
💚The Harshest Hope💚
LA Hearts Novel #3
By Victoria Lum
⭐ 5/5 ❤️ 5/5 🌶️ 5/5
💚 Second Chance Romance
💚 Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
💚 Billionaire Romance
Emily and Adrian’s story will break and mend your heart
This book will make you cry a lot but heal your heart in the end. The story is separated into two parts. The past and present, which is very good and helpful because it declares more than flashbacks could.
We learn about Adrian and his sad, heartbreaking story and how he met Emily.
Adrian was dealt with real bad circumstances and he took a step to fulfill a promise he made. But that came with a lot of sad and bad moments for him that only were lighting up Emily.
Emily, who comes from a rich family and who does not have the best relationship with her mother. She is determined to chase her dream and not let her mother dictate her life.
She and Adrian become friends, despite them being from different backgrounds. Friendship becomes more and that has to be a secret. But like everything built on such unstable ground, things break.
Now, eleven years later, their works bring them together again. Adrian has turned into a revengeful billionaire and Emily has turned into a woman who doesn't care about almost everything.
And a game where their hearts and emotions are at stake begins. Can they overcome their pasts, can Adrian let go of his anger and pain and move on with the woman who stole his heart all those years ago. Will he be able to let his feelings come out?
💚The Harshest Hope💚
LA Hearts Novel #3
By Victoria Lum
⭐ 5/5 ❤️ 5/5 🌶️ 5/5
💚 Second Chance Romance
💚 Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
💚 Billionaire Romance
Emily and Adrian’s story will break and mend your heart
This book will make you cry a lot but heal your heart in the end. The story is separated into two parts. The past and present, which is very good and helpful because it declares more than flashbacks could.
We learn about Adrian and his sad, heartbreaking story and how he met Emily.
Adrian was dealt with real bad circumstances and he took a step to fulfill a promise he made. But that came with a lot of sad and bad moments for him that only were lighting up Emily.
Emily, who comes from a rich family and who does not have the best relationship with her mother. She is determined to chase her dream and not let her mother dictate her life.
She and Adrian become friends, despite them being from different backgrounds. Friendship becomes more and that has to be a secret. But like everything built on such unstable ground, things break.
Now, eleven years later, their works bring them together again. Adrian has turned into a revengeful billionaire and Emily has turned into a woman who doesn't care about almost everything.
And a game where their hearts and emotions are at stake begins. Can they overcome their pasts, can Adrian let go of his anger and pain and move on with the woman who stole his heart all those years ago. Will he be able to let his feelings come out?
May 28, 2025
I have no idea how I stumbled upon this book but I'm sure glad I did. This is the first book I've read by this author and won't be the last.
This is book 3 in the series and I can easily say it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the others in the series and totally enjoyed this book. I never felt lost or like I was missing out on who's who. I struggled with some names and keeping them straight but that's a me problem, not anything else.
This book kept me on the WTF is going on path the whole time. I knew it was going to have a lot of angst and Adrian would be seeking revenge on those that wronged him so many years ago but I just kept wondering at what point is enough, enough? He wasn't over the top with his revenge but in the back of my mind (and it seems his), I kept thinking about how those that seek revenge never seem to have a "last one" then they're even.
I thoroughly enjoy books with a span over time. I also liked how this one was chronologically done rather than jumping between two time periods. I don't mind those but this already had enough angst, making me want to read more and more. Had it jumped between the two timelines I'm unsure if I would've functioned while reading this.
I do plan to read the next book in this series because I liked Jack and want to read his and Sarah's story. If that book is written as well as this one, I know I'll be happy.
This is book 3 in the series and I can easily say it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the others in the series and totally enjoyed this book. I never felt lost or like I was missing out on who's who. I struggled with some names and keeping them straight but that's a me problem, not anything else.
This book kept me on the WTF is going on path the whole time. I knew it was going to have a lot of angst and Adrian would be seeking revenge on those that wronged him so many years ago but I just kept wondering at what point is enough, enough? He wasn't over the top with his revenge but in the back of my mind (and it seems his), I kept thinking about how those that seek revenge never seem to have a "last one" then they're even.
I thoroughly enjoy books with a span over time. I also liked how this one was chronologically done rather than jumping between two time periods. I don't mind those but this already had enough angst, making me want to read more and more. Had it jumped between the two timelines I'm unsure if I would've functioned while reading this.
I do plan to read the next book in this series because I liked Jack and want to read his and Sarah's story. If that book is written as well as this one, I know I'll be happy.
September 20, 2023
This read follows Adrian Scott and Emily James, who were young lovers in high school. When Emily's wealthy parents found out about the relationship, they prohibited her from seeing Adrian anymore.
Fast forward 10 years later and Adrian is a successful billionaire, while Emily is trying to make ends meet. Adrian comes back to town with his mindset on getting Emily back for all the pain she caused him. As they spend time together Adrian realizes he still loves Emily. Emily learns more about Adrian's past, she realizes that he's not the monster she thought he was .
Lum has written a complex and emotionally testing story that is about love, loss and redemption. This read is about two people who are perfect for one another, but over the years have been kept apart by things they could not control. We know that there are second chances, and that even in the darkest of times, we can always find the light.
Lum's writing style is of complex characters who have complex problems that we can relate to. She can capture the anger and passion of young love, as well as the pain of heartache. I am very happy with the pace of this book and it kept me engaged from start to finish. If you are a sucker for second chance romance, enemies - to - lover, and rags - to - rich's stories, then I suggest you read The Harshest Hope. I was given a free copy for my fair and honest opinion and review.
Fast forward 10 years later and Adrian is a successful billionaire, while Emily is trying to make ends meet. Adrian comes back to town with his mindset on getting Emily back for all the pain she caused him. As they spend time together Adrian realizes he still loves Emily. Emily learns more about Adrian's past, she realizes that he's not the monster she thought he was .
Lum has written a complex and emotionally testing story that is about love, loss and redemption. This read is about two people who are perfect for one another, but over the years have been kept apart by things they could not control. We know that there are second chances, and that even in the darkest of times, we can always find the light.
Lum's writing style is of complex characters who have complex problems that we can relate to. She can capture the anger and passion of young love, as well as the pain of heartache. I am very happy with the pace of this book and it kept me engaged from start to finish. If you are a sucker for second chance romance, enemies - to - lover, and rags - to - rich's stories, then I suggest you read The Harshest Hope. I was given a free copy for my fair and honest opinion and review.
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