Sweet Poison

Ruined Legacies #2

by Adriana Brinne

“This destination holiday and F1 romance will tug at your heartstrings, make you swoon and believe in magic.”

In the glamorous world of Formula 1, notorious two-time champion Madden Hunt has always been on the run from something—until a shocking scandal and relentless media scrutiny forces him to slam on the brakes. Seeking refuge from the chaos, he escapes to the sun-soaked beaches of São Paulo during Christmas week, only to find his time in paradise disrupted by a sweet and quirky ghost from his past. Willow Emersyn O’Sullivan. Once his foster sister and bright light during his darkest time, Willow is now all grown up.
Now an ecologist and a biologist, Willow is as dedicated to saving the planet as she is to spreading joy and sprinkling magic everywhere she goes. Her shy and sunny nature is a total contrast to Madden’s grumpy exterior and heartbreaking past. He knows he should stay far away from the silent sunshine who loves everything he hates, but as the holiday season unfolds, he finds himself irresistibly drawn to the one person who has the power to melt his frosty heart.
There is just one problem…
Willow belongs to a world far removed from his own.
What will happen when she discovers all the darkness inside his heart?
Souls will collide.
Hearts will beat again.
A magical love will bloom.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Christmas, Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Holiday, Second Chance

Unknown Binding

About the author

Adriana Brinne, is a new author who fell in love with reading from a very young age but never felt brave enough to share her words with the world. Born and raised on the enchanting island of Puerto Rico, Adriana’s tropical upbringing imbued her with a deep appreciation for beauty and storytelling. By day, she navigates the world of computer science as a full-time tech, but when she’s off the clock, she indulges in her favorite contemporary romances written by her favorite authors and binge-watches The Big Bang Theory.

Adriana’s writing is characterized by her love for sweet and spicy romance, soft yet strong female protagonists, and grumpy heroes who secretly adore them. While she delights in exploring a variety of romantic tropes, she steers clear of themes involving cheating or death, preferring to craft stories that evoke all the feels without those heavy dark elements.

You can connect with Adriana on Facebook at www.facebook.com/adrianabrinne or join her reader group, Adriana’s Unholy Ground, at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/11054...

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet story

Willow is just as gentle and loving as her mama
Madden and Willow even tho are complete opposites they totally compliment one another 🖤

Thank you for allowing me to arc read your story!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Laura Fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC kindly provided for the author in exchange for an honest review

Sweet Poison is a VERY different holiday romance than the ones I've read before and that's what I liked the most, also, Madden & Willow are a very sweet couple with a past history that broke my heart a little, but also made me love this pair so much, I loved that Adriana made a parallel between this love story and Willow's parents too, I loved the main characters and that the author gave us a little update on Shaw & Ella that make me so happy.

Willow is the perfect good girl: sweet, kind, who cares about the people she loves and wants to make a change in the world, she has a charming personality, very calm and, although she has insecurities regarding her disability, she is also a strong and brave woman who decides to travel to Brazil at Christmas to fulfill one of her greatest professional and personal dreams. One of the things I'm loving most about the heroines in this series is getting to know their family relationships: Willow is super protected by her family, especially her dad, who sends her uncle with her, and together they gave me many of the funniest moments in the book. I also really enjoyed reading about Willow's past, how her path with Madden was and also the things she suffered in her childhood, plus, I love her love for mushrooms, for the planet and all those little things that make outsiders think she's weird.

Madden is the total opposite of Willow: a boy who has lived tragedies and bad times throughout his life, a complete grump who hates Christmas, but despite his difficulties Madden managed to fulfill his dream of being a Formula 1 champion, which saves his life in his darkest moment. It broke my heart to read about this character's past, everything that happened in his family environment and the difficult decisions he had to make, and the truth is that I would have loved to read a little more about that time when he was away from Willow, especially how he came to fulfill his dreams and find his place in the world.

I LOVED reading Willow & Madden's flashbacks in the past because that helped me know how that connection so important for both of them was formed, also I loved the reunion that Adriana gave to these characters, how she showed us a Madden who could never forget her, and who was always aware of the importance she had in his life, also he has the sweetest gestures towards her when they are both in Brazil and I think what I loved most about these two was reading them falling in love in their adult life thanks to that bond they shared as children and how the author included the Christmas spirit during this journey.

🍄Willow: 5/5
🏁Madden: 5/5
🎄Plot: 4/5
🍄Love story: 4.5/5
🏁Secondary character: 5/5
🎄Cover: 5/5
🌶️: 1/5

ARC amablemente proporcionada por la autora a cambio de una reseña honesta

Sweet Poison es un holiday romance MUY diferente a los que he leído antes y eso fue lo que más me gustó, además, Madden & Willow son una pareja muy dulce con una historia pasada que me rompió un poco el corazón, pero también me hizo amar a este par muchísimo, también me encantó que Adriana hiciera in paralelismo entre esta historia de amor y la de los padres de Willow, amé a los personajes principales y que la autora nos diera una pequeña actualización sobre Shaw & Ella.

Willow es la perfecta chica buena: dulce, amable, que se preocupa por las personas que ama y quiere hacer un cambio en el mundo, tiene una personalidad encantadora, muy tranquila y, aunque tiene inseguridades respecto a su discapacidad, también es una mujer fuerte y valiente que decide viajar a Brasil en Navidad para cumplir uno de sus más grandes sueños profesionales y personales. Una de las cosas que más estoy amando de las heroínas en esta serie es conocer sus relaciones familiares: Willow esta súper protegida por su familia, especialmente su papá, quien envía a su tío con ella, y juntos me dieron muchos de los momentos más divertidos del libro. También disfruté mucho leer el pasado de Willow, como fue su camino con Madden y también las cosas que sufrió en su infancia, además, amo su amor por los hongos, por el planeta y todas esas pequeñas cosas que hacen a las personas externas pensar que ella es rara.

Madden es el total opuesto a Willow: un chico que ha vivido tragedias y malos momentos a lo largo de su vida, un completo gruñón que odia la Navidad, pero a pesar de sus dificultades Madden logró cumplir su sueño de ser campeón de Formula 1, lo que le salvo la vida en su momento más oscuro. Me rompió mucho el corazón leer el pasado de este personaje, todo lo que pasó en su entorno familiar y las decisiones tan difíciles que tuvo que tomar y la verdad es que me hubiera encantado leer un poco más de ese tiempo en el que estuvo alejado de Willow, especialmente, como llegó a cumplir sus sueños y encontrar su lugar en el mundo.

AMÉ leer los flashbacks de Willow & Madden en el pasado porque eso me ayudó a saber cómo se formó esa conexión tan importante para ambos, además me encantó el reencuentro que Adriana le dio a estos personajes, como nos mostró a un Madden que nunca la pudo olvidar, y que siempre fue consiente de la importancia que ella tuvo en su vida, además él tiene los gestos más dulces hacia ella cuando ambos están en Brasil y creo que lo que más amé de estos dos fue leerlos enamorándose en su vida adulta gracias a ese vinculo que compartieron de pequeños y como la autora incluyo el espíritu navideño durante este camino.

🍄Willow: 5/5
🏁Madden: 5/5
🎄Trama: 4/5
🍄Historia de amor: 4.5/5
🏁Personajes secundarios: 5/5
🎄Portada: 5/5
🌶️: 1/5

[Books With · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Poison is the second book in the Ruined Legacies series and it tells the story of Willow O’Sullivan.

[Ehva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adriana, you did it again 🥹💚🔥 I absolutely loved Madden and Willow! After reading Mila and Riagans' story, especially their epilogue, I knew I NEEDED my loves 🥹 And you delivered them perfectly! Thank you so much for the ARC, ma'am 💚🥹

Madden Hunt 🥵🔥 OhMyGawd! This man is utter perfection. He's tall, handsome, grumpy, an F1 champion 😏 obsessed, protective, possessive, jealous, petty 😂, a billionaire, a grinch but does everything about Christmas for her, gave his heart to his woman when they were kids and scares off anyone who even looks at her 🤭💚 This man made me laugh and cry. I hated his family for what they put him through as a child, and I hated his brother for constantly ruining his life. When he found Willow again, this man dropped everything to make her his 😭💚 He gave me butterflies, and I'm not even Her. He listens to her talk for hours because her voice is the only thing that gives him peace 🥹

Willow Emersyn O'Sullivan 🥹💚 My heart! Literally, I want to cuddle her and protect her, and I'm glad Madden is doing that for her 😭💚 This woman deserves the world and all the happiness in it. Beautiful, intelligent, shy, talented, a billionaire, sunshine, a heart full of love and kindness, protective, loves Christmas, has a soft spot for mushrooms 🥹💚, lost her heart to the grumpy boy who became her first and best friend in the world. When I read about her childhood and how the world hurt her, I literally sobbed. She was just a baby, and she went through so much. She stopped talking when she was a kid and only used her voice around her family. Madden is the only person who ever made her want to talk and make her love her voice, which is perfect! 🥹

This is one of the sweetest and hottest romances I've ever read. I could not get enough of my babies, and I am so glad they have their Happily Ever After! The spice scenes were insane 🥵 and the slow burn really burned ma'am 😭💚 You really edged us, Adriana. Madden made up for it, so I ain't complaining 🤭 This series is coming together absolutely brilliantly, and I can't wait for the next books!

[caffeinatedpagegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madden Hunt- This guy is a perfect mix of chaos and charm 😍🔥 He's tall, a bit grumpy, and ridiculously attractive as an F1 champion, but deep down, he’s got the softest heart. He can be possessive in a really endearing way, and while he gets jealous, he’s also hilarious. He’s like a total grinch, but somehow he brings Christmas joy just for his girl 😭💚 His backstory broke my heart all he went through as a kid, especially because of his family, made me want to reach into the book and give him a hug. But then seeing him find peace with Willow? It was almost too much for my heart to handle. The way he pays attention to her like she’s his whole world? I just melted.

And then there’s Willow sweet, sunshine girl 🥹💚 She’s gentle yet fierce, shy but so brave, and she’s got this incredible intelligence and kindness about her. I loved how passionate she is about Christmas, her quirky obsession with mushrooms 🍄, and just the general goodness that radiates from her. Her childhood was tough, but her strength really made me admire her even more. The fact that she only truly felt comfortable using her voice around Madden? That bond between them was pure magic. He was her peace, and in turn, she was his home.

Their reunion in Brazil was just chef’s kiss so full of love, tension, laughter, and a chemistry that makes your heart skip a beat. The slow burn was seriously real 😭🔥 but when it finally ignited? Adriana knows how to write those moments 😏 The spice, the emotions, the way they lifted each other up it was just perfect.

This book gave me all the feelings butterflies, tears, laughter, you name it. Sweet Poison is honestly one of the most beautiful and passionate romances I’ve read. It goes beyond just a holiday story; it’s really about finding love after a hard time, rediscovering hope, and choosing each other time and time again. 💚

[serenity · Rating 5 out of 5]

first off, THIS STORY IS SO SWEET OMG. i was kicking my feet and fangirling for most of their story!! so. freakin. CUTE. 10/10 recommend for a cute christmas romance story!
now going more into the story besides their romance being adorable. we have our mushroom fairy willow who’s disabled, she was born with a hearing impairment and uses sign language to speak for the most part. children from her childhood school caused her to be self cautious of her voice, causing her to only ‘speak’ vocally with her family, and use sign language only with everyone else. and then we have our grumpy grinch madden, who’s own childhood was rough in ways no one’s childhood should be. despite his bio family who neglected him and hurt him, he proved he could make something successful of himself, something he could be proud of. and he did he became a successful f1 racer champion.
now these two originally met when they were kids and madden stayed with willow’s family for two years and then they meet again many many years later as grown ups.
theres so many ups and downs in this story but most of the downs are flashbacks that pull at your heart, in that way where you wanna reach into the book, give the character a huge & say its going to be okay, your gonna be okay, kinda way. the ups? they make you squee like you just entered a candy shop and have grown up money to buy a LOTTA candy.
all in all without going in depth & tldring the book, this is deffinitly a great pick for the holidays or in general if you want a sweet & happy romance. whether to cheer yourself up, to just have a sweet book pallete cleanser from all the angsty ones or just want to have a cute romance read. this book is it

[readwidana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THE BOOK AND THERE ARE NO OTHER WORDS FOR THIS!!
Willow is such a beautiful character, kind, compassionate and heart made of gold, such a softie who is treated unfair by others yet she has never lost her sweet heart. Her family is the standard of how they should be. They cared so much about her and never made her feel otherwise.
Madden is a complete opposite to Willow. Life has not been kind to him and there were not any family warmth he felt. His life was all dark yet he never lost his heart to the darkness.
I loved the childhood snippets of them, how they were always meant to be. She was a fairy to him, only radiance in the dark and how she slowly made her way to his heart, how the whole family did. This one single trip really brought them together and completed what was left. The way he was always ready to do whatever she wanted to even if it was unlike himself makes me wish for one in real life and how she brought the happiness in him.
ALSO THE EPILOGUES!! YESS MY BABIES ARE SO SO HAPPY NOW IN THEIR MAGIC WORLD

[Leah_&_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

💚 I loved this book! Sweet poison tells the story of Madden & Willow. Madden, champion F1 racer and a grumpy man. Willow a sweet woman with a passion for nature. Their childhood brought them together as foster siblings for a short time. At the time Madden was going through a bad childhood, maltreated by his father and brother. When he arrived at the O'Sullivan's home he entered a new world full of love and protection. After several years, they meet again in one of Madden's hotels. What will happen with this encounter?

💚This book has a holiday aesthetic, making it a great book to read this Christmas vacation. You'll laugh at Madden's adventures with his "grumpy” attitude, but for Willow he pushes it all aside. For Madden, Willow, is the one who is given light in his darkness. The dynamic between them made me fall in love and their story will be one of my favorites. No doubt this book will touch the hearts of many readers.

🏎️Madden: It gives us a story of resilience. Despite having a horrible past, he did not stop to follow his dreams of becoming an F1 champion 🏎️

🍃Willow: A true warrior. Regardless of her disability, she kept going forward to pursue her dreams. She never stopped shining and being kind to others🍃

💚❤️🤍Honestly, I liked how the author included different disabilities on the characters and other situations that make us see life from a different angle. I highly recommend reading this book 💚❤️🤍

[Gera Molina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Le pongo dos estrellas porque lo terminé y no me aburrió, pero QUÉ INSOPORTABLES fueron todas las incoherencias de la historia. O sea, se nota que la autora nunca ha pisado Brasil, porque en Sao Paulo no hay playas (a menos que vayas a Santos, pero queda lejos de Sao Paulo centro). Tampoco está cerca del Amazonas como para ir en helicóptero. ¿Y qué pasa con ese trabajo que estaba haciendo la protagonista? ¿No había jefes que la obligaran a… mm… no sé… trabajar?? ¿Y cómo toda la gente no solo sabía hablar lengua de señas sino que lo hacían EN INGLÉS, dado que la protagonista no hablaba portugués? Les juro que YO SÉ que hay que suspender la incredulidad en una obra de ficción, pero si nos vamos a basar en cosas reales, me parece que hay que ser relativamente coherentes. Aquí no pasó y por eso no me gustó el libro.

[Amirah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I clearly went into the book a little blind. I thought the story might be about one of Ella’s sibling. But it’s actually about her cousin, Willow, and an F1 driver, Madden Hunt.

Fate works in mysterious ways for these two. Willow was once Madden’s foster sister when they were younger, a little bright light in his dark world. After years of being apart, this bright light from his past came back to his life when all he had wanted was simply a quiet escape from his chaotic life.

While Madden is always grumpy, Willow is the complete opposite with her shy and sunshine character. One loves the holiday season, while the other has bad memories of it. These two have such a sweet relationship. Tho I’d honestly admit that Ella and Shaw still has my heart a little more than this duo.

[Lisbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

La historia es dulce y perfecta para esta temporada navideña. Willow es una gran protagonista femenina. Es inteligente, leal, divertida, dulce, trabajadora y encantadora. Madden es encantador, luchador, protector y cariñoso. La tensión entre ellos fue bien escrita y hubo momentos dignos de citar. Aprecio cómo pudimos ver su desarrollarse su relación junto con toda su historia. Las interacciones entre ellos fueron descritas de manera detallada, lo que las hizo fáciles de visualizar y sentir reales. No puedo esperar a continuar con los otros libros de la serie y conocer más sobre los otros personajes que han sido introducidos.

[Helena B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estava muito curiosa para ler este livro porque eu adorei a história da Mila e do Riagan, e sendo Willow a filha deles, estava mesmo muito entusiasmada.
Eu gostei bastante do livro, mas sinceramente estava à espera de algo diferente.
A história da Willow e do Madden é muito bonita, mas sendo falta de algo.
Tal como noutros livros da autora, a escrita é bastante fluida e o enredo da história está bem devolvido.
Mas senti que não consegui conectar a 100% com a história e talvez seja por isso que senti falta algo.
Mas continuo muito curiosa para ler outros livros da autora.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute 🥰 I really liked this book, but I have a question. Why Ella in this book has a girl and a boy, but at the ending of her book (Sweet Madness) the author states that she has two girls ( Halley and Nova), clarifying that the second little girl looks just like her. Sooo am I tripping or what? 🤔

If anyone can answer my question, or tell me if I’m wrong, I’m all ears! 🤩

Apart from that, I really liked this book, no third-act breakup and the cutest romance story ever! 😍

[Shania · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf’d 8%

I can’t do it, I saw this on threads and was like omg an f1 romance! And …. I truly don’t think the author have ever watched an f1 race in their life. The parents of the fmc babied her so much, the fmc is suppose to have hearing loss but you can’t tell, there’s so much ableism and I’m only 8% in..

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Willow and Madden

It's such a heartwarming story.
I love the fact that there is no misunderstanding to get over. Just Willow and Madden happy to meet again and falling in love with each other in the mean time.
Willow is a sweet and her mother Mila and it was great to meet past characters.
Highly recommended

[nanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rate: 3,75

Cute and fluffy. 🩷❤️

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute, fluffy, wholesome. a good read for the holiday season if you're into grinch and sunshine, celebrity and holiday romance!

love the second gen and can't wait for future couples🫶

[Kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

How cute are they? ;) <3 <3 <3

[Jantilyn Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute Holiday novel!

[Alexa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was sweet but man, the amount of incorrect words and typos annoyed me so much.

[Priyanka]

Sweet

[Juhi M]

Is this a thing? To write bad second generation books??
The only thing that kept me motivated to complete the book is Mila and Riagan.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet Poison is such a sweet story, and I've been looking forward to it since the epilogue of Mila.

After years of being apart, these two finally meet again. Willow was always this bright spot in Maddens dark world, and Madden was her sweet, sweet man.

I really did love reading about these characters.