Up the Ladder

When in Brooklyn #1

by Ana D'Arcy

When Genevieve sets out to conquer her bedroom insecurities, a captivating and tattooed devil challenges her rule of not getting attached.

Genevieve has it all-great job, stunning apartment, perfect boyfriend... When the latter dumps her for being terrible in bed, she sets out to prove him wrong. With the help of a silly online quiz and her best friend, she compiles a list of things that'll make her a better lover, determined to go through them one by one. Because she's too focused on climbing the corporate ladder for anything serious, she creates one simple rule: never see the same man twice.

The first item on her list leads her to Jake, a dashing Aussie with surgical steel in unexpected places. As charming as he is sinful, Jake is like nothing she's ever known before, with his perfect body covered in tattoos and penchant for teasing. Before long, the silver-tongued devil comes in the way of her resolve, making it hard to stick to her rule.
Can she resist the temptation, or will she give in to her desires? Or better yet, for how long can she resist him?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Smut, He Falls First, Fiction

474 pages, Paperback

Published June 14, 2024

About the author

Ana D'Arcy crafts romances bursting with heart, humor, and a generous dose of steam—in which he often falls first but they both fall hard. On most days, Ana can be found working with a cup of tea by her side while her three cats are curled up nearby. When she's not typing or daydreaming about her imaginary characters, she enjoys recharging her creative fire with a good TV show or a movie.

Join Ana on social media: @authoranadarcy

Reviews

[Coralie’s library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up the ladder was absolutely everything !!! I really couldn’t put it down & I stayed up until midnight yesterday, on a week night, just to finish it 🤭 had to drink 3 coffees today to compensate for the loss of sleep but that’s ok because it was 100% worth it !!

If you like romance books with a lot of spice & these tropes :
💜Opposites attract
💜reformed player
💜one night stand
💜 found family

you need to add this book to your tbr RIGHT NOW !!!

This book was literally 50% plot & 50% spice and I loved every single minute of it 😮‍💨

And the romance between Gen & Jake 🥹 I swear I was swooning, giggling & kicking my feet most of the time !!

Jake is officially the newest member of my book boyfriends/husband club. The way this man treated gen all throughout the book 🥺 instant swoon !! I love how he never hesitated to be there for her/to protect her, but also gave her space and respected her decisions/wishes. WHY IS HE FICTIONAL 😭 I love him

Let talk about our Fmc, Genevieve, what a girlboss !! I admire her so much for the way handled everything that happened to her. I loved that even if she was scared of trying new things, she went for it anyway. Never let her fear win!

The ending was soooo satisfying. I wish I could’ve been a little mouse at Gen’s workplace and eavesdropped on everyone to know how they handled everything after what happened at the end 🤭

I’m already soooo excited for the next book in the series ! It was my first Ana D’arcy book but certainly not the last !

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you soooo much Ana for the arcs 🥹💜 xxx

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!! This was literally one of those cute little romcom movies put into a book. Like, it would make the PERFECT movie.

I loved the bucket list plot plus the spice!!! It was such an amazing balance of the two. And these two were the best opposites attract I think I have read yet. Jake is just perfect and he really brought Gen out of her shell.

I loved this & definitely recommend when you're in the mood for a romcom

Highlights:
"Red, I could do this and only this for the rest of my life, and I've never get bored."

"I can't wait to f*ck this bossy attitude out of you red. Though, I must admit it turns me on."

-Romcom
-Bucket List
-Opposites Attract
-Tattooed MMC
-Lawyer FMC
-Dual POV
-Reformed Playboy
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

[Mapsy_girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet and spicy read! Opposites to the highest level attract! And we have Jakey who doesn’t do relationships but just fell in love with Gen. Isn’t that a fairy tale? Also with Jake just going strong all the time lol.

Love how Gen was able to overcome everything toxic on her side and bloomed. She had HEA with herself too.

The Ladder in the title is a ladder with so many meanings: Jacob’s ladder, corporate ladder, life’s ladder…..

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Quantity of spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Quality of spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Our two main characters are Gen (Genevieve) and Jake (Jacob). Gen is a corporate lawyer and Jake is a tattoo artist/bar owner/gallery opener (/all around entrepreneur).

Up the Ladder starts with Gen’s boring ass boyfriend of 5 years breaking up with her because he has a small penis and can’t handle his girlfriend putting her career above him. On a cheap shot parting blow, he tells her that she’s boring in bed. Gen isn’t upset about the breakup but she IS upset about the blow to her sex-esteem. Her best friend, Hana, comes over and she tells her about the “boring in bed” dig, to which her hype woman BFF is like, hell no you’re not boring! And sets her up with a 50 question sex quiz to prove it. Only the sex quiz makes Gen realize how uneventful her sex life really is. The obvious solution is to get drunk and create a dating profile to find men to fulfill the 50 items on this sex list.

Enter Jake - the man with the Jacob’s Ladder 🥵 Gen’s dating profile attracts A LOT of creepers and unwanted dick pics, but among the nasty, Jake’s best friend, Eli, finds her profile. She’s very specifically looking for someone with a Jacob’s Ladder, and Eli doesn’t have one but he says he’ll pass on her info to his mate. They meet at The Plaza Hotel’s bar and when Gen first lays eyes on Jake she’s like WOWZA! But also judgy because she comes from a posh world and Jake is covered in tattoos. Tall, Greek god handsome, green eyes, piercings, AUSTRALIAN! My jaw would have been on the floor fucking drooling. Did Ana write my dream man? Yes, yes she did.

This book is longer than your average contemporary romance because you actually get a fully fleshed out story. It starts as a one night stand, turned fuck buddies agreeing to monogamy to complete this list of 50 items, to a full fledged relationship. You get all the in between shit they deal with, and it’s lovely! There is no third act break up 👏🏻 but there is a very big fight towards the end.

More things I absolutely loved about this book:

• The secondary characters - I just love it when our main characters have great, supportive, and funny friends and both of our characters did. I loved Hana, Eli and Killian, just as much as I loved Gen and Jake.

• Mulligrubs - what’s hotter than a gorgeous, tattooed god of a man? A gorgeous, tattooed god of a man WITH A DOG! Loved this aspect of him so much!

• The “wombat” and “red” nicknames. Also, every time Jake called Gen “love”. *SWOON*

• Both MCs having fully fleshed out back stories. Gen’s with her twin sister’s passing and Jake’s with his troubled youth turned successful adult.

Things I didn’t love (only one):

• Gen’s mother. I wanted to tit punch this woman any time she was on page.

—————————-

I want to thank both Love Notes PR and Ana D’Arcy for the ARC of Up the Ladder! My friend recommended this book to me & told me ARC requests were still up, so I ran on over to it.. boy, am I happy I was approved! I clearly loved it so much, and already have the paperback preordered!

[Chloesbookiewook · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my top reads for 2024. It was highly anticipated with all the sneak peaks I got from being on Ana's Street team and it did not disappoint

Holy moly! Jake is my new book husband and he is absolutely swoon worthy. 🤤🔥

Reverse grumpy sunshine, tattooed Australian with a dirty mouth(!!!!), family drama, banter, spice and romance and the best character development for our FMC ever! I was so proud of Gen by the end of the book

There was also a few times where I had tears!

Written exceptionally well and start and finished all in one day! Please take my review as your sign to read this when it releases! ❤️

This was such a fantastic debut novel from Ana! I can't wait to see what more we get from her!

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gen & Jacob have this undeniable chemistry from their very first meeting, and that had me so invested in their story from beginning to end!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
I was hesitant going into this one, I’m not usually a high-spice reader and with a title like “Up the Ladder” and knowing he had 🍆 piercings, I wasn’t sure if it would be for me.

I was so wrong! I LOVED IT!

Yes, it’s quite a steamy book with lots of intimate, adventurous scenes, but there’s also a ton of heart/feels in this one.

Honestly there’s nothing I love more than a reformed playboy grinning like an idiot while he has no idea he’s actually falling head over heels for his “no strings attached” woman 🙃

The formality of their “contract” had me cackling out loud, while they were going over it and every time Jake mentions it.

I love that they seemed like complete opposites, especially on the surface, but they actually had a great deal in common. They both pushed each other out of their comfort zone, and to learn to not judge so harshly on first impressions.

🤍side characters:
I LOVED all of them - Hana, Eli, Killian - can’t wait to see who’s up next! They were all amazing + supportive friends to Gen & Jake.

tropes + topics:
📝 sexy bucket list
🙃 opposites attract
👩🏻‍🦰 uptight lawyer fmc
🏍️ tatted Australian bad boy bar owner mmc
💙 reformed playboy
1️⃣ one night stand >> hookup contract >> so much more!
💞 dual 1st person pov

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ One Night to Win You by Julia Jarrett (sexy list, one night stand to more)

Thank you to author Ana D’Arcy & Love Notes PR for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍 Email 🤍

[RateTheRomance · Rating 3 out of 5]

UP THE LADDER was a good romance that was seriously spicy. This author did a great job of making me believe these two characters were slowly falling in love, despite their no-strings arrangement and being opposites. There was a lot of really good emotional connection to go with the insane chemistry.

However, I really struggled to like the heroine. I found her to be very easily manipulated and a bit of a whiny character.

UP THE LADDER is also set in NYC with an American female lead and the author did not succeed at making her American. I started highlighting the issues, since I was reading an ARC, so I could let the author know before publishing, but it got to be way too many.

- - - - -

*UPDATED TO ADD*
Since a disgruntled Australian has left an angry comment, claiming this isn't true, I'm going to share just a few of dozens of un-American things this American character says and let you judge for yourself.


"Otherwise, abstain"

"As you prefer."

"I slept scarcely"

"halfway through a fortnight..."

"It’s above my strength"

"He listened to me talk...desirous to learn more"

"my soul feels grander for it"


- - - - -

I will never understand why Editors don't fix these issues and why authors don't consider just not writing an American lead if they are not familiar enough with American vernacular. I find the constant errors incredibly distracting, but I know some of you won't mind it.

If that doesn't bother you and you want a sweet and very spicy read, I think you might love UP THE LADDER.

𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: Rated NC-17 / 5+ sex scenes, harsh language. *MIGHT* include props/kink.
𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: parent emotional abuse, past death of parent, past death of sibling in car accident
𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟𝗦: 3/5 - You will definitely feel some feels.

𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞 𝗠𝗘 𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 ➡️ INSTAGRAM

[Chessca (poodles.ponies.peonies) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Ana D’Arcy’s debut “Up the Ladder” and I absolutely devoured it! This book is utter perfection:
🌦️Grumpy x Sunshine
💛Found Family
🌶️ Spicy Bucket List
The plot is beautifully crafted and hits the perfect balance between banter and depth. The attention given to the well-developed cast of secondary characters has me absolutely rabid for more in this series!

[Ana D'Arcy]

In this hilarious, poignant, and steamy journey, Genevieve, a career-driven lawyer, faces a rough breakup with her boyfriend of five years. Encouraged by her best friend Hana, she converts her ex's critique about her lack of bedroom skills into a bold bucket list. Her quest leads her to Jake, a dashing and charismatic tattoo artist from Australia. As charming as he is mysterious, Jake is nothing like she's ever known before, and sparks fly whenever they're together. Soon, Gen struggles to stick to the one rule she gave herself: never sleep with the same man twice.

Up the Ladder is an engaging page-turner that straddles the line between a rom-com and a dramedy. The story has a broad spectrum of emotions, ranging from laughter to tears, and is packed with relatable topics for everyone to enjoy. It's feminist, empowering, and illustrates the growth one can undergo with the help of love. Gen and Jake's story comes out on June 14th, and you can find out where to pre-order it HERE. Follow me on Instagram for exclusive snippets and giveaway opportunities.

💓 Rom-com
💥 Opposites attract
💃 Dual pov
👀 Uptight lawyer vs. tattoo artist
📝 Sexy bucket list
🔥 Smut
🍆 Piercings
🫣 Family drama
✨ Praise

[samyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘁. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱.”

4/5 ⭐

add to your tbr if you love:
🐞 SPICE BABY!
🐞 grumpy x sunshine
🐞 golden retriever boyfriend
🐞 she falls first, he falls harder

gen is a career-driven woman. she has no time to waste, no time to have other people waste her time. after the death of her twin, she has worked herself to the bone to make both herself proud and her parents. truth is, i kind of think she just wanted to trick her brain into having enough work that she had no time to think about grieving and healing.

everything changes when her boyfriend edward decides to call it quits. he says that gen is too work driven, has no time for him and that she is BAD IN BED! can you believe that?

nothing that was discussed between the two stung so bad as that statement, which is where our story truly starts. after having a much deserved girls night with her best friend, she decides to join a kinky dating app in order to find a man that has a jacob's ladder (if you don't know what this is, i recommend you do a little researching in a private browser...)

with that being said, she is obviously successful. she matches with a person, eli, who has a friend that indeed has a jacob's ladder. enter jake.

jake is your usual bad boy. australian. lots of tattoo. drives a bike. there is nothing that screams hotter. oh did i mention that he is tall to?

anyways, they meet at a bar for drinks in order to discuss this no strings attached arrangement. gen is obviously drawn to his energy, apparently everywhere he goes people are attracted to his energy. he is charismatic, a flirt, genuine, and HAS A JACOB'S LADDER! oh he is also good in bed but that's something that we learn way later.

this story was a sexual awakening for someone who had oppressed her feelings for too long. she liked the comfort, he liked the unknown, together they brought the best that was missing to each other's lives.

there is a lot that goes into their story, between getting to know each other, to healing parts that were still broken without being acknowledged. they work because they were a piece of the puzzle that was missing in each other's lives.

[Mishka 𐙚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5/5!!!
🌶️ 5/5!!!

PERFECTION!!! 😭

I ate this book up and I can’t believe it’s finished! The characters, the character growth, the romance and the spice IS SO GOOD!!

Thank you Ana for the arc! You outdone yourself!!

[Zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
ARC review

This book was exactly what I needed. If you love reading high quality spicy smut, I definitely recommend. And the plot - chef’s kiss. I adored every part of this book and enjoyed the fact that there was no 3rd act break up - Gen and Jake both behaved like adults, and this made an awesome impression on me.
Love the way they met and how in the end they conclude that it was destiny no matter what, they would have met (soulmates moment 😍). Honestly, her ex did her a favor when he ended their relationship (the only good thing he did). Really sorry she didn’t put him in his place, but oh well - Jake did 😈
To be honest, I really want to spoil and talk about every part of this book, but I think that it would be best if I didn’t, and you see for yourself how good it is.
Just will say - hate her parents, long live wombats and climbing the correct ladder is important 😏

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Reader

I got the opputunity to read this book early being apart of the street team for Ana, and all I have to say all the hype this book has, gets surpassed when you read this book. This is now on my list for comfort reads, it is everything you need in a good comfort read, drama but not to much, loveable characters that you can read over and over and never get tried of, and just overall the vibe of this book just make you want to reread it over and over again!!! MC being opposites but still find eachother and find things to love about eachother and help themselves be better people and choose eachother. The MC of this book had so much sexual tension at the begining of the book, that never left during the rest had me at the edge of my seat with this spice, it was so good and alot of it. It is hard to find a good book that has both an amazing plot and some amaizng spice that will have you blushing with the character. The MMC Jake has a mouth on him that will have you putting your kindle or book down going I need someone to be saying this to me on the daily!! Even if we don't get to much of them the best friend's of the MC in this book are so amazing and supportive of their besties and we love to see it. Not only the bestie but Jake being all over supportive of Gen and just being her hype man is what we all need in a partner. I am so sad this book is done, but I honstly can't wait to see who is going to be next in the series. Also the graphics on each of the chapters is somthing I love to see in books, and when the books also have text bubbles in them auto win in my book, I love to see authors take the time and enter so much detail into their stories, to make an amazing story but also overall asethtic of the book, is just chief's kiss!!

[Bookgirlnextdoor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished up the ladder
I ABSOLUTELY loved this!!
Ate it up!!!
Also! I was going in with the idea that it’s going to be just a silly little smutty book, no problem with that!!BUT!, it is so much more than that! It touches subjects of loss, women being mistreated and how we accept it and women empowerment!
I absolutely loved Gens and Jakes love story! It is beautiful, from having fun in bed together to falling for each other.
I love how SUPPORTIVE Jake is through Gen’s journey! He is just there for her without being too pushy😭 he is the best man!
Also, the ending?? So satisfying omg The tattoo?? Perfection, cried like a baby!
Also cried like a baby when I read “the bracelet” chapter
Loved this so MUCH😭😭
5 ⭐️ read

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake & Gen are EVERYTHING!

There aren’t enough stars for this! The spice, the banter, the tension!

Watching this go from bucket list to love is absolutely beautiful! I want to go back to the beginning and experience it all for the first time again!

5 stars isn’t nearly enough! I’m OBSESSED!

[Teresa González]

This was the perfect romcom, I would totally eat this up if I saw this on Netflix!

Although my summary will sound like the 'typical' plot, this was so good and I think it was Ana D'Arcy's debut novel? anywho, we have Jake (MMC) who is the guy that never falls in love and then we have Gen (MFC) who is a lawyer trying to literally, climb up the ladder (pun intended after you read this).

The book is quirky, fun and entertaining. Side characters are actually giving something, the plot is original even though its typical (not sure how else to explain this, lol) and the spice spiced.

4 ⭐
3 🌶️

* ARC provided by Love Notes PR in exchange for an honest review *

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

well. this is amazing. so stinking good!! - @southern.lady.reads

I think when I’m looking for romance novels i usually pick one that sounds decent - but I’m not always blown away by Kindle Unlimited. This is one of those times when I truly loved a romance I snagged and honestly wouldn’t change anything!!!

[Sami • thebookishthrifter · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️/5⭐️ | 4.5/5🌶️

read if you like:
💓rom-com
💥opposites attract
💃🏼dual pov
👀uptight lawyer vs Australian tattoo artist
📝sexy bucket list
🍆piercings
🔥spicyyyy
🙌🏼praise k*nk

They way Ana was able to perfectly balance an amazing plot with lots of hot spice is chefs kiss👩‍🍳💋🤌🏼 the spice never once felt repetitive and it kept the plot moving along which I loved! The chemistry between Jake and Gen was jumping through the pages & made me cheer for them together from the beginning! I truly can’t believe this is her debut novel! Highly recommend picking this up😍👏🏼

[Sariah Delgado · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ARC was phenomenal I was instantly hooked when I read the first three chapters and I couldn't put this down thank you @authoranadarcy so much for this opportunity 🫶🏽

Everything about this book was so good I laughed, I was giggling, blushing and kicking my feet 🤭 and I even cried it was that good . I loved how the main characters where always there for each other and how they brought out the best in them 🥹 now I don't wanna spoil too much so I'll just give you guys a little something something 😉🫶🏽
Now these two couldn't be more different but you know what they say opposites attract 😏

Tropes:
• Reverse grumpy/sunshine
• Reformed playboy
• Opposites attract
• One night stand
• Career woman
• Sexy checklist
• Found family
• He falls first
• Dog dad
• Banter
• Spice

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Dual POV

🔥 Rom-com
🔥 FWB to lovers
🔥 Pierced MMC
🔥 Reformed playboy
🔥 Reverse grumpy x sunshine
🔥 Found family
🔥 Opposites attract

Holy spice!!!! This book was so good!!

Gen recently gets dumped by her boyfriend and as he is breaking up with her he tells her she is also bad in bed. This leads to Gen and her best friend to make a dating profile on a kinky site to looked for a man with a pierced 🍆. She matches with someone and he lets her know she would be perfect for his friend. She decides to follow through on the blind date and in walks Jake. Complete opposite of her, he is covered in tattoos and looks intimidating. Gen ends up leaving but not before they share a steamy kiss and he says to text her if she ever changes her mind. Gen decides she wants to complete a bucket list to make her more fun in bed and Jake is the perfect guy to help with this, and he is more than willing.

This book was super spice heavy but it also had a great plot and I loved the characters and the character development.

I just adored Jake and Gen! Gen was super uptight but with Jake being so supportive she started to see her worth and standing up for herself. Jake is the perfect MMC and would do anything for Gen! I loved Gen and Jake’s banter and their texting convos had me laughing out loud.

This was just a fun book to read and I loved it! I will read anything Ana D’Arcy writes and cannot wait for the next book!

"𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗜 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀. 𝗠𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁𝘀. 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂."

Thank you to the author and Love Notes PR for the arc!

[Wardibonlang Pakma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear this book must have been typed in crack, not ink, because I couldn't put it down! I picked it up intrigued by the blurb, and those first chapters had me expecting spicy drama, but boy, was I pleasantly surprised. It's got everything you'd want in a romance novel, and I'm genuinely bummed it's over. Sleep? Who needs it when there's a story this addictive?

Meet Gen, our fearless boss lady who, after a breakup where she was labeled boring, dives into a dating app and bumps into Jake, a charming tattoo artist and notorious player. What follows is a rollercoaster of adventures that kept me hooked. The author weaved a plot with surprising depth, and I devoured every page. Gen and Jake's character growth was impressive, and their chemistry and banter were off the charts. Even the side characters were a blast, and I'm eager to see more of them in future books.

Up the Ladder isn't just your run-of-the-mill romance; it's a book with heart and a good dose of life lessons. It reminds us that everyone has a past worth acknowledging and moving on from. It's a testament to setting boundaries, letting go, and prioritizing self-care.

[Julia P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 4/5 🌶️

“She's the most beautiful thing I've ever laid my eyes on. And as an artist, I've seen a lot of beauty in this world.”

You know how they say don’t judge a book but it’s cover…. well this is the case for Up the Ladder by Ana D’Arcy. The cover and the blurb don’t do any justice to this book😩 IM FREAKING OBSESSED AND Y’ALL HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK 🤭🤭

Gen, the beautiful redhead lawyer gets dumped by her boyfriend of five years because she’s too focused on her career and won’t compromise for their relationship. She gets drunk with her best friend and creates a profile to meet people to hook up in order to fulfill a sexy bucket list🙈

Jake, the tall, sexy and tatted artist goes on a blind date with Gen, set up by his friend Eli after seeing the profile Gen created online. Jake is caught off guard by her beauty and her personality and wants to pursue Gen. They come up with a contract to only spend one night together but once they have their one night stand they realize they want more🤭Gen tells Jake about her bucket list and he offers her help to fulfill everything she has marked down, starting with the Jacob’s Ladder ( iykyk🥵😩)

This book is so emotional, inspiring and beautiful. There’s so much to dive into and I love how strong Gen is and how much she works towards her career in an environment full of men. There’s heartbreak and tears, but it’s worth it reading it. I highly suggest reading this book 💘

Thank you Love Notes PR and Ana D’Arcy for providing me with an ARC.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

gen + jake 🫶🏻

This book was so captivating. I was hooked when I had the opportunity to read the first three chapters so I had no doubt when I received this ARC, that I wouldn’t want to put this down!

Gen is a corporate lawyer who’s very career-driven. Although she comes from a family with old money, she prefers to earn her own and work her ass off. Jake is a successful tattoo artist who came to the U.S from Australia 10 years before. Gen is told by her ex that she’s boring in bed (ouch) so she finds Jake to help her complete her special bucket list to show that she’s not what her ex said she was.

Now, these two are from two different planets but they fit together so perfectly! From the first time they met, there was chemistry and every time they got together, it was just better and better. I loved how protective Jake was over Gen 🥹 I loved how obsessed he was over her and how he loved her the way she deserved. He showed her the life that she deserved and gave her the time and space to overcome her differences with her insecurities.

It is so easy to love everything about this book. The characters are great, including the side characters. The banter, and the SPICE! 😮‍💨 this book captures your attention from the very first page and I can’t WAIT for Killian’s book 🫶🏻

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ana D’Arcy’s Up the Ladder comes out June 14th! If you love opposites attract, found family, reformed player and a spicy bucket list to fulfill, I 100% recommend preordering this book!

[Rebecca Johnpee · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨She’s a goddess, and a mere mortal like me doesn’t deserve her perfection✨

HELLO???!

Jake and Gen were phenomenal. They carried this story on their backs and did it so much justice. I loved the flow, it was so impossible to put down. I wanted to stall and wait to finish it closer to the release date, but I just couldn’t put this down.

All the characters had their respective roles in which they fit in perfectly. And omg ELI! I am sitting down waiting for his story because he lives in my head rent free.

UP THE LADDER is sexy, steamy, emotional, and uplifting! It breaks and makes your heart, and it fills you up inside in a way that leaves you wanting more.

I just know this book is going to be the next big thing. And Jacob is coming to take the ultimate book boyfriend title, because he has everything you could possible want in a book boyfriend, and more!

Thanks to Ana for granting me the opportunity to read the ARC! It was amazing!

CAN’T WAIT TO HOLD A COPY COME JUNE 14TH

❤️

[akindlefullofsmut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Up the Ladder in one word? Perfection.
I adored this book, there is not a thing I would change about it. Despite being a bit longer than your usual romance it didn’t feel like it, it didn’t drag and you needed everything that was included to make the story what it is. Gen and Jake are the definition of ‘opposites attract’ and they’re tricking amazing. The way they both evolve and grow is brilliant, as well as their banter and texts. I felt like a dickhead with how much I was smiling to myself while reading and I found it super hard to put it down. If I didn’t have to work today I’d have read it in one sitting! If you like smart, witty FMCs who need a bit of spice in their life by way of a tattooed, pierced, Aussie MMC, hilarious side characters, a few fist pump moments where justice has been served and lots of spice then this is for you! Ugh Ana what have you done to me?!

[Tara Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted more and more. I fell in love with the book very quickly. I loved the banter. I love the opposites attract, a tattooed, motorcycle riding badass and a female boss babe. A couple you wouldn’t think work but they are perfect for each other. “Touch her and you die” vibes.

The spicy scenes were 🥵🥵💦💦

Found myself giggling and being so giddy over silly little lines, the smut, the side characters & more!

I was so happy to be part of Ana’s street team and got to read the ARC for her. I cannot wait for more from Ana and her beautiful mind!

@sisters_reading

[Spicy_bookcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uptight lawyer, Gen, is dumped by her boyfriend, so she drunkenly takes a sex quiz online and the results: she should give up sex. Gen decides she is going to take a leap and have sex with a man with a jacobs ladder…queue our main guy, Jake.

I don’t know where to start. I devoured this book like it was my last meal. Let me start with Gen. I found her absolutely hilarious-she’s super highly strung and extremely prudish. However, I loved how much she blossomed and accepted not only other people, but herself. Her family are nuts, and there were times I wanted to strangle her mum, but that’s a sign of a realistic written character. I adored how much Gen put her trust in not only Jake, but herself and I thought she was just kick-ass.

Jake is just, wow. If tattooed, potty-mouthed, Australian men are your thing, then he is going to top them all. Scratch that, just add him to your list anyway because the man is top tier. He absolutely cracked me up. I loved how much he swore, and called people ‘daft *c u next ts’ and trust me, it was warranted. Jake is just everything I want in a book boyfriend and I’m seriously sad that I will never read Jake and Gen for the first time again, so I will have to live vicariously through you.

I also found the side characters: Hana, Eli and Killian to be just as fantastic and I cannot wait for more from the author.

What to expect:
🐞Sex list
🐞Found family
🐞Reformed playboy
🐞Pierced MMC
🐞Strong MFC
🐞Opposites Attract
🐞All the kinky stuff

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Zita · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) probably smuttiest book I've read this year!

นางเอกเป็น corporate lawyer ผู้สุดแสนจะทะเยอทะยาน บ้างานจนไม่มีเวลาให้แฟน เรื่องเลยเปิดมาตรงที่นางเอกโดนแฟนที่คบมาห้าปีบอกเลิก แถมแฟนยังบอกว่าเธอมันน่าเบื่อบนเตียง นางเอกเลยเผลอไปสมัคร kinky dating app ตอนเมาพร้อมใส่แคปชั่นว่า "Down to f*ck with a man who has a Jacob’s ladder" แล้วเพื่อนพระเอกก็มาเจอเข้าเลยแนะนำให้ไปรู้จักกับพระเอก

เป็นเล่มที่ฉาก smut ฉ่ำมากกกก กดมาอ่านแบบไม่ได้อ่านรีวิวก่อนเลย รู้แค่นางเอกเป็น ice queen พออ่านไปนิดนึงแล้วพบว่า ladder ในที่นี้คือ Jacob’s ladder ก็เลยอึ้งเบาๆ เพราะนึกว่าหมายถึง corporate ladder ซะอีก 5555555 (จริงๆ บนหน้าปกก็เขียนอยู่ว่า she wants to climb, he has the steps😏)

แต่ความมหัศจรรย์คือถึงแม้มันจะมีฉาก smut เยอะมากๆๆๆๆๆๆ แต่กลับอ่านแล้วไม่เบื่อเลย (ทั้งๆ ที่ส่วนตัวเป็นคนเบื่อนิยาย smut เยอะๆ ง่ายมาก) เพราะถึงจะมีฉากพวกนี้เยอะ แต่คนเขียนเค้าไม่ได้เขียนมาแบบ smut for smut's sake เฉยๆ แต่ฉากเหล่านี้จะโชว์ให้เห็นความเปลี่ยนแปลงและการพัฒนาความสัมพันธ์ของตัวละครไปด้วย เรียกได้ว่าถึงพร้อมด้วย quantity และ quality อีกอย่างคือเล่มนี้นางเอกจะมี list อยู่ว่าอยากลองทำอะไรใหม่ๆ บนเตียงบ้าง (เ���ื่อให้ตัวเองเป็นคนไม่น่าเบื่อ) คิดว่าการมีอยู่ของ list นี้มันก็เป็นอีกอย่างที่ช่วยให้ฉาก smut ไม่ดูซ้ำซากจำเจ เพราะทุกซีนมันดูมีจุดประสงค์ คอยติ๊กเช็กลิสต์กันไปเรื่อยๆ ไรงี้

ทางด้านคาแรกเตอร์ พระเอกนางเอกอยู่คนละโลกกันเลย นางเอกเป็นคุณหนู old money ที่โตมาแบบแม่เคร่งครัดสุดๆ ส่วนพระเอกเป็นอดีตเด็กมีปัญหาที่ปัจจุบันเป็นเจ้าของร้านสัก & เจ้าของบาร์ แต่คนเขียนก็เขียนออกมาลงตัวมาก อ่านแล้วไม่ติดขัดเลยว่าคนสองคนที่อยู่คนละโลกกันขนาดนี้จะรักกันได้ยังไง ชอบพระเอกม้ากกกก manwhore มั่นหน้า (yes that's my type and I'm not sorry) แต่แสนดีที่หนึ่ง ทรีตนางเอกดี มีความ swoon worthy ส่วนนางเอก ถึงจะมีบางช่วงที่อ่านแล้วอยากเขย่าเรียกสติอยู่บ้าง แต่มันก็เป็น flaws ของตัวละครที่นำไปสู่การเติบโตแหละ ในท้ายที่สุดแล้วคิดว่านางเอกมีการเติบโตที่น่าพอใจนะ อะไรที่คาดหวังว่าจะได้เห็นจากนางเอกก็ได้เห็นในตอนท้าย

เป็นอีกเล่มที่ชอบมากกก เกือบให้ 5 ดาวเต็มแบบไม่หักละ แต่คิดว่ายังเกลี่ยพล็อตไม่ค่อยสมูธเท่าไหร่ และสิ่งที่ไม่สมจริงเลยคือเรื่องงานของนางเอก อายุแค่ 27 แต่เป็นหัวหน้าทีม มีผู้ช่วยประจำตัว กำลังแย่งชิงตำแหน่ง head of legal department in usa ซึ่งเว่อมากกกก อายุ 27 ในอเมริกาน่าจะเพิ่งจบ law school หมาดๆ ด้วยซ้ำ ต่อให้ขยับอายุนางเอกขึ้นมาแถวสามสิบต้นๆ ยังเว่อเกินไปเลย อีกอย่างที่ขัดใจคือ nickname ที่นางเอกตั้งให้พระเอก I know wombat is super cute but come onnnnn

[Annie Tasaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was supposed to be one time, problem is they are undeniably drawn to one another.

This book is spicy!! 🌶️🌶️🌶️ I went in blind and imagine my shock once I clued in she wasn’t just looking to climb the corporate ladder. 🤣

But beyond the sexy bucket list, what I love the most about the book was how real it felt. This felt like witnessing real people, developing real feelings, in real time. I fell for both Gen & Jake.

Also bless that this is a series debut because the side characters were also fire, I can’t wait for Kill & Eli. 🔥

I was given an ARC copy of this book and my opinions are my own.

[samreadsandrambles_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

On deliberation I’m upping my rating to 5 stars because 4.5 seems way too harsh for how much I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I can’t remember the last time I read a book that made me forget I was reading, I thought I was just going in to a steamy romcom but this book and these characters are so much more than their spicy bedroom antics - and by the end I honestly couldn’t fight back the tears!! 🐞♥️

The story was beautiful and I am already missing them so much, I finished this a week ago now and not a day has passed where I don’t think about this book! Hence why it needs 5 stars 🤩

Gen has spent her entire life conforming to society and trying to fill the shoes of her twin sister, never feeling enough, controlled by her mother, even down to her diet. She paints herself as a failure and her mother doesn’t let her think otherwise. The only aspect she has controlled is her career, choosing to climb the corporate ladder on her own merit rather than work for daddy, and I admire her so much for that. And when her asshat of a boyfriend splits up with her because apparently she is BORING in bed, she finds herself writing out a DAMN SEXY bucket list to prove him wrong. I was so proud of her by the end of this book, the journey she went on as a character was so fulfilling and I was SCREAMING when she finally stood up to her mother! It was painful to get to that point at times and I found myself frustrated with her but she pulled through and stood up for herself and the man she loves in the end!!

And then we have Jake … OOOMMMGGGJSBDUSHJSJ JAKE!! Our tattoo’d GOD, our cuddly emotional support wombat, our dirty mouthed Aussie with alllll the piercings!

(Note - if your gonna google them don’t do it while you’re sat with your husband unless you want an interesting conversation 🤣🤣)

𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲｡ 𝗛𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘇𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻｡

Jake makes Gen feel seen and he worships the ground that girl walks on. But he isn’t without his demons though, he has dragged himself through the gutter to get to where he is today and seems to have gone through so much! I do wish we saw a bit more of that though! While it was touched on enough, I’m a fluff girly and I’d have lapped up a good few chapters delving in to his past, because the scenes where Jake & Gen were just really getting to know each other were some of my favourites. The scene where they play pool is one of my favourites!

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲 𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼｡

Also, the side characters were a HOOT! I love a book that puts as much time and effort in to the side characters as the main characters. Hana was hilarious and I just want to eat Eli up! I can’t wait for more books and have the gang together again.

If you love a spicy book you need to pick this one up, when I say I couldn’t put it down I’m not even exaggerating! I found myself thinking about Jake & Gen while I was at work and couldn’t wait to get home to pick it up! Spice can often cringe me out, and I wouldn’t rather a book not have it than do it badly - ANA DID IT PERFECTLY!!

What started as a no strings attached arrangement quickly turns in to so much more and the way they grew to really care for one another was the best kind of slow burn a girl could ask for. Just perfect. I love them both so much.

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿｡