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Lavish Love #2
Love Not Qualified
When two broken hearts collide, their chemistry challenges every boundary they’ve built.
Resilient and guarded.
Haelyn Ross is barely keeping it together.
With her family shattered and financial struggles mounting, she’s hesitant when a promising match on a dating app encourages her to apply for a job at Graves Automotive.
By some twist of fate, Haelyn lands the job as assistant to the CEO, Tristan Graves. His cold, brooding demeanor should keep her at a distance, but there’s a white-hot spark between them that she can’t seem to smother.
Caught between her growing connection with the man from the app and her undeniable attraction to her new boss, Haelyn must figure out what her heart truly desires.
Restless and yearning.
Tristan Graves is a man adrift, reeling from his father's death and finding an escape from his responsibilities in the bottom of a rum bottle.
When he meets Haelyn through a dating app under a false identity, he's captivated by her resilience. Hiring her as his assistant was a calculated risk, but he might be in over his head.
He finds himself desperate to earn her trust, but breaking through her defenses in person proves to be the real challenge.
No woman before Haelyn has been worth changing for. But can he figure out how to be the man she needs before she discovers that he was the man from the app all along?
As their worlds intertwine, Haelyn and Tristan must confront their deepest fears and desires. Can they overcome their pasts and find love, or will their secrets keep them apart?
Love Not Qualified is the second installment of the Lavish Love Series by Maeve Hazel. This novel features tropes such as secret identity, forced proximity, workplace romance, and he falls first. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy books by Lauren Asher and Ana Huang.
Resilient and guarded.
Haelyn Ross is barely keeping it together.
With her family shattered and financial struggles mounting, she’s hesitant when a promising match on a dating app encourages her to apply for a job at Graves Automotive.
By some twist of fate, Haelyn lands the job as assistant to the CEO, Tristan Graves. His cold, brooding demeanor should keep her at a distance, but there’s a white-hot spark between them that she can’t seem to smother.
Caught between her growing connection with the man from the app and her undeniable attraction to her new boss, Haelyn must figure out what her heart truly desires.
Restless and yearning.
Tristan Graves is a man adrift, reeling from his father's death and finding an escape from his responsibilities in the bottom of a rum bottle.
When he meets Haelyn through a dating app under a false identity, he's captivated by her resilience. Hiring her as his assistant was a calculated risk, but he might be in over his head.
He finds himself desperate to earn her trust, but breaking through her defenses in person proves to be the real challenge.
No woman before Haelyn has been worth changing for. But can he figure out how to be the man she needs before she discovers that he was the man from the app all along?
As their worlds intertwine, Haelyn and Tristan must confront their deepest fears and desires. Can they overcome their pasts and find love, or will their secrets keep them apart?
Love Not Qualified is the second installment of the Lavish Love Series by Maeve Hazel. This novel features tropes such as secret identity, forced proximity, workplace romance, and he falls first. It’s perfect for readers who enjoy books by Lauren Asher and Ana Huang.
444 pages, Paperback
Published August 5, 2024
802 people are currently reading
5942 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 567 reviews
August 16, 2024
3 ˖⁺‧✮
“he didn’t judge. he didn’t insist. he didn’t make me feel ashamed. he just accepted how i was.”
finally posting review for second book in the series. i mentioned in my earlier review how entertaining was the first book. maeve’s storylines are always sooo investing even though her writing is not my favorite. in general, i love the way she creates characters and develops plot so you don’t get bored.
i liked it less then the previous one. plot was more general and expected;
characters. i will never understand how he stayed quiet for soooo long! there were so many moments for him to tell the truth, and i’m sure she would accept it just fine. but no, it had to come out at the end.
i don’t have much to add to my review. i liked it, but it wasn’t the best. definitely not favorite and i won’t be rereading. but it’s fun and perfect for quick read when you’re bored.
i feel like i’m losing you forever.
Thank you Maeve Hazel for approving my request for the arc.
“he didn’t judge. he didn’t insist. he didn’t make me feel ashamed. he just accepted how i was.”
finally posting review for second book in the series. i mentioned in my earlier review how entertaining was the first book. maeve’s storylines are always sooo investing even though her writing is not my favorite. in general, i love the way she creates characters and develops plot so you don’t get bored.
i liked it less then the previous one. plot was more general and expected;
characters. i will never understand how he stayed quiet for soooo long! there were so many moments for him to tell the truth, and i’m sure she would accept it just fine. but no, it had to come out at the end.
i don’t have much to add to my review. i liked it, but it wasn’t the best. definitely not favorite and i won’t be rereading. but it’s fun and perfect for quick read when you’re bored.
i feel like i’m losing you forever.
Thank you Maeve Hazel for approving my request for the arc.
May 7, 2025
dnf at 38% — will i ever stop reading books on my fyp js bc a black girl is on the cover? no !
at first i didn’t know if it was me or the book. i knew it was the book when the fmc sexted the mmc after knowing eachother for a whole wk, and !! told her friend she was in a happy situationship. girl get off ur knees !
i understand it’s a palette cleanser rom com not to be taken srsly but this sucked. there’s typos everywhere, the author does no transitions btwn locations so i nvr know wya, and chooses the oddest abrupt times to switch povs + end ch .
the fmc solves corporate work problems w middle school economic textbook anwsers, the ceo mmc goes ’i didn’t think of that! 😮’ and this is the author trying to show me she’s smart. it fails and makes me question the mmc’s intelligence. they’re made for eachother , they’re both fucking dumbassess .
tbh the mmc is gross and rude, nasty combo. i can’t for the life of me care for his tragic backstory. alcholism is his entire personality. being poor is her’s. which gives me the ick considering she’s black, written by a non black author, but ur not rdy for that conversation .
declan + iris i’m so sorry for the comparisons .
at first i didn’t know if it was me or the book. i knew it was the book when the fmc sexted the mmc after knowing eachother for a whole wk, and !! told her friend she was in a happy situationship. girl get off ur knees !
i understand it’s a palette cleanser rom com not to be taken srsly but this sucked. there’s typos everywhere, the author does no transitions btwn locations so i nvr know wya, and chooses the oddest abrupt times to switch povs + end ch .
the fmc solves corporate work problems w middle school economic textbook anwsers, the ceo mmc goes ’i didn’t think of that! 😮’ and this is the author trying to show me she’s smart. it fails and makes me question the mmc’s intelligence. they’re made for eachother , they’re both fucking dumbassess .
tbh the mmc is gross and rude, nasty combo. i can’t for the life of me care for his tragic backstory. alcholism is his entire personality. being poor is her’s. which gives me the ick considering she’s black, written by a non black author, but ur not rdy for that conversation .
declan + iris i’m so sorry for the comparisons .
August 8, 2024
#arcreview | 4🌟/ 5🌟
#HAELYNTRISTAN
Love Not Qualified by @maevehazelauthor
⋆𐙚₊˚”Tell me how to make it better for you.”
Haelyn quietened a bit, her mouth falling open. “Why do you care, Tristan Graves?” she asked, her voice shaking.”⋆𐙚₊˚
𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐯
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐇𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐬
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐄𝐃,𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟,𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩
I’m gonna be so honest😃 I thought I would have gave it 3 stars max but it’s was because I just finished amazing book, caught up by Liz tomforde so my mind was still in the windy city universe but I exactly liked it more, like I cried like a baby because the tough topics were hitting my heart deep and I’m on my period, so I’m more emotional than normal and I was listening to Billie eilish so that combo destroyed me 😭 but I love me some Tristian and & haelyn, I loved the addiction awareness and eating disorder awareness!!
Merielle and haelyn friendship AWHHHH🥹 they’re the definition of sisters from another mister, like merielle was literally concerned for her and was there for her everyday🥹
it’s definitely a good book for beginners who just joined book community and booktok!
I want to say thank you to Maeve Hazel for sending me this arc of her newest book-releasing August 6th and I would love to read her future books.
#HAELYNTRISTAN
Love Not Qualified by @maevehazelauthor
⋆𐙚₊˚”Tell me how to make it better for you.”
Haelyn quietened a bit, her mouth falling open. “Why do you care, Tristan Graves?” she asked, her voice shaking.”⋆𐙚₊˚
𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐃𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐨𝐯
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐇𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐬
⋆𐙚₊˚𝐄𝐃,𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟,𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐩
I’m gonna be so honest😃 I thought I would have gave it 3 stars max but it’s was because I just finished amazing book, caught up by Liz tomforde so my mind was still in the windy city universe but I exactly liked it more, like I cried like a baby because the tough topics were hitting my heart deep and I’m on my period, so I’m more emotional than normal and I was listening to Billie eilish so that combo destroyed me 😭 but I love me some Tristian and & haelyn, I loved the addiction awareness and eating disorder awareness!!
Merielle and haelyn friendship AWHHHH🥹 they’re the definition of sisters from another mister, like merielle was literally concerned for her and was there for her everyday🥹
it’s definitely a good book for beginners who just joined book community and booktok!
I want to say thank you to Maeve Hazel for sending me this arc of her newest book-releasing August 6th and I would love to read her future books.
August 5, 2024
rating: ★★★★.5
aesthetic: 🥃🩺🏎️💸🫂🎄💬💘🔓❄️🥞
tropes: dating app, forced proximity, dislike-to-like, workplace romance, he falls first, groveling, mentions grief/addiction
What a wholesome romance story, with a deep and meaningful message. It shows how grief can take forms in many different ways and how some may choose to cope with it or be consumed by it. For Tristan, he chose the bottom of a bottle each night and to be kept to himself immersed in work. For Haelyn, she chose to hide her true life from those closest to her to save them from worrying about her, as well as developing a difficult relationship with food.
I love how Maeve incorporated both these characters struggles and hardships and made their relationship develop by helping each other get past these challenges. Tristan was gentle and patient with Haelyn, he did not judge her or force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He sat with her and fed her when they were out together and then ate what she couldn’t, allowing her to relearn to love food at her own pace.
Haelyn becomes the perfect distraction that Tristan needed to overcome his alcohol addiction as well as giving him an outsiders insight into his business (as his assistant) and his challenging relationship with his younger brother. AND the grovelling will leave you swooning! Tristan knows exactly what to say and ticks all the boxes for all love languages ❤️🔥
The close-knit friendship Haelyn has with Merielle is one of a kind. Inseparable no matter the circumstances, she becomes the family that Haelyn longs for and needs. Their conversations were hilarious as well as tear-jerkers. This book is for those that choose to hide their grief, but just know that there is someone out there waiting with their shoulder for you to cry on.
I want to say a huge Thankyou to Maeve Hazel for sending me an advanced copy of her newest sequel in the lavish love series — releasing August 6th
aesthetic: 🥃🩺🏎️💸🫂🎄💬💘🔓❄️🥞
tropes: dating app, forced proximity, dislike-to-like, workplace romance, he falls first, groveling, mentions grief/addiction
What a wholesome romance story, with a deep and meaningful message. It shows how grief can take forms in many different ways and how some may choose to cope with it or be consumed by it. For Tristan, he chose the bottom of a bottle each night and to be kept to himself immersed in work. For Haelyn, she chose to hide her true life from those closest to her to save them from worrying about her, as well as developing a difficult relationship with food.
I love how Maeve incorporated both these characters struggles and hardships and made their relationship develop by helping each other get past these challenges. Tristan was gentle and patient with Haelyn, he did not judge her or force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He sat with her and fed her when they were out together and then ate what she couldn’t, allowing her to relearn to love food at her own pace.
Haelyn becomes the perfect distraction that Tristan needed to overcome his alcohol addiction as well as giving him an outsiders insight into his business (as his assistant) and his challenging relationship with his younger brother. AND the grovelling will leave you swooning! Tristan knows exactly what to say and ticks all the boxes for all love languages ❤️🔥
The close-knit friendship Haelyn has with Merielle is one of a kind. Inseparable no matter the circumstances, she becomes the family that Haelyn longs for and needs. Their conversations were hilarious as well as tear-jerkers. This book is for those that choose to hide their grief, but just know that there is someone out there waiting with their shoulder for you to cry on.
I want to say a huge Thankyou to Maeve Hazel for sending me an advanced copy of her newest sequel in the lavish love series — releasing August 6th
August 19, 2024
Besides the pacing and my inability to connect to the leads, there were a lot of plot points that I thought were repetitive and not properly addressed. I also couldn’t connect with the female lead as a black woman, something that drew me into reading in the first place, because there was a constant mention of seeing her visibly blush. This would’ve been fine if she were of a lighter complexion, but I know from experience that a blush is not visible on a darker skin tone. I tried to ignore it, but it happened constantly throughout the book and it took me out of the story every time. I appreciate the attempt of inclusivity of the black community, but as a black person, I couldn’t connect with the character at all. Currently dnf, but I may try to finish the book at some point in the future.
November 13, 2024
it’s like reading a bad wattpad story. dnfed it at 25%
August 30, 2024
Every time I read a book, I always have the same thoughts in my mind: all the hours and the effort the writers have undertaken to achieve that dream of theirs, the time they’ve been separated from their loved ones. Even more special to me is when we’re talking about and ARC version. I feel humble because of the trust that author has put on me. With that in mind, I try to be open-minded and not being influenced by those feelings when I’m reading an ARC. As many can see, my reviews tend to be honest, encouraging and positive, but I’m soft and, truth to be said, I always find something I love in a book, so I try to exploit it.
I received this book as an ARC and, although I try my best to read them as soon as I can, this ARC was attached (in my opinion) to a very abusive mail. Fair to say that after that mail came another one apologizing for the tone in the previous one, but that first made me feel uncomfortable with my reading.
In the first mail they said (and I quoted) that if my review was 3.5 or below, it MUST BE posted three weeks after the release of the book and, if my opinion was above 3.5 stars, by AUGUST 10 OR I will be DELETED FROM THEIR LIST OF ANY UPCOMING ARCS.
With those words I felt extra-pressured with my opinion while reading the book, I must love it if I want my voice to be heard and, after thinking too much about it, I don’t think this is fair for anyone. If the writer only read biased opinions of their work, they can’t evolve as a writer. The readers couldn’t have all the points of view of the story they seem to be interested in reading, also a biased point of view and, the ARC reviewer has no freedom to express what really think because if it’s not approved, they’re going to be punished. The author and their team can use other resources, like mentioning the highest reviews or the one they prefer, but not forcing the ARC readers: “either you like it a lot or you are out”. As an ARC reader in this particular case, I didn’t enjoy the feeling of my freedom being restricted.
Having been thinking about what to say about the book, beside from the offensive mail, the sorry mail and all that extra pressure, this is my sincere opinion (sorry for all the inconvenience).
The story is about a girl, Haelyn, with a terrible past (this part is well narrated), and how she’s struggling to get a better work to take care of her mother. On the other hand, we have the boss of the company she’s about to start working for, Tristan, a man also struggling with his past, his family and alcohol-abusing problems. That said, it could be a great work-related romance, strangers to lovers, boss-employee, addictions-past traumas tropes but, I didn’t connect with their story, with the sudden attraction between them or how Haelyn behaves in some parts of the book. I get that her past is her greatest burden but that’s because I want to see through it, her behavior is erratic and inconsistent. The story has a lot of lurches, and I can understand this is a way the writer tries to keep the reader’s attention, but I don’t think it’s completely working.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the romantic part of the book but, I really like the dynamic between Haelyn and her best friend, Merielle. This love (not a romantic one, but more like a siblings-by-choice one) was engaging. The ways they love each other, and they are there for the other one in the hard times is beautifully written.
This book is an open-door romance and the number of spicy scenes is well equilibrated, not brilliantly narrated but, not bad (little spoiler: I must say that the first spicy comments from Tristan, just when they first meet was a little odd for me).
My rating:
Book: 3/5 stars (sorry, I tried but I didn’t connect with it).
Spicy: 2/5.
I received this book as an ARC and, although I try my best to read them as soon as I can, this ARC was attached (in my opinion) to a very abusive mail. Fair to say that after that mail came another one apologizing for the tone in the previous one, but that first made me feel uncomfortable with my reading.
In the first mail they said (and I quoted) that if my review was 3.5 or below, it MUST BE posted three weeks after the release of the book and, if my opinion was above 3.5 stars, by AUGUST 10 OR I will be DELETED FROM THEIR LIST OF ANY UPCOMING ARCS.
With those words I felt extra-pressured with my opinion while reading the book, I must love it if I want my voice to be heard and, after thinking too much about it, I don’t think this is fair for anyone. If the writer only read biased opinions of their work, they can’t evolve as a writer. The readers couldn’t have all the points of view of the story they seem to be interested in reading, also a biased point of view and, the ARC reviewer has no freedom to express what really think because if it’s not approved, they’re going to be punished. The author and their team can use other resources, like mentioning the highest reviews or the one they prefer, but not forcing the ARC readers: “either you like it a lot or you are out”. As an ARC reader in this particular case, I didn’t enjoy the feeling of my freedom being restricted.
Having been thinking about what to say about the book, beside from the offensive mail, the sorry mail and all that extra pressure, this is my sincere opinion (sorry for all the inconvenience).
The story is about a girl, Haelyn, with a terrible past (this part is well narrated), and how she’s struggling to get a better work to take care of her mother. On the other hand, we have the boss of the company she’s about to start working for, Tristan, a man also struggling with his past, his family and alcohol-abusing problems. That said, it could be a great work-related romance, strangers to lovers, boss-employee, addictions-past traumas tropes but, I didn’t connect with their story, with the sudden attraction between them or how Haelyn behaves in some parts of the book. I get that her past is her greatest burden but that’s because I want to see through it, her behavior is erratic and inconsistent. The story has a lot of lurches, and I can understand this is a way the writer tries to keep the reader’s attention, but I don’t think it’s completely working.
I didn’t particularly enjoy the romantic part of the book but, I really like the dynamic between Haelyn and her best friend, Merielle. This love (not a romantic one, but more like a siblings-by-choice one) was engaging. The ways they love each other, and they are there for the other one in the hard times is beautifully written.
This book is an open-door romance and the number of spicy scenes is well equilibrated, not brilliantly narrated but, not bad (little spoiler: I must say that the first spicy comments from Tristan, just when they first meet was a little odd for me).
My rating:
Book: 3/5 stars (sorry, I tried but I didn’t connect with it).
Spicy: 2/5.
August 4, 2024
dnf
maybe i‘ll try again some day, but i just couldn’t
something about the mmc just gets on my nerves and even if there might be development, i don’t know if i can do it
and also the writing style is just not for me personally
maybe i‘ll try again some day, but i just couldn’t
something about the mmc just gets on my nerves and even if there might be development, i don’t know if i can do it
and also the writing style is just not for me personally
October 13, 2024
DNF @ 40%. When I see a Black FMC on the cover, I read. Simple as that. This book has characters with potential and could’ve been a good jumping point to delve into issues like grief and addiction. Unfortunately, the execution really holds this novel back. The main issues I have with it are: over-reliance on passive voice, plot inconsistencies, poor structure, lack of realism, and grammatical errors.
From the first page, I immediately noticed that the book was written in the passive voice. That’s great when something is stopping the protagonist from moving forward emotionally and/or physically. I was hoping we’d see a conscious shift to active voice as Haelyn gained more confidence, but…that doesn’t happen 😅 Over-reliance on the passive voice makes it hard to empathize and connect with the FMC because it feels like life is just happening to her rather than her making life happen. Also, in my experience, too much passive voice = more run-on sentences. And boy is this book riddled with them! Aside from the MMC being irritating and unlikeable, passive voice further alienated me from warming up to him. I was rooting for Gorig or Eric. Anybody else lol.
As for plot inconsistencies/poor structure, there are several points where I had to flip back a few pages to see if I missed something. Sometimes the dialogue, prose, internal rhetoric, or order of events didn’t make sense. For example, around 15% through the book, “Chad Bitt” temporarily ghosts Haelyn. Miffed, Haelyn confides in her friend she doesn’t know where she went wrong but then blurts out that he ghosted because she and Chad “had sex”. Her friend, rightfully confused, is like ‘I thought yall never met tho??’ After Haelyn finishes her mini internal freak out, she says to her friend “What the hell are you saying? We didn’t have sex.” But Ms. Girl…you just said you did? What did you expect your friend to say/think after your assertion? 🤔 Not to mention, before she blurted that out and had her mini freak out, she’d already decided he wasn’t the type to just pull up, pull out, and ghost. The order of events and flow just don’t make sense. It would’ve been more intuitive to have Haelyn come to that conclusion after she stops panicking instead of bookending both sides of that moment with it. Inconsistencies and contradictions like this are so pervasive that they often caused me frustration and confusion.
Another thing that put me off was how unrealistic Haelyn’s situation seemed. Being buried in medical debt, hardly making ends meet, and floating from job to job is relatable. And hey, I can even suspend disbelief when it comes to Tristan hiring her on a whim after seeing her resume - because IRL she’d’ve gotten a rejection email. However, it’s really really hard to believe that she’s living in California and not getting any type of public assistance like SNAP or a housing voucher. That’s one of the best states for temporary assistance, but old girl is just over here starving when she doesn’t have to?? And her living situation in the beginning of the book makes it seem like she’s living in an abandoned building. Why couldn’t she live with her bestie until she got on her feet? Some best friend, I guess. 😒 The way Haelyn was written was also not relatable. At her skin tone, a visible blush is highly unlikely. On a deeper level, poverty being her entire personality was extremely one-dimensional and reductive, so that also gave me serious ick with this book. Her situation just seemed so untenable and her personality so unrealistic that it took me out of the little immersion I did achieve at times.
As for grammar, 90% of the misspellings, awkward phrasing, missing prepositions and run-on sentences could’ve been avoided using Grammarly. Or, hell, even the built-in Microsoft/Google Docs spell checkers. Lot of simple mistakes throughout each page made it feel like I was reading a rough draft rather than a finished product. These glaring issues made reading this novel a slog even up to 40%. A fair amount of rewriting, polishing, and quality editing would be needed to bring this closer to 4 stars.
All in all, this book had potential, but poor execution prevented it from being readable. Sharing my highlights and notes so yall know where I was scratching my head.
From the first page, I immediately noticed that the book was written in the passive voice. That’s great when something is stopping the protagonist from moving forward emotionally and/or physically. I was hoping we’d see a conscious shift to active voice as Haelyn gained more confidence, but…that doesn’t happen 😅 Over-reliance on the passive voice makes it hard to empathize and connect with the FMC because it feels like life is just happening to her rather than her making life happen. Also, in my experience, too much passive voice = more run-on sentences. And boy is this book riddled with them! Aside from the MMC being irritating and unlikeable, passive voice further alienated me from warming up to him. I was rooting for Gorig or Eric. Anybody else lol.
As for plot inconsistencies/poor structure, there are several points where I had to flip back a few pages to see if I missed something. Sometimes the dialogue, prose, internal rhetoric, or order of events didn’t make sense. For example, around 15% through the book, “Chad Bitt” temporarily ghosts Haelyn. Miffed, Haelyn confides in her friend she doesn’t know where she went wrong but then blurts out that he ghosted because she and Chad “had sex”. Her friend, rightfully confused, is like ‘I thought yall never met tho??’ After Haelyn finishes her mini internal freak out, she says to her friend “What the hell are you saying? We didn’t have sex.” But Ms. Girl…you just said you did? What did you expect your friend to say/think after your assertion? 🤔 Not to mention, before she blurted that out and had her mini freak out, she’d already decided he wasn’t the type to just pull up, pull out, and ghost. The order of events and flow just don’t make sense. It would’ve been more intuitive to have Haelyn come to that conclusion after she stops panicking instead of bookending both sides of that moment with it. Inconsistencies and contradictions like this are so pervasive that they often caused me frustration and confusion.
Another thing that put me off was how unrealistic Haelyn’s situation seemed. Being buried in medical debt, hardly making ends meet, and floating from job to job is relatable. And hey, I can even suspend disbelief when it comes to Tristan hiring her on a whim after seeing her resume - because IRL she’d’ve gotten a rejection email. However, it’s really really hard to believe that she’s living in California and not getting any type of public assistance like SNAP or a housing voucher. That’s one of the best states for temporary assistance, but old girl is just over here starving when she doesn’t have to?? And her living situation in the beginning of the book makes it seem like she’s living in an abandoned building. Why couldn’t she live with her bestie until she got on her feet? Some best friend, I guess. 😒 The way Haelyn was written was also not relatable. At her skin tone, a visible blush is highly unlikely. On a deeper level, poverty being her entire personality was extremely one-dimensional and reductive, so that also gave me serious ick with this book. Her situation just seemed so untenable and her personality so unrealistic that it took me out of the little immersion I did achieve at times.
As for grammar, 90% of the misspellings, awkward phrasing, missing prepositions and run-on sentences could’ve been avoided using Grammarly. Or, hell, even the built-in Microsoft/Google Docs spell checkers. Lot of simple mistakes throughout each page made it feel like I was reading a rough draft rather than a finished product. These glaring issues made reading this novel a slog even up to 40%. A fair amount of rewriting, polishing, and quality editing would be needed to bring this closer to 4 stars.
All in all, this book had potential, but poor execution prevented it from being readable. Sharing my highlights and notes so yall know where I was scratching my head.
July 27, 2024
alright so first, thank you sm to the author for sending me this book as an arc<33
sooo, strong 3.75 to 4⭐cause at first? i wasn't all that caught up by the whole plot but then it grew on me and i meannn, overall? i liked it😃
sooo, strong 3.75 to 4⭐cause at first? i wasn't all that caught up by the whole plot but then it grew on me and i meannn, overall? i liked it😃
November 28, 2025
I don’t meant to be rude but this shit was genuinely ass?? From the amount of ridiculous spelling mistakes to the genuinely terrible plot, to the sentences that made no sense, to the annoying mc’s . I don’t think I’ve experienced a reading experience as poor as this one. I felt that there was genuinely so much potential but it was not fulfilled. Surely if your book has gone through editing they should be able to spot the plethora of different spelling mistakes ( and not even reasonable mistakes, mistakes that a 6 year old would make ) that were made all throughout the book which made it insufferable to read.
I felt that the fmc was just there to complain about everything she possibly could, if she’s supposed to be so smart and talented how comes she didn’t get a scholarship or didn’t get into some sort of programme that could help further her education? Considering that she’s an underprivileged black woman to a single mother who is now in the hospital dying why could she not have gotten on a good programme ? The mmc acted like everything the fmc said was gold and had never been thought of before when realistically a lot of what she said was common sense, e.g her idea of out of the box thinking was going to the CEO of another company to “beg”. Bare in mind that this supposed begging was just then apologising for their mistake and asking to set up a meeting in person. How is this out of the box ?? Ridiculous. Lastly the whole underprivileged, poverty, ED, absent father thing felt so forced and cliche!!! How cliche that a black woman would have a father that is a deadbeat alcoholic who ends up in jail. Especially coming from an author that is not a black woman it feels so weird.
Now don’t get me started on the mmc, his whole persona is that he’s an alcoholic who has t oh take care of his brother, BORING. And on top of that his attitude absolutely stinks😟. It’s stanking in here wtf ??? (ifykyk). He was jarring from the get go and I hate reading his POV because it either going to be some perverted shit or it’s just him getting drunk again. He lacks a personality entirely. AND THE AUDACITY FOR HIM TO TAKE THE FMC ON A FAKE BUSINESS TRIP AMD THEN LIE TO HER ABOUT THE ROADS BEING CLOSED WHEN SHE THEN ASKS TO GO BACK HOME ???????? This flipping joke of a man!!!?!?!?!?? And what makes the situation worse is that prior to this she had found out she had 12 days to decide wether or not to pull the plug on her dying mother and this little shitty trip he took her on with people she doesn’t know would take up 2 of those 12 days to decide what to do . HOW SELFISH .
I felt that the fmc was just there to complain about everything she possibly could, if she’s supposed to be so smart and talented how comes she didn’t get a scholarship or didn’t get into some sort of programme that could help further her education? Considering that she’s an underprivileged black woman to a single mother who is now in the hospital dying why could she not have gotten on a good programme ? The mmc acted like everything the fmc said was gold and had never been thought of before when realistically a lot of what she said was common sense, e.g her idea of out of the box thinking was going to the CEO of another company to “beg”. Bare in mind that this supposed begging was just then apologising for their mistake and asking to set up a meeting in person. How is this out of the box ?? Ridiculous. Lastly the whole underprivileged, poverty, ED, absent father thing felt so forced and cliche!!! How cliche that a black woman would have a father that is a deadbeat alcoholic who ends up in jail. Especially coming from an author that is not a black woman it feels so weird.
Now don’t get me started on the mmc, his whole persona is that he’s an alcoholic who has t oh take care of his brother, BORING. And on top of that his attitude absolutely stinks😟. It’s stanking in here wtf ??? (ifykyk). He was jarring from the get go and I hate reading his POV because it either going to be some perverted shit or it’s just him getting drunk again. He lacks a personality entirely. AND THE AUDACITY FOR HIM TO TAKE THE FMC ON A FAKE BUSINESS TRIP AMD THEN LIE TO HER ABOUT THE ROADS BEING CLOSED WHEN SHE THEN ASKS TO GO BACK HOME ???????? This flipping joke of a man!!!?!?!?!?? And what makes the situation worse is that prior to this she had found out she had 12 days to decide wether or not to pull the plug on her dying mother and this little shitty trip he took her on with people she doesn’t know would take up 2 of those 12 days to decide what to do . HOW SELFISH .
February 28, 2025
Found out she used to write on Wattpad and it makes sense
August 11, 2024
I had trouble finishing this book…
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
I’m going to be 100% honest with this review as usual. At the start, I could tell that the author’s first language is not English because they were careless mistakes made in the writing of this book and terminology that isn’t used in American culture. I really wanted to give this book a shot because the author was so graceful to give me an arc, but I did have a very hard time finishing it and it wasn’t because the book’s plot wasn’t interesting. It just felt like there was a lot going on, and it felt like the characters were just jumping into unrealistic situations and also there was a lot of filler wording and it just felt that they’re needed to be more dialogue in the book between the main characters. Their relationship was kind of frustrating, especially being that the main male character was lying most of the time. But I really did enjoy the back stories of each of the characters. There should have been more relationship building in this book between the two of main character, characters and less info about the characters that are related to the two main characters, friends, and family. Overall, it was an OK book and the reason behind my two stars was because of my constant struggle to get through this book.
I do want to say that this book reminded me very much of Lauren Asher’s ‘The Fine Print’.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️
I’m going to be 100% honest with this review as usual. At the start, I could tell that the author’s first language is not English because they were careless mistakes made in the writing of this book and terminology that isn’t used in American culture. I really wanted to give this book a shot because the author was so graceful to give me an arc, but I did have a very hard time finishing it and it wasn’t because the book’s plot wasn’t interesting. It just felt like there was a lot going on, and it felt like the characters were just jumping into unrealistic situations and also there was a lot of filler wording and it just felt that they’re needed to be more dialogue in the book between the main characters. Their relationship was kind of frustrating, especially being that the main male character was lying most of the time. But I really did enjoy the back stories of each of the characters. There should have been more relationship building in this book between the two of main character, characters and less info about the characters that are related to the two main characters, friends, and family. Overall, it was an OK book and the reason behind my two stars was because of my constant struggle to get through this book.
I do want to say that this book reminded me very much of Lauren Asher’s ‘The Fine Print’.
July 30, 2024
I actually need Goodreads to add the .5 option when it comes to ratings. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
I am very grateful for the ARC @MaeveHazel. The book was charming, witty and interesting. It was quite the page-turner.
As much as Hae and Tristan started on the wrong foot they settled into their feelings and went right into it.
I do have to say though, l cannot wait for Ryker's book. That looks the most nerve wrecking in the entire series.
I cannot wait for the rest of the books in the series to come out. If I'm lucky maybe I'll read their ARC's too. I can't wait!!! 😍😁
I am very grateful for the ARC @MaeveHazel. The book was charming, witty and interesting. It was quite the page-turner.
As much as Hae and Tristan started on the wrong foot they settled into their feelings and went right into it.
I do have to say though, l cannot wait for Ryker's book. That looks the most nerve wrecking in the entire series.
I cannot wait for the rest of the books in the series to come out. If I'm lucky maybe I'll read their ARC's too. I can't wait!!! 😍😁
August 1, 2024
3.5 🌟
First of all thank you Maeve for sending me an ARC of your book 🫶🏻
Okay so this was a really cute romance and I really loved the storyline, the FMC and the chemistry between the characters. The online storyline was really fun and made me instantly invested in the story.
Unfortunately I didn’t love the MMC… I don’t want to spoil anything so It’s kinda hard to say why, so let’s just say he did some things I couldn’t really get behind. I also felt like the tropes were a little all around which was another reason for the rating I gave to the book.
First of all thank you Maeve for sending me an ARC of your book 🫶🏻
Okay so this was a really cute romance and I really loved the storyline, the FMC and the chemistry between the characters. The online storyline was really fun and made me instantly invested in the story.
Unfortunately I didn’t love the MMC… I don’t want to spoil anything so It’s kinda hard to say why, so let’s just say he did some things I couldn’t really get behind. I also felt like the tropes were a little all around which was another reason for the rating I gave to the book.
July 31, 2024
As excited as I was to ARC read this, I just couldn’t connect with the characters and the storyline. I really struggled with the writing and it was just miscommunication after miscommunication which made it feel like a chore to read. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be an ARC reader and I wish I loved this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me 🥲
August 10, 2024
This was my first time reading one of Maeve’s books and I would definitely recommend her books to someone who’s looking for a good wholesome romance that has this beautiful message on how people deal with grief differently and how they overcome that. The relationship between Haelyn and Tristian was magical and I really enjoyed myself reading this book ♥️
Read
January 14, 2025 DNF @ 16% — honestly wasn't feeling the book and it started to get lusty too quickly...maybe ill give it another shot later but i just felt like i was going to enter into a reading slump if i continued LOL
August 12, 2024
3.75🌟.
A wonderful love story with realistic characters, their relationships and their struggles.
Haelyn and Tristan meet each other when they both were down with grief and hard times. They have completely different backgrounds but they complimented each other. I loved how respectful and non judgmental Tristan was. Meanwhile Haelyn was so strong and a fighter. Even when Tristan messed up she made him work for her forgiveness.
For me highlight of this book was Haelyn and Merielle’s friendship. I also loved David, Ryker and Kai. They added more depth to the story.
I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style and it took me a little while to connect with the book. Loved the second part more and epilogue was so satisfying.
—Dating app, Hidden Identity.
—Office romance.
—Rich x poor.
—Part of the series, KU, TW and Safe.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
A wonderful love story with realistic characters, their relationships and their struggles.
Haelyn and Tristan meet each other when they both were down with grief and hard times. They have completely different backgrounds but they complimented each other. I loved how respectful and non judgmental Tristan was. Meanwhile Haelyn was so strong and a fighter. Even when Tristan messed up she made him work for her forgiveness.
For me highlight of this book was Haelyn and Merielle’s friendship. I also loved David, Ryker and Kai. They added more depth to the story.
I wasn’t a big fan of the writing style and it took me a little while to connect with the book. Loved the second part more and epilogue was so satisfying.
—Dating app, Hidden Identity.
—Office romance.
—Rich x poor.
—Part of the series, KU, TW and Safe.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
August 15, 2024
ARC Review!!!
“But I don’t think I can pretend I don’t know you, Haelyn. Not when you’ve been everything on my mind lately.”
Tropes:
Dislike To Like
Dating App
Forced Proximity
Workplace Romance
He Falls First
My ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
This was my first time reading a book by this author, and while I absolutely LOVE the cover, the book was *a bit* disappointing…
I liked Haelyn & Tristan as MCs, and the pacing was good.
The problem wasn’t the book; it was me. I realised that workplace romances aren’t something I like, but if that’s your jam, then I’d definitely recommend this book!
The writing style also bothered me a bit, but it was still okay 🤷🏽♀️
“But I don’t think I can pretend I don’t know you, Haelyn. Not when you’ve been everything on my mind lately.”
Tropes:
Dislike To Like
Dating App
Forced Proximity
Workplace Romance
He Falls First
My ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️
This was my first time reading a book by this author, and while I absolutely LOVE the cover, the book was *a bit* disappointing…
I liked Haelyn & Tristan as MCs, and the pacing was good.
The problem wasn’t the book; it was me. I realised that workplace romances aren’t something I like, but if that’s your jam, then I’d definitely recommend this book!
The writing style also bothered me a bit, but it was still okay 🤷🏽♀️
August 30, 2024
Got an e-arc from author
it was my first time reading the book by this author, it was not bad however there were a few things i just could not ignore.
first, mmc is definitely an alcoholic. He has a trauma and he must seek help. This narrative of him drinking every night is very strong at first and then bam, it seems like author forgot all about it because these topic wasn't developed.
two, the two meet through an app, it's all okay great but the first actual meeting in the office doesn't make sense. Because mmc acted very weird. Her being hired and then suddenly being some kind of genius was also out of place.
three, fmc wanted to be badass but she wasn't. she had no character whatsoever.
four, friend - i am all in for supporting the friends and being by their side but the friendship between fmc and her bestie, made no sense.
five - fmc is anorexic and she has serious issues eating disorders and mental traumas. once again there is no closure for these things.
so here comes the question - why include alcoholism, eating disorder and mental issues in the books if you don't plan to elaborate on these things.
yeah overall, i wasn't impressed with this one
it was my first time reading the book by this author, it was not bad however there were a few things i just could not ignore.
first, mmc is definitely an alcoholic. He has a trauma and he must seek help. This narrative of him drinking every night is very strong at first and then bam, it seems like author forgot all about it because these topic wasn't developed.
two, the two meet through an app, it's all okay great but the first actual meeting in the office doesn't make sense. Because mmc acted very weird. Her being hired and then suddenly being some kind of genius was also out of place.
three, fmc wanted to be badass but she wasn't. she had no character whatsoever.
four, friend - i am all in for supporting the friends and being by their side but the friendship between fmc and her bestie, made no sense.
five - fmc is anorexic and she has serious issues eating disorders and mental traumas. once again there is no closure for these things.
so here comes the question - why include alcoholism, eating disorder and mental issues in the books if you don't plan to elaborate on these things.
yeah overall, i wasn't impressed with this one
August 10, 2024
I have around 120 pages left but I am struggling so hard to finish.
Can’t feel the story, there are too many problems around FMC and MMC that’s it’s hard to keep pace with.
Couldn’t feel the chemistry between them or the sexual tension building up :|
Smut: 2.5/5
And for Pete’s sake… does anyone tried to reach the clit when wearing jeans and standing…in the middle of the road I might add?? It’s freakin’ almost impossible 🤨
Sometimes was hard to imagine what the hell they were doing… which was a major turn off for me unfortunately. ☹️
I am going to finish the book because I am stubborn like that, but was a bit disappointed, tbh. I don’t connect with the writing style either. Too much description, too many inside of the head thoughts.. it was tiring for me.
Can’t feel the story, there are too many problems around FMC and MMC that’s it’s hard to keep pace with.
Couldn’t feel the chemistry between them or the sexual tension building up :|
Smut: 2.5/5
And for Pete’s sake… does anyone tried to reach the clit when wearing jeans and standing…in the middle of the road I might add?? It’s freakin’ almost impossible 🤨
Sometimes was hard to imagine what the hell they were doing… which was a major turn off for me unfortunately. ☹️
I am going to finish the book because I am stubborn like that, but was a bit disappointed, tbh. I don’t connect with the writing style either. Too much description, too many inside of the head thoughts.. it was tiring for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2024
The writing is so bad and I couldn’t care less for the main characters dnf at 16%
November 3, 2024
DNF’d at 27% i couldnt do it.
August 7, 2024
ARC Review ✨
This was my first book that I was lucky enough to receive as an ARC, i really love the premise of the book and the FMC is both relatable and well written.
I loved the blind dating app plot however the one thing that kept taking me away from being fully invested was the quite ridiculous name for the fake profile! I feel it should have just had a completely made up actor rather than just swapping the first letters of the first and last name around 🤔
I also would have loved to read the first book as there was multiple mentions of what I can only assume is plot that’s relevant to the first novel in the series. However I’m on my way to read that now!
As a final note I must say that the SMUT was SMUTTING 🌶️ this was the first story I’ve read in a while where the sex scenes didn’t make me cringe! 10/10 for the cliterature 🫠
To Maeve, thank you for writing this book and allowing me to read it as an ARC, there may be other people that disagree with my review but think that we can all agree writing any novel (let alone the second in a series!) is an extremely big achievement that you should be proud of! Here’s to the future looking forward to reading the next instalment and learning more about Ryker!
This was my first book that I was lucky enough to receive as an ARC, i really love the premise of the book and the FMC is both relatable and well written.
I loved the blind dating app plot however the one thing that kept taking me away from being fully invested was the quite ridiculous name for the fake profile! I feel it should have just had a completely made up actor rather than just swapping the first letters of the first and last name around 🤔
I also would have loved to read the first book as there was multiple mentions of what I can only assume is plot that’s relevant to the first novel in the series. However I’m on my way to read that now!
As a final note I must say that the SMUT was SMUTTING 🌶️ this was the first story I’ve read in a while where the sex scenes didn’t make me cringe! 10/10 for the cliterature 🫠
To Maeve, thank you for writing this book and allowing me to read it as an ARC, there may be other people that disagree with my review but think that we can all agree writing any novel (let alone the second in a series!) is an extremely big achievement that you should be proud of! Here’s to the future looking forward to reading the next instalment and learning more about Ryker!
August 5, 2024
4.5/5 ⭐
Thank you for providing me an ARC copy of "Love Not Qualified." Having previously enjoyed the first book of the Lavish Love series, "Paper's Don't Lie," I was eagerly looking forward to Tristan's story.
I must say, "Love Not Qualified" exceeded all my expectations. The seamless storytelling and emotional depth of Tristan's confessions left me captivated throughout the book. The emotions both characters faced goshhh. The dislike to love trope gave it's charm with adding workplace romance.
Maeve Hazel's portrayal of the dating app love story was impeccable, and I truly appreciated the character development that unfolded beautifully.
Witnessing the bond between the characters and the reunion of familiar faces added another layer of enjoyment to the story. Ryker's enigmatic aura has left me intrigued, and I am eagerly anticipating his story as well. Overall, this read was simply outstanding and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
Thank you once again to the author for sharing this wonderful ARC copy with me<3
Thank you for providing me an ARC copy of "Love Not Qualified." Having previously enjoyed the first book of the Lavish Love series, "Paper's Don't Lie," I was eagerly looking forward to Tristan's story.
I must say, "Love Not Qualified" exceeded all my expectations. The seamless storytelling and emotional depth of Tristan's confessions left me captivated throughout the book. The emotions both characters faced goshhh. The dislike to love trope gave it's charm with adding workplace romance.
Maeve Hazel's portrayal of the dating app love story was impeccable, and I truly appreciated the character development that unfolded beautifully.
Witnessing the bond between the characters and the reunion of familiar faces added another layer of enjoyment to the story. Ryker's enigmatic aura has left me intrigued, and I am eagerly anticipating his story as well. Overall, this read was simply outstanding and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.
Thank you once again to the author for sharing this wonderful ARC copy with me<3
August 7, 2024
ARC REVIEW
I loved this book so much!
Tropes:
- Dislike to like
- Dating app
- Forced proximity
- Workplace romance
- He falls first (and hard tbh)
I have already read most of Maeve Hazel her books, but this one is definitely my number one!
I love the relationship and every beautiful/sad/funny/spicy moment between Haelyn and Tristan is so beautifully written!!!!!
Haelyn is such an amazing person. She is smart and funny, but also had moments in her past that she is struggling with.
Tristan is cold in the beginning but once he starts to open up, he is such a lovely person.
The way that Tristan helps Haelyn with the problems in the past, and the way that Haelyn helps Tristan to achieve his dream, is so beautiful.
I am in love with this couple and this book is just... WOW!
I read it in a day so I would say, go buy the book and start reading it!
I loved this book so much!
Tropes:
- Dislike to like
- Dating app
- Forced proximity
- Workplace romance
- He falls first (and hard tbh)
I have already read most of Maeve Hazel her books, but this one is definitely my number one!
I love the relationship and every beautiful/sad/funny/spicy moment between Haelyn and Tristan is so beautifully written!!!!!
Haelyn is such an amazing person. She is smart and funny, but also had moments in her past that she is struggling with.
Tristan is cold in the beginning but once he starts to open up, he is such a lovely person.
The way that Tristan helps Haelyn with the problems in the past, and the way that Haelyn helps Tristan to achieve his dream, is so beautiful.
I am in love with this couple and this book is just... WOW!
I read it in a day so I would say, go buy the book and start reading it!
July 26, 2024
✨ ARC REVIEW ✨
firstly a huge thankyou to maeve for the opportunity to receive this ARC and make this review a possibility - I love the idea of supporting an indie author in any way possible!
love not qualified was my first introduction to maeve as an author, and it did not disappoint.
her writing style made reading an ease and made for very relatable yet complex characters with challenging pasts.
while I hate the miscommunication trope, maeve has worked it well into the story through the use of the online dating platform, Unlock - where our main characters, Haelyn and Tristan, meet.
Haelyn Ross is out strong, independent woman of colour fmc , working every and any job possible in order to support her mother and her medical bills.
Mr (Tristan) Graves is our broody billionaire mmc and CEO of Graves Automotive who moonlights as Prad Bitt, our “anonymous” love interest.
I loved the character development of both the main characters throughout the story, especially the way they bounced off each other and supporting characters for support.
I loved how real and relatable the characters struggles and problems were written, from Haelyns eating disorder to Tristan’s alcoholism.
I cannot wait to read the remaining Graves men and learn their stories.
firstly a huge thankyou to maeve for the opportunity to receive this ARC and make this review a possibility - I love the idea of supporting an indie author in any way possible!
love not qualified was my first introduction to maeve as an author, and it did not disappoint.
her writing style made reading an ease and made for very relatable yet complex characters with challenging pasts.
while I hate the miscommunication trope, maeve has worked it well into the story through the use of the online dating platform, Unlock - where our main characters, Haelyn and Tristan, meet.
Haelyn Ross is out strong, independent woman of colour fmc , working every and any job possible in order to support her mother and her medical bills.
Mr (Tristan) Graves is our broody billionaire mmc and CEO of Graves Automotive who moonlights as Prad Bitt, our “anonymous” love interest.
I loved the character development of both the main characters throughout the story, especially the way they bounced off each other and supporting characters for support.
I loved how real and relatable the characters struggles and problems were written, from Haelyns eating disorder to Tristan’s alcoholism.
I cannot wait to read the remaining Graves men and learn their stories.
August 25, 2024
DNF. I read because I wanted to read something with a black fmc, but the mmc ruined it for me. The amount of times he objectified her which was supposed to be seen as him admiring her. What made me DNF was the scene in which the two are riding together on a road trip and he just is muttering the entire time about how much of a “temptation” she is and how vulnerable she is. Feels very predatory I think !! And while I’m not being a prude about nsfw content, the way he handles it is insane. Also he lied about a business meeting instead of letting the fmc take time to herself to deal with her family issues. Maybe this book is good but we’ll never know because he spent so much time drinking and stalking/objectifying her for us to find out. If y’all like it, good for y’all, but this took a turn for me so fast.
August 5, 2024
ARC review!! 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️i am so grateful to have received this book, so thank you Maeve🙏 i really enjoyed reading it! it took a hot second to get into this book but about 50 pages in i was hooked. i loved the way this plot developed and deepened and it was such a fun experience to read. i wish this book could have gone on longer cause i really grew to love haelyn and tristan’s story and wanna read so much more about their future together! definitely a great book and i would highly recommend it!!
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