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Chaotic Energy
Watch out world, Artemis Owusu is entering her villain era...
Artemis 'Temz' Owusu has bags of confidence, and plenty of opportunity for hook-ups; she fiercely embraces her beautiful size 26 body and expects any man to do the same. Her marketing career is on fire, and she has a thriving side-hustle as a 'plantfluencer'.
But for some reason, her romantic relationships just won't stick.
So, when sexy California-based tech entrepreneur Ruben slides into her DMs looking for plant care advice, Temz doesn't waste an opportunity. Soon their long-distance digital flirtation is growing roots - until, in an out-of-character bout of self-doubt, Temz commits the cardinal online sin...
Suddenly she's embroiled in a web of deception as her relationship with Ruben gets increasingly serious. When her job lands her the opportunity to visit her man's stomping ground in Oakland, could it be a chance for her to finally come clean - or it could lead to total chaos?
For fans of Bolu Babalola, Bethany Rutter and Candice Carty-Williams, CHAOTIC ENERGY is a romcom with a difference.
Artemis 'Temz' Owusu has bags of confidence, and plenty of opportunity for hook-ups; she fiercely embraces her beautiful size 26 body and expects any man to do the same. Her marketing career is on fire, and she has a thriving side-hustle as a 'plantfluencer'.
But for some reason, her romantic relationships just won't stick.
So, when sexy California-based tech entrepreneur Ruben slides into her DMs looking for plant care advice, Temz doesn't waste an opportunity. Soon their long-distance digital flirtation is growing roots - until, in an out-of-character bout of self-doubt, Temz commits the cardinal online sin...
Suddenly she's embroiled in a web of deception as her relationship with Ruben gets increasingly serious. When her job lands her the opportunity to visit her man's stomping ground in Oakland, could it be a chance for her to finally come clean - or it could lead to total chaos?
For fans of Bolu Babalola, Bethany Rutter and Candice Carty-Williams, CHAOTIC ENERGY is a romcom with a difference.
- GenresRomance
368 pages, Hardcover
Published April 3, 2025
31 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 11, 2025
2.5
Ok my thoughts on this are strictly objective and I walked into this quite neutral.
First and foremost this isn’t a Rom-com. There’s nothing romantic or funny about it which was disappointing. The romance is not really swoon worthy and he sounds like a man written by a woman. Their conversations aren’t really awww inducing more so cringe and it doesn’t help that the beginning of the chaos happens so early on in which case it’s hard to buy into a relationship that starts like… that.
Artemis being a loser is not a problem (we can all admit, she is. Self esteem issues aside, she just is), but tbh she just isn’t a likeable character. Like at all. Which generally is fine, readers shouldn’t have to always like your main character but in a “Rom-com” you should want people to root for your love interests but at no point did I want her to have anything good. She’s really childish. And I mean childish instead of chaotic is kinda embarrassing when she’s ~ 30. She’s also not a good friend? To anyone one. Jean is a good friend to her but apart from the opening chapter she doesn’t really do anything for him. Also mind you, her saying she feels like his handler or whatever the phrase was… honestly sounds like she uses him to say she has a friend.
I think the book could have been better edited. The showdowns she had with various people were extremely anticlimactic. The blow up with Natalie was silly because her racism came out of nowhere. We were largely told she was bad vibes but didn’t get to see it until then. Likewise with the best friend not best friend. We were told she was a user but didn’t see any examples of it. A lot of this beef seemed one sided, all these friendships and opps and it felt like she was playing victim rather than actually being a victim. Her character wasn’t fleshed out well at all.
Honestly reads like an unedited first draft.
Despite the fact she needed to be sent away, not a therapist, I think this could have been a better Queenie if it was done before Queenie. Probably would make a better TV series too because the content is there. I’d still watch if it was picked up for a show, but as a book? Unfortunately, it feels like a really dated release.
Ok my thoughts on this are strictly objective and I walked into this quite neutral.
First and foremost this isn’t a Rom-com. There’s nothing romantic or funny about it which was disappointing. The romance is not really swoon worthy and he sounds like a man written by a woman. Their conversations aren’t really awww inducing more so cringe and it doesn’t help that the beginning of the chaos happens so early on in which case it’s hard to buy into a relationship that starts like… that.
Artemis being a loser is not a problem (we can all admit, she is. Self esteem issues aside, she just is), but tbh she just isn’t a likeable character. Like at all. Which generally is fine, readers shouldn’t have to always like your main character but in a “Rom-com” you should want people to root for your love interests but at no point did I want her to have anything good. She’s really childish. And I mean childish instead of chaotic is kinda embarrassing when she’s ~ 30. She’s also not a good friend? To anyone one. Jean is a good friend to her but apart from the opening chapter she doesn’t really do anything for him. Also mind you, her saying she feels like his handler or whatever the phrase was… honestly sounds like she uses him to say she has a friend.
I think the book could have been better edited. The showdowns she had with various people were extremely anticlimactic. The blow up with Natalie was silly because her racism came out of nowhere. We were largely told she was bad vibes but didn’t get to see it until then. Likewise with the best friend not best friend. We were told she was a user but didn’t see any examples of it. A lot of this beef seemed one sided, all these friendships and opps and it felt like she was playing victim rather than actually being a victim. Her character wasn’t fleshed out well at all.
Honestly reads like an unedited first draft.
Despite the fact she needed to be sent away, not a therapist, I think this could have been a better Queenie if it was done before Queenie. Probably would make a better TV series too because the content is there. I’d still watch if it was picked up for a show, but as a book? Unfortunately, it feels like a really dated release.
June 2, 2025
I’m sorry, this was just so bad! The storyline itself was great, I truly believe it would be a phenomenal TV series. But as others have said, it seemed like an unfinished/first draft. It needed heavy editing, I love Stephanie and I feel like her publishing team really let her down.
April 29, 2025
I'll give this book props for compelling me to even write a review because I never do. But I just have so many thoughts so here goes.
Man, what a FRUSTRATING protagonist. I do think it's refreshing to read a romance with a female lead who's quite flawed and not strictly likeable all the time. I initially was going to give this book four stars just based on the entertainment value, but coming down to the end, Tems started to irritate me too much for that to be possible.
I can't stand a mfer who can't give in when the jig is up! OMG GIRL. Just tell the TRUTH 😭. Goodness GRACIOUS. I'm so sorry, but she pushed beyond the limits of my sympathy when she got to Cali and was meeting this man in person as herself and STILL wouldn't come clean. Then she has dinner with him, and he CLEARLY knows and she STILL tries to keep lying. Made me wanna throw my phone.
I understood Tems as a fellow fat black girl, but she just took it too far. And she kept talking about how confident she was the whole book and I was just like clearly NOT with how far she's taken this catfish thing. Which, in all fairness, she does acknowledge that she wasn't as confident as she pretended to be near the end.
I also just was never fully on board with the romance like I wanted to be. I feel like all their interactions came across very flatly. Beyond his good looks, I couldn't see what was so interesting or enticing about Reuben.
There was also that whole thing with the roommate being racist that kinda came out of nowhere to me. I low key thought Tems was kinda mean at certain points in the book, and the racism felt like it just got shoved in there to justify her meanness even though things didn't seem that way before.
Lastly, a lot of the writing in here sounds like someone who is very Online, which can be a bit cringe at times. I just mean that there are a lot of jokes and turns of phrase that you would come across on Twitter, and it started to feel like okay, I've read this African parent insult online before.
Overall, I don't think it's a terrible book, but the protagonist made it harder to root for her at times, which isn't ideal for a rom com. I do think it was quite an entertaining read though.
Man, what a FRUSTRATING protagonist. I do think it's refreshing to read a romance with a female lead who's quite flawed and not strictly likeable all the time. I initially was going to give this book four stars just based on the entertainment value, but coming down to the end, Tems started to irritate me too much for that to be possible.
I can't stand a mfer who can't give in when the jig is up! OMG GIRL. Just tell the TRUTH 😭. Goodness GRACIOUS. I'm so sorry, but she pushed beyond the limits of my sympathy when she got to Cali and was meeting this man in person as herself and STILL wouldn't come clean. Then she has dinner with him, and he CLEARLY knows and she STILL tries to keep lying. Made me wanna throw my phone.
I understood Tems as a fellow fat black girl, but she just took it too far. And she kept talking about how confident she was the whole book and I was just like clearly NOT with how far she's taken this catfish thing. Which, in all fairness, she does acknowledge that she wasn't as confident as she pretended to be near the end.
I also just was never fully on board with the romance like I wanted to be. I feel like all their interactions came across very flatly. Beyond his good looks, I couldn't see what was so interesting or enticing about Reuben.
There was also that whole thing with the roommate being racist that kinda came out of nowhere to me. I low key thought Tems was kinda mean at certain points in the book, and the racism felt like it just got shoved in there to justify her meanness even though things didn't seem that way before.
Lastly, a lot of the writing in here sounds like someone who is very Online, which can be a bit cringe at times. I just mean that there are a lot of jokes and turns of phrase that you would come across on Twitter, and it started to feel like okay, I've read this African parent insult online before.
Overall, I don't think it's a terrible book, but the protagonist made it harder to root for her at times, which isn't ideal for a rom com. I do think it was quite an entertaining read though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2025
I wanted to love this one, but it just wasn’t my kind of read.
This book was laced with insecurity. I know there are readers who will relate to Artemis’s story and I agree these kinds of stories need to be told , but for me, it didn’t land. Artemis never actually felt confident, no matter how much the book tried to present her that way. The more I read, the more unlikeable she became.
The fallouts with her roommate and best friend lacked depth, and the romance with Reuben felt surface-level at best. Their conversations had no spark, and the relationship itself felt rushed. I also really disliked the ending. As someone who’s watched way too many episodes of Catfish, I just couldn’t buy into the “and then we lived happily ever after” vibe - it felt unrealistic and gave me Wattpad energy.
On the plus side, it was a quick read and I actually think it could work better as a TV show. It reminded me a lot of Queenie, which I also didn’t enjoy - though in that case, I thought the TV adaptation worked much better than the book.
This book was laced with insecurity. I know there are readers who will relate to Artemis’s story and I agree these kinds of stories need to be told , but for me, it didn’t land. Artemis never actually felt confident, no matter how much the book tried to present her that way. The more I read, the more unlikeable she became.
The fallouts with her roommate and best friend lacked depth, and the romance with Reuben felt surface-level at best. Their conversations had no spark, and the relationship itself felt rushed. I also really disliked the ending. As someone who’s watched way too many episodes of Catfish, I just couldn’t buy into the “and then we lived happily ever after” vibe - it felt unrealistic and gave me Wattpad energy.
On the plus side, it was a quick read and I actually think it could work better as a TV show. It reminded me a lot of Queenie, which I also didn’t enjoy - though in that case, I thought the TV adaptation worked much better than the book.
June 28, 2025
“This whole situation was messy, but admittedly, a part of me couldn’t help but feel a bit of a thrill in what I was doing.”
Never has a book title been SO fitting..
Tems is an aspiring plantfluencer and tech guy Reuben who lives across the pond slides into her DMs just chatting about plants but soon they both realise how much they get along until he asks for a pic.. & Tems decides to catfish him.. from this point delusions begin.
She was so chaotic and delusional, some of her choices were extremely questionable!! I could not cope with her 🙄🙄🙄 I nearly had to DNF because of her. As a protagonist she was so frustrating and took it too far, like girl you’re 30!
& the ending?! How!
I liked how it delved into issues of fat phobia and self esteem.
Never has a book title been SO fitting..
Tems is an aspiring plantfluencer and tech guy Reuben who lives across the pond slides into her DMs just chatting about plants but soon they both realise how much they get along until he asks for a pic.. & Tems decides to catfish him.. from this point delusions begin.
She was so chaotic and delusional, some of her choices were extremely questionable!! I could not cope with her 🙄🙄🙄 I nearly had to DNF because of her. As a protagonist she was so frustrating and took it too far, like girl you’re 30!
& the ending?! How!
I liked how it delved into issues of fat phobia and self esteem.
January 17, 2026
Chaotic Energy is a contemporary romance that explores modern dating, self-image, and vulnerability in the age of social media. Stephanie Yeboah presents a character-driven story that prioritizes emotional realism over idealized romance, which will resonate strongly with some readers while challenging others.
The novel follows Artemis “Temz” Owusu, a successful marketing professional and plant influencer whose outward confidence contrasts with deep insecurities around love and desirability. When a long-distance connection begins through social media, one impulsive decision complicates the relationship and forces Temz to confront her fears around honesty, visibility, and self-worth.
Temz is intentionally flawed, and her behavior reflects the novel’s themes of self-sabotage and fear-driven decision-making. However, the middle portion of the book leans heavily into her internal conflict, and similar emotional beats are revisited multiple times. While realistic, this repetition slows the pacing and may frustrate readers who prefer clearer forward momentum.
Additionally, the story focuses so strongly on Temz’s inner world that some secondary characters and external plot elements feel underdeveloped. Greater exploration of these relationships may have helped balance the introspective tone and added narrative depth.
The dialogue feels natural, and the commentary on online intimacy and identity is relevant and thoughtfully handled. Readers expecting a light or escapist rom-com should be aware that the tone is more emotionally dense and introspective, emphasizing personal growth over romantic fantasy.
Overall, Chaotic Energy offers meaningful insight into modern relationships and self-perception, but its pacing and heavy internal focus may not work for every reader. It is best suited for those who appreciate character studies and emotionally grounded contemporary fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
The novel follows Artemis “Temz” Owusu, a successful marketing professional and plant influencer whose outward confidence contrasts with deep insecurities around love and desirability. When a long-distance connection begins through social media, one impulsive decision complicates the relationship and forces Temz to confront her fears around honesty, visibility, and self-worth.
Temz is intentionally flawed, and her behavior reflects the novel’s themes of self-sabotage and fear-driven decision-making. However, the middle portion of the book leans heavily into her internal conflict, and similar emotional beats are revisited multiple times. While realistic, this repetition slows the pacing and may frustrate readers who prefer clearer forward momentum.
Additionally, the story focuses so strongly on Temz’s inner world that some secondary characters and external plot elements feel underdeveloped. Greater exploration of these relationships may have helped balance the introspective tone and added narrative depth.
The dialogue feels natural, and the commentary on online intimacy and identity is relevant and thoughtfully handled. Readers expecting a light or escapist rom-com should be aware that the tone is more emotionally dense and introspective, emphasizing personal growth over romantic fantasy.
Overall, Chaotic Energy offers meaningful insight into modern relationships and self-perception, but its pacing and heavy internal focus may not work for every reader. It is best suited for those who appreciate character studies and emotionally grounded contemporary fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2026
Let's get this straight: this isn't a love story. I'm being serious about that. Chaotic energy follows the story of Temz, who met a cute-as-hell fine boy on her plants page (@SayAloetoMe). They begin chatting and connected really quick – too quick, actually. And then Temz does something she never meant to do... she catfished him!
I went into this story thinking it was a romance, but I was bit let down because there's no romance going on in this book at all. So, don't raise your hopes. What I did love was the plus-size representation, though! And, aside from that one big slip-up, Temz is actually a great character – a boss babe, a fine babe, a sexy babe, and she knows it. Which is why I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she chose to hide.
Some characters felt unnecessary (yes, I'm looking at you, Anthony!). What worked for me was the book's take on fatphobia, fat fetishism, healthy friendships, and work-life balance. The book was chaotic, but it was an okay read for me. Thank you for the e-ARC.
I went into this story thinking it was a romance, but I was bit let down because there's no romance going on in this book at all. So, don't raise your hopes. What I did love was the plus-size representation, though! And, aside from that one big slip-up, Temz is actually a great character – a boss babe, a fine babe, a sexy babe, and she knows it. Which is why I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she chose to hide.
Some characters felt unnecessary (yes, I'm looking at you, Anthony!). What worked for me was the book's take on fatphobia, fat fetishism, healthy friendships, and work-life balance. The book was chaotic, but it was an okay read for me. Thank you for the e-ARC.
July 10, 2025
Chaotic Energy follows the life of Artemis ‘Temz’ Owusu who is thriving in her marketing career and side hustle as a plantfluencer. She uses her Instagram to share her love for plants and giving out advices to other plant lovers.
Temz is a plus-sized woman who has been battling with insecurities and finding the right guy.
It was a huge surprise to her when a handsome tech entrepreneur (Ruben) slides into her DMs looking for plant care advice. These two got to know each other and formed a long distance relationship. It started cute until it wasn’t.
When Ruben asked Temz for pictures of herself, she sent him a picture of someone else. That was disappointing. I honestly didn’t like how she kept leading this man on.
The author missed a big chance of telling a story of a black woman finding love regardless of how she looked and viewed herself.
I appreciate that the book was fast paced. I couldn’t just DNF it without getting to the last page. I’m so disappointed that there was nothing romantic and funny about it.
Temz is a plus-sized woman who has been battling with insecurities and finding the right guy.
It was a huge surprise to her when a handsome tech entrepreneur (Ruben) slides into her DMs looking for plant care advice. These two got to know each other and formed a long distance relationship. It started cute until it wasn’t.
When Ruben asked Temz for pictures of herself, she sent him a picture of someone else. That was disappointing. I honestly didn’t like how she kept leading this man on.
The author missed a big chance of telling a story of a black woman finding love regardless of how she looked and viewed herself.
I appreciate that the book was fast paced. I couldn’t just DNF it without getting to the last page. I’m so disappointed that there was nothing romantic and funny about it.
August 12, 2025
Although my rating is not the highest (3.5), I actually do not think this was a bad read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was so entertaining and even funny at times, the perfect summer or holiday read. It is nothing serious but that's not a requirement for a good book. I cannot wait to discover another book that entertains me in-between the serious/traumatic books I usually read.
January 14, 2025
This is a great example of how really bad people justify things to themselves, but unfortunately it's not self aware enough to address that. I could say a lot about this book but none of it is nice, so I'll leave my 1 star and be glad it's over.
May 29, 2025
Wanted to enjoy this more and liked the idea but it was just so badly written
July 25, 2025
Really thought this book would be for me based on the plot but struggled to complete it.
September 24, 2025
this fuckass book looooool. everyone was insane. nobody was a good person! it was mess from beginning to end but i did enjoy it
February 2, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was one of those books that kept me reading while also frustrating me, which is why it ultimately lands at three stars.
I appreciated the themes around body image, insecurity, online personas, and modern dating. Tems is a flawed protagonist, and while I didn’t always agree with her choices, I welcomed the complexity and realism of her character.
That said, the catfishing storyline went on longer than I could fully connect with. While her fear was understandable, the continued deception eventually made it difficult for me to empathize with her decisions. The romance also lacked some emotional depth for me, which made the resolution feel a bit rushed.
Still, the writing was engaging and the story sparked meaningful reflection, even when I didn’t agree with the direction it took. Overall, a thought-provoking but uneven read that will likely resonate with readers who enjoy messy characters and complicated emotional journeys.
This was one of those books that kept me reading while also frustrating me, which is why it ultimately lands at three stars.
I appreciated the themes around body image, insecurity, online personas, and modern dating. Tems is a flawed protagonist, and while I didn’t always agree with her choices, I welcomed the complexity and realism of her character.
That said, the catfishing storyline went on longer than I could fully connect with. While her fear was understandable, the continued deception eventually made it difficult for me to empathize with her decisions. The romance also lacked some emotional depth for me, which made the resolution feel a bit rushed.
Still, the writing was engaging and the story sparked meaningful reflection, even when I didn’t agree with the direction it took. Overall, a thought-provoking but uneven read that will likely resonate with readers who enjoy messy characters and complicated emotional journeys.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2026
There's a lot about the premise that seemed irresistible to me, but the book unfortunately becomes too overwhelmed by an overabundance of elements lose sight of its most compelling element. I loved Artemis's energy and her strong inner voice, as well as her lingering struggle with self-confidence. However, the plot diverts for so many other characters and storylines — Artemis' day job and coworkers, her roommate, her fair-weather friend, her side-hustle as a plantfluencer — that by the time the book needs Artemis to confess her deception to Ruben, there's less room for them to work their way up to an HEA that ultimately feels satisfying and well-earned. Trimming some of the side features might have resulted in this one being tighter, but overall, it was a little too overwhelmed by its chaos, so to speak.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2026
This is the second book I have read from this author (and her first go at fiction!), and I enjoyed this, so much. Having followed her for years on social media, the autobiographical bits were fun to identify as I read! I could hear her voice as the character of Artemis, truly. Artemis is a girl on the way up: killing it at her job, living the life, so to speak. But who can blame her for wanting a little romance? And maybe…fibbing just a little, when the perfect guy appears? This story is both very human, as Temz navigates not feeling like enough as she is and wanting to appear desirable, and it is a criticism of a culture that limits what is perceived as beautiful and sexually appealing. It’s heartbreaking as much as it’s a fun romp. I also learned that I have a very limited grasp of British slang (though this does not impede one’s ability to enjoy the story).
February 21, 2026
This story was about Temz’s inner world. The author explored relationships about a plus-sized woman who has been battling with her insecurities and finding the right guy.
Chaotic Energy was an okay book, the author missed a lot with this one. She didn't really tell the story about how being a black plus sized woman who finds love. I struggled getting through this one. There was no romance at all in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Chaotic Energy was an okay book, the author missed a lot with this one. She didn't really tell the story about how being a black plus sized woman who finds love. I struggled getting through this one. There was no romance at all in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 21, 2025
So, first things first - I love Stephanie Yeboah, as a content creator and as an activist. A very admirable woman. Her writing a fiction book with a Black plus sized MC was something really refreshing and the way she describes Artemis was beautiful and made me feel so loved as a black woman myself.
Plus, the audiobook was great and the narrator was fantastic!
However, reading the storyline itself was something that left me umm’ing and hmm’ing as some of the plot lines within the storyline lacked backstory or resolve.
I understand that not every storyline needs to be resolved or explained - I know, but some seemingly important things felt a bit “pulled out of the blue” or “forgotten”, like: Aneni & Nathalie’s behaviour towards the end of the story (pulled out of the blue), Anthony in general (forgotten), but also the instant forgiveness of Temz from Ruben.
I love a happy ending but Temz doing all that and still getting the guy in the end is WILD. Call me a cynic but that made me finish the book with a bit of a scowl. I would’ve loved Temz to come out of it with a new outlook on how she moves forward but instead we pulled her back to the same guy who’s interest resulted her in starting this whole “chaotic” debacle.
She ended her relationship with Ruben, which was a big loss but she still came out of it with so many wins, she had true friends around her, a great new career, a listening mother, a new therapeutic outlook and a new home - I felt so emotional before the last couple chapters, as it felt like after all that, Temz was healing and still has love around her from her friends/family and from herself , which felt perfect.
But then…. her and Rubes getting back together just felt… unnecessary. Sweet, lovely and “good for you Artemis”… but unnecessary. Anyone else?
Plus, the audiobook was great and the narrator was fantastic!
However, reading the storyline itself was something that left me umm’ing and hmm’ing as some of the plot lines within the storyline lacked backstory or resolve.
I understand that not every storyline needs to be resolved or explained - I know, but some seemingly important things felt a bit “pulled out of the blue” or “forgotten”, like: Aneni & Nathalie’s behaviour towards the end of the story (pulled out of the blue), Anthony in general (forgotten), but also the instant forgiveness of Temz from Ruben.
I love a happy ending but Temz doing all that and still getting the guy in the end is WILD. Call me a cynic but that made me finish the book with a bit of a scowl. I would’ve loved Temz to come out of it with a new outlook on how she moves forward but instead we pulled her back to the same guy who’s interest resulted her in starting this whole “chaotic” debacle.
She ended her relationship with Ruben, which was a big loss but she still came out of it with so many wins, she had true friends around her, a great new career, a listening mother, a new therapeutic outlook and a new home - I felt so emotional before the last couple chapters, as it felt like after all that, Temz was healing and still has love around her from her friends/family and from herself , which felt perfect.
But then…. her and Rubes getting back together just felt… unnecessary. Sweet, lovely and “good for you Artemis”… but unnecessary. Anyone else?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2025
We follow Tems, a plus-size babe who’s killing it both in her career and as a plantfluencer. She’s confident in some areas but still navigating insecurity, especially when it comes to love. So when an American tech guy slides into her DMs after seeing her plant page on Instagram, things get off to a great start. But when he asks for a photo, she sends him a picture of someone else and that’s when the mess and chaos begins.
What I liked:
- I actually enjoyed the mess to a point…it gave Catfish the TV show vibes, and if you’ve watched that show, you already know it’s frustrating but addictive.
- The writing kept me intrigued. No matter how mad I was getting at the characters, I needed to know how it would all play out.
- I liked how it touched on real things like body image, insecurity, and how much pressure there is to present a perfect version of yourself online.
- Tems and Jean’s friendship was a highlight, he kept it so real with her and had her back throughout!
What I didn’t like:
- Tems honestly annoyed me. She was so naive. I could understand her insecurities, but some of her choices didn’t make sense and just felt unnecessary.
- The whole situation went on for way too long. In this age of technology, it felt way too far fetched. Like come on!
- That ending? Sorry but… what was that? I never expected it.
This book had its frustrating moments, but I can’t lie, it did keep me wanting to know how things will end. If you enjoy chaos, drama, and characters making foolish decisions you don’t agree with, you might enjoy this one.
What I liked:
- I actually enjoyed the mess to a point…it gave Catfish the TV show vibes, and if you’ve watched that show, you already know it’s frustrating but addictive.
- The writing kept me intrigued. No matter how mad I was getting at the characters, I needed to know how it would all play out.
- I liked how it touched on real things like body image, insecurity, and how much pressure there is to present a perfect version of yourself online.
- Tems and Jean’s friendship was a highlight, he kept it so real with her and had her back throughout!
What I didn’t like:
- Tems honestly annoyed me. She was so naive. I could understand her insecurities, but some of her choices didn’t make sense and just felt unnecessary.
- The whole situation went on for way too long. In this age of technology, it felt way too far fetched. Like come on!
- That ending? Sorry but… what was that? I never expected it.
This book had its frustrating moments, but I can’t lie, it did keep me wanting to know how things will end. If you enjoy chaos, drama, and characters making foolish decisions you don’t agree with, you might enjoy this one.
April 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. For a debut fiction, I thought it was fun and chaotic throughout. Look, Artemis isn't the most likeable character, but it was something I actually appreciated to be honest, as romcoms aren't generally a genre that depicts reality. I don't want my main characters to be 100% perfect and likeable all the time and despite her flaws, I was still rooting for her.
I think having the 1st person narrative be the one of the catfish instead of the victim was such an interesting and brave choice, putting us in the mind of a person normally considered to be the 'villain' in those kinds of scenarios. I don't think there's ever been a book based on someone being a catfish and hearing it from their POV so I commend the author for doing that.
Absolutely loved Jean. Aneni can go to hell. I was giggling my way through the book - i thought it was a light, fun read! I can see this as a TV show too, which is cool.
I do think the reviews above are a little bit overly harsh though - this isn't War & Peace, nor is it meant to be. It's not the worst first fiction book in the world. Give the author a bit of grace. Sheesh.
I think having the 1st person narrative be the one of the catfish instead of the victim was such an interesting and brave choice, putting us in the mind of a person normally considered to be the 'villain' in those kinds of scenarios. I don't think there's ever been a book based on someone being a catfish and hearing it from their POV so I commend the author for doing that.
Absolutely loved Jean. Aneni can go to hell. I was giggling my way through the book - i thought it was a light, fun read! I can see this as a TV show too, which is cool.
I do think the reviews above are a little bit overly harsh though - this isn't War & Peace, nor is it meant to be. It's not the worst first fiction book in the world. Give the author a bit of grace. Sheesh.
July 25, 2025
This being labelled as a rom-com is highly misleading because, to me, it was not a rom-com at all 😅. If you’ve read it, let’s discuss because maybe I’m missing something?
What initially drew me in was the gorgeous cover and the idea of a fun, chaotic romance. But honestly? This book just wasn’t for me. Tems was wilding from start to finish, doing the most unhinged things, and I spent most of the book feeling like, yeah… what on earth is going on?
Without saying too much, the ending was very unrealistic it would never happen in real life, and none of it would play out the way it did. There was also just so much going on, but not enough depth where it mattered. Like I was intrigued about the whole roommate situation, but it went nowhere.
Yeah… this book just wasn’t it for me. Respectfully, this was a 2.5⭐ rounded up to 3⭐.
What initially drew me in was the gorgeous cover and the idea of a fun, chaotic romance. But honestly? This book just wasn’t for me. Tems was wilding from start to finish, doing the most unhinged things, and I spent most of the book feeling like, yeah… what on earth is going on?
Without saying too much, the ending was very unrealistic it would never happen in real life, and none of it would play out the way it did. There was also just so much going on, but not enough depth where it mattered. Like I was intrigued about the whole roommate situation, but it went nowhere.
Yeah… this book just wasn’t it for me. Respectfully, this was a 2.5⭐ rounded up to 3⭐.
September 2, 2025
To quote Kandi from RHOA 'The lies! The lies! The lies!'
Books like this give me so much anxiety when the mc is lying because I'm waiting for the other foot to drop and it to all come crashing down. Especially when Artemis was making plans to stop the catfishing and talk to Ruben as herself, but her voice being the same didn't even come up as a potential issue until near the very end. It should have been an immediate wake up call to the delusion. Girl!!
I found the book a bit slow to get in to, but I'd attribute that more to me not being a massive fan of romance novels. I did actually enjoy this despite how anxiety inducing it was to read. I really liked Jean as a character and although Artemis was incredibly flawed given the whole constant lying/omitting, I liked her as a character too.
I agree with other reviews that this would probably go down very well as a tv series
Books like this give me so much anxiety when the mc is lying because I'm waiting for the other foot to drop and it to all come crashing down. Especially when Artemis was making plans to stop the catfishing and talk to Ruben as herself, but her voice being the same didn't even come up as a potential issue until near the very end. It should have been an immediate wake up call to the delusion. Girl!!
I found the book a bit slow to get in to, but I'd attribute that more to me not being a massive fan of romance novels. I did actually enjoy this despite how anxiety inducing it was to read. I really liked Jean as a character and although Artemis was incredibly flawed given the whole constant lying/omitting, I liked her as a character too.
I agree with other reviews that this would probably go down very well as a tv series
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2025
Chaotic Energy had its moments, but it didn’t fully meet my expectations. Stephanie’s honesty and vulnerability were inspiring, and I connected with her reflections on self-acceptance and growth.
However, the flow felt uneven, with some sections repeating ideas or lacking depth. The conversational tone was engaging at first but sometimes felt too informal, which lessened the impact of key messages.
While there’s a lot of heart in this book, it didn’t leave a strong impression on me. It’s worth a try for those seeking an honest take on life’s chaos, but it might not resonate with everyone.
However, the flow felt uneven, with some sections repeating ideas or lacking depth. The conversational tone was engaging at first but sometimes felt too informal, which lessened the impact of key messages.
While there’s a lot of heart in this book, it didn’t leave a strong impression on me. It’s worth a try for those seeking an honest take on life’s chaos, but it might not resonate with everyone.
August 5, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. Maybe because I see so much of myself in her. Sure, she was unhinged at times, making decisions that made me want to run away and hide lol, I could relate to her experience as a dark skinned fat black woman. I don’t know man I just GOT her you know, even during her cringey moments I felt like screaming at, whilst simultaneously screaming at me. I’d actually love to see more of her and Ruben’s romance… otherwise contrary to a lot of these ratings I would give it a five star review! x
August 25, 2025
really enjoyed this!!! I’ve followed Stephanie for some time so was delighted to see when this came up in the kindle sales - it was so refreshing to have an FMC who was plus size and diverse. I loved the romance but genuinely found myself really rooting for Artemis and her job 🤣 so invested in whether she was going to get the new clients
May 22, 2025
LOVED it
Haven’t finished a book this quickly for years. So funny, infuriating and heartbreaking, all at the same time! I never read books like this but have been literally kicking my feet and giggling the whole time. I need more Artemis!!
Haven’t finished a book this quickly for years. So funny, infuriating and heartbreaking, all at the same time! I never read books like this but have been literally kicking my feet and giggling the whole time. I need more Artemis!!
April 18, 2025
loved the unique plot and humour. many complicated feelings about the mc which made me want to keep reading more. perfect summer novel!
April 27, 2025
I love a romcom with a messy main character and this certainly delivered. Funny and fabulous summer read
July 15, 2025
Round up to 2.5. Wanted to like this so much more than I did, the premise is fab, but felt it needed editing down.
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