When they say to keep your enemies close, I don’t think they mean ten feet down the hall.
After experiencing the bliss of being away at college, I’d rather hide in the dorm room air ducts than go back to my hometown for the summer. Sadly, that isn’t an option (Seriously, I tried. The vents aren’t wide enough). I have no other choice. I have to return to Ravenswood—and the torment I’ve been trying to forget.
Jason “Jase” Rivers was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever met—charming, clever, and nothing like the rough-and-tumble hockey goon everyone in high school warned me about. Until he turned out to be exactly that—and worse. He humiliated me so badly I eventually changed my last name to escape my reputation after moving away. So when I hook up with a sexy stranger on my first night back in town, I’m horrified to realize a little too late that he’s not as much of a stranger as I thought. When Jase exited my life three years ago (hopefully to be launched into space or lost at sea), I thought I’d never have to see him again, but guess who’s also back in Ravenswood? Yep. My living nightmare. And just when I think it can’t get worse… I learn he’s staying at my family’s house. All. Summer. Long.
They say time heals everything, but the letter I never sent him is just as true today as it was back then.
LILA EVERS is the pen name of romantasy/paranormal romance author Victoria Evers, writing New Adult contemporary romance with tattooed golden retriever men who will do anything for their women. Expect grand gestures, groveling, and green flags galore. When she's not writing (and hiding from society), you will likely find her at the local bookstore with her significant other who continues to indulge her reading addiction.
I just so happened to have finished this ARC on the very day it's released, so this post is a twofer! @lilaeversauthor, thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
Oh. My. God. Insincerely Yours is the emotional rollercoaster I didn’t know I signed up for,and I loved every single loop, drop, and scream-along-the-way moment.
Lila Evers has delivered a beautiful heart-achingly real story of love, loss, and growth. The characters? Unapologetically flawed and utterly magnetic. The chemistry? Off the charts, like slow-burn fireworks with an emotional gut-punch. And the writing? Equal parts witty, gutting, and so achingly honest it felt like reading someone’s raw, unfiltered diary—with better grammar.
This book made me laugh, cry, and seeth with rage. I loved the slow unraveling of secrets, the second-chance vibes, and that perfectly imperfect journey to forgiveness. It’s got heart, spice, and a whole lot of soul.
P.s. It's been so long since I've loathed a character more than I did blythe. Or Sienna. Or Trent.
This book blew me away! I went into it with no expectations as an ARC reader but LOVED the tropes so was crossing my fingers and it did not disappoint!! Also, the emotional ride I went on throughout this book…
I absolutely devoured it and did not want to put it down! It caught me from the get go, the tension was high and the banter was great! I was so proud of the FMC for standing up for herself and not just with our MC but with her family as well! They never thought they would see the day that she put them allll in their place!!!
There are some sensitive topics so be mindful of the CW/TWs!
I really enjoyed this book! I got it as an ARC and was kind of expecting a fairly lighthearted, typical enemies to lovers, but oh my gosh it was so much more than that! Ali was so resilient in the face of *everything*, Jase was dreamy and flawed, and Reed may have been my favorite of all! He reminded me of the best kind of restaurant coworker. I did find some of the chapters a little long, but that's not necessarily bad, just made it harder to find a spot to pause. Overall, absolutely worth a read and I'll definitely check out any further titles in the series!
First off, thank you to Lila Evers for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review! I happened to finish on publication day, so happy reading to all of you who get to follow our sweet Ali and Jase.
This book was all about finding ones worth, and second chance at love. I love Jase's character development, talk about a heart throb. SWOON. Anyone a fan of "who did this to you/touch her and die" will enjoy this, without the die part but definite protective vibes. I was all for it. The tension was so good, and Jase's utter devotion to her, even years later, ugh I loved him. I loved their story, outside of the influence of the Untouchables.
A lot of this book is very dark. It has a lot of abuse in all forms, and attempted SA, and actual SA. I highly suggest reading the trigger warnings of this book, as I did not consider this a contemporary romance at all. I did not get enemies to lovers in this, as they never were enemies to begin with, but a soured love given a second chance. Due to the darkness, this was a solid two star reading for me; however there were parts of the story that kept me glued and I just knew I had to finish it. Please, if you have kids, raise them to be kind to everyone. The bullying in this book was the worst I've ever read, and couldn't fathom happening, but I'm sure it does.
I loved that we got some justice and vengeance for Ali, and honestly for Jase and all of Trent's victims. (Except Vanessa; I have a little sister and I could NEVER treat her the way Vanessa treated Ali. EVER. Team Derek being the best brother ever). The story goes between future and past, and you don't get to the why until about 80% through; that made the ending feel a smidge rushed. We DO get an epilogue, and who doesn't love some closure?! I do wish that Blythe got worse than what happened, because I've never in my life felt my stomach twist at the way she treated Ali. She makes Lady Tremaine look like a saint towards Cinderella.
Overall, a solid 3/5 read, the justice and epilogue really brought it all together. I appreciate that I got to read this early :)
It’s my fault for not liking this cause I gave myself high expectations cause the author describes it as “boys of of tommen meets the summer I turned pretty” but this book wasn’t even close to being as iconic as BOT! I’m gonna keep this shirt cause I already forgot what happened in this book!
First off this book is described as a groveling book that’s what pulled me in cause I love a good grovel, the teasers I’ve seen even say he came back to town to grovel for her back but that’s not even the case! He came back cause his sister was getting married not to mention the groveling, if you can call it that does not start until the last 20% yea. I’m not exaggerating. Also in my opinion his “groveling” did not make up for what he did to her in high school, it was so bad she had to change her name HER NAME! the only plus was she wasn’t celibate during their separation!
2nd this really should’ve been dual POV! It’s hard to buy that he never got over her when all we get is his word for it and not what he was actually thinking
And last cause I really can’t remember anything else I hated how the author handled Wes. He wasn’t just a crush and potential love interest he was a genuine friend of hers and they never even reconcile
Also this really felt more like a HFN than a HEA cause we really don’t know what happened with them down the line, we know they’re dating for a couple months and he’s moving to Boston to be with her cause he “doesn’t wanna lose her again” but the ending is just him asking “will you fall with me?” We don’t even have her answer, obviously she says yes but cmon like give me a little something extra I might not have loved their relationship but I’d like to be at least semi satisfied
Anyway that’s all I gotta say, im not gonna say don’t read this cause everyone has different taste but yea this was not for me
Guys. GUYSSS. I don't even know what to say.🥹. Not even a minute ago i finished reading the book and, 😭😭😭I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. The chemistry. The plot. The twists. The EMOTIONS😭. It has been so long since i actually FELT and RELATED with a character like this. Alexandria is just such perfect amount of badass but also shy introvert kind of girl. Mostly she is a badass tho.😍 And don't even get me started on how she stands up for herself even after knowing that those people will just torment her more. This was not stupidity. This in particular is what i call bravery. 💯
And Jase? Sir? You really made me hate you for few chapters there and then yiu made me fall for you like 'birdie' and then you broke my heart into pieces like you did to her and then you AGAIN made me fall for you. Like.. i can't even explain in enough words and i don't want to spoil anything yet. But the way i was sobbing and questioning "WHY JASE WHY". Trying to come up with any justification but. But damn the CHEMISTRY between the characters had me blushing giggling when they even touched hands like🥹🫠.
It's probably my opinion but there wasn't THAT much spice in it but at it doesn't mean it didn't make you feel. hot. or didn't make you feel the growing tension between the characters it was really good . 🔥🌶️🌶️
I think this is all i can say without spoiling too much. And the fact this was my time reading a story from Lila 😭. I'm definitely reading more of her stories now. because OH MY GOD just amazing 🤩
Something was wrong with the balance of this story.. her evil family, evil students, and evil mmc versus the fmc! Then the evil mmc is supposedly becoming the hero who saved her, while he never got any consequences nor did he grovel properly for the horrible things he’d done to her. Nope. This book was annoying and the blurb was basically a trap.
Um I’m not even entirely certain where I should begin?
I guess I’ll start by saying how grateful I am to be a part of this ARC community!
I went into this book with zero expectations, as you should when receiving an ARC, however nothing could have prepared me for how much I ended up loving this. I stayed up way past my bed time trying to cram in more chapters and spent my entire day at work wishing I was home, back in Ravenswood, gobbling up this story.
This book touches on some heavy subjects, but it does so in a way that has you just absolutely rooting for the main characters from the jump.
I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get this book out of my head. From the incredible on-page chemistry, to the absolute wicked turn of events, to the tears I spilled towards the end, I’m not sure I’ve ever been left feeling this way about a romance. Like I could easily read another book’s worth of Ali and Jase’s story. I don’t want it to be over.
For those wondering, the spice is minimal, but in such a delicious way because the tension runs incredibly high throughout the book.
Lila…girl whatever you just did to me, I’m not mad. This story was incredibly well handled 👏🏼
I was lucky enough to get an ARC and I'm so glad I did 🙏
A brand new Must-Read in Contemporary Romance!!
Enemies to Lovers ✅️ Slow Burn ✅️ Second chance ✅️ Forced proximity ✅️ Grumpy x Sunshine ✅️ Swoon-worthy MMC ✅️
This book completely wrecked me....... in the most beautiful way. I was hooked from the very first page. The use of heartfelt correspondence between the characters added a raw intimacy that pulled me in and never let go. Every letter was laced with longing, regret, hope, and ultimately, love.
The main character’s emotional growth was so beautifully written, and her fight to find herself again was so inspiring. This story explores grief, betrayal, and healing with such authenticity, that it felt like therapy wrapped in poetic prose.
Lila didn't just write a romance, she wrote an experience ✨️✨️ Insincerely Yours is the kind of book that leaves a permanent mark! It broke my heart and gently stitched it back together, one letter at a time. 💔❤️
If you love stories with soul-deep vulnerability and characters who feel achingly real, this book will speak to your heart.
Don't walk, RUN, to read this book!! (Release date June 17)
But I hated it. It was nonstop bullying from literally EVERYONE! Then at the end she finds out he TEXTED her and everything’s just good between them? Wth? Then nothing done to her step mom or sister? Gosh this book was so long and 99% was purely just bullying
this book keeps you on your toes and keeps you wanting more. I literally read this in a 12-hour period. It's all I could think about, and I still can't get over it. The greed, corruption, abuse, and jealousy made me mad, sad, nervous, and more. Ali and Jases' chemisitry was undeniable from the beginning, and the tension was off the walls. The spice level was about a 3 out of 5, and when it did happen... it was 🔥Lila Evers delivered. This ARC was amazing, and I can't wait for another book from her. She wrote beautifully, and I am so excited for her. I hope everyone else loves it just as much as I did.
1 ⭐️ This book stressed me the fk out! It was just jumpy and all over the place. Not to mention just a whole lot of girl, just get the fuck OUT of the house and the situation. Get a job, work your own way through life and stay away from the traumatic family. Also the whole high school bully thing...WHY are high school people an issue for an adult? Just gooooooo. Just a juvenile plot and read with more stress than romance. I DNF about 50%. Pros: kudos to the writer for having the cojones to write & publish. 🌶️ 1.5 😈 4 🌟1 -too all over the place and stressful
"Dear Birdie, Don't you f*cking dare let anyone make you feel less than. You're perfect in every way that matters. -J"
Insincerely Yours was basically an epic love story that moved between the past and the present. I was hooked from the first chapter, and hugely invested in the unravelling of all the secrets, and also the relationship between Ali AKA Birdie and Jase.
"Every last good thing in my life begins and ends with you, Birdie."
Ali's unbelievable strength was extraordinary in the face of everything she had to deal with. I don't know how she coped with even half of what was thrown at her. She had a few stalwart people in her life who believed her and in her, but otherwise, she soldiered on and grabbed whatever little bit of happiness she could. When Jase comes back into her life, she doesn't want anything to do with him but there is no denying the attraction and deeper feelings she still has for him. And, Jase? OMG! That guy! Seriously, nothing is this story is really what you think it is, and he is definitely one of them. He has a secret agenda all of his own, but the way he was with Ali made my heart beat faster. By the end of the story when everything is revealed, I was a puddle of swoon!
My words feel completely inadequately in expressing just how much I loved this story, but I can't wait to read more by this author.
3.5 Stars. It's funny, I can think of a lot of things that don't work in this book, yet overall I ended this book with a pretty favorable impression. I enjoyed reading it and found myself wanting to see how the story would play out. Also, I feel like the author's mention of Dresden Files and Jim Butcher may have earned her extra brownie points from me specifically 😂 Its not often my contemporary romance books and my urban fantasy paranormal detective novels overlap on the vinn diagram. It was clear that the author is well read in more than just romance and I definitely appreciated that!
The main thing that kept nagging at me throughout the book was that while it was well written, the romance seemed secondary to the rest of the book. It didn't feel like reading a contemporary romance and I found myself thinking "This is an experienced author, but I don't think contemporary romance is her usual genre". Sure enough, this author has primarily written romantasy. That explains the incredibly long page count and that the main plot line is more focused on the lives of the main characters rather than their romantic relationship. It's not wrong, necessarily, it just isn't what I look for when I read a contemporary romance. I liked the MMC and FMC and enjoyed their interactions when they happened, but I didn't feel like there was enough focus on *their* relationship and more of it was on all these horrible things happening to the FMC, most of them not even involving the H. It might have been the way things were split from the past to the present that made it feel like they were never getting anywhere in their relationship until almost the very end.
Aside from that, there was this whole layer of just.... incredulity about almost everything in the book. Like everything Blythe got away with for so long. Something didn't ring true about the father's personality. Yes, I understand he was somewhat burying his head in the sand when it came to Ali because of his deceased wife, but a man who finds out his underage daughter was almost raped and forces her to sign an NDA about the incident is much more malicious than the willfully ignorant grieving husband. Also, the whole thing with Jase is at its heart, a very convoluted miscommunication trope. So many aspects of it were such a stretch to believe. The main one that jumps out at me is that supposedly she never received any of the MMC's messages because her step mother blocked his number and Jase, who is a skilled hacker and tech guru, somehow didn't know he was blocked for 4 years. He never suspected he was blocked, never hacked anything to see if he was blocked or found some other way to get a message to her. That seems insane to me.
“Dear Jase, You were the greatest mistake of my life. Insincerely, Ali.” GIRL! I was hooked from that line alone!!
I was not prepared for how addicting this book would be. Between the awkward tension, the old wounds, and the seriously electric chemistry ⚡️I couldn’t put it down. Every time I thought I knew where it was going… nope. Plot twist. Again.
There are definitely some heavy moments, so I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings. Ali deals with anxiety and some rough bullying from her past that’s really hard to read at times, but it’s handled with care. This is not a harsh bully romance (thank god), so I actually found myself rooting for him.
🌶️Spice-wise, it’s a slow burn with barely any heat (like 1/5), but the emotional tension more than makes up for it. This isn’t some cute, fluffy summer romance…it’s messy, heartfelt, and actually has a lot of depth and growth.
If you’re into second chances, a little enemies-to-lovers drama, and emotional stories that pull you in, this one’s totally worth the read. Lila Evers really took me on a ride with this one. Thank you for this emotional roller coaster! 🎢
Here I was at the beach, thinking I will read a cute little enemies to lovers romance book. Something silly to enjoy on vacation. Boy, was I wrong! This book honestly pissed me off! Author did put trigger warnings at the beggining but I didn't expect it to be that bad!! There's nothing wrong with writing about what sadly happens to girls all around the world, and I would never blame the victim! But at some point you gotta ask yourself, how much more will you let other people walk all over you??? Why was MC still having any type of contact with her shitty family??? I would get 3 jobs just so I could support myself and not to depend on my toxic family. I'm sorry but she just kept getting bullied years and years, and did nothing to get away! I know this sounds like I'm blaming her but just read the book if you want and you'll see! Also her behaviour made no sense at times (I won't spoil what I'm thinking about, just let! me tell you - the garden and the party)
This isn't a badly written book and I get what the author wanted to do and what message she wanted to send, but to me it just didn't work!
i was enjoying it in the beginning, but i felt like it went downhill. like is everyone in the town stuck up and a fucking bully???? like grown ass adults and acting like they're in high school. and her father, i have no words for that man. when a kid tells you that her stepmother is not treating right, you believe the child. you always believe the child, never the adult. kids DO NOT lie.
also when i find out what jase did, i was not on board with the relationship cause wtf!!!! he did that to her, and expected her to just forgive her like that??? throughout the book, he barely begged for her forgiveness. and she just quickly forgive him, just like that. like girl 🙃🤔
Okay, first I want to say that whoever The Book Blitzer is must have blitzed through this book, because their blurb is totally misleading. DO NOT GO BY THAT, this is not a summer read or a light romcom.
I rarely give books 5 stars, only ones I would reread get them. So imagine my surprise when I got to the end (a day after starting it) and realized I really enjoyed it.
I love enemies-to-lovers that have them truly be enemies. These two didn’t have hate sex, the FMC didn’t secretly want the MMC, and it wasn’t the basic trope of miscommunication (which also annoys me). Yes, there was miscommunication, but the reasons were beyond either of them, so it didn’t feel trite to me.
At the beginning there are a couple of missteps the editor or author missed, which pulled me out of the story and had me literally laughing out loud. One was a description of the MMC “donning a pair of aviator sunglasses and a sleeve of tattoos.” Fortunately there were only a few so it wasn’t distracting.
There is a pretty serious storyline that could be a big trigger, so if there’s anything about SA that you can’t handle, I’d check triggers or skip the book.
The FMC narrates the whole book, and she’s pretty fun. There are going to be a lot of reviews mad because they don’t think she has a backbone, but being mentally and emotionally abused by family members for years is going to take time to recover from. She recognizes that in herself, she knows and acknowledges that it’s something she needs to work on, and with the support of ones who really care about her she does end up standing up for herself. And roll your eyes all you want, but very few high schoolers are going to drop out of school and leave home, especially when they’ve been convinced their home life is normal and they are dumb losers. Seriously, do none of you know people who try for years to get bad parents to love them before finally—often after decades of trying—finally give up and go no contact?
Another complaint is going to be that “adults” are behaving in a bullying way. First off, two of them are complete narcissists with lots of money and the power to back them up. Second, umm, you really think 18-20-year-olds are going to be that different from high-schoolers? Please try to remember how you were at that age. I will freely admit I was an idiot and would often look for an “adulter” adult to help me.
Another issue I think people will have is that the MMC wasn’t sorry enough. Ok, yeah, he was a 15-year-old jerk. Again, how many of you had high school relationships that fell apart for ultimately stupid reasons? Letting supposed friends wreck a relationship is not great, but please. Your friends are your life in high school. If you can’t remember these things, skip this book; you’ll hate it.
I really did have a problem with FMC’s dad. As an example, every time stepmom went out and FMC tried to call her, she claimed she didn’t get the call. Ok, once? Yeah it could happen. More than once? And when it doesn’t happen with anyone else?? Absolutely not. Of course, there’s much more, and much worse. Even when he’s finally called out, he doesn’t own up to anything or stand up to his wife. So I spent a lot of the book being furious at her dad for completely failing her.
The spice is low, but it’s sweet. I loved the side characters we’re supposed to love, and I really hope they all, along with her sister, get their own stories.
One aside that I hope the author sees is that I hate, hate, hate! when phone calls are put in italics. I’m smart enough to figure out when the person speaking is at the other end of a call. I don’t need help with that, so please don’t do it. It’s distracting and annoying.
DISCLAIMER: I was not an ARC reader, I didn’t receive this for free (well, KU, but whatever), and I read for pleasure not for work. Take that for what it’s worth.
First of all, I'm not sure how long its going to take me to stop thinking about this book. When I read the blurb I knew right away this would be right up my alley. I was NOT disappointed.
The style of writing Lila uses makes it so easy to fall into this story. It FLOWS exactly the way a story should. Naturally. With the perfect amount of dialogue. The book alternates between timeliness, which I'm a sucker for, of the present and the past. There's a lot that Ali endures. In her past she was bullied, both at school and at home. Later she finally makes some changes that empower her just a little bit. Changes that unfortunately she gets ridiculed for as soon as she gets home. Her family life is a nightmare. Surrounded by socialites and narcissists.
The chemistry between Jase and Ali was intense! Jase makes such a turn around. Providing many swoon worthy scenarios between him and Ali. The spice may not be as intense as their chemistry but I've always been just as satisfied with a cleaner kind of romance.
To be honest I dont feel like enough was done as far as justification goes regarding Blythe and her little minion (step mommy dearest and sister). Who treats their own sister like that!? This book had many dark moments that I was not expecting but it did not deter me from enjoying Lila's writing. She also provides a beautiful and helpful note at the beginning of the book regarding some heavy triggers. She provides a website that will give you greater detail too. Which I highly recommend reading if you feel you could be triggered by any of the following: Bullying (physical and verbal), Verbal/Sexual Abuse, Possible Rape.
Overall I enjoyed this book! It gave vibes from The OC to 13 Reasons Why. Also The Summer I Turned Pretty vibes.
HUGE thank you to @lilaeversauthor for providing me with this book ❤️ I was honored to read your work! This baby comes out tomorrow! 😍 Keep your eyes out on KU.
As someone new to this author’s work, let me just say—I feel like I hit the romance jackpot. And as a proud new member of the ARC community (hi, hello, I brought snacks and opinions), I could not be more thrilled that Insincerely Yours was my first taste. Spoiler: I devoured it.
This book? Gave. Me. Everything. We’re talking enemies to lovers with delicious tension, layered with childhood trauma, bullying, growth, and enough emotional angst to make me yell at my Kindle like it was a reality show contestant making poor life choices. (Looking at you, a few certain side characters. You know what you did.)
But let’s talk about the heart of the story: Alexandria and Jase. The chemistry between these two? OFF THE CHARTS. I giggled. I swooned. I had to put the book down and whisper “oh my god” into the void. Alexandria’s transformation from a quiet, introverted wallflower to a strong woman who takes zero BS had me cheering like a proud big sister. Girl, YES.
And Jase? My man. I was rooting for him from the start. The way he cared for Ali—soft, subtle, but so steady—was everything. The reveal about his feelings? Perfection. My inner romantic is still recovering.
One thing I absolutely loved was how the author wove in present and past events between Ali and Jase and other characters in the book. It added so much emotional depth and gave me context that made their connection even more believable and powerful. Every flashback felt intentional, not filler, and it made the emotional payoff hit that much harder.
In short: relatable characters, steamy moments, emotional depth, and just the right amount of chaos. Insincerely Yours will live rent-free in my head, and I’ll be recommending it to anyone who loves a swoony slow burn with real heart. Add it to your TBR now—thank me later. 💌
I'll be so honest with this, I really wanted to like this but for a long time I was pushing through it. The story itself is written in a nonlinear narrative that alternates between the past and the present. The FMC had been bullied in high school (past) and despite having a glow-up, it hasn't changed how people around her hometown behave around her. The alternating timelines allow the reader to dive into the mysterious backstory of how Ali came to change almost everything superficial about her (i.e., her last name, her appearance), and that's what kept me going. It took about 75% of the book to truly find out what had happened.
The plot itself had so much potential. It highlights the cons of living in a highly regarded community full of socialites and politicians and the ongoing corruption occurring within that community. I appreciated the retribution and story of vengeance. Everything was tied up in a neat little bow, which I always love, but the resolution seemed rushed. It wasn't as well executed as I'd like it to be.
Her dynamic with her family was so frustrating to read as well. While I tried to put myself in the position of her father and her sister, it was so upsetting to see them so complacent for a majority of the book - I almost couldn't stand it. Blythe is also an absolute bitch, she was almost worse than Sienna. I would've loved to see more of Derrek and Lauren - there could've been so much potential there if Ali had allowed them into her life in an open way despite her step-mother being a major barrier between them. If not more of them, then I would've loved to at least hear more of her brother's perspective on things through conversation.
That being said, I loved the relationship between Ali and Jase. The tension brewing between them delicious, but even then their relationship seemed anticlimactic as well.
Insincerly Yours the first stand alone in the brand new series of Insincerly Yours by Lila Evers. This book switches from past to present, FMC POV, dark, twisted bullying, emotional, second chance, enemies to lovers are the main tropes. Please read at your own risk and beware of those triggers! I wanted to DNF this book but I had to see if Karma worked her ways and some but not all got bit. The ending felt rushed in this slow burn and instead of a HEA we got a HFN.
TW: sexual content (consensual), explicit language, alcohol use, gaslighting, anxiety disorder, unintentional eating disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, death of a parent (past event, not depicted on the page, discussed), physical abuse, verbal abuse, references to rape, sexual assault, bullying, neglect, child pornography, blackmail, telephone tampering, sabotage, defamation, rape drug, serial rapist.
Alexandria "Ali" Sharpe lost her mama at 6 years old and her world fell apart and only it got worse. At 15 she was bullied by the Untouchables, a group of rich elites who could do anything they wanted with no repercussions.
Michael "Jase" Rivers befriended her, then betrayed her, threw her to the wolves and stood by and watched as they burned her to the ground.
After high school graduation Ali left town for college and changed her last name so her reputation wouldn't follow her. Unfortunately, she returns home for the summer 9 months later and almost hooks up with a stranger at her brother's engagement party.
Jase recognized her last night, she wasn't a stranger to him, but when he sees her the next day she wants nothing to do with him. He finagles an invitation from her father to be a house guest and he's determined to set things right with his Birdie.
Ali doesn't trust him or his merry band of psychos but when he steps up and tells her how he feels, tells her the truth, will she believe him to be Insincere?
"They say, 'The bird who dares to fall is the bird who learns to fly.' Fall with me."
I received this book as an ARC reviewer for my honest opinion. Thank you to Lila Evers for the opportunity to read Insincerely Yours prior to the release!
✨Tropes✨ - Second Chance - Past & Present Timelines - Resilient MFC - Bad Boy MMC - Slow Burn - Forced Proximity - Bullying
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
MFC - Ali 🐦⬛ But the fact that I even feel the need to strap on mental fighting leathers for a goddamn family dinner speaks volumes.
MMC - Jase 🏍️ "Don't keep living your life on the sidelines. Carpe the shit out of this diem with me."
Overall Thoughts: I read this book in one day, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the summer of romance of Ali and Jase as young teens, the scene on the pier on 4th of a July was so beautiful to picture in my head. One of my favorite scenes in the whole book. Them both sharing things they did with no one else. It was so sweet to read.
But warning there is A LOT of abuse/bullying going on through Ali’s life and honestly I was angry most of the book and then crying at parts. It was well written which is why I felt everything so much! But we get through it with side characters who are so wonderful and supportive of Ali. And the ending was AMAZING!!!
I finally have time to review this beautiful story. I’m going to honest I very much liked this story. There’s so much to say, but I don’t want to say too much.🥴 I won’t give any spoilers.💋🖤
The chemistry & the banter between most of these characters got me really hooked. I very much enjoyed the character development, the memories that were shared. I love learning & reading the past memories, it was like a mystery throughout the book, wondering what went wrong, how things went downhill, how did they get to where they are now. Tears were definitely shed here & there throughout the book, but it was worth it! I loved the buildup in this story, the amazing plot twists, the nicknames‼️😭♥️. I enjoyed the book so much, I was able to connect more with the characters, the friendships that were built, the relationships struggles Ali has between her family, I had a few screams into my pillow here & there too. {Iykyk.} :)) But nonetheless I was able to relate a bit, & it shows how much each character goes through. The romance is really beautiful, not too crazy or intense. It was very sweet & very interesting, but the tension was there, it was thick & had me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I highly recommend reading this beautiful book! These characters hold a special place in my scared heart. Lila, you made me fall in with this book & I love you for it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this beautiful story. Love you, babes.💋🖤
I’m always down for an enemies-to-lovers story, and this one hit every mark for me. Lila Rivers delivered a beautifully emotional and raw romance that I couldn’t put down.
This book does touch on heavy and serious topics, so I definitely recommend checking trigger warnings before diving in. That said, the depth of emotion and healing made this story all the more powerful.
Ali and Jase have history. Back in high school, Jase’s friends bullied Ali—and while he wasn’t the ringleader, he didn’t exactly stop it either. That kind of silence leaves scars. But beneath the surface, Jase always saw Ali as untouchable… his forbidden fruit.
I adored Ali—she’s strong, resilient, and had me rooting for her the entire way. The way her brother had her back? 💖 Loved it. On the flip side, her dad and stepmom made my blood boil. And don’t get me started on her sister… though later in the book, some revelations made me see her in a more complex light (still annoyed with her, but I got it).
And Jase… the growth, the protectiveness, the way he fights for her? He stole my heart. Their chemistry was absolutely magnetic, and once those walls came down? Whew.🔥
Lila’s writing brought it all to life—pain, forgiveness, desire, and love. I’m so thankful to have received an e-ARC of this story, and I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time.
📚 If you love emotional second-chance romance, enemies-to-lovers with redemption arcs, and strong heroines—you need this on your TBR.
I was thoroughly impressed by the story's structure and progression.
Despite a slow start that took me days to get back into, the story had me captivated midpoint.
The nonlinear narrative breathed new life into the romance plot, making it refreshingly unpredictable. I was fully invested, piecing together the puzzles as I read through the chapters along with the subtle foreshadowing. However, I do believe trigger warnings are necessary for this book because despite being categorized as new adult romance, the events occurred during the characters' young adult years.
On the other hand, I absolutely loved the main male character. His realistic portrayal, including his struggles with peer pressure and his unwavering love and loyalty to the female main character, were expertly done.
Finally, of the long years I was trying to look for a book boyfriend, this gotta be it. And there's one moment that really stands out to me, but I won't spoil it for now. If you've already read this, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Personally, I'd give it four stars.
✨You guys, I’m having trouble finding the right words to express how much I loved this book! 😭🥹 This is written from Ali’s point of view and goes back and forth between past and present. Ali is nineteen years old, a freshman in college, who is just trying to survive the present and forget her past. She’s the Cinderella in this story with a step parent that will make your blood boil! The things that she has endured and that her family continues to ignore and brush under the rug will make your head spin. In the midst of surviving she catches the attention of a boy, of course her step parent can’t allow her to be happy, and of course, through more trials than I can express, they find their way back to each other. The way this story broke my heart and put back together. The way this story broke my heart and put it back together. 💗 @lilaeversauthor
“To the beautiful bird who stole my heart.” 🥰🥹
✨If you enjoyed reading about Johnny and Shannon like the river, you will love this 🫶🏻😭
✨Friends to lovers ✨Enemies to lovers ✨Abuse/Rape ✨Several trigger warnings listed at the beginning
Woah. WOAH. Ok I loooooved this. I thought it was going to be a silly little read with tropes galore to get me through the horrors. Instead it gave me life and a new obsession. If you like an FMC that is sufferable (read that again cuz I know you think I said the other one), that is enduring, that is real, that is weird in all the best ways...Aly is your girl. I was worried since I didn't know her name for the first few chapters, but we got there. And I adored her. If you like an MMC that is tortured, that is naughty, that is a MARSHMALLOW (a burnt one), that is a secret keeper for all the best reasons, that knows how to grovel...then I have great news. Jase is your mans. Well he's my mans so he can't be your mans but you can look. I cannot wait for the rest of this series. I felt Aly's struggles in my gut, in my heart. I hated every torturous moment she went though but I loved it at the same time. Give me more. Can't wait!
I received a copy of this book as an ARC and this is my review of Insincerely Yours by Lila Evers
Rating: 5/5 Spice: 1.5/5
Are you f-ing kidding me?! This book was SO good I could not put it down.
This story is an enemies to lovers. Jase is Ali’s high school bully but in reality he always wanted her but he followed his best friend like a shadow. Insincerely Yours has some dark bullying and Ali has ptsd and anxiety disorder from those days and she also has a horrible home life where her stepmother hates her and her sister also doesn't like her. Ali’s older brother is the only person who has her back and honestly the dad and stepmommy deserved soooo much worse. so please check your trigger warnings.
The story does go from past to present to let us know, what happened to Ali. And I loved the character development, and Jase was the perfect "touch her and die”. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.