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Heavy Metal Lover
After a motorcycle accident took Liv Shankly’s right arm and pushed her struggling family further into medical debt, the promise of a massive payout from a mysterious donor lures her back into an illicit street racing scene known as the Drone Runs. All she has to do is reach the end of the course without getting felled by one of the Run’s four hijacked police drones, and she can return home with a cut of the winnings, where she lives with an overworked father and a chronically ill mother.
Except, she needs a benefactor to ride, and the only person willing to play the part is Vaughn Keaton, the reclusive, prodigious daughter of the oppressive High Mayor, whose only prerogative is to cheat her twin brother out of another foolish win.
But Caldwell Keaton, High Mayor-in-waiting and debauched playboy, plays dirty, and when Liv takes home money that was meant as an illegal payment for another wealthy family (as well as a few new injuries), the only person powerful enough to keep Liv from incurring his wrath is Vaughn.
Liv is dropped into a world of twisted family politics, corrupt science, and a tech-obsessed neon city that seems to want her dead. With a damaged metal arm and a target on her back, Liv agrees to work with Vaughn to create a revolutionary prosthetic, one with utilities and implications that could benefit not only Liv but the people she loves back home. However, technology that can change the world can also ruin it in the wrong hands, and Caldwell will do anything to take back what he has lost.
Except, she needs a benefactor to ride, and the only person willing to play the part is Vaughn Keaton, the reclusive, prodigious daughter of the oppressive High Mayor, whose only prerogative is to cheat her twin brother out of another foolish win.
But Caldwell Keaton, High Mayor-in-waiting and debauched playboy, plays dirty, and when Liv takes home money that was meant as an illegal payment for another wealthy family (as well as a few new injuries), the only person powerful enough to keep Liv from incurring his wrath is Vaughn.
Liv is dropped into a world of twisted family politics, corrupt science, and a tech-obsessed neon city that seems to want her dead. With a damaged metal arm and a target on her back, Liv agrees to work with Vaughn to create a revolutionary prosthetic, one with utilities and implications that could benefit not only Liv but the people she loves back home. However, technology that can change the world can also ruin it in the wrong hands, and Caldwell will do anything to take back what he has lost.
416 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2025
5 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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November 22, 2025Disclaimer: I am friends with the author and received an ARC. All opinions are my own.
A sexy, sweaty, futuristic, character-driven romance with CaitVi vibes (sans the cop-apologism), HEAVY METAL LOVER takes its swings with metal-coated knuckles.
Agajanian has a talent for writing gritty, messy, compelling characters that capture me fully and undeniably, and HEAVY METAL LOVER makes no exception. This dystopian/sci-fi romance—between a fiery motorcyclist with battle scars and a heart too big for her chest and a technologically-savvy politician's daughter with the world's glossiest hair—reverberates with passion. This is a book for those that are frustrated with the injustices of the world, saying: me fucking too. It speaks to the frustrations of the ever-turning water wheels of capitalism and government that drown the masses deeper and deeper into debt and poverty and powerlessness.
And at the same time, it's a lesbian romance with illicit motorcycle races, political intrigue, "don't touch her" moments, and—sorry, did I forget mention the main character is a butch motorcycle lesbian with a prosthetic arm, biting sarcasm, and a habit of putting herself in danger for the people she loves?
If you love Arcane, character-driven stories, complaining about how shitty the world is, and hate cops and capitalism and insurance companies, this book needs to be on your shelf.
CW: violence, gun violence, motorcycle accident, hospitalization, injury detail, alcohol, drug use, murder, ableism, illness, sexual content, homophobia (implied)
A sexy, sweaty, futuristic, character-driven romance with CaitVi vibes (sans the cop-apologism), HEAVY METAL LOVER takes its swings with metal-coated knuckles.
Agajanian has a talent for writing gritty, messy, compelling characters that capture me fully and undeniably, and HEAVY METAL LOVER makes no exception. This dystopian/sci-fi romance—between a fiery motorcyclist with battle scars and a heart too big for her chest and a technologically-savvy politician's daughter with the world's glossiest hair—reverberates with passion. This is a book for those that are frustrated with the injustices of the world, saying: me fucking too. It speaks to the frustrations of the ever-turning water wheels of capitalism and government that drown the masses deeper and deeper into debt and poverty and powerlessness.
And at the same time, it's a lesbian romance with illicit motorcycle races, political intrigue, "don't touch her" moments, and—sorry, did I forget mention the main character is a butch motorcycle lesbian with a prosthetic arm, biting sarcasm, and a habit of putting herself in danger for the people she loves?
If you love Arcane, character-driven stories, complaining about how shitty the world is, and hate cops and capitalism and insurance companies, this book needs to be on your shelf.
CW: violence, gun violence, motorcycle accident, hospitalization, injury detail, alcohol, drug use, murder, ableism, illness, sexual content, homophobia (implied)
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July 23, 2025i know isa is COOKING yall
January 24, 2026
Sapphic Cyberpunk meets Arcane 😍 obsessed is an understatement
December 17, 2025
Rating: 2.75 stars
This is objectively just not a very well written book but it had sparks of potential that kept me reading. Ultimately the writing structure was clunky, the stakes were unclear, and most of the characters lacked real depth. But the idea of motorcycle riding sapphics was too much to pass up.
This is objectively just not a very well written book but it had sparks of potential that kept me reading. Ultimately the writing structure was clunky, the stakes were unclear, and most of the characters lacked real depth. But the idea of motorcycle riding sapphics was too much to pass up.
December 9, 2025
motorcycle riding butch lesbian liv shankly has me giggling and kicking my feet in the air! I LOVE U LIV SHANKLY! I'M UR BIGGEST FAN!
(ps: if you like arcane, ready player one and fast & the furious you're going to eat this book The Fuck UP.)
(ps: if you like arcane, ready player one and fast & the furious you're going to eat this book The Fuck UP.)
December 9, 2025
One of my most anticipated books of the year, HEAVY METAL LOVER surpassed my expectations. The author was kind enough to send me an eARC, but I loved it so much I bought my own physical copy because it needed a place on my shelf.
HEAVY METAL LOVER is a sapphic romance in a futuristic dystopian city with an all-too-familiar background of corrupt government officials and medical debt. Liv is a motorcycle rider who competes in a dangerous event called the Drone Runs that left her without a right arm. She needs a benefactor to ride, and she’s reluctant to team up with Vaughn, the reclusive and mysterious daughter of the corrupt High Mayor. The plot centers around the two girls working together to build an improved prosthetic arm for Liv against a background of political turmoil involving Vaughn’s brother Caldwell, who isn’t happy that Liv cheated him out of a win.
I loved the dynamic between Liv and Vaughn as they learn to let down their walls and allow themselves to be seen by the other person. It's a primarily character-driven book with beautifully-written queer and disability rep. Liv is an amputee, and if Vaughn doesn’t have an anxiety disorder of some sort, I will eat my copy of this book. I could not get enough of the romantic tension between the two leads, who are very different from each other--Liv has a hardened exterior while Vaughn is (sometimes painfully) earnest and extremely anxious (I felt violently seen by this rep). Isa Agajanian truly has a gift for creating characters who I swear are real people, and that’s why I will keep coming back to their books.
HEAVY METAL LOVER is for anyone who's ever felt they're too much to love. Because you're not. And we could all use that reminder.
HEAVY METAL LOVER is a sapphic romance in a futuristic dystopian city with an all-too-familiar background of corrupt government officials and medical debt. Liv is a motorcycle rider who competes in a dangerous event called the Drone Runs that left her without a right arm. She needs a benefactor to ride, and she’s reluctant to team up with Vaughn, the reclusive and mysterious daughter of the corrupt High Mayor. The plot centers around the two girls working together to build an improved prosthetic arm for Liv against a background of political turmoil involving Vaughn’s brother Caldwell, who isn’t happy that Liv cheated him out of a win.
I loved the dynamic between Liv and Vaughn as they learn to let down their walls and allow themselves to be seen by the other person. It's a primarily character-driven book with beautifully-written queer and disability rep. Liv is an amputee, and if Vaughn doesn’t have an anxiety disorder of some sort, I will eat my copy of this book. I could not get enough of the romantic tension between the two leads, who are very different from each other--Liv has a hardened exterior while Vaughn is (sometimes painfully) earnest and extremely anxious (I felt violently seen by this rep). Isa Agajanian truly has a gift for creating characters who I swear are real people, and that’s why I will keep coming back to their books.
HEAVY METAL LOVER is for anyone who's ever felt they're too much to love. Because you're not. And we could all use that reminder.
January 26, 2026
even though the writing wasn't very good, i did love the concept and characters so still had a good time
January 11, 2026
Truthfully, I have no explanation for why I picked up this book in the first place. I went in with an open mind and low expectations, and came away disappointed. By the end, I wanted my time (and money) back.
The writing is painfully predictable, the characters feel like store-brand versions of Caitlyn and Vi from League of Legends without their chemistry and charm. The plot manages to be chaotic without ever being engaging. It kinda just sucked all around.
That said, I do genuinely applaud the author for putting her work out into the world (I certainly wouldn’t have the courage to do that). Unfortunately, while others may find something to enjoy here, this book simply wasn’t for me.
The writing is painfully predictable, the characters feel like store-brand versions of Caitlyn and Vi from League of Legends without their chemistry and charm. The plot manages to be chaotic without ever being engaging. It kinda just sucked all around.
That said, I do genuinely applaud the author for putting her work out into the world (I certainly wouldn’t have the courage to do that). Unfortunately, while others may find something to enjoy here, this book simply wasn’t for me.
December 16, 2025
Ouch, I found this very painful to read, I only finished it out of pure stubbornness.
I had many issues with the pacing, the writing, the characterization and the tone shifts.
There's a lot of inconsistent pov, confusing narrative, convoluted sentences, overuse of descriptors instead of character names ...
It did get a bit better when the story picked up after 200 long tiresome pages (I think it was supposed to build up the central relationship but the character's emotions where so flat and inconsistent it left me uninterested). But then there's this tone shift of the characters planning an assassination that felt completely unearned, the violence being very sparse up until that point.
I had many issues with the pacing, the writing, the characterization and the tone shifts.
There's a lot of inconsistent pov, confusing narrative, convoluted sentences, overuse of descriptors instead of character names ...
It did get a bit better when the story picked up after 200 long tiresome pages (I think it was supposed to build up the central relationship but the character's emotions where so flat and inconsistent it left me uninterested). But then there's this tone shift of the characters planning an assassination that felt completely unearned, the violence being very sparse up until that point.
Want to read
August 10, 2025This wasn't on my radar until the author shared the COOLEST video for the cover reveal.
January 5, 2026
A wildly good time! I was absolutely glued to this book from the moment I began it. It’s been a long time since I’ve loved characters like I love Liv and Vaughn. I don’t know what Isa Agajanian put in this, but it is simply addictive! This book could have benefited from further editing and there were things here and there that didn’t make much sense, but overall my complaints don’t take away from my sheer enjoyment of Heavy Metal Lover. I hope that this book finds all the love that Modern Divination did, as I loved this just as much!
December 8, 2025
This book made my chest HURT
Motorcycles and pretty girls and cyberpunk arms and idiots in love and big gay feelings and kill the rich and butch rep??? AND BUTCH REP I could die happy having read this book
Motorcycles and pretty girls and cyberpunk arms and idiots in love and big gay feelings and kill the rich and butch rep??? AND BUTCH REP I could die happy having read this book
December 14, 2025
The easiest 5⭐️ ive given all year. Isa has done it again yall.
January 2, 2026
CaitVi fans unite ❤️🔥
Isa Agajanian does yearning like no other, loved everything about it
Isa Agajanian does yearning like no other, loved everything about it
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews