Too Much

Hayes Brothers #1

by I.A. Dice

An alternative cover edition can be found here

Start this bestselling series of standalone novels - each following a different Hayes brother - with an addictive friends-to-lovers story about a girl who is desperate to escape her past… and the heartbreaker who just might make the task impossible.

THALIA
Only regret the things you haven’t done.
A cheap motel or the guest bedroom of Newport’s infamous heartbreaker? Any sane person would run the other way after hearing a ‘move in with me’ proposition days after meeting Theo Hayes.

Not me. Having escaped a dark past and started over with only three suitcases, I'm not guided by pride but survival instinct.

Taking the plunge, I soon find Theo's magnetic pull impossible to resist. I should keep my secrets, maintain my distance, and build a new life, but... with Theo, I don't want to have any regrets.


THEO
Entitled. Arrogant. Loaded. Equipped. Player.
I’ve worn many labels throughout my life. I earned most of them but I regret nothing. Life is too short for regret and I live mine as if it’ll end tomorrow... until Thalia enters the bar. A Greek goddess with confidence, wit, and a unique charm that instantly draws me in.

Despite my best attempts to fight the attraction, the sizzling desire consumes us until we end up naked and panting.

But Thalia's past holds dark secrets that, when exposed, could change everything we've built.

✓ Friends to Lovers
✓ Insta Lust
✓ Slow-burn
✓ Hot, protective MMC
✓ Feisty, confident FMC
✓ Standalone in a series - no cliffhanger!

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Smut, Slow Burn

377 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2022

About the author

I. A. Dice writes emotionally intense romance—both dark and light—but always equally spicy. When she’s not dreaming up love stories, she’s probably drinking too much coffee and swooning over fictional men.

Reviews

[Ainhoa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t even know how to rate this.

It was too insta lust for me, although they hold off until later on, who the hell knows why.

I can’t exactly pinpoint why or where this went wrong for me but, although I did like her, her personality sometimes was a bit off (please, that drinking game, makes me
cringe just thinking about it) and the drama was… either nonexistent or too much, no middle ground.

She arrives to the US of A with plenty of luck, “fanciful” job with hundreds of dollars on tips and then finds herself a Richie Rich male friend, where are the obstacles to overcome? Oh yes, we find that in the last 10% of the book where all blows up and the most incredible story is told.

I don’t know. I didn’t hate it but also, didn’t love it. I’m eloquent like that 🥸

[Dora Koutsoukou · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 💘💘💘⭐️s

A slow burn romance read, very well written.
Thalia and Theo were likeable characters and relatively easy to connect with.
I liked their chemistry and the twist-revelation in the end was unpredictable!
Despite that there were plenty of characters, siblings (Theo had six brothers!), friends or business associates, I wasn’t distracted at all.
I liked it but I didn’t love it.
Also, all Greek references were spot on!

[Em · Rating 1 out of 5]

couldn't finish it after he started calling her "little one" 🤢

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. Thalia was one of my favourite FMC

[em · Rating 1 out of 5]

sorry for anyone who liked this book but it was SO SO cRiNGe.

this man is twenty seven, has been living on his own for YEARS and still doesn’t know how to cook?! get. a grip. man.
don’t get me started on this girl, she’s a real pick me.

also i’m pretty sure you can’t win the green card lottery if you’ve been to prison but that may be just me👺

[ritika · Rating 1 out of 5]

it’s literally just a book about some privileged rich white boy who thinks its emasculating for a woman to pay for anything

[Amora Henrique · Rating 1 out of 5]

Initially i really liked the chemistry between the main couple, it began with the right dosage of fun and charm but i don't know how to point the part were they lost me.

The drinking game scene was my first yuck that's for sure, it was just so random to have the FMC doing sexual positions with the gay brother and then taking her clothes off in front of all of them and then acting sexual dialogues(?) with another brother. I'm sure that people who like those kinds os scenes will think I'm over exaggerating but it was just such an unnecessary event. Didn't lead to anything at all.

And then the big plot twist. Why? Something with so many layers was treated in a very simple way in literally 10 pages, i hated it! Those events should play a very big part on Thalia's life and on her decisions, specially considering that everything happened pretty fucking recent? I mean she moved away from Greece because of what happened, she left everything and everyone she has ever known as a consequence of what happened and everything was just told and processed in such a simplist and shallow way.

There was cute fluffy couple scenes but the characters individually just don't mean anything to me. And the plot twist really ruined it.

1/5

[Sloth Incarnate 🍉]

I’m sorry, this? This was cringe. DNF’d at 13%. Idk about you, but the female lead gave me the second hand embarrassment every time she said something “funny” or “witty.” And everyone acting like she was the boss just 😭😭 No.

[Tarynrose · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

It was quick and easy to read I enjoyed it

[Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book (my first one!) I was not disappointed!

Not trying to give too much away, so I’m putting spoilers on!

It honestly took me a few days to mull over how I’d write this review but let me be transparent: at first, I didn’t know how much I liked this book because I didn’t feel things I normally feel when reading romance… until I finished it. The scenes flash backed to me doing the simplest things - playing with my puppy, literally just putting on a white shirt, passing by a Greek restaurant, etc.

I loved Theo and Thalia from the moment they met at the bar, and I love how that came full circle at the end. I got mad that Theo kept friendzoning Thalia and vice versa for THREE MONTHS - the tension was clearly there. I get how you could not want to ruin a friendship but THEO, COME ON! I’m glad Thalia made the first move tho because a strong, independent, female badass like her deserves everything she wants in life.

Speaking of her being a badass, when the first “incident” happened and Thalia thought that she should have done something instead of hiding and being scared, it made me connect with her. The Mediterranean culture (speaking as being part of it) is very family oriented, but it also creates the need to toughen you up, and you feel like you can’t show any crack or vulnerability, which is what Thalia consistently showcased. With Thalia showing her “weakness” of being scared, it was the bravest act she could have put on; I think that’s because she finally felt safe and loved, even if she was in danger. I truly admire her for that, but I also admire her the second time “it” happened.

The dynamic between all 7 of the Hayes siblings is giving me too much anxiety of not having the ability to read the rest of the books right now. Shawn and Jack - I love you, please adopt me. I’d like to be Nico’s best friend, and Logan - let’s just say I can’t wait to learn more about you. I also loved the triplets and how involved they were with their brothers. The importance of family and placing your unwavering trust in them was oddly probably my favorite thing about this book.

Overall: 4 stars, 🌶🌶🌶/5

Would I read it again? Maybe.
Will I read the other books in the series? Absolutely!

[Lili books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 - J’ai passé un bon moment dans l’ensemble. Une romance sympa, avec une found family mignonne et des secrets à découvrir … La plume est vraiment un atout, tout est fluide et le livre se lit très vite.

J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage de Thalia, une femme au passé sombre et mystérieux qui a tout quitté pour s’installer à Newport Beach. Elle est déterminée, forte et très attachante. Théo m’a moins plu. Je n’ai pas réussi à m’attacher à son personnage, assez fade à mon goût.

Malheureusement, j’ai également eu du mal à m’attacher à leur relation. Je n’ai pas vu évoluer leurs sentiments et leur attirance est purement physique au début, ce qui rend la relation assez « plate ». Cependant, j’avais peur que les scènes de smut soient « too much » et redondantes mais ça n’a pas été le cas. Elles ont été bien dosées.

Aussi, l’histoire en elle-même est assez basique et parfois même un peu « creuse » à mon goût, jusqu’à la dernière partie du roman, qui elle, est intéressante. On découvre alors le passé de Thalia. J’ai beaucoup aimé cette partie ainsi que les thèmes importants qui y sont traités.

La found family est aussi un gros plus dans ce roman et m’incite à poursuivre cette saga afin d’en apprendre plus sur les frères Hayes.

- service presse non rémunéré -

[Millie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

my main issues with this book:

-I couldn't really tell if Theo was the guy we were supposed to root for or the guy we were all supposed to hate. Some of the shit he said and did make me want to punch him in the throat.

-EVERYONE in the book was way too obsessed with drinking, partying, and sex. Like if you would have told me that this was a book about a group of high schoolers and not mid to late 20-year-olds, I'd believe you

-Genuinely the whole book up until like the last 5% was straight FILLER. This book was the definition of one singular plot point dragged out for 350 pages.

[Elizabeth]

Dnf. I hate this man so much. Him not liking pitbulls was the final straw plus him calling her exotic which again is not a complement white women think it is. If you told me a man wrote this I’d believe you.

[Abigail · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book sucked so hard I couldn’t even get 35% in before I had to quit. It had a decent start but then she just moved in with one of the 7 Hayes Brothers. Surprise! They’re all insufferable. They love women but only for one night. They will never keep a girl around. They are also super manly. But one of them is gay. Because this book is super progressive obviously. That didn’t stop him from humping all over the main girl though (over a drinking game…) WHILE ENGAGED. Also this book was literally dog sexist for some reason. One of the brothers said something like “Unless it’s a Rottweiler and a boy Rottweiler at that, I’m not babysitting.” ?? Yes because a girl rottweiler would just sit there doing her makeup and brushing her hair 💀 IT’S A DOG. Also the main guy was like “even im not so cruel as to give my male dog a girly name.” Oh the CRUELTY! Just found all of that a bit weird. Not much else to say about this. The brothers all pissed me off. Idk why I keep reading trash like this. I suppose cause it’s always on kindle unlimited and I love a free book 😝

[Amber Belletti Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this and was pleasantly surprised. First, I’d like to start off by saying I generally stick in the fantasy/Romantic fantasy genres but I didn’t once find myself needing that extra layer of mythical magic when it came to this tale. I truly loved the characters and their layers, and they really melded well together. I can honestly say I didn’t expect the revelation of the conflicts and appreciate it not being obvious. The story from start to finish was really satisfying without having that “everything is too perfect” kind of feel to it. This is a great read when you’re in recovery from a book that had devastated you. No bad cliffhangers but excited for the sequels to come.

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not handle the heroine. She was a bit self righteous. She wanted to come as sweet, but very judgmental. You may love it. She must have been really beautiful because she was too annoying to be around. Good luck.

[OnceUponAStorybook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Going into this I thought the MMC was going to be a man whore on page as it was kind of described in the synopsis but I was pleasantly surprised. Theo is basically a reformed man whore and is actually a good guy. I love how the FMC is strong willed and didn’t shy away when it got to the spicy parts, she even surprised me in the spicy scenes.

[Victoria Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to be offered this as a ARC, to give an honest review. Talia arrives in town with a secret... then she meets Theo. This was a slow burn of 'lets be friends' that doesn't last long obviously! I love the fact that Talia was such a strong, sassy, confident character and Theo did have a softer side even though he was put forward as a playboy who is entitled and arrogant. I devoured this book, the writing style was easy to follow and, I like it when you get into both characters heads, so the story isn't one sided. I also enjoyed learning more about the side characters and, I look forward to reading the rest in the series. I don't give a lot of 5 star reviews but, this was excellent.

[Léane Bookli · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 ★

une lecture très sympa et addictive

j'ai apprécié ma lecture, notamment grâce à la trope found family qui est bien représentée à travers les frères Hayes
la plume est fluide et accrocheuse, suscitant mon intérêt pour la suite et me donnant envie de découvrir les tomes suivants pour en savoir plus sur le reste de la famille

je trouve le travail édito du livre superbe ! cependant, j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait quelques incohérences dans le récit
concernant les personnages, Théo m'a particulièrement plu, mais j'aurais souhaité un développement plus approfondi de sa relation avec Thalia, tant sur le plan émotionnel que relationnel

"𝘌𝘵 𝘤'𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢̀ 𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦́𝘤𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘫𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘴 𝘲𝘶'𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘵 𝘫'𝘢𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘪 𝘫𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘯. 𝘈̀ 𝘮𝘰𝘪. 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘦𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴."

✧ 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎

[Emily G · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should’ve stopped reading at the line ‘juicy boobs’

[bookss__addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

J’ai beaucoup aimé cette petite romance. La plume était géniale, j’ai été rapidement plongée dans l’ambiance et j’ai adoré cette lecture.

Thalia a été un coup de cœur. Malgré un passé compliqué, elle a décidé de commencer une nouvelle vie en venant s’installer à Newport Beach. Elle trouve rapidement des jobs, elle est vraiment déterminée, forte et courageuse. J’ai trouvé Théo vraiment adorable, j’ai également beaucoup aimé son personnage 🤍

L’histoire est simple mais c’est une chouette petite romance, sans prise de tête et agréable à lire.

Les points positifs sont vraiment la plume et la trope found family que j’adore. J’ai adoré toute l’histoire mais surtout la dernière partie où Thalia révèle son passé sombre. Ça na malheureusement pas été un coup de cœur car j’ai trouvé la fin un peu rapide mais à part ça, c’était vraiment sympa ✨

[Stephanie Storch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by I. A. Dice and let me tell you I was hooked immediately! The build up with the relationship between Thalia and Theo was exquisitely done! I’m hoping we’ll have a follow up book between Nico and Kaya soon!

[Carly · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was absolutely terrible. It was poorly edited, some of the scenes made ZERO sense. There were scenes when two men were talking and it was unclear which man was saying which words since they were both referred to as "he". I had to go back two pages to find a name. The author also tends to put pages of text in the middle of dialog. Someone will ask a question and we get a full description of everyone's expressions, the tension in the room, a backstory and the narrating character's thoughts before they finally reply with a short sentence. It's overkill. The reader forgets the question before the answer is given. And this happens several times per chapter!

The blocking and scenes are also poorly written. At one point Theo "snaked" his arm around Thalia's waist in an overly protective/possessive way and somehow Dean managed to kiss her forehead at the same time. I can't picture how this could go down.

I think this book would have been a 3 or 4 star book if it was written by someone else or properly edited. The plot and twists were actually really interesting....but they were not given enough time to flush out. And they lacked believability. How would Thalia have been able to blackmail the former president of Greece from prison? Did she save the incriminating evidence before murdering her husband? The relationship with her husband was barely explained either.

I have learned my lesson...don't trust booktok with spicy, independent recommendations.

[Rae (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good, albeit slow building read. It's a standalone novel, with no cliffy and a HEA.

I liked Thalia and I think her backstory and secrets were very interesting, enough to keep me hooked. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to hold back. I really liked the slow-burn, friends-to-lovers theme because we actually got to see the relationship build over time. It felt more natural, less instalust and more falling in love.

I did not, however, like the skewed views towards masculinity and women. I hope the brothers have a redemption arc, not that they were bad, but they can use some growing up lol. Thalia had to be forced into uncomfortable situations to prove she was more than "pretty packaging," at least according to our MMC. Within the first 20%, I read that 17 year old boys need to man up, it's emasculating to let a woman pay for her own things, being nice is considered a weakness, the MMC needs a manlier dog than a German Shepherd (like a Pit Bull), and it'd be cruel to give his dog a girly name...😬 It did get better as I progressed through the novel, I just wish there wasn't so much of it at the start (or at all).

I do think Theo improved a bit in his views, and Thalia wasn't someone who would let him get away with some of the things he says and does. I am looking forward to reading the next books in the series.

[Camila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was selected to be an ARC reader for this book & wow it did not disappoint. I was immediately drawn to the characters! As soon as I started reading the book, it caught my attention & I could not put it down. Even while currently vacationing in Italy I read the book in 1 day lol!

I loved Thalia & Theo. Surprise twist in the end that had me shocked! The mystery of the past kept me so intrigued I couldn’t put it down. There were also some spicy scenes as well! I enjoyed the writing of the author & double POV.

Overall this was a great read! Looking forward to reading more about these characters & families. Hope to see some crossovers.

[Alex ⟡ ݁₊ ☪︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was chosen to receive an ARC for this book and it didn’t disappoint! I fell for the characters straight away. Thalia is a pistol and a badass who holds her own, loved her character. I loved the slow burn build up between her and Theo and to see how much they cared for each other. Definitely an unexpected twist when we find out what really happened in Thalia’s past back home in Greece! And let’s not forget the spice 🌶🥵

[Amina Cherki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is the author greek ?? Because the way she was talking about Greece and greeks was so bad and i would call that racist if she isn’t from there !
Anyway bad plot, bad writing and badly written characters

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Loved this slowburn friends to lovers story. And I will definitely be back for the other Hayes brothers, because Theo got me addicted!

[Audreyy ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 ✨

c’était une bonne lecture globalement sans beaucoup de prise de têtes.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honnêtement, super bon jusqu’a 85%. J’ai pas aimé la fin mais ça se lisait super bien sinon!!