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Wildflower Lane #2
Say Yes To The Nemesis
Their rivalry was legendary. Could one reality show rewrite their ending?
Ryan is a hotshot hockey player and Wren’s big brother’s best friend. He has always tormented her mercilessly, making shy, geeky Wren feel like she could never measure up to his effortless cool. She’s loathed him for it… even while secretly nursing a pesky crush on him for years.
When Wren lands her dream job as an executive producer on a dating reality show, she’s thrilled. But then disaster strikes. First, she’s forced to fill in as one of the bachelorettes on the show. Second, the bachelor they’re all competing for? None other than sexy, villainous Ryan.
The producers, delighted by their antagonistic chemistry, sweeten the deal with a big promotion if Wren plays their vapid TV game to win. Forced into close quarters and increasingly ridiculous dates, Wren grits her teeth and pretends to be in love with her worst enemy.
But no one warned her about the dates. The hand-holding. The roses. The hot and heavy make outs. The sneaking around to avoid cameras when the teasing becomes too much. Or the way Ryan looked at her like she was the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen.
He’s leaning into their fiery banter with what feels like genuine heat. But is it all for the cameras? Or could their adversarial relationship finally ignite into something real?
enemies to lovers, sports romance, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, spicy romance, hockey player hero, sarcastic nerdy heroine, unrequited pining, reality TV romance, island destination, fiery banter, makeover transformation, workplace drama, and childhood rivals
Ryan is a hotshot hockey player and Wren’s big brother’s best friend. He has always tormented her mercilessly, making shy, geeky Wren feel like she could never measure up to his effortless cool. She’s loathed him for it… even while secretly nursing a pesky crush on him for years.
When Wren lands her dream job as an executive producer on a dating reality show, she’s thrilled. But then disaster strikes. First, she’s forced to fill in as one of the bachelorettes on the show. Second, the bachelor they’re all competing for? None other than sexy, villainous Ryan.
The producers, delighted by their antagonistic chemistry, sweeten the deal with a big promotion if Wren plays their vapid TV game to win. Forced into close quarters and increasingly ridiculous dates, Wren grits her teeth and pretends to be in love with her worst enemy.
But no one warned her about the dates. The hand-holding. The roses. The hot and heavy make outs. The sneaking around to avoid cameras when the teasing becomes too much. Or the way Ryan looked at her like she was the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen.
He’s leaning into their fiery banter with what feels like genuine heat. But is it all for the cameras? Or could their adversarial relationship finally ignite into something real?
enemies to lovers, sports romance, brother’s best friend, forced proximity, spicy romance, hockey player hero, sarcastic nerdy heroine, unrequited pining, reality TV romance, island destination, fiery banter, makeover transformation, workplace drama, and childhood rivals
482 pages, Paperback
Published August 12, 2025
15 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Vivian Wood
155 books2,815 followersVivian likes to write about troubled, deeply flawed alpha males and the fiery, kick-ass women who bring them to their knees.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
February 8, 2026
this was a good story idea and the bachelor style premise had surprisingly minimal OW drama. ryan is a pro hockey player and real life player who agrees to do the dating show for the money. wren, ryan’s best friends sister, works on the show as a production assistant but is chosen to fill in for a missing contestant.
i was getting whiplash with these two. the only time they declared serious feelings was when they were being physical but the second they stopped being physical they weren’t sure what they were or the others intentions? this happened so many times almost until the end of the book and made it unnecessarily long imo.
the contestants names were constantly being interchanged which seems like a huge error to overlook.
the narrators were great - thank you netgalley for the arc
i was getting whiplash with these two. the only time they declared serious feelings was when they were being physical but the second they stopped being physical they weren’t sure what they were or the others intentions? this happened so many times almost until the end of the book and made it unnecessarily long imo.
the contestants names were constantly being interchanged which seems like a huge error to overlook.
the narrators were great - thank you netgalley for the arc
August 16, 2025
A total editing mess.
This book needs editing, badly. Chapters were out of order, character names and descriptions were super inconsistent (which, when you have 10-- or is it 12?-- contestants on a reality show, made for some incomprehensible reading), and very little made sense with the FMC's job description/role, even for a romance novel conceit.
It really feels like this wasn't proofread before being uploaded.
A bonus star because the MMC was likeable, but otherwise, don't bother reading.
This book needs editing, badly. Chapters were out of order, character names and descriptions were super inconsistent (which, when you have 10-- or is it 12?-- contestants on a reality show, made for some incomprehensible reading), and very little made sense with the FMC's job description/role, even for a romance novel conceit.
It really feels like this wasn't proofread before being uploaded.
A bonus star because the MMC was likeable, but otherwise, don't bother reading.
February 2, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and the author for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐✨ One and a half stars
Frankly, Say Yes to the Nemesis is one of the worst books I've ever read. I felt like a bad feminist listening to this, and I could tell it was trying to be progressive, but it so missed the mark. As someone who has read a lot of queer romance novels—speaking of, was there a single queer character in this book?—I know that there are better (and more progressive) books out there. Much, much better. (And much, much more progressive.)
Also the characters had this weird obsession with the female lead being so short and tiny, and she was five foot four! I'm barely five foot. What must I be to these characters, a humble grain of rice? Also literally every outfit described in this book was hideously ugly. Truly no accounting for taste.
I tried to give a hetero romance the benefit of the doubt going into this one because the premise sounded fun, but this was just not it. I felt like I was losing brain cells the longer I read this book, but I finished it to see how the author was going to wrap it all up, and I hate to say it but I wish I had DNF'd 15% of the way in. Don't waste your time on this one.
⭐✨ One and a half stars
Frankly, Say Yes to the Nemesis is one of the worst books I've ever read. I felt like a bad feminist listening to this, and I could tell it was trying to be progressive, but it so missed the mark. As someone who has read a lot of queer romance novels—speaking of, was there a single queer character in this book?—I know that there are better (and more progressive) books out there. Much, much better. (And much, much more progressive.)
Also the characters had this weird obsession with the female lead being so short and tiny, and she was five foot four! I'm barely five foot. What must I be to these characters, a humble grain of rice? Also literally every outfit described in this book was hideously ugly. Truly no accounting for taste.
I tried to give a hetero romance the benefit of the doubt going into this one because the premise sounded fun, but this was just not it. I felt like I was losing brain cells the longer I read this book, but I finished it to see how the author was going to wrap it all up, and I hate to say it but I wish I had DNF'd 15% of the way in. Don't waste your time on this one.
February 11, 2026
Cute story about a friends to lovers, brothers friend relationship set in a reality dating show. If you love reality dating shows, then this one may be for you .
Yes, this book was slow to start and a bit heavy on the cheese, but it was cute in a way that brought a smile to your face. The banter between the characters was great and I felt the emotion between them. Yes, it was predictable in parts but again, it’s not a bad thing. I liked the style of writing and the flow. Characters had some depth and they moved at a pace that was expected, although there time where I wanted to yell “use your words!” Overall, I enjoyed this story and thought it was cute! Audio narration was great! I loved the narration and narrators. I will def be reading from this author again.
Plot themes: reality dating show, brothers friend, hockey, friends to lovers, second chance
Thank you for allowing me to review this audiobook
Yes, this book was slow to start and a bit heavy on the cheese, but it was cute in a way that brought a smile to your face. The banter between the characters was great and I felt the emotion between them. Yes, it was predictable in parts but again, it’s not a bad thing. I liked the style of writing and the flow. Characters had some depth and they moved at a pace that was expected, although there time where I wanted to yell “use your words!” Overall, I enjoyed this story and thought it was cute! Audio narration was great! I loved the narration and narrators. I will def be reading from this author again.
Plot themes: reality dating show, brothers friend, hockey, friends to lovers, second chance
Thank you for allowing me to review this audiobook
February 11, 2026
This book is an interconnected standalone. It is Wildflower Lane book 2.
This is a review of the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook is performed by Raven Wildewood and David Lane.
This is a hockey romance/brother’s best friend spicy romance set on a dating reality show.
The couple is Ryan and Wren. He is a hockey player. She is his friend Jay’s off limits younger sister.
I did like the premise. I liked that he was a top hockey player. And I thought that the concept of him on a dating show was fun.
The audiobook is done with dual narration. Both Raven Wildewood and David Lane were good. However the female audiobook reader was faster than the male. I listened at 1.5. But could easily have done 1.7 for him.
I enjoyed that some serious issues were included. Ryan’s mom abandoned him and his sister. And they struggled, which was mentioned. And it explains a lot of his behaviors.
I liked the Bachelor type reality show. However there was a problem with continuity. Contestants were eliminated but then mistakenly reappeared. This was confusing.
I did not like how hot and cold Wren was. I got whiplash from the amount of times she and Ryan got together and then she was mad at him for no reason. I liked Wren. But I was so confused by her actions.
This book was very sexy. Definitely too sexy for me. Also it was way too long. But that said I did enjoy Ryan and Wren together. And I did enjoy the behind the scenes looks at the dating show.
The ebook was obtained from kindle unlimited. Thank you for the audiobook Dreamscape Media and netgalley.
This is a review of the ebook and audiobook. The audiobook is performed by Raven Wildewood and David Lane.
This is a hockey romance/brother’s best friend spicy romance set on a dating reality show.
The couple is Ryan and Wren. He is a hockey player. She is his friend Jay’s off limits younger sister.
I did like the premise. I liked that he was a top hockey player. And I thought that the concept of him on a dating show was fun.
The audiobook is done with dual narration. Both Raven Wildewood and David Lane were good. However the female audiobook reader was faster than the male. I listened at 1.5. But could easily have done 1.7 for him.
I enjoyed that some serious issues were included. Ryan’s mom abandoned him and his sister. And they struggled, which was mentioned. And it explains a lot of his behaviors.
I liked the Bachelor type reality show. However there was a problem with continuity. Contestants were eliminated but then mistakenly reappeared. This was confusing.
I did not like how hot and cold Wren was. I got whiplash from the amount of times she and Ryan got together and then she was mad at him for no reason. I liked Wren. But I was so confused by her actions.
This book was very sexy. Definitely too sexy for me. Also it was way too long. But that said I did enjoy Ryan and Wren together. And I did enjoy the behind the scenes looks at the dating show.
The ebook was obtained from kindle unlimited. Thank you for the audiobook Dreamscape Media and netgalley.
January 30, 2026
This book was very horny, especially for having a virgin MC. I really expected a lot more buildup of Nemesis antics, but feel like all the times they disliked each other or bantered happened before the book started, because they were mostly just pining and nice to each other during the story. But more importantly they started making out and then banging really, really quickly. Like at 80% I thought the book must be about to conclude because the relationship seemed done evolving.
The last minute breakup felt more contrived than normal thanks to the game show setup, and very silly in the miscommunication. But it wasn't offensive, and fairly standard for the genre.
Overall I found my interest flagging at the end but was enjoying the beginning.
Does he wear a Henley?:
The last minute breakup felt more contrived than normal thanks to the game show setup, and very silly in the miscommunication. But it wasn't offensive, and fairly standard for the genre.
Overall I found my interest flagging at the end but was enjoying the beginning.
Does he wear a Henley?:
January 28, 2026
I think the beginning was quite interesting, but then it all became very confusing and in the end I just wanted it to be over. Maybe I'm not into reality TV enough to appreciate the background, but in my opinion it needed some good editing.
Credo che la parte iniziale fosse abbastanza interessante, poi peró diventa tutto molto confuso e alla fine volevo solo che finisse. Forse non sono molto dentro la reality tv per apprezzare il background, ma secondo me ci sarebbe stato bisogno di un buon editing.
Credo che la parte iniziale fosse abbastanza interessante, poi peró diventa tutto molto confuso e alla fine volevo solo che finisse. Forse non sono molto dentro la reality tv per apprezzare il background, ma secondo me ci sarebbe stato bisogno di un buon editing.
January 26, 2026
3 reasons to read Say Yes to the Nemesis:
* 🍿 Sweet and easy to read- a true popcorn book in the best way.
* 🤵♂️The MMC felt fleshed out and realistic. I usually don’t like a dual POV book, but this one worked for me.
* 👩🏻❤️💋👨🏼 Bachelor meets Heated Rivalry (not really, but he *is* a hockey player. )
What I liked:
* 🧮 the formulaic nature of the dating show as the framework of the story.
* 👩🏻❤️👨🏼 The good times in the relationship. I loved the FMC and the MMC when they were happy together.
* 🧍♂️The MMC - I often don’t like split POV books because the man doesn’t feel real or fully fleshed out. This time he did!
* 🔊 The narrators- the man was perfect. The person voicing Wren felt a little young in contrast to the deep voice of the person voicing Ryan at first, but I got used to it. I really enjoyed their performance
What I didn’t like:
* 🤨 sometimes it felt like I was missing something. It felt like there was time missing between the pov switches.
* 🔚 The end got away from me a little bit. From the romantic get away date forward felt a little confusing and like the characters were not on the same page.
* 🦋 I didn’t like his nickname for her. That’s a completely personal preference though. But I did get butterflies when he called her sweetheart.
Characters 3/5 - a little generic but above average
Setting 3/5 - I wanted more from the dating show framework but above average overall.
Writing 3/5 - nothing ground breaking with a few things that fell flat, but overall, well done.
Plot 4/5 - I love the plot devices and overall themes of the story.
Narration 4.5/5 nearly perfect. The performances definitely elevated the story.
Overall 3.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the arc!
* 🍿 Sweet and easy to read- a true popcorn book in the best way.
* 🤵♂️The MMC felt fleshed out and realistic. I usually don’t like a dual POV book, but this one worked for me.
* 👩🏻❤️💋👨🏼 Bachelor meets Heated Rivalry (not really, but he *is* a hockey player. )
What I liked:
* 🧮 the formulaic nature of the dating show as the framework of the story.
* 👩🏻❤️👨🏼 The good times in the relationship. I loved the FMC and the MMC when they were happy together.
* 🧍♂️The MMC - I often don’t like split POV books because the man doesn’t feel real or fully fleshed out. This time he did!
* 🔊 The narrators- the man was perfect. The person voicing Wren felt a little young in contrast to the deep voice of the person voicing Ryan at first, but I got used to it. I really enjoyed their performance
What I didn’t like:
* 🤨 sometimes it felt like I was missing something. It felt like there was time missing between the pov switches.
* 🔚 The end got away from me a little bit. From the romantic get away date forward felt a little confusing and like the characters were not on the same page.
* 🦋 I didn’t like his nickname for her. That’s a completely personal preference though. But I did get butterflies when he called her sweetheart.
Characters 3/5 - a little generic but above average
Setting 3/5 - I wanted more from the dating show framework but above average overall.
Writing 3/5 - nothing ground breaking with a few things that fell flat, but overall, well done.
Plot 4/5 - I love the plot devices and overall themes of the story.
Narration 4.5/5 nearly perfect. The performances definitely elevated the story.
Overall 3.5/5
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the arc!
February 3, 2026
Let me start by saying the idea of this book is cute. Two people who can't stand each other fall in love on a dating show, great concept. But that's not what's happening at all. Without going into spoiler-territory, nemesis is not the word to describe the bond within Wren and Ryan. They do not hate each other, the most they do is banter and even that only happens one scene. Same with the show, you expect that most of the book would center around the show, but for some reason, this datingshow decides that there are breaks. I'm pretty sure part of the thrill of realityshows is that people do weird things when "locked up", giving them breaks is weird. The story is also verrryy long with a lot of repetition.
I listened to the audiobook, which was fun. The narrators do a good job acting out the story. It was quite noticable that the female voice spoke faster than the male voice, which can be tricky when deciding at what speed you want to listen. But if you don't mind that, the audiobook would be fun to try.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing the audiobook!
I listened to the audiobook, which was fun. The narrators do a good job acting out the story. It was quite noticable that the female voice spoke faster than the male voice, which can be tricky when deciding at what speed you want to listen. But if you don't mind that, the audiobook would be fun to try.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing the audiobook!
January 26, 2026
Rivals to lovers
Bachelor show theme
Brothers best friend
Age gap
Dual POV - 1st person
Dual narration - David Lane & Raven Wildewood
Great performance from these two.
I won’t lie the cover is what drew me into this. I am a sucker for an adorable cover. I did enjoy the audiobook. There were points I found myself missing pieces not sure if I was zoning out or if there was jumps in the switching in POVs.
The story follows Ryan a hockey player that agrees to be the bachelor on a dating show and Wren his best friends sister that he doesn’t get along with. It’s tension filled between these two.
I feel like this had major potential to be an amazing book but it fell flat at points. Overall, I would say it is an easy and sweet low angst book.
Bachelor show theme
Brothers best friend
Age gap
Dual POV - 1st person
Dual narration - David Lane & Raven Wildewood
Great performance from these two.
I won’t lie the cover is what drew me into this. I am a sucker for an adorable cover. I did enjoy the audiobook. There were points I found myself missing pieces not sure if I was zoning out or if there was jumps in the switching in POVs.
The story follows Ryan a hockey player that agrees to be the bachelor on a dating show and Wren his best friends sister that he doesn’t get along with. It’s tension filled between these two.
I feel like this had major potential to be an amazing book but it fell flat at points. Overall, I would say it is an easy and sweet low angst book.
January 28, 2026
This one started off fun. A young woman gets casted on a reality show where 12 women are trying to win the heart of a man she already knows and hates (secretly likes very much).
Halfway through the story, however, the plot started falling apart for me. Information became inconsistent. Events weren't lining up. The chapters began to sound like summaries.
The characters were okay, though. It was nice to read a story that didn't involve a mega super alpha man who only flirted and talked about sex. This MMC actually had feelings.
Thank you NetGalley and Vivian Wood for allowing me the opportunity to read this story!
Halfway through the story, however, the plot started falling apart for me. Information became inconsistent. Events weren't lining up. The chapters began to sound like summaries.
The characters were okay, though. It was nice to read a story that didn't involve a mega super alpha man who only flirted and talked about sex. This MMC actually had feelings.
Thank you NetGalley and Vivian Wood for allowing me the opportunity to read this story!
February 1, 2026
Gotta say this was one fun ride!!! Hockey, reality tv, and romance! Umm yes please! Was this perfectly written probably not but I enjoyed my time and it didn’t let me get bored so points for that!
August 19, 2025
I read this book to the finish to see if it would ever get better. It didn’t. there were a lot of inconsistencies. I had to page back and reread previous sections thinking I missed something. One of the chapters described three roses on the platter but as the chapter progressed he only gave out one rose. Some of the contest contestants were miss named.
I have really enjoyed this author’s other titles but this one fell flat.
I have really enjoyed this author’s other titles but this one fell flat.
August 22, 2025
“You were never invisible to me” Alllllll the feels!!!
SAY YES TO THE NEMESIS is the second stand-a-lone book in the WILDFLOWER LANE series from Author Vivian Wood, and from the start carried a weightier air about it which was lightened however by the crackly intense atmosphere between Ryan and Wren. These two have known each other for years and we soon learn that feelings have been hidden V-E-R-Y deeply on both sides.
He carried the burden of abandonment and financial insecurity, while she struggled under the weight of invisibility.
We met Wren in THE ACCIDENTAL HONEYMOON where, as Jay Rustin's sister she very much disappeared into the shadow of her larger-than-life older brother. In SAY YES TO THE NEMESIS, she was shoe-horned, complete with makeover and into front and centre of the dating show, and under the ever-watchful gaze of Batchelor Ryan. It was a wonderful thing to hear her thoughts as she rose like a phoenix from the dark invisibility she'd previously made home. Ms Wood wrote her beautifully.
Hockey star Ryan Haart was the typical easily available male character, and was Jay's best friend. His goal was to remain current and financial. It didn't matter how much money he'd put away, the security never seemed to be enough. Even though Jay and Wren had know Jay and his sister for years, they never appreciated the childhood they'd had growing up.
These were like spark and tinder. Ms Wood did them both well in the development of their characters through the thrust and parry these two had going on. Thrust-insult, parry-return fire, and at the end of their interactions, both parties needed to take time to catalogue their wounds in secret. Wren was unaware how close to the truth her biting comments cut to the bone of his fears and while she carried her own insecurities, it was Ryan who had most of my sympathies. This back and forth was succinctly written as tiring for them both, even as they each hid an relinquished desire and forbidden attraction for the other.
First off, my sympathies lay with Ryan, but as I read my way through and got to know Wren more, every insecurity she exposed made me realise just how much of a stranglehold they had on her. I loved the chemistry that only grew more intense! There was so much to love and so many words that caught my attention, and if I wasn't careful, I’d end up quoting the whole book!
The forced proximity of the dating show meant there was no respite for either of them even as the forbidden attraction began to weigh on them. We all know the format of these shows so check this Ice Skating Date scene;
“Wren clings to the wall like she’s negotiating a hostage situation. Every time I skate past her, she glares like I personally invented ice just to ruin her day. I live for it. The glares. The huffing. The fact that she’s clearly thinking about me. It’s better than silence. Better than being ignored. I’ll take her anger over her absence any day.”
Whoa, insecurity, fear and what he ultimately wants. Wren. Every combative bit of her even as he was convinced she looked down on him and loathed him, his want for her was evident. And that first kiss moment, one of my favourites in any book where only a few stand out, their first kiss very much did. A public kiss no less, where the world ceased to exist around them, and Ms Wood absolutely nailed it.
Ms Wood kept the tension climbing throughout the book and I was reading through, knowing that the proverbial doo-doo is about to hit the fan, then life happened, and I was dragged away from the dam book putting the hates on who or whatever dare disturbed me.
From laughter to tears, Ms Woods kept my attention piqued. I loved the vulnerability both Ryan and Wren put out there, even as they lived in fear of hurt. This was one beautifully written book. I've been a long-time reader of Author Vivian Wood, and with each release I love her writing more. ACCIDENTAL HONEYMOON and SAY YES TO THE NEMESIS just proves how her writing talent crosses over from Alpha Bad Boys into the world of Rom Coms where the male lead is still every bit an Alpha but lives very much on the legal side of life. 5-all-th-feels-romantic-Stars🩷💙✦
#fbombromancereads #mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #bookreview #marnsreads #marnsj
SAY YES TO THE NEMESIS is the second stand-a-lone book in the WILDFLOWER LANE series from Author Vivian Wood, and from the start carried a weightier air about it which was lightened however by the crackly intense atmosphere between Ryan and Wren. These two have known each other for years and we soon learn that feelings have been hidden V-E-R-Y deeply on both sides.
He carried the burden of abandonment and financial insecurity, while she struggled under the weight of invisibility.
We met Wren in THE ACCIDENTAL HONEYMOON where, as Jay Rustin's sister she very much disappeared into the shadow of her larger-than-life older brother. In SAY YES TO THE NEMESIS, she was shoe-horned, complete with makeover and into front and centre of the dating show, and under the ever-watchful gaze of Batchelor Ryan. It was a wonderful thing to hear her thoughts as she rose like a phoenix from the dark invisibility she'd previously made home. Ms Wood wrote her beautifully.
Hockey star Ryan Haart was the typical easily available male character, and was Jay's best friend. His goal was to remain current and financial. It didn't matter how much money he'd put away, the security never seemed to be enough. Even though Jay and Wren had know Jay and his sister for years, they never appreciated the childhood they'd had growing up.
These were like spark and tinder. Ms Wood did them both well in the development of their characters through the thrust and parry these two had going on. Thrust-insult, parry-return fire, and at the end of their interactions, both parties needed to take time to catalogue their wounds in secret. Wren was unaware how close to the truth her biting comments cut to the bone of his fears and while she carried her own insecurities, it was Ryan who had most of my sympathies. This back and forth was succinctly written as tiring for them both, even as they each hid an relinquished desire and forbidden attraction for the other.
First off, my sympathies lay with Ryan, but as I read my way through and got to know Wren more, every insecurity she exposed made me realise just how much of a stranglehold they had on her. I loved the chemistry that only grew more intense! There was so much to love and so many words that caught my attention, and if I wasn't careful, I’d end up quoting the whole book!
The forced proximity of the dating show meant there was no respite for either of them even as the forbidden attraction began to weigh on them. We all know the format of these shows so check this Ice Skating Date scene;
“Wren clings to the wall like she’s negotiating a hostage situation. Every time I skate past her, she glares like I personally invented ice just to ruin her day. I live for it. The glares. The huffing. The fact that she’s clearly thinking about me. It’s better than silence. Better than being ignored. I’ll take her anger over her absence any day.”
Whoa, insecurity, fear and what he ultimately wants. Wren. Every combative bit of her even as he was convinced she looked down on him and loathed him, his want for her was evident. And that first kiss moment, one of my favourites in any book where only a few stand out, their first kiss very much did. A public kiss no less, where the world ceased to exist around them, and Ms Wood absolutely nailed it.
Ms Wood kept the tension climbing throughout the book and I was reading through, knowing that the proverbial doo-doo is about to hit the fan, then life happened, and I was dragged away from the dam book putting the hates on who or whatever dare disturbed me.
From laughter to tears, Ms Woods kept my attention piqued. I loved the vulnerability both Ryan and Wren put out there, even as they lived in fear of hurt. This was one beautifully written book. I've been a long-time reader of Author Vivian Wood, and with each release I love her writing more. ACCIDENTAL HONEYMOON and SAY YES TO THE NEMESIS just proves how her writing talent crosses over from Alpha Bad Boys into the world of Rom Coms where the male lead is still every bit an Alpha but lives very much on the legal side of life. 5-all-th-feels-romantic-Stars🩷💙✦
#fbombromancereads #mumsalwaysreading #bookblogger #bookreviewer #bookreview #marnsreads #marnsj
January 25, 2026
Say Yes to the Nemesis has all the makings of a really fun book, but the execution was unfortunately lacking.
I did enjoy the characters of Wren and Ryan, and their love for each other was sweet, but I didn't particularly care about either of them individually. He was a good MMC but the age gap between them felt slightly icky. As the kid sister to his best friend, they met when she was 12 and he was 20. He makes a comment that he didn't actually find her attractive until she conveniently turned 18, but then a couple scenes later mentions how he's "always noticed her"? Feels a little off. This could have easily been remedied by either making the gap smaller so the attraction to her at the younger age was more reasonable or just having them being older at the time of this story, so as to allow them to have more time and experience together with her being a legally acceptable age.
The reality show backdrop was criminally under-utilized. Honestly, at times, I forgot they were even on one because the logistics of this "bachelor" show were so far-fetched, given the timeline and lack of stringent guidelines for the contentants to follow. Also, the other contestants were barely in this book. I get that we obviously want to follow the romance of our protagonist couple, but if we're at a reality dating show, this man needs to be at least actually having dates with these other women or showing even a modicum of interest in them. There needs to be tension and higher stakes about whether or not our MMC is actually falling for our FMC. Instead, the two of them are ridiculously obviously into each other for the entire duration of the show, with him paying little to no attention to ANY of the other ladies, and then you want me to believe that our FMC honestly thought that he wasn't going to pick her? He literally didn't spend enough time with another girl to give the inking that maybe she's justified in that insecurity. And don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of MMCs being with other women, but this is a REALITY DATING SHOW and he's not spending time with any of them?! I honestly couldn't tell you any the personality traits of any of the girls, or even really their names, because we barely saw them enough for me to care about them as characters. I just felt like if you're going to use this backdrop for your story, use it to it's fullest potential, or at the very least make the logistics of the show make sense. They were constantly off camera and sneaking off. You're telling me that no one noticed...ever? We only really were within the parameters of the reality show when it was convenient to excuse them spending more time together. Putting this story line on a different forced-proximity backdrop probably would've landed better for me.
The book also needed some major whittling down. It was at least four hours too long and dragged incredibly. If I hadn't received this as an ALC, I very likely would have DNF'd after the first time I asked myself how much longer was in the book, which unfortunately was around the 40% mark.
In regards to the audiobook, the narrators did a phenomenal job. Both had great voices for the characters and played the story well.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
I did enjoy the characters of Wren and Ryan, and their love for each other was sweet, but I didn't particularly care about either of them individually. He was a good MMC but the age gap between them felt slightly icky. As the kid sister to his best friend, they met when she was 12 and he was 20. He makes a comment that he didn't actually find her attractive until she conveniently turned 18, but then a couple scenes later mentions how he's "always noticed her"? Feels a little off. This could have easily been remedied by either making the gap smaller so the attraction to her at the younger age was more reasonable or just having them being older at the time of this story, so as to allow them to have more time and experience together with her being a legally acceptable age.
The reality show backdrop was criminally under-utilized. Honestly, at times, I forgot they were even on one because the logistics of this "bachelor" show were so far-fetched, given the timeline and lack of stringent guidelines for the contentants to follow. Also, the other contestants were barely in this book. I get that we obviously want to follow the romance of our protagonist couple, but if we're at a reality dating show, this man needs to be at least actually having dates with these other women or showing even a modicum of interest in them. There needs to be tension and higher stakes about whether or not our MMC is actually falling for our FMC. Instead, the two of them are ridiculously obviously into each other for the entire duration of the show, with him paying little to no attention to ANY of the other ladies, and then you want me to believe that our FMC honestly thought that he wasn't going to pick her? He literally didn't spend enough time with another girl to give the inking that maybe she's justified in that insecurity. And don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of MMCs being with other women, but this is a REALITY DATING SHOW and he's not spending time with any of them?! I honestly couldn't tell you any the personality traits of any of the girls, or even really their names, because we barely saw them enough for me to care about them as characters. I just felt like if you're going to use this backdrop for your story, use it to it's fullest potential, or at the very least make the logistics of the show make sense. They were constantly off camera and sneaking off. You're telling me that no one noticed...ever? We only really were within the parameters of the reality show when it was convenient to excuse them spending more time together. Putting this story line on a different forced-proximity backdrop probably would've landed better for me.
The book also needed some major whittling down. It was at least four hours too long and dragged incredibly. If I hadn't received this as an ALC, I very likely would have DNF'd after the first time I asked myself how much longer was in the book, which unfortunately was around the 40% mark.
In regards to the audiobook, the narrators did a phenomenal job. Both had great voices for the characters and played the story well.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
February 5, 2026
Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and left voluntarily.
Story: 3,5⭐️
Narrators: 5⭐️
Average: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Brother’s best friend/Best friend’s little sister
- Forced proximity
- Workplace
- Reality TV romance
- Makeover
- Hockey romance
- Secret relationship
I basically liked the plot: two participants in a reality TV bachelor show who have known each other for ages in real life and love to hate each other, even though they have a secret crush on each other. He is a commitment-phobic NHL player, she is the nerdy, shy and virgin younger sister of his best friend, who lives in the shadow of her famous brother and suddenly finds herself in the spotlight. The enemies-to-lovers tension is strong, the attraction, the sizzling chemistry between them and the inner turmoil are palpable, and I really enjoyed their banter and bickering. And the story confirmed once again why I don't like reality shows and don't watch them. The narrators (Raven Wildewood and David Lane) were very good and did a great job of conveying the personalities, emotions and atmosphere. But the story became confusing over time. They were already in a secret relationship and even if they couldn't express their feelings clearly, it was obvious. So Wren's cold-warm attitude and constant questioning of what was fake and what was real got on my nerves. I re-listened to some chapters to check if I had missed anything, but that wasn't the case. All in all, the plot is emotional and spicy, with great imagery and great character development, but in my opinion it needs to be revised again.
During his holidays, commitment-phobic NHL player Ryan Haart agrees to take part in a reality show as a bachelor for financial and PR reasons.
Wren Rustin is the little sister of a famous influencer who has always worked in her brother's shadow. Now the shy, invisible woman has the opportunity to participate as a production assistant on a reality show, but she is repulsed by the fact that the bachelor is her brother's best friend, who has teased and tormented her since childhood and whom she has had a crush on for a long time. When one of the contestants drops out, she is asked to fill in for her and receives a complete makeover. Suddenly, she is no longer the shy little mouse, but a sassy punk girl who stands up to Ryan. Sparks begin to fly between them, and soon the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred for them. However, their relationship must remain secret due to the show and her brother, in order to avoid complications...
Story: 3,5⭐️
Narrators: 5⭐️
Average: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
- Enemies to lovers
- Brother’s best friend/Best friend’s little sister
- Forced proximity
- Workplace
- Reality TV romance
- Makeover
- Hockey romance
- Secret relationship
I basically liked the plot: two participants in a reality TV bachelor show who have known each other for ages in real life and love to hate each other, even though they have a secret crush on each other. He is a commitment-phobic NHL player, she is the nerdy, shy and virgin younger sister of his best friend, who lives in the shadow of her famous brother and suddenly finds herself in the spotlight. The enemies-to-lovers tension is strong, the attraction, the sizzling chemistry between them and the inner turmoil are palpable, and I really enjoyed their banter and bickering. And the story confirmed once again why I don't like reality shows and don't watch them. The narrators (Raven Wildewood and David Lane) were very good and did a great job of conveying the personalities, emotions and atmosphere. But the story became confusing over time. They were already in a secret relationship and even if they couldn't express their feelings clearly, it was obvious. So Wren's cold-warm attitude and constant questioning of what was fake and what was real got on my nerves. I re-listened to some chapters to check if I had missed anything, but that wasn't the case. All in all, the plot is emotional and spicy, with great imagery and great character development, but in my opinion it needs to be revised again.
During his holidays, commitment-phobic NHL player Ryan Haart agrees to take part in a reality show as a bachelor for financial and PR reasons.
Wren Rustin is the little sister of a famous influencer who has always worked in her brother's shadow. Now the shy, invisible woman has the opportunity to participate as a production assistant on a reality show, but she is repulsed by the fact that the bachelor is her brother's best friend, who has teased and tormented her since childhood and whom she has had a crush on for a long time. When one of the contestants drops out, she is asked to fill in for her and receives a complete makeover. Suddenly, she is no longer the shy little mouse, but a sassy punk girl who stands up to Ryan. Sparks begin to fly between them, and soon the line between fiction and reality becomes blurred for them. However, their relationship must remain secret due to the show and her brother, in order to avoid complications...
February 11, 2026
3⭐️ I’ve been really enjoying the bachelor/bachelorette tv show type stories. Elements of Say Yes to the Nemesis were good, but I did want a little more. The tension was good in moments but it was very short lived as the characters acted on their wants very quickly. I tend to enjoy more of a build up like a slow burn. Ryan going from a player to more of a softy wanting a family was sweet. I loved that Wren was the nerd with substance that was forced to be apart of the show. 4.5⭐️ Narration from Raven Wildewood and David Lane. They definitely became the characters. There’s a lot of emotional highs and lows which are so well portrayed. Ryan’s character had a life of nothing growing up and struggles with feeling satisfied with his financial stability.
Synopsis:
Ryan is a hotshot hockey player and Wren’s big brother’s best friend. He has always tormented her mercilessly, making shy, geeky Wren feel like she could never measure up to his effortless cool. She’s loathed him for it...even while secretly nursing a pesky crush on him for years.
When Wren lands her dream job as an executive producer on a dating reality show, she’s thrilled. But then disaster strikes. First, she’s forced to fill in as one of the bachelorettes on the show. Second, the bachelor they’re all competing for? None other than sexy, villainous Ryan.
The producers, delighted by their antagonistic chemistry, sweeten the deal with a big promotion if Wren plays their vapid TV game to win. Forced into close quarters and increasingly ridiculous dates, Wren grits her teeth and pretends to be in love with her worst enemy.
But no one warned her about the dates. The hand-holding. The roses. The hot and heavy make outs. The sneaking around to avoid cameras when the teasing becomes too much. Or the way Ryan looked at her like she was the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen.
He’s leaning into their fiery banter with what feels like genuine heat. But is it all for the cameras? Or could their adversarial relationship finally ignite into something real?
Thank you to the author, @netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook.
Synopsis:
Ryan is a hotshot hockey player and Wren’s big brother’s best friend. He has always tormented her mercilessly, making shy, geeky Wren feel like she could never measure up to his effortless cool. She’s loathed him for it...even while secretly nursing a pesky crush on him for years.
When Wren lands her dream job as an executive producer on a dating reality show, she’s thrilled. But then disaster strikes. First, she’s forced to fill in as one of the bachelorettes on the show. Second, the bachelor they’re all competing for? None other than sexy, villainous Ryan.
The producers, delighted by their antagonistic chemistry, sweeten the deal with a big promotion if Wren plays their vapid TV game to win. Forced into close quarters and increasingly ridiculous dates, Wren grits her teeth and pretends to be in love with her worst enemy.
But no one warned her about the dates. The hand-holding. The roses. The hot and heavy make outs. The sneaking around to avoid cameras when the teasing becomes too much. Or the way Ryan looked at her like she was the most breathtaking woman he’d ever seen.
He’s leaning into their fiery banter with what feels like genuine heat. But is it all for the cameras? Or could their adversarial relationship finally ignite into something real?
Thank you to the author, @netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook.
January 25, 2026
1✨ 2🌶️
I was so excited for this one- the concept is cute!!! Our FMC is an executive producer (maybe? We'll circle back to that) for a dating show and her older brother's best friend is the famous hockey player bachelor looking for love. When the network's plant contestant doesn't show up- our FMC is thrown into the show to help control the narrative.
The issue here is in the execution. Now I'm not sure if this is co-written or if it's AI-assisted but even the writing style itself felt inconsistent and it definitely wasn't read through in it's entirety and edited. There are so many plot issues and contradictions that it made for a pretty miserable and irritating read.
First she's a production assistant who just scored her first job on a TV show. A few scenes later they says she's the executive producer. The logistics for the show aren't thought our or consistent and make it hard to follow. Are they contained in a The Bachelor kind of scenario or can they come and go as they please? You don't know and neither does the author.
The spicy scenes feel forced and over done. It felt like anytime the plot wasn't making sense- they're suddenly intimate and then we move on.
There's an age gap (7 or 8 years?) that comes and goes at the whims of the author. Need to put distance between them? She's so young and innocent and virginal. Trying to build a foundation for their relationship? And he "always noticed her growing up". With their established age gap- there is no appropriate point at which he should have noticed her "growing up". When he was 16, she was 8. When he was 18, she was 10. 🤮🤢
There relationship is also very hot and cold- also just at the whim of the author move the broken plot.
This could have been great but it really needed extensive re-working. It literally feels like you're having a stroke when you're reading it.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ALC. My opinions are my own 💕
I was so excited for this one- the concept is cute!!! Our FMC is an executive producer (maybe? We'll circle back to that) for a dating show and her older brother's best friend is the famous hockey player bachelor looking for love. When the network's plant contestant doesn't show up- our FMC is thrown into the show to help control the narrative.
The issue here is in the execution. Now I'm not sure if this is co-written or if it's AI-assisted but even the writing style itself felt inconsistent and it definitely wasn't read through in it's entirety and edited. There are so many plot issues and contradictions that it made for a pretty miserable and irritating read.
First she's a production assistant who just scored her first job on a TV show. A few scenes later they says she's the executive producer. The logistics for the show aren't thought our or consistent and make it hard to follow. Are they contained in a The Bachelor kind of scenario or can they come and go as they please? You don't know and neither does the author.
The spicy scenes feel forced and over done. It felt like anytime the plot wasn't making sense- they're suddenly intimate and then we move on.
There's an age gap (7 or 8 years?) that comes and goes at the whims of the author. Need to put distance between them? She's so young and innocent and virginal. Trying to build a foundation for their relationship? And he "always noticed her growing up". With their established age gap- there is no appropriate point at which he should have noticed her "growing up". When he was 16, she was 8. When he was 18, she was 10. 🤮🤢
There relationship is also very hot and cold- also just at the whim of the author move the broken plot.
This could have been great but it really needed extensive re-working. It literally feels like you're having a stroke when you're reading it.
Thank you, NetGalley for the ALC. My opinions are my own 💕
February 5, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for ARC.
A hockey star agrees to be the next bachelor only to find his best friend's sassy little sister as one of the contestants.
Good premise but terribly executed. Between the lack of meaningful character development (first he's a bully then he's "always seen her") and hot and cold and repetitive internal monologues (and external), crushing insecurity and inconsistencies, this was frankly a bad book.
Ren's girl crush boss turns into an evil mastermind. Ryan goes from defensive player (explicitly stated in the early Bachelor introduction) to playing attacker in a charity match. Random pointless scenes which drove neither plot nor character development.
The first quarter of the book wasn't bad, the first couple of spicy scenes weren't bad- until there was just constant horn dog repetition.
Ryan calling her Squirt (as in a nickname for an annoying kid) during sex scenes was frankly cringey.
The initial "keep it in your pants" from Ren's brother Jay frankly comes out of nowhere acting only as an excuse for Ryan to flip flop over whether he should pursue Ren or not. For Jay to not matter until 90% through the book once the actual story is resolved and we get this extended sort of epilogue where suddenly he's a total dick to both Ren and Ryan... why? What is the point of that?
Honestly, this is probably the worst book I've read in full (as opposed to DNF) in the last few years. I think I only finished due to it being audiobook I could listen to while doing other stuff. If I were reading a physical copy I don't think I would have finished this.
Narrators of the audiobook actually did a good job, although the female narrator spoke significantly faster than the male narrator which had me switching up playback speed.
I would not recommend this book to my friends.
A hockey star agrees to be the next bachelor only to find his best friend's sassy little sister as one of the contestants.
Good premise but terribly executed. Between the lack of meaningful character development (first he's a bully then he's "always seen her") and hot and cold and repetitive internal monologues (and external), crushing insecurity and inconsistencies, this was frankly a bad book.
Ren's girl crush boss turns into an evil mastermind. Ryan goes from defensive player (explicitly stated in the early Bachelor introduction) to playing attacker in a charity match. Random pointless scenes which drove neither plot nor character development.
The first quarter of the book wasn't bad, the first couple of spicy scenes weren't bad- until there was just constant horn dog repetition.
Ryan calling her Squirt (as in a nickname for an annoying kid) during sex scenes was frankly cringey.
The initial "keep it in your pants" from Ren's brother Jay frankly comes out of nowhere acting only as an excuse for Ryan to flip flop over whether he should pursue Ren or not. For Jay to not matter until 90% through the book once the actual story is resolved and we get this extended sort of epilogue where suddenly he's a total dick to both Ren and Ryan... why? What is the point of that?
Honestly, this is probably the worst book I've read in full (as opposed to DNF) in the last few years. I think I only finished due to it being audiobook I could listen to while doing other stuff. If I were reading a physical copy I don't think I would have finished this.
Narrators of the audiobook actually did a good job, although the female narrator spoke significantly faster than the male narrator which had me switching up playback speed.
I would not recommend this book to my friends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2025
“Ryan is my tormentor. My almost bully. He’s also the guy I’ve never gotten over.”
Say Yes to the Nemesis was an absolute delight! I was instantly hooked by Ryan and Wren’s fiery, adversarial dynamic—their push-and-pull tension and razor-sharp banter had me grinning from page one to the final chapter.
“You’ve always been the one I couldn’t forget. There’s never been a version of my life where you didn’t matter.”
These two have always been at each other’s throats, but when Wren signs on to be a producer for Ryan’s reality dating show and unexpectedly ends up cast as one of the bachelorettes, their long-buried feelings are forced into the spotlight. In a world built for the cameras, though, how do you know what’s real and what’s just for show?
“You make me feel brave. You treat me like I matter. And most of all, when I’m with you, I feel…seen.”
Both Wren and Ryan are beautifully flawed, each carrying emotional baggage that makes vulnerability feel like a risk too big to take. Wren, long overshadowed by her brother, struggles to be truly seen—but Ryan has always seen her. Meanwhile, Ryan’s fear of abandonment and poverty drives his every move, yet his love for Wren pushes him to confront the ghosts of his past.
“You are worth every complication, every risk, every consequence that comes with this.”
Watching them face their fears and slowly let each other in was pure magic. Their chemistry crackled, their banter sparkled, and their emotional journey was deeply satisfying. With snark, flirtation, and heart in equal measure, Say Yes to the Nemesis is a rom-com gem that’s impossible to put down.
Say Yes to the Nemesis was an absolute delight! I was instantly hooked by Ryan and Wren’s fiery, adversarial dynamic—their push-and-pull tension and razor-sharp banter had me grinning from page one to the final chapter.
“You’ve always been the one I couldn’t forget. There’s never been a version of my life where you didn’t matter.”
These two have always been at each other’s throats, but when Wren signs on to be a producer for Ryan’s reality dating show and unexpectedly ends up cast as one of the bachelorettes, their long-buried feelings are forced into the spotlight. In a world built for the cameras, though, how do you know what’s real and what’s just for show?
“You make me feel brave. You treat me like I matter. And most of all, when I’m with you, I feel…seen.”
Both Wren and Ryan are beautifully flawed, each carrying emotional baggage that makes vulnerability feel like a risk too big to take. Wren, long overshadowed by her brother, struggles to be truly seen—but Ryan has always seen her. Meanwhile, Ryan’s fear of abandonment and poverty drives his every move, yet his love for Wren pushes him to confront the ghosts of his past.
“You are worth every complication, every risk, every consequence that comes with this.”
Watching them face their fears and slowly let each other in was pure magic. Their chemistry crackled, their banter sparkled, and their emotional journey was deeply satisfying. With snark, flirtation, and heart in equal measure, Say Yes to the Nemesis is a rom-com gem that’s impossible to put down.
February 10, 2026
Audiobook Review: Say Yes to the Nemesis by Vivian Wood
Narrated by Raven Wildewood & David Lane
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this one with my ears—I really enjoyed it.
This was my first hockey romance, and I went in a little unsure how I’d feel about it. I’m not particularly a fan of hockey or reality dating shows… but give me a book, and I’m in. And honestly? This one won me over. Think hockey meets The Bachelor with enemies-to-lovers energy, forced proximity, and plenty of spice.
I didn’t realize at first that this was Book #2, but I never felt lost or like I was missing important context from the first book. It worked perfectly well as a standalone, which I appreciated.
The dynamic between Wren and Ryan was fun and fiery. Childhood nemesis, big brother’s best friend, reality show chaos—it all made for entertaining tension. The banter was strong, the chemistry felt earned, and the spice was just right (definitely spicy, but not overwhelming). I also liked that Wren wasn’t just a passive participant—her career ambitions and internal growth added depth to the romance.
The dual narration was a big plus for me. Raven Wildewood and David Lane did a great job bringing the characters to life, and I always enjoy audiobooks where the male and female leads have their own narrators. It makes the story easier to follow and more immersive.
Overall, Say Yes to the Nemesis was a fun, spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance with a clever premise and great narration. It was also my first book by Vivian Wood, and it definitely won’t be my last. Even if hockey and dating shows aren’t your thing, this one might surprise you like it did me.
Narrated by Raven Wildewood & David Lane
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this one with my ears—I really enjoyed it.
This was my first hockey romance, and I went in a little unsure how I’d feel about it. I’m not particularly a fan of hockey or reality dating shows… but give me a book, and I’m in. And honestly? This one won me over. Think hockey meets The Bachelor with enemies-to-lovers energy, forced proximity, and plenty of spice.
I didn’t realize at first that this was Book #2, but I never felt lost or like I was missing important context from the first book. It worked perfectly well as a standalone, which I appreciated.
The dynamic between Wren and Ryan was fun and fiery. Childhood nemesis, big brother’s best friend, reality show chaos—it all made for entertaining tension. The banter was strong, the chemistry felt earned, and the spice was just right (definitely spicy, but not overwhelming). I also liked that Wren wasn’t just a passive participant—her career ambitions and internal growth added depth to the romance.
The dual narration was a big plus for me. Raven Wildewood and David Lane did a great job bringing the characters to life, and I always enjoy audiobooks where the male and female leads have their own narrators. It makes the story easier to follow and more immersive.
Overall, Say Yes to the Nemesis was a fun, spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance with a clever premise and great narration. It was also my first book by Vivian Wood, and it definitely won’t be my last. Even if hockey and dating shows aren’t your thing, this one might surprise you like it did me.
January 24, 2026
Ryan and Wren....such deep rooted insecurities that they ran up against for the ENTIRE book! Overall, this read was 5 stars, but I had moments of wanting to tear my hair out with their back and forth of not actually speaking their thoughts and holding back. We also have Jay, Wren's big brother and Ryan's best friend that they fear will blow up at them both and never let them have a HEA.
This book takes place during the filming of a reality dating show. Ryan is cast as the bachelor and Wren is working on the show production team, until they need her to fill the role of a bachelorette. The forced proximity and overall chemistry pulls Ryan and Wren into each other's orbit over and over. They can't deny the feelings developing between them, but what is real vs pretend for the sake of the show? However, all the forbidden spice is fantastic. But it takes extreme show tactics for Ryan to show Wren that she is worth everything to him.
Ryan and Wren have so much character growth throughout the book. Overcoming so much emotional baggage.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, author, and narrators for this advanced e-arc. There are some edits that need to be made with the show contestants, especially towards the end. Listing those who were still in the running but had already been eliminated, etc. However, minus those few issues, I really enjoyed the narrators and how it helped with the emotional pull of the circumstances of being on a reality dating show and the background drama.
This book takes place during the filming of a reality dating show. Ryan is cast as the bachelor and Wren is working on the show production team, until they need her to fill the role of a bachelorette. The forced proximity and overall chemistry pulls Ryan and Wren into each other's orbit over and over. They can't deny the feelings developing between them, but what is real vs pretend for the sake of the show? However, all the forbidden spice is fantastic. But it takes extreme show tactics for Ryan to show Wren that she is worth everything to him.
Ryan and Wren have so much character growth throughout the book. Overcoming so much emotional baggage.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, author, and narrators for this advanced e-arc. There are some edits that need to be made with the show contestants, especially towards the end. Listing those who were still in the running but had already been eliminated, etc. However, minus those few issues, I really enjoyed the narrators and how it helped with the emotional pull of the circumstances of being on a reality dating show and the background drama.
February 2, 2026
What’s It About: Ryan is a star professional hockey player. He is recruited to star as the bachelor looking for love in a reality TV show. Ryan isn’t thrilled to be part of the show, but he can’t pass up the money. There is only one problem…Wren. Wren is the younger sister of Ryan’s best friend and someone completely off limits. Wren also happens to be the new assistant producer on the show. When a contestant drops out, Wren must take on the role of a girl fighting for the hockey star’s love. As Ryan and Wren spend time together, complicated feelings emerge. Can these two find love?
Good: I am definitely in my hockey romance era. In the past few months, I have read a ridiculous amount of hockey romances (YA and adult). This book was a fun spin on the sports romance. Also, as someone who doesn’t watch reality TV, I really enjoy books about reality TV. Plus, the relationship between Ryan and Wren was adorable, filled with sweet moments and just the right amount of spicy. I liked how the author gradually evolved their attraction into genuine love. Their moments together are what makes the book work reading.
Bad: I was confused about the obstacle to their relationship. The reader is told repeatedly that Wren’s brother was the reason they couldn’t be together, but he didn’t seem like a real presence in either Wren’s or Ryan’s life. The final conflict that almost finished their relationship felt unnecessary. The pacing was another issue. The book is almost 500 pages long and didn’t need to be, story felt over when there was still two chapters left.
Bottom Line: Say Yes to the Nemesis is a cute romance with sizzling moments but at times it felt too long.
Who Should Read It: Fans of reality TV romances.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Good: I am definitely in my hockey romance era. In the past few months, I have read a ridiculous amount of hockey romances (YA and adult). This book was a fun spin on the sports romance. Also, as someone who doesn’t watch reality TV, I really enjoy books about reality TV. Plus, the relationship between Ryan and Wren was adorable, filled with sweet moments and just the right amount of spicy. I liked how the author gradually evolved their attraction into genuine love. Their moments together are what makes the book work reading.
Bad: I was confused about the obstacle to their relationship. The reader is told repeatedly that Wren’s brother was the reason they couldn’t be together, but he didn’t seem like a real presence in either Wren’s or Ryan’s life. The final conflict that almost finished their relationship felt unnecessary. The pacing was another issue. The book is almost 500 pages long and didn’t need to be, story felt over when there was still two chapters left.
Bottom Line: Say Yes to the Nemesis is a cute romance with sizzling moments but at times it felt too long.
Who Should Read It: Fans of reality TV romances.
I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 18, 2025
Ryan is a hotshot hockey player and Wren’s big brother - Jay's best friend. They live across the street from each other. They are about 8ish yrs older than Wren is. Jay has always told Ryan how much older they are than Wren is. We don't see Ryan's hockey teammates in the picture at all really.
Wren is a quiet shy girl. She doesn't like the limelight. She likes to be involved but she doesn't like being the center of attention at all. Wren lands her dream job as an executive producer on a dating reality show, she’s thrilled. But, then the producers realizes they are short one lady, and ask Wren to stand in on the show and be one of the dating contestants. When Jay finds out that Wren is on the same show as Jay he keeps telling her that he isn't right for her, and that he is bad news for her. Ryan is so much older than her she needs to stay away from him.
Around 60% or 70% the names of the contestants keep getting mixed up with who is in the rose ceremony vs who is in the house. Divya, Nikki, JacqLyn, Wren, they keep mixing up who is in the final 2 weeks and the final ceremony. Towards the end of the book, Ryan is supposed to go back to his house, and leave but is outside at the car when Wren leaves her brother's house. Not sure if that was meant to be he was waiting on her? I don't know if this was an ARC Copy error, and if it has been cleaned up or not?
I did receive a free ARC Copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.
Wren is a quiet shy girl. She doesn't like the limelight. She likes to be involved but she doesn't like being the center of attention at all. Wren lands her dream job as an executive producer on a dating reality show, she’s thrilled. But, then the producers realizes they are short one lady, and ask Wren to stand in on the show and be one of the dating contestants. When Jay finds out that Wren is on the same show as Jay he keeps telling her that he isn't right for her, and that he is bad news for her. Ryan is so much older than her she needs to stay away from him.
Around 60% or 70% the names of the contestants keep getting mixed up with who is in the rose ceremony vs who is in the house. Divya, Nikki, JacqLyn, Wren, they keep mixing up who is in the final 2 weeks and the final ceremony. Towards the end of the book, Ryan is supposed to go back to his house, and leave but is outside at the car when Wren leaves her brother's house. Not sure if that was meant to be he was waiting on her? I don't know if this was an ARC Copy error, and if it has been cleaned up or not?
I did receive a free ARC Copy of this book. I am freely leaving an honest review.
January 27, 2026
I listened to this book as an audio book - (told in dual POV) by Raven Wildewood & David Lane. The narrators did a fantastic job & I loved listening to the book!! I could not put it down.
I was hooked from the beginning & stayed up way too late to finish the book!! I was grinning the whole time...what a sweet, swoonworthy story!!
So many fun tropes:
*forbidden love (best friend's younger sister)
*enemies to lovers
*arranged relationship
*age gap (I agree with some that there wasn't a huge age gap here, but it was brought up as a reason they shouldn't be together)
I loved Ryan & Wren and the whole plot of the book - such a fun idea!!
I found this book to be a bit unique & different from normal "Bachelor/Bachelorette" type "shows/relationships" because they had some downtime periodically & were allowed to go home. They also had cell phones most of the time, which normally wouldn't happen. These couple differences were used in strategic ways in the book.
I also loved Ryan's history with food insecurity & how he volunteers at the food pantry & took the girls there on a group date. And his coach who adopted him & his sister and always made sure they had enough food. There should be more great mentors like that!!
Thanks to the author (Vivian Wood), narrators, publisher (Dreamscape Media) & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own. Reviews also shared on sites such as bookbub & goodreads.
I was hooked from the beginning & stayed up way too late to finish the book!! I was grinning the whole time...what a sweet, swoonworthy story!!
So many fun tropes:
*forbidden love (best friend's younger sister)
*enemies to lovers
*arranged relationship
*age gap (I agree with some that there wasn't a huge age gap here, but it was brought up as a reason they shouldn't be together)
I loved Ryan & Wren and the whole plot of the book - such a fun idea!!
I found this book to be a bit unique & different from normal "Bachelor/Bachelorette" type "shows/relationships" because they had some downtime periodically & were allowed to go home. They also had cell phones most of the time, which normally wouldn't happen. These couple differences were used in strategic ways in the book.
I also loved Ryan's history with food insecurity & how he volunteers at the food pantry & took the girls there on a group date. And his coach who adopted him & his sister and always made sure they had enough food. There should be more great mentors like that!!
Thanks to the author (Vivian Wood), narrators, publisher (Dreamscape Media) & Netgalley for the ARC read. All opinions are my own. Reviews also shared on sites such as bookbub & goodreads.
February 6, 2026
This review is for the audio version, which I thought was done pretty well. I did enjoy both of the narrators.
In this story, which is the second in the series, we meet Ryan and Wren, best friend and sister respectively to Jay from the first book. Wren has been behind the scenes most of her life and she finally has a chance to break out into the spotlight when she is hired to work on a reality bachelor-type show. Little does she know that Ryan, who has always appeared to hate her, is the bachelor who she will have to work with. Additionally, through a very weird twist of fate, Wren goes from hired help on the set to being one of the contestants who will be vying for Ryan’s heart.
This book started out cute, but their chemistry came on too quickly so there wasn’t a lot to work with in the second half of the book. Also for a reality tv show, there was zero drama in the house and we never got to learn about any of the other contestants, which quite frankly is half of what makes reality tv interesting. The last few dates portion of the story was where it needed more editing. The way Ryan and Wren went from 100% in love to questioning everything more than once, made me feel like I was on a confused roller coaster, and not in a good way. I did think that this had slightly more plot than other rom-com’s and I appreciated that the whole book wasn’t focused on the spicy aspect.
In this story, which is the second in the series, we meet Ryan and Wren, best friend and sister respectively to Jay from the first book. Wren has been behind the scenes most of her life and she finally has a chance to break out into the spotlight when she is hired to work on a reality bachelor-type show. Little does she know that Ryan, who has always appeared to hate her, is the bachelor who she will have to work with. Additionally, through a very weird twist of fate, Wren goes from hired help on the set to being one of the contestants who will be vying for Ryan’s heart.
This book started out cute, but their chemistry came on too quickly so there wasn’t a lot to work with in the second half of the book. Also for a reality tv show, there was zero drama in the house and we never got to learn about any of the other contestants, which quite frankly is half of what makes reality tv interesting. The last few dates portion of the story was where it needed more editing. The way Ryan and Wren went from 100% in love to questioning everything more than once, made me feel like I was on a confused roller coaster, and not in a good way. I did think that this had slightly more plot than other rom-com’s and I appreciated that the whole book wasn’t focused on the spicy aspect.
January 31, 2026
Say Yes To The Nemesis
Thankyou to Netgalley in collaboration with Dreamscape Media & author, Vivian Wood, for the Advanced Listening Copy of “Say Yes To The Nemesis” in exchange for my honest feedback.
The cover art for this New Adult Romance is gorgeous, as someone who usually only reads fantasy I’m really grateful that it drew me in as I loved every second of Wren & Ryan’s story.
The audiobook runs for approximately 14 hours but I recommend listening at a speed of 1.75. The lead FMC & MMC are dual narrated by Raven Wildewood & David Lane creating an immersive experience for the listener with clear distinction between dialogue, narrative, characters. I could easily see this being in the Top 10 on Netflix if it was ever adapted for screen.
Say Yes To The Nemesis follows Wren, executive producer on a dating reality show, and Ryan, hockey star & bachelor. Wren & Ryan have history, he is her big brother’s best friend, her least favourite person and the feelings are mutual. What follows: a bachelorette drops out & Wren is made a last minute contestant. It’s enemies to lovers, forced proximity & fake dating PERFECTION. The chemistry is real, the shared hatred is palpably steamy, ride or die, hate is the closest emotion to love, right? Wren & Ryan’s story had me wanting to fall in love.
Thankyou to Netgalley in collaboration with Dreamscape Media & author, Vivian Wood, for the Advanced Listening Copy of “Say Yes To The Nemesis” in exchange for my honest feedback.
The cover art for this New Adult Romance is gorgeous, as someone who usually only reads fantasy I’m really grateful that it drew me in as I loved every second of Wren & Ryan’s story.
The audiobook runs for approximately 14 hours but I recommend listening at a speed of 1.75. The lead FMC & MMC are dual narrated by Raven Wildewood & David Lane creating an immersive experience for the listener with clear distinction between dialogue, narrative, characters. I could easily see this being in the Top 10 on Netflix if it was ever adapted for screen.
Say Yes To The Nemesis follows Wren, executive producer on a dating reality show, and Ryan, hockey star & bachelor. Wren & Ryan have history, he is her big brother’s best friend, her least favourite person and the feelings are mutual. What follows: a bachelorette drops out & Wren is made a last minute contestant. It’s enemies to lovers, forced proximity & fake dating PERFECTION. The chemistry is real, the shared hatred is palpably steamy, ride or die, hate is the closest emotion to love, right? Wren & Ryan’s story had me wanting to fall in love.
February 3, 2026
This book was an absolute delight, especially if you’re the kind of reader who devours reality dating shows like The Bachelor and secretly wonders what’s really going on behind the cameras. It gives you that juicy, irresistible peek behind the scenes—how the shows are produced, manipulated, and molded for maximum drama—while still delivering all the swoony romance your heart could want. I was squealing the entire time. The producers only care about ratings, the contestants are pawns in the game, and love is the last thing anyone expects to survive… which makes it all the more delicious when it does.
And let’s talk about the romance. Forbidden? Check. Best friend’s sibling? Absolutely. Enemies-to-lovers where they swear they hate each other (but… do they really)? Yes, yes, yes. No one wanted them together, and that only made every stolen glance and secret moment hit harder. Despite constant interference and pressure to fall in line, they kept finding their way back to each other, and watching that slow burn turn into undeniable love was pure magic. I could not put this book down. If you’re craving a dramatic, addictive love story with reality-show chaos, emotional tension, and a deeply satisfying ending, do yourself a favor and pick this one up—you won’t regret it. 💕
#ARC #NetGalley #SayYesToTheNemesis
And let’s talk about the romance. Forbidden? Check. Best friend’s sibling? Absolutely. Enemies-to-lovers where they swear they hate each other (but… do they really)? Yes, yes, yes. No one wanted them together, and that only made every stolen glance and secret moment hit harder. Despite constant interference and pressure to fall in line, they kept finding their way back to each other, and watching that slow burn turn into undeniable love was pure magic. I could not put this book down. If you’re craving a dramatic, addictive love story with reality-show chaos, emotional tension, and a deeply satisfying ending, do yourself a favor and pick this one up—you won’t regret it. 💕
#ARC #NetGalley #SayYesToTheNemesis
January 26, 2026
Here is a polished and cohesive version of Review of *Say Yes to the Nemesis*
by Vivian Wood
Narrated by Raven Wildewood & David Lane
⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Say Yes to the Nemesis* was a story that felt difficult to fully connect with, despite having some popular romance tropes, including brother’s best friend and enemies to lovers.
The premise follows a hockey player who agrees to appear on a Bachelor-style reality dating show. His best friend’s younger sister works as an assistant on the show until a last-minute change forces her to step in as a contestant. What begins as a fun and unexpected situation slowly develops into something more.
Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the public nature of their relationship and the conflicts created by the show. Much of the romance felt overshadowed by the reality TV setting, making it hard to separate their personal story from the production itself. In fact, I felt the story became more engaging only after the show ended.
The narrators did a solid job, but overall, this book didn’t fully resonate with me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
by Vivian Wood
Narrated by Raven Wildewood & David Lane
⭐️⭐️⭐️
*Say Yes to the Nemesis* was a story that felt difficult to fully connect with, despite having some popular romance tropes, including brother’s best friend and enemies to lovers.
The premise follows a hockey player who agrees to appear on a Bachelor-style reality dating show. His best friend’s younger sister works as an assistant on the show until a last-minute change forces her to step in as a contestant. What begins as a fun and unexpected situation slowly develops into something more.
Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the public nature of their relationship and the conflicts created by the show. Much of the romance felt overshadowed by the reality TV setting, making it hard to separate their personal story from the production itself. In fact, I felt the story became more engaging only after the show ended.
The narrators did a solid job, but overall, this book didn’t fully resonate with me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC.
February 2, 2026
I really wanted to like this book. The premise is fun and initially I enjoyed the characters. The problem is that the plot and continuity is a hot mess. Contests leave the show then are back again, an event happens, then it seems to rewind and a different event happens or the previous is never brought up again when it should of been. The characters seem to have the same conversations about how they are falling for each other three or four times in almost the exact same language each time.
I was willing to go with it for a while, ignoring the little errors but by 60% it just got to be too much and I started skimming the book. I feel like the author did a massive reshuffle of the book and forgot to go back and make sure the timeline still worked. None of the ending worked for me, the resolutions were not satisfactory.
I wanted too like this book, and I feel bad rating it so lowly because I feel like it did have good guts and potential.
I listened to part of it as an audio book and then also got the book on KU. The audio was fine, nothing amazing. But can’t make up for the other issues.
I was willing to go with it for a while, ignoring the little errors but by 60% it just got to be too much and I started skimming the book. I feel like the author did a massive reshuffle of the book and forgot to go back and make sure the timeline still worked. None of the ending worked for me, the resolutions were not satisfactory.
I wanted too like this book, and I feel bad rating it so lowly because I feel like it did have good guts and potential.
I listened to part of it as an audio book and then also got the book on KU. The audio was fine, nothing amazing. But can’t make up for the other issues.
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