Deal Breaker

Aristocrats of London #2

by Susie Tate

Everyone loves Poppy. She’s pure sunshine vibes with an infectious snort-laugh, and nobody is immune to her outrageous flirting. Nobody, that is, apart from her much older brother’s best friend, former Scottish rugby star and grumpy fun sponge, Rory Wallace.

The last thing Rory wants is a woman who represents everything he avoids: cameras, chaos and constant attention. The irony is that although Lady Poppy Sterling flirts with the world, the man she’s had a crush on since childhood can’t stand her. At least that’s what he tells himself…

It’s only when Rory's betrayal leaves Poppy vulnerable to both paparazzi and predators that he realises too late what he stands to lose. Her celebrity lifestyle might be his dealbreaker, but his failure to protect her? That's hers.

DEAL BREAKER is an enemies-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, age-gap, grumpy/sunshine contemporary romance featuring family secrets, red carpet drama, and a grumpy hero who'll move heaven and earth to protect his sunshine girl—once he realises she's been his all along.

Content warning: discussions of drink spiking and predatory behaviour.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Sports Romance, Fiction, Brothers Best Friend

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 3, 2026

About the author

Susie is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author who writes addictive, feel-good contemporary romance with heroes who may make you a little ragey, but who always redeem themselves in the end! She’s been a doctor in the NHS for over twenty years and lives in beautiful Dorset with her wonderful husband, three gorgeous boys and an even more wonderful dog.

Reviews

[Adri]

This was an absolute 5⭐️ read that almost matched my love for Law Maker! Still so thrilled I scored an ARC for this one. While Rafe and Clara still hold a special place in my heart, Poppy and Rory came remarkably close with a top-tier grumpy x sunshine, age-gap dynamic. Rory definitely starts off as an egocentric, prideful, and ignorant **** in a sea of equally ****ish (please insert chosen expletive at the *) men, but his character development and shift in dynamics as he eventually shows up for Poppy was so satisfying. Poppy might start off quiet, but she doesn't half pack a punch and knows her worth, endlessly trying to support others and bring happiness wherever she can. What truly elevated this book, though, was the portrayal of ALS and chronic illness—it was written from such an insightful, thoughtful angle, showing how impairments can be accommodated and how people navigate difficult, deteriorating diagnoses while still trying their absolute best despite feeling betrayed by their own bodies. Emotional, empowering, and executed brilliantly!

[Allie | Looking for Likeminded Souls | Addicted to my Kindle 🫀]

To phrase this metaphorically, We all think we love and appreciate the sun - but only when it’s shining on our terms, isn’t it? Once it gets too hot, too bright, doesn’t set fast enough, we forget how much we owe the sun, or how much it burns itself to keep us warm, don’t we?

Well, considering that, Rory and the Sterlings weren’t careless or mean, they were just ignorant, as we all sometimes are.

This book brought the spring to my soul ❤️

Poppy, the little sunshine heroine was the breath of light and fresh air I didn’t even knew I needed. Her empaty, optimism, kindness and care for everyone around her really undid me. It was so heart wrenching to watch her set herself on fire to keep everyone else happy and at ease. And even more so, to witness her being rebuffed and belittled time and time again for her care.

I truly believe Rory’s intentions, that her family dotted on her, but this was a perfect example of how loving someone, but not loving them right, might have devastating consequences. One can only speak up if they feel heard and taken seriously.

Rory really pulled a 180 in this book and maned up through the chapters. His grumpy with-a-feet-in-his-mouth personality really brought a lot of drama and fun to the story. As bad as I felt for Poppy sometimes, I could totally relate why she was into him, cause boooy so am I 😆❤️

I inhaled the whole story in one go, like literally, I couldn’t even leave my kindle behind to get myself some cake, so obsessed I was.

The plot, the twists, the gut punches, everything was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. This was absolutely marvelous.

This book is covering a very serious disease, but is much lighter and bubblier than the last one.
If you are a fan of a grumpy sunshine romance with good grovel, growth and depth and a few gut punches, you’re gonna love this ❤️ I certainly did.


Thanks to the universe that this book is already written and Susie for trusting me to be part of her arc team.


Did I went over myself and posted my first review here based solely on the short preview in Law Maker, before actually reading the book? Yes I did!

Was I wrong? - Hell no! 🔥❤️

—————-————————

“I think it was ‘mad prostitute with a penchant for glitter’.”

Sooooo excited for this!! Just finished Law Maker today and the first two chapters of this masterpiece and I am definitely hooked! Soo sad that it first comes in November 😔

[Kelly]

I love Susie Tate’s book but this one wasn’t one of my favorites.

Poppy is a bubbly fun-loving young woman who works as a journalist. Her family tends to see her as ditzy and forgetful, because of how she was as a teenager, they are also constantly putting her down and act like she is incapable of doing anything significant.

Then we have Rory, an ex-rugby player who is friends with Poppy’s older brother. This man is grumpy all the dang time. He also hates the media, mostly because of an event that happened 5 years ago between him and Poppy.

The problem is, Rory can’t seem to forgive Poppy for what happened even though it wasn’t her fault and there is some major miscommunication that is happening because of that one event.

Let me just say Rory is a 37 year old man, Sir you are old enough to communicate. So much conflict could have been avoided if he would have just talked.

Despite this I still enjoyed the book.

[Ellianna]

3.75 ⭐️
While the heaviness of Clara’s storyline kept me from enjoying Law Maker, the first in Susie Tate’s new Aristocrats of London series, I *did* love the character of Lady Poppy Sterling, sister to Lord Rafe Sterling, and was eager to learn her and Rory’s story (Tate’s storylines often overlap with the previous book, so we had already witnessed a pivotal scene from Clara’s point of view, while in this book, it was told from Rory’s). I’m a sucker for groveling, and this book was full of it- mostly because Rory could never seem to grasp the fact that he was the almost always the one at fault. We learn pretty quickly that he and Poppy once dated in secret, only to have him ghost her and subsequently hate her for the next five years, but don’t address the reasons *why* for most of the book- until there’s really no other path for this book to take. I’m not a fan of keeping key plot points under wraps for so long, but Tate loves to employ it in her writing. She also never shies away from abuse, particularly abuse towards women, and attempted SA happens not once, but twice in this book, at the hands of a man who should have faced justice long ago, but didn’t, as Poppy never wanted to cause a stir (not victim-blaming here, just pointing out the very real problem of women putting everyone else’s needs before their own, when they should never have been conditioned to think that way).
If I had one grievance with Poppy (who, despite being perilously close to a “Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” blessedly came across as a less-crazy version of Kira from Anything But Easy), it’s that she doesn’t advocate for herself. She will stand up for everyone and every cause around her (such as raising money to help with research for MND, a subject that hit particularly close to home, as I have a family member who has been in a losing battle with ALS for seven years now), but will take hit after hit after hit from the people who supposedly love her the most. Her own family basically treats her like she’s Special Needs, despite her being fully capable in her social and work life for years, all because of her diagnosed-too-late dyslexia and her wild behavior as a teenager- a TEENAGER. Even her own brother, who is fiercely protective of her, thinks the worst of her at a critical moment, believing she would eschew her duties at a fundraiser by getting “shit-faced” and “embarrassing herself,” instead of showing concern that she was doing something so out of character for her (when in fact, she’d been roofied).
I felt very protective of Poppy by the end (as I have with Tate’s previous FMCs, Vicky and Millie), and in all honesty, I was battling with myself through most of the book as to whether I really wanted her to take Rory back at all. He’d mess up, then apologize, then mess up even more egregiously, and then apologize and try to show he’d changed, and by the last blowout, after Tate’s predictable miscommunication trope pops up to cause its more predictable third-act breakup, I was ready to wash my hands of Rory Wallace. But in the end, he came through for her in a way that even her own family didn’t (along with facing his demons about the press), so find myself cautiously optimistic about their future.
And to be fair, he *did* get her to laugh again- a proper Poppy laugh (IYKYK).

I received an advanced copy through the author via Book Funnel.

[Abby Rogish Bodin]

Thank you to Susie Tate for giving me an advanced copy of this book!

You guys, I ate this book up in THREE HOURS.

What I love about Susie is she makes her men EARN their happily ever afters. She knows how to make a man GROVEL. They are all so well fleshed out and they aren't perfect. They say really shitty things and immediately regret them. It makes it more fun to read because it's realistic to real life.

Poppy Sterling is not perfect. She's in her twenties trying to figure her life out, and trying not to fawn over her older brother's friend, Rory, who she's been in love with for years. He makes her feel silly, bringing her down and making fun of everything she loves.

There's a miscommunication between what happened between them five years ago, and even with that, they still can't stop thinking about each other.

As someone who has been told repeatedly that I am too much, and that I need to take it down, I resonated with Poppy. I loved reading Poppy coming into her own about it, and it reminded me that I am not too much- I am just enough who I am.

I would HIGHLY recommend any Susie Tate novel, including this. You don't have to read Law Maker first to understand Deal Breaker, but you do get an introduction to Poppy, Rory, and Poppy's family!

[Ayesha]

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and the author for an eARC.

Poppy’s character was well-written but Rory on the other hand, was so disappointing. He was insecure(which he agreed upon) and was shitty towards her for no reason. He was rude, disrespectful, even blamed her personality for getting assaulted.

All that built-up suspense of the incident that happened 5 years ago was so underwhelming. Like it’s not that big of a deal, get over it. Poppy’s monologue was nice, she put her foot down, I wish she didn’t agree so soon though.

All in all, it was better than the previous book but Rory was disappointing. He somewhat redeemed himself; the bonus epilogue was cute.

[B]

3.5 stars
Full review to come

[Bb]

Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this and only finished it in order to provide a fair ARC review.

I requested this because the glimpses of Poppy and Rory’s grumpy x sunshine dynamic in Law Maker were intriguing. And I went in fully aware that the author’s MMCs tend to start off wholly unlikeable. But Rory’s hot-cold cycle of what amounted to emotional abuse remained too unpredictable to feel safe.

And there was no turning point where I was convinced he could be trusted not to hurt Poppy again. This man talked shit about her behind her back and called her “stupid” to her face. But we’re supposed to forgive him because a couple weeks later he defended her competence to her family. He fucked her and then immediately claimed they couldn’t be a couple because “it’s complicated.” But it’s all good because he believes her period pain is as bad as she claims. The bar is in the part of hell where they keep all the date rapists, people.

Anyway, we learn through flashbacks (which are in past tense and italicized, which felt like a weird choice) that Rory and Poppy first met through Poppy’s brother when she was a teenager.* They almost dated five years ago, but two separate yet consecutive misunderstandings** nipped that in the bud and they’d been mostly estranged since.

Now, I am not a stalwart miscommunication hater. People tend to avoid confrontation, especially when their egos are on the line. But I’d expect some clearing of the air at some point prior to, say, a family lunch which you attend as a couple. Yes, they each held (erroneous) assumptions about what went wrong five years prior. But you’d think they’d maybe want to talk it out instead of letting said false assumptions come to light by happenstance. Which is what happens.

Anyway, these two people who have nothing in common besides mutual lust are forced into proximity because of a rugby fundraiser they’re helping to organize. They get together, but now Rory’s main problem is that he hates media attention, Poppy is a media darling, and their relationship is bringing them discomfiting amounts of publicity.

Which brings me to my second huge issue with this book. The primary conflict is premised upon a paparazzi culture that simply does not exist in 2026. And even in, say, 2004, I’d find it difficult to believe that photographers would be camping outside the home of a socialite/Chicken Shop Date avatar because she’s dating a former rugby player/current rugby coach. Nor would they be outside an event that has a red carpet and its own bevy of solicited photographers.

Speaking of wonky world-building, the story’s backdrop felt one-dimensional at best. For instance, Poppy has an online celebrity interview show and she also seems to work red carpets. But it’s never made clear who she actually works for or how involved she is in her show. We never actually see her working. Nor do we see Rory working, despite him apparently being head coach of the local pro rugby team during rugby season. There are also multiple events that feel nonsensically contrived because the author wanted certain people in a scene together. Most glaring example of this is the epilogue. I had no idea where everyone was nor what event would bring together everyone from both families, all their friends, and also the media.

Anyway, Susie Tate remains very hit or miss for me and this was a definite miss.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and anyone else involved in granting me an ARC. All opinions are my own (obviously).

* Thank goodness, because the fact that Rory is good with kids is shoved down our throats and it would have been creepy if they had known each other since her prepubescence)

** One of which involves a character who apparently is physically unable from stopping the other from talking. This is not the only instance of this medically concerning temporary paralysis in this book.

[TReadsWithTea]

~3.5 ⭐️

This is the story of Rory and Poppy.

Poppy is a socialite who lives very much in the public eye, while Rory is a 6’4” former rugby player, grumpy man who seems to have made emotional repression an Olympic sport. 😅

And this is where I have very conflicting feelings about this book.

I really enjoyed the story itself. I liked the characters, the emotional depth, the different perspectives, and getting to see Rafe and Clara from a different point of view. Connor was also such a great addition to the story, and there were definitely moments that hit me emotionally.

But—and this is very much just my personal take—I struggled with Rory’s behavior toward Poppy. He is incredibly cruel to her at times, and while he does eventually have a good redemption arc and I could understand why Poppy chose to forgive him, I personally found some of his actions difficult to move past.

I think this is something I’ve noticed in Susie Tate’s books: the male leads can be extremely harsh when they’re struggling to process their own emotions. And while I absolutely understand the whole “I love you so much that I don’t think I’m good enough for you, so I push you away” trope, there’s a point where emotional turmoil doesn’t excuse cruelty.

A sincere apology and redemption arc are important, but they don’t erase the hurt caused along the way. And I think it’s okay as readers to enjoy a story while also questioning some of the behaviors it portrays.

That said, I did enjoy this book! I literally finished it in a day, so clearly something kept me turning those pages. 😂 The story is emotional, the characters are compelling, and if you enjoy a complicated MMC with a strong redemption arc, there’s a good chance Rory will work for you.

So, my advice? Read it—but maybe read it with a little caution if cruel-to-be-redeemed MMCs are a difficult trope for you. This one definitely gave me feelings.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC! 🤍

As always, this is just my personal reading experience and opinion. What worked—or didn’t work—for me may be completely different for another reader.

[Finger Pages]

Susie Tate continues to write the imperfect romances that are relatable and crack your heart with heroines who piece themselves together through grit and determination.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3 Spicy

Book 2 in the Aristocrats of London series gives us Poppy, Rafe’s little sister, a dyslexic socialite/media influencer, and the kind of woman everyone falls in love with… except the one man she’s loved since she was 17- Rory Wallace.

Poppy is effortlessly charming, self deprecating, and a natural at working a room, raising money, and making everyone feel like her best friend. But beneath all that confidence is someone who’s spent years trying to be what everyone else expects of her. I really connected with that side of her, especially the exhaustion that comes with being everything to everyone-including yourself.
After five years of avoiding each other, Poppy and Rory are forced to work together on a charity event. Rory can’t seem to stop watching her, but his pride, their class differences, and the rumors surrounding Poppy have him saying some truly awful things. And honestly? There were a few moments where “I’m sorry, lass” was NOT enough for me. I really took issued when early in the book he suggests she was incompetent in school but never mentioning her dyslexia to the group he was talking to and then later when he calls her stupid. I can always get behind more groveling with a MMC is that much of an a$$, but here I felt Tate missed the mark- if any man ever called me stupid especially more then once I would drop him like a hot stone and never look back. Rory's inability to filter his mouth and Poppy just taking it and then taking him back is why this wasn't a 5 star read for me. There needed to be something more to bridge that gap. Rory being insecure and jealous wasn't it.

Thankfully, Rory’s character development was strong enough to make him semi- redeemable. He starts as a surly grump who lets his hurt and ego get in the way of what he has with Poppy, but watching him grow and finally recognize what he could lose her was so satisfying. Still I wish this was written slightly different. I think many will view Rory as emotionally abusive.

By the end- If I can ignore my big issues I have with Rory- I did come to love Poppy and Rory together. Poppy’s journey toward embracing exactly who she is, rather than who she thinks everyone wants her to be, made this romance feel surprisingly relatable. And despite Rory making me want to shake him more than once, their chemistry and eventual payoff had me completely invested. 💕

Tropes:
💕Grumpy x sunshine
💕12 Year age gap
💕 Brother's best friend
💕 She falls first
💕Dyslexic FMC
💕 Sports (Rugby) romance

[Em]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Putnam for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review 🫶
3.5⭐️
🗓️Publication date: November 2nd, 2026

Susie Tate has consistently been one of my favorite romance authors for a few years now, so to receive an advanced reader copy for a highly anticipated book was so exciting! You can always rely on her for a hard hitting romance, and a book with either a real world moral dilemma or hard topics handled with care.

Deal Breaker was no different.
If you love someone is anything really a deal breaker? Is there anything you wouldn’t sacrifice to make it work with the person you love?
This book tackles this topic very well. Rory is a well known grumpy Scottish rugby player who tries to stay out of the media, and Poppy is the bubbly aristocratic socialite who shines in the spotlight. The only problem and possibly the deal breaker for their relationship is that Rory wants absolutely nothing to do with the spotlight that Poppy’s life brings. While also navigating and mainly avoiding the slight misunderstanding that happened years ago between the two that ultimately made them avoid each other like the plaque haha.

Poppy is what makes this book so special. She is bubbly and full of sunshine, in a real person way, not the childish kind that I feel a lot of romance books rely on. She is smart and funny, and just wants to help others. Her family sometimes infantilizes her, thinking some things are “too hard” for Poppy because of her personality and her disability (dyslexia.) But she proves time and time again that she is more than capable, while also still struggling and believing some of the negative things that are being said about her. It doesn’t stop her from trying, and it doesn’t stop her from succeeding.

Rory on the other hand is not my favorite. I’m all for grumpy, especially if he’s a Scottish rugby player. But he was just plain mean at times. I wanted to reach through the screen and shake him. One minute he’d be sticking up for Poppy to her family and the next saying the same thing about her or worse to her face. That being said it was in the heat of the moment and he definitely wasn’t thinking before speaking. Not my favorite mmc for sure. He had some sweet moments, taking care and being there for Poppy when she was ill, standing up to her family for some of the hurtful things being said to her, etc. But that’s just bare minimum.

Tropes 💌
•Brothers best friend
•Grumpy/ sunshine
•Slight miscommunication

[Karen Chan]

Well Susie Tate has done it again, another 5 star book. I suggest you have a box of tissues ready as you will need them for both sad and happy tears.
When we met Lady Poppy Sterling in Law Maker she was a delightful character that reminded me of Kira Barclay from previous books, who happens to be married to the Prime Minister and a friend of Poppy's.
Rory Wallace a Scotland rugby star, is Poppy's brother Rafe's best friend, who she has had a crush since childhood, even though there is an age gap. After an incident at Scotland's World cup celebrations where Rory inebriated rushed to Poppy and gave an interview he didn't know was being recorded live. After some ill advised information he ghosted Poppy and spent the next years avoiding her.
Interviewing at a sports event, Rory is extremely rude to Poppy and his model girlfriend admonishes him as does her friend Josh and interviewer. When an incident with a supposed Sterling family friend, Rory turns into protective mode, Poppy is left shaken but passes it off as nothing, not wanting to cause a scene.
When Rory finds her apparently drunk being supported by the man from the incident, Rory takes charge taking her home, not realising she had fallen and was cut. Rafe and Clara were not happy with Rory, Clara even tearing a strip off him.
When Rory needs to organise a charity event for his rugby best friend Connor who has been diagnosed with MND. Susie treats the horrors of this awful disease with empathy, not sugar-coating it. It must have been hard for her to write this due to her own husbands diagnosis. Poppy is to organise the event. Making friends with all Rory's teammates and Connor's family, Poppy's own family and Rory don't believe she can do it but she shows them. Managing to sweet talk Twickenham officials, the Guinness world record official and witnesses' into allowing the touch-rugby match to be played on the hallow ground.
When she misses a practice, Rory storm over to her house to find her in pain and nauseous from "Women's troubles" he helps her and they end up together on the couch using his body as a heat source. He shows the actions of a sweet boyfriend.
As they become close there are some hilarious moments' especially with Granny Sterling and the WI ladies. She is a strong advocate for her granddaughter and warns Rory about hurting her again.
This is a rollercoaster romance and when the paparazzi-shy Rory refuses to walk the red carpet with her to a Sterling Foundation event, there is an incident where she is pushed over as she has no security. The ex family friend is removed from the red carpet. Prime Minister Barclay gives Rory some advice that he doesn't think he can cope with.
This becomes true when he answers his door to photographer's and turns his fear of the exposure on Poppy saying some truly hurtful things. She calls Rafe's security team and leaves.
So begins a grovelling time, Susie does this so well as does Elodie Hart. Breakfast bags delivered to Granny Sterling and making friends and talking with the photographers on the doorstep. When it's that time of month he brings, painkiller's, heat pad and chocolate.
During the touch-rugby marathon she has celebrity friends do a cheer-leader type routine, when she's exhausted he makes her sleep. It's lovely how the team watches over Connor who was determined to play making alterations to the play as his left arm is not working well.
Unfortunately at the celebrations for the event with raised money for MND research, the troublemaker spikes Poppy's drink, while Rory is being interviewed. Rafe tells Rory that Poppy is drunk but he doesn't believe it, he says she is really careful after the previous incident. They find her being dragged by the entitled ex friend, Rory grabs her as the hear the man spouting ridiculous things about Poppy being promised to him from birth. Rory realises Poppy is not drunk and gets her to hospital. The police arrest the man with drugs in his pocket.
Sticking close to Poppy, Rory realises he can't live without Poppy and to show her how he can manage her world, he kisses her fully in front of the press.
This story deals with some relevant and awful situations. MND need money for research. Rob Burrows lived locally to me and we have watched his tragic story in the news. Spiking drinks is another damaging trend which young people need to be aware of. Thanks Susie for bringing this reality into a wonderful story.
Thanks Netgalley and PanMacmillan for this ARC

[BiblioDarling]

Deal Breaker
Aristocrats of London Book #2
Susie Tate

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Triggers:
🚩Drink Spiking/Date Rape Drug
🚩Terminal/Chronic Illness

Tropes:
💕Dyslexic Heroine
💕MF Romance
💕Brother's Best Friend
💕Sports Romance
💕Forced Proximity
💕Childhood Crush
💕Second Chance Romance
💕Misunderstanding
💕Hate to Love
💕Age Gap
💕Touch Her and Die
💕Part of a Series (Second Book)
💕Grovel to HEA

**********************************************************************
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES. IT IS THE SECOND BOOK IN THE SERIES. FOR A BETTER READING EXPERIENCE PLEASE READ THE BOOKS IN ORDER.

Quote:
"Right, Power Puff. Woman up. Tits out and let's bloody well do this. You are Lady motherfucking Poppy Sterling. Some over-jacked ruggers bugger's not going to make you doubt yourself."

Summary:
FMC has had a crush on the MMC. MMC is her brother's best friend. However, due to a misunderstanding the MMC has distanced himself from the FMC. FMC and MMC are both working on a charity event which forces them to be in each other's presence. It forces them to deal with their relationship. HEA

Review:
Susie Tate always takes me on a beautiful journey. This book was no exception. At first, I really didn't like the MMC. I remember both he and the FMC showed up in Law Breaker (first book of the series).

At its core this book is about self-acceptance no matter what others may think of you. FMC learned to be loud and shine as much as she wanted. MMC learned to smile and laugh more. As with most of Tate's books a serious topic is included. This time we learn about MND and rally around the MMC and his teams as they deal with the pending death of a teammate.

Tate always writes serious topics in such a way that you can't help but be engaged and want to learn more. Kudos to Tate for another beautifully written book.

Grovel to HEA Romance Authors Recommendations:
Groveltohea (Wattpad Author)
Maya Alden
Natasha Anders
Cate C Wells
Christine Michelle

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK AS AN ARC HOWEVER MY REVIEW IS BASED ON MY OPINION OF THE BOOK ITSELF AND NOT INFLUENCED BY THE AUTHOR, ETC.

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[yaya]

Deal Breaker ARC Review:
Firstly I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for letting me read this book early. I’m a huge Susie Tate fan and it’s an honor to get to review this book.

I got quite emotional reading with this one. Seeing what Connor was going through and how it affected everyone around him, seeing Rory get so emotional over his best friend and watching everyone band together to raise money for MND, it was simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. I can imagine this was an emotional book for Susie to write, with it hitting so close to home, and you can feel those emotions as your reading. It’s also brought awareness to myself about MND and how much it affects people and I’m sure it will have that effect with everyone who reads this book!

Rory was quite a contradictory lad. His back and forth emotions about Poppy were amusing while also being incredibly frustrating to read. But you understand, with the misunderstandings that happened between them, why he was so torn. And it was sad too, because of how strongly he felt for Poppy. His yearning was next level! But yeah I was obsessed with him even though he was a proper idiot half the time. And once he makes a few characters adjustments and emotional revelations, he’s a veryyyy endearing man and the way he takes care of if Poppy is swoon worthy x 1,000,000!!!

Poppy, my sweet Poppy. I loved her. And I basically hate everyone that put her down. She’s just a sweet, lovable ball of sunshine and did not deserve even an ounce of the misgivings she’d had to endure. She had a lot in common with Yaz from Unworthy. And the parallels between that book and this one, with the brother’s best friend and long awaited HEA, were not lost on me. But somehow I liked this book a lot more! I found the couple to have a bit more depth and I had a bit more patience for their back and forth. But over all I just adored Poppy and Rory!

Truly one of my favorite reads this year. I’m extremely grateful I got to arc read this. There’s something about Susie Tate’s writing that warms my heart. I genuinely feel like her books were written just for me🥹 They’ve got everything I appreciate about reading: the emotions, the character developments, the way I’m sucked in and transported to another place entirely, swoon worthy men and lovable charming women, and even my personal favorite trope, age gaps!

Highly, highly recommend picking this up in November. It is all about the characters’ misunderstandings with one another, deep rooted insecurities, found family, community, and a hot rugby lad who would have me on my knees! You will have your heartbroken and you will be pulling your hair in frustration every time Rory fumbles (which is often) but he makes up for it, I promise!!! Out November 3rd!🩷

[Here_Lies_the_Bookdragon]

Well, I was just going to read a chapter before bed and ended up reading the whole book and sleeping at 3 am. So 5 stars it is!

Poppy is an actual lady, interviews famous people for a living, and is an actual walking ray of sunshine. As a kid, she struggled with school due to undiagnosed dyslexia, and the person who helped her most at the time was Rory.
Rory is her older brother's (Rafe from book 1) childhood best friend and a famously grumpy rugby player who hates the media.

5 years ago they had a brief thing, after which Rory ghosted Poppy, breaking her heart. He's been mean to her ever since - until they run into each other at an event.
Rory is a bit slow, but he starts to realise that he may have messed up all those years ago and pursues Poppy until they try again. And he messes up again, on repeat. At least he learns to perfect his grovel.

Poppy was my favourite in the previous book, and I'm delighted it was her turn now. She spends her time taking care of everyone else and being the life of the party. She lives with her Granny, a true icon, and understands the value of publicity like nobody. When a group of former rugby players (including Rory) rope her into a fundraiser for MND because one of them has it, she pulls out absolutely all of the stops. (The author draws from her own life in depicting both MND and the fundraising efforts, and it's really well done.)

Rory, on the other hand, hates any sort of publicity. But he loves his friend and is absolutely all in to raise money. He is also, and i cannot stress this enough, an absolute eejit. The man should really use his brain and remember Poppy's character over believing some gossip. I like him tremendously, but for most of the book I wasn't convinced I actually wanted Poppy to give him yet another chance. Luckily, she turned out to have actual standards and he managed enough groveling and personal growth that I'm happy with their happy ending!

Like all Susie Tate's books, this is an emotional romance novel with excellent mental health rep. It addresses serious issues in a somewhat ridiculous setting with humour, and somehow it all balances out in a way that just really works for me.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for letting me read an ARC of this via Netgalley!

[Alex]

4.75/5 stars. After reading the first book in this series, I was so excited to check this new book out since Poppy was such a cute character. She was super intriguing in the first book in the series, so I was waiting to read her story.

I loved Rory’s grumpiness to Poppy’s sunshine. This book was mostly a second chance, class difference, older brother’s best friend romance. It had moments of angst and lots of little hurt/comfort moments. Poppy can stand up for herself and really gives Rory a run for his money to grovel for her back more than once in the story.

A good part of me wanted to be like granny & mam and hit Rory upside the head for making boneheaded decisions or just not having actual conversations around feelings. The whole past drama is based on misunderstandings and filling in the blanks for each other instead of just talking. BUT, I still loved how it was done with the flashbacks interspersed to give context to their feelings. I feel like it is hard for me personally to like this trope, but this book really pulled it off and worked well for me.

I really loved how the story was able to come back full circle with character growth for both Poppy and Rory. Rory from his misconceptions of Poppy and learning to communicate. Poppy in how to truly stand up for herself and what she needs to be happy.

I also just didn’t expect how interesting the side story of MND and how heart wrenching it was to see a slow decline in health of one of Rory’s best friends. I think it really added to the story and boy, did I cry a few times over that and how incredible everyone was in supporting the world record effort.

Super excited to see where the future books go in the series since I was pretty intrigued by Letty and Grayson which I hope is next!

This fully pulled me out of a reading slump, and I felt like I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend the book(!), and my only regret is not listening to the audiobook yet with Rory’s Scottish accent so prominent in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam | G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy. I am voluntarily leaving this comment and the honest opinions I am expressing are my own.

[Elizabeth Wharton]

First of all thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book.
I have read and loved so many of Susie Tate's books but I have to say that I feel rather ambivalent about this one. These characters seem to be hot and cold at times. I really liked the Poppy we saw from Law Maker, she was bright and bubbly and she was caring with her nephew. She didn't let anyone belittle her but in this book, she has so many fears about her dyslexia and her family seems to think so little of her work and then there is Rory, who right to her face calls her "stupid". In my book, that is very hard to come back from. He does rescue her from a bad situation with a person who she used to trust, but even then her family thought she was drunk. Rory hates the "media" after an embarrassing episode ( also involving Poppy) years ago, so he can't stand Poppy's job and her closeness with the media. He says some very mean things to Poppy and about Poppy over the course of this book. I didn't like it. Where was all the bright and beautiful confidence from the previous book from Lady Poppy? Why does she want him so? How can these two even stand each other?

One storyline of this book is a former teammate of Rory's has a neuromuscular disease. The football ( rugby?) team is staging a charity game to raise money for him with retired players and celebrities and who is promoting it? Poppy! That throws our hero and heroine together over and over again and soon enough they discover that they really had no idea what the other was all about ( although Poppy really loves the smell of mud on him- huh???) As the big charity game grows near and the big charity gala happens, the media coverage increases, stressors ramp up and families see changes in FMC and MMC. Finally, all the light bulbs come on and we get the resolution that solves all the communication issues from the last five years. If only they had just taken a moment to sit down with each other way back when....

Just so you know....I will always buy every book Susie Tate writes.

[Heather]

Listen, there is nothing I love more than a good romance with angst and drama and people being dumb, within reason, of course. I've read several of Susie Tate's other titles, so I know she always delivers a heart wrenching story with complex characters and a satisfying ending. This book did not disappoint in any aspect.

First off, let me say that I love Poppy. I love that she is bubby and energetic and doesn't try to pretend to be otherwise. I loved watching her learn to advocate for herself and not put up with poor treatment from those she loves. She is my favorite character in this book, and I was constantly cheering her on.

Who doesn't love a good curmudgeon, especially with a Scottish accent? Rory was at times frustrating, but he did eventually learn. I spent a good bit of the book wanting to shake him. Eventually he grew on me, and I did enjoy watching him grow and learn to love Poppy as he should.

Granny Sterling was, of course, the star of the show. The other characters added to the story well enough, and there was a fair number of them. It didn't get confusing, thankfully, as they were all pretty distinct.

I will say that the plot meandered a bit. This is a romance book for people who are here more for the emotional growth than action. There was still plenty going on to move the plot, so it didn't drag anywhere or feel slow. Still, I know there's some people who like a little more going on besides just the romance, and they might struggle a bit with this book.

All in all, this was a very good read. I mean, I read it in a day when I had work. I had to pry my Kindle out of my hands a couple of times because I had to come off my break. Now I need to go and read the first in this series, and I'll be keeping an eye out for any more by Susie Tate.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC to read and review.

[MB]

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley, for this advanced read opportunity.

If you like Susie Tate books, grumpy sunshine, age gap, known each other since children, size difference fetish, infantalizing FMC, this book is for you.

I really don’t think there’s a lot of spoilers in my comments in this review, but I did mark it as spoilers to be transparent that I do discuss a few things that happen in the book.

I in general like Susie Tate books. There is generally a good deal of thoughtfulness in the writing, crafting of the characters, and fleshing out good friendship and secondary character dynamics. That occurs in this book as well. One of my favorite books is Outlier. So I didn’t hesitate to sign up for this advanced read.

I do like the idea of some of the dynamics here, but I stalled out of the infantilizing of the FMC. Combining that with the age gap, it really was not my cup of tea. He constantly speaks of how tiny she is, how tiny and cute she is, and it completely lost me when he talks about her balling her hands and tiny little fists and her short little skirts flipping up. Her family acts like she’s a baby. And frankly, she quite often acts like a baby. She dresses like a sexy school girl. I get the whole selling an image as part of the character development as an influencer. I found it super offputting. I did not enjoy their initial intimate scene either.


I do understand the world building and character development in that the FMC was much more careful and capable person than she was given credit for, and that she crafted her public persona and image in order to influence.

I wish I enjoyed the book more.

I give the book a two on enjoyment level and a four for world building and the general Susie Tate details and writing. I’ll average that as a generous three because if I was not a fan of the authors’ world building and enjoy some of her other books, I would not rate this higher than a two.

[Linia Nicholls]

****ARC Read****
Okay, so I read Deal Breaker before Law Maker - I received the ARC 2 days before Law Maker came out - so I had some hints of things that were going to happen in Law Maker. However, they are both perfect stand-alone stories in a fully connected world.

I LOVED this book.
Poppy is sweet, vivacious, vibrant, funny, gorgeous and unfortunately treated by everyone as a "Ditz". Rory is strong, Huge, grumpy beyond measure and appears to hate Poppy with a passion.

Rory is the best friend of Poppy's brother Rafe (who we meet in Law Maker). They have been friends from kids and Poppy (who is about 10 or so years younger) was just the annoying kid sister. However Rory was always kind to her and actually helped her with schoolwork at times. Poppy had undiagnosed Dyslexia (which was not picked up, until it was too late) and his support of her, made her fall completely in love with him.

5 years before the book starts, they were on the verge of a relationship starting and then something happens that turns Rory against Poppy.
She thinks it is for one thing - he is not telling her the real reason.

Now (in the present) they have to work together on a massive fundraising event for a friend with MND and this is where the romantic tension and upheaval begins.

The characters are so well written, the chemistry between them is on fire and the spicy parts are HOT!!!!
I felt soo much for Poppy - she is truly a gorgeous person, inside and out - but she is not treated great, her family whilst they adore her, also see her as a "Bit Dim" and the paparazzi need to be run over.
I was both frustrated with and loved Rory. He is strong, obsessive (kind of) and a protector. But he is also a complete idiot and should have pulled his head out of his butt, to actually ask some real questions.

I cannot recommend this book and Law Maker enough. 10/10

[aenbooks]

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤: Deal Breaker (ARC)
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: Grumpy/Sunshine, Brother's Best Friend, Age Gap, Secret History, Betrayal & Grovel, Celebrity/Socialite, Enemies-to-lovers, Protective Hero

👀 𝐌𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Honestly, if you’re looking for a book that will make you want to scream at your Kindle while simultaneously reaching for a box of tissues, Deal Breaker by Susie Tate is 100% that vibe 🙂‍↕️

𝗣𝗼𝗽𝗽𝘆: She’s got this infectious snort-laugh, she’s constantly flirting, and she’s the life of every red carpet party. But underneath all that "it girl" energy, she’s actually carrying a huge secret: she’s been head-over-heels for her older brother Rafe’s best friend, Rory, since she was literally a kid 👀
𝗥𝗼𝗿𝘆: He’s massive, he’s Scottish, and he’s billionaire-level rich, but he wants absolutely nothing to do with the cameras, the chaos, or the constant paparazzi attention that follows Poppy everywhere ❤️‍🔥

𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕
It kicks off with this intense tension because Rory is back in their social circle, and he’s making it very clear that Poppy’s celebrity lifestyle is his ultimate "deal breaker". Seeing Poppy—who is usually so bright—get dimmed by his failure and the danger she ends up in is heartbreaking.  Watching this huge, stubborn man move heaven and earth to win back his "sunshine girl" and prove he can actually be the partner she needs is just... chef’s kiss

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏
It’s got family secrets, red carpet drama, and enough angst to give you a literal book hangover. If you love the "he falls first but he falls harder (and then has to beg for forgiveness)" trope, you need this on your TBR immediately 😍🙏

Huge thanks to the author for writing such a wonderful story and giving us such well-rounded, multi-layered characters 🙃❤️

𝐇𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐈𝐆 @cennbooks 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬!

[Daniela Mikheal-Meek]

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed Deal Breaker!

I listened to Law Maker from this series and absolutely loved it, and I really think I would have enjoyed Deal Breaker even more if I had listened to the audiobook too. There’s just something about these characters, the banter, and Susie Tate’s humor that is even more entertaining in audio. That’s obviously no fault of the author, just something I realized while reading this one!

I loved Poppy. I really appreciated the dyslexia representation and getting to see beyond the version of her that everyone, especially Rory, thought they knew. She was so much more than the bubbly, attention-loving person people assumed she was, and I loved watching Rory slowly figure that out. And I’m always here for an age gap, so obviously that worked for me too!

Speaking of Rory, the groveling was SO GOOD. If a man is going to mess up, I need him to properly suffer for it, and Rory definitely had some work to do after years of judging Poppy and believing the worst about her. I loved that Poppy didn’t immediately forgive him just because he realized he was wrong. He actually had to prove himself, change his behavior, and show her that he loved all of her. Watching that man work for his HEA was extremely satisfying. 😂

And the spice was SPICING. 🥵 I was not expecting some of those moments, but I certainly wasn’t complaining! Poppy and Rory had so much built-up tension and chemistry that when they finally gave in to it... yeah, it worked. 😂

I absolutely love Susie Tate and have read so many of her books at this point. She does such a great job mixing humor and romance with heavier, emotional topics, and I always appreciate the representation she includes in her stories. Deal Breaker was another really enjoyable read from her, and I definitely plan to keep making my way through this series!

[Eva]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is one of those books that makes me irrationally angry. Why would you give me a sweet pixie happy FMC and pair her with a man that treats her like that?

This man still thinks the worst of her, doubts her and never questioned the words of a random mean spirited man over his knowledge of her character. Let’s hope that my men believed me and not one of his bros…oh wait they weren’t even friends, so he believed a RANDOM MAN HE DISLIKED!

I could have believed his grovel if he didn’t still doubt her at every turn. And why wouldn’t he mention his reasoning for ghosting her? He had so many chances, but after being with her again, he still somehow believed she’d betrayed him five years ago. He never once considered the guy had lied. Rory was a fucking dumbass, an asshole and he didn’t redeem himself at all; he just knew how to fuck and he wasn’t even charming.

Before anyone says “he was insecure and that’s why he did what he did”…he still had a relationship with her brother, never once questioned why Rafe would be his friend so that’s not reasoning enough for me.

Oh and why are we not thinking of safe sex at the big 2026? I understand it’s a book so “suspend rational belief” but fingering someone and fucking someone while covered in mud is not hot. All I could think was how poor Poppy would get a mammoth of a UTI.

Her family was also a disgrace. They put her and her accomplishments down, made her out to being flaky and a dummy. Her brother believed she was a drunk and barely knew she never drank, putting her life at risk…just why? There are enough shitty people in real life, why write a romance book where everyone is shitty towards the FMC? Poppy couldn’t catch a break.

I have more things to say but I’ll leave it right here.

[Alison]

Lady Poppy Sterling is a diminutive ray of sunshine, while organising charity fundraisers for her family's personal foundation she also interviews celebrities on the red carpet and has a reputation as a bit of a party girl, which might have been true when she was just starting out but now she takes her responsibilities seriously.

Rory Wallace is a Scottish rugby player, and Poppy's brother Rafe's best friend. Poppy has had a crush on him for years, ever since he patiently helped a dyslexic Poppy with her homework. Five years ago they became an item and then ... he ghosted her. Pathetically, she still fancies the pants off him and his very presence on the red carpet is likely to turn her into a gibbering wreck.

Rory thought Poppy was the one, but when she deliberately set him up with an interview when he was drunk he realised she was just a scheming aristocrat pretending to slum-it to get a story. He hates her party-girl persona, the drinking, and the partying. Living up to the Scottish stereotype Rory is grumpy and avoids the press at all costs.

Now the two of them are being flung together in a worthy cause, a Guinness World Record breaking attempt as a fund-raiser for Motor Neurone Disease which affects one of Rory's best friends and former teammates.

Will these two get a second chance at romance in this opposites attract, best friend's little sister romance? Or will Rory only see what's in front of his face and listen to false friends? I think you know LOL.

What a wonderful gift Susie Tate gave me - an ARC for Valentine's Day, I devoured it despite having many, many overdue ARCs that I should have been reading instead.

I received an ARC from the author via BookFunnel.

[Maggie Harris]

Deal Breaker
Poppy, sister of Lord Rafe Sterling who we met in Law Breaker is a wonderful full of life and fun character who although thought of as an airhead and not very intellectual by some family and friends is a brilliant organiser of charity events raising vast sums of money for good causes.
Rory Wallace played Rugby for England winning the World Cup 5 years ago wants to have a fund raiser for his best friend and rugby player who has Motor Neurone Disease. He doesn’t have much faith in Poppy’s abilities particularly since he now acts as he hates her due to believing she betrayed him after the World Cup when he felt they would be starting a relationship. Poppy has loved Rory for years and knows he hates her which devastated her.
Working closer together Rory realises he still has feelings for Poppy and despite hating the chaos and attention Poppy has when attending any events he keeps in the background but this leaves Poppy vulnerable to the paparazzi and other predators and when he loses his temper with her telling her she asks for the unwanted attention she feels completely betrayed it’s as if he doesn’t know her at all.
There are high emotions running through this book and my heart was at times racing particularly when I wanted to give Rory a big slap for how he treated and spoke to Poppy. The dialogue between characters is humorous, heartbreaking, angry very emotional uplifting and loving but sparkling and really well written.
There is great depth to this amazingly good story made all the more heartfelt as so close to the authors own life. Every time I read one of Susie’s new books I’m in awe of how well she writes wonderful characters that you become so invested with you feel you’re a bit character in their lives.

[Stephanie]

Thank goodness for redemption arcs....
I loved this book - seriously, 5 stars! It made me laugh and cry; both, I rarely do out loud when reading. Of course we have a 3rd act breakup - if you know Susie's books, you know that typically our MMC is a "right git" and totally messes up. Now if you've read the first book in this interconnected series, you'll recall that Poppy is Rafe's sister. She's amazing, and bubbly, and sweet, and totally misunderstood by almost everyone in her family. And of course Rory has been Rafe's best friends since they were teenagers. Poppy's had heart eyes for Rory almost as long as she's known him that have changed over the year to full out crushing love. Rory, like everyone else, believes the façade that is put out by the media concerning Poppy; that she's an airheaded party girl who loves attention. Over and over we see that's not the case, but Rory in his struggles with his own issues uses this and hurts Poppy beyond repair. He knows he's messed up - and boy does he mess up more than once in this book. People are not perfect and I love that Susie captures that with her book. Sometimes people lash out in anger, is it right? No, but it happens in real life. I feel like even though the truth beaned Rory in the face, it took a couple hits before he realized what he had done and how badly he had messed up. And bless his mama for cuffing his ears for it too. It took quite awhile for Rory to get over himself and get his act together, but I'll tell you what, any man that takes care of a woman while she's ailing with period pains is a keeper, especially when he is really working toward being better. Absolutely loved this 5 star read for me.

[Stacey Woods]

This is the fourth series of books I’ve read by Susie Tate, and each set of three interconnected novels has just got better and better.

As this is only the second book in the Aristocrats of London series, there is still one more to look forward to, but in this book, we are reading Poppy and Rory’s story. Poppy and Rory were introduced in the first book of the series, Law Maker, as side characters but - as is Susie Tate’s style - here they are now in their own book, which is romantic, but deals with some incredibly sensitive topics at the same time.

As a long-term Book Badger, I know a little of Susie’s personal situation and have to say that this was, for me, her most personal novel yet. While earlier books took inspiration from her medical background, to see MND, the cruel disease that her own husband has been diagnosed with, front and centre is an incredibly brave move, but one which also shines a light on the disease.

The love story really works well here and begins where so many do - with a misunderstanding. But it’s how this is resolved, and how a man learns to love all of the facets of the woman he desires, that really satisfies us readers!

With these books we usually get a snippet of an extra epilogue and, as this was a review copy, I had a small concern that I’d have to wait until November when the book is properly released to get that. No such worries! The epilogue was done, available, and a perfect end to the story. We also had a tease of the third book in the series, Trouble Maker, which I really can’t wait for!

As a fellow Poole resident, it’s great to be able to support a local author, and doubly great as Susie’s books are so compelling and reading them is time well-spent.

With thanks to the publisher for the review copy via Netgalley.

[Amanda Dunn]

This is the second book I've read that was written by Susie Tate and it definitely won't be the last. She has this wonderful way of putting you inside her characters head and making you feel all their feels. The MMC in this book was not particularly likeable, but every bone-headed decision he made, you at least understood the why and felt his frustration as he made bad choice after bad choice. Poppy, the FMC, may just be one of my favorite characters ever. She is pure joy. Her journey reminds us that you should always be kind, but you don't always have to be nice, because sometimes niceness can work against you.

A few things to know: This is the second book in a series. I did not realize this going into it, so there was an entire storyline from book one that was referenced, never summarized, so I had no idea what was going on. Initially, I thought it was because I was reading an ARC and maybe the storyline wasn't fully fleshed out, but then I realized it was part of a series that I was jumping into the middle of. Another thing to note, the characters accents were very heavy and sometimes I struggled to read them as they were intended, because I was spending too much time sounding the words out. Once I figured out the most used words, it was easier, but it took me a minute.

I really enjoyed this book. It was set in a world of wealth and privilege, but it wasn't unrelatable. There were themes of community and family, what it means to be safe and to have people to rely on, while still holding onto independence. There were heavier undertones of terminal illness and assault that are important to the story (and should be important to us as readers). I would recommend this book to a friend.

[Linda]

Deal Breaker by Suzie Tate, the second book in the Aristocrats of London series, follows Poppy Sterling, a beloved media personality who has long loved Rory Wallace, a rugby star and her brother’s friend. Although Rory finds her beautiful, he sees her fame as a boundary he cannot cross.

Poppy’s charm and celebrity help her secure high-profile interviews and attract major donations for charity. When Rory’s best friend, Connor, and Connor’s wife, Mhairi, decide Poppy is the right person to lead their Motor Neuron Disease charity, Rory is forced back into her orbit.

Rory has avoided Poppy for five years after a champagne-fueled World Cup interview ended in an embarrassing confession he never forgave her for. Now, working alongside her again, he begins to question why he let her go. But whether he can become what she truly needs remains uncertain.

Full disclosure: I’m a fan of Susie Tate’s books and have read them all. One of her strengths is writing the angst and emotional pain between flawed main characters, and this story is no exception. While a few familiar tropes are at work, and you may want to strangle one or both leads at times, their growth and slow-burn connection more than make up for it. Add in the supporting cast, and the result is a fun, spicy romance.

Deal Breaker delivers the emotional tension, messy character dynamics, and satisfying payoff that make Susie Tate’s romances so enjoyable. Readers who like wounded heroes, determined heroines, and a romance that makes them work for the happily ever after will find plenty to love here.

Thank you to the publisher, Putnam, the author, Susie Tate, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kate]

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed the romance between Poppy and Rory, especially because of how much history they had between them. The childhood crush, the distance, and then having them forced back into each other’s lives made their relationship really entertaining to follow.

Rory definitely had some groveling to do, and I loved seeing him slowly realize how much Poppy meant to him. His protective side was probably one of my favorite parts of their relationship, especially when it came to everything Poppy had to deal with. The little thoughtful things he did for her once they started getting closer were so sweet.

Poppy was also such a lovable FMC. I liked that she was capable and determined but still had moments where she needed someone in her corner. Her friendships with the other characters were another part I really enjoyed, and there were definitely some funny moments that made the book feel lighter.

I also really appreciated that the story tackled some heavier topics alongside the romance. The storyline surrounding Connor and MND added an emotional layer to the book, and I thought it was handled with a lot of heart. The situations involving Poppy and her ex were also difficult to read at times, but they added more depth to the story.

The romance did have some frustrating moments for me, and there were times when I wanted Rory to communicate instead of making things harder than they needed to be. But overall, I really enjoyed their story and the journey they went through.

A sweet, emotional romance with a protective MMC, a strong FMC, lots of groveling, funny side characters, and plenty of drama. 4 stars from me!