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The Voice: Spicy audios, steamy scenes and kink exploration await in this funny, flirty romance debut
"Hmm, that's my good baby girl. You're doing so well for me."
Right then, I knew it. I was hooked, and this would be my worst addiction yet.
Why bother with a real boyfriend when you can fuel your fantasies online? At least, that’s how Esme feels about audio content creator Bugz, whose soothing voice provides all the words of affirmation she needs.
But when he starts a new account, creating steamy, intimate audios that make Esme tingle in all the best places, she finds herself struggling not to reach out.
Determined to keep things professional, she seeks physical fulfilment elsewhere and soon settles into a routine. With her Bugz addiction being fuelled more than ever, her friends keeping her grounded, and regular no strings sex with best friend Myles, everything seems perfect…
Until a drunken message she sends to Bugz actually gains his attention.
One message soon becomes a string of increasingly meaningful conversations, and her innocent addiction is blown out of proportion. But with his identity still a mystery, is their budding relationship destined for disaster? Or can Esme really have it all?
The Voice is book 1 in The Lovebugs series, following Esme and her friend group as they attempt to navigate romance in their late 20s... with mixed success!
Right then, I knew it. I was hooked, and this would be my worst addiction yet.
Why bother with a real boyfriend when you can fuel your fantasies online? At least, that’s how Esme feels about audio content creator Bugz, whose soothing voice provides all the words of affirmation she needs.
But when he starts a new account, creating steamy, intimate audios that make Esme tingle in all the best places, she finds herself struggling not to reach out.
Determined to keep things professional, she seeks physical fulfilment elsewhere and soon settles into a routine. With her Bugz addiction being fuelled more than ever, her friends keeping her grounded, and regular no strings sex with best friend Myles, everything seems perfect…
Until a drunken message she sends to Bugz actually gains his attention.
One message soon becomes a string of increasingly meaningful conversations, and her innocent addiction is blown out of proportion. But with his identity still a mystery, is their budding relationship destined for disaster? Or can Esme really have it all?
The Voice is book 1 in The Lovebugs series, following Esme and her friend group as they attempt to navigate romance in their late 20s... with mixed success!
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 15, 2026
Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
Why bother with a real boyfriend when you can fuel your fantasies online? At least, that’s how Esme feels about audio content creator Bugz, whose soothing voice provides all the words of affirmation she needs. But when he starts a new account, creating steamy, intimate audios that make Esme tingle in all the best places, she finds herself struggling not to reach out. Determined to keep things professional, she seeks physical fulfilment elsewhere and soon settles into a routine. With her Bugz addiction being fuelled more than ever, her friends keeping her grounded, and regular no strings sex with best friend Myles, everything seems perfect… Until a drunken message she sends to Bugz actually gains his attention. One message soon becomes a string of increasingly meaningful conversations, and her innocent addiction is blown out of proportion. But with his identity still a mystery, is their budding relationship destined for disaster? Or can Esme really have it all?
I can see quite a bit of myself in Esme. She is the anchor for her friendship group, the mummy of honour looking over all and ensuring they’re all okay. Add in a far kinkier side to her than anyone realises… yep, we are rather alike. Whilst I may not understand her fixation for lollipops, I can definitely relate to her having her creature comforts and the things that allow her to fully unwind from the things bringing her stress. She has such a big and generous heart that it is hard not to love her. I was rooting for her all the way with Bugz and whilst a little dubious on what was going on with Myles, power to her for claiming what she needs - especially when it is no strings attached!
I may not be an audiobook lover - my attention span does not allow me the luxury of stay engaged with audio - but I love reading books about feral audios with sultry men and the women who love listening to them. This book is pretty fun, but it did feel a little slow pacing wise for the majority. Usually with a blurb, you get an idea of the book and then experience a whole range of other things to buffer it out. For this book, the blurb tells you everything that happens here and we don’t really have much else - which is a shame. It is likely because this is the first in a series, so perhaps more dedicated to setting the world and everyone’s place in it as opposed to giving the reader the whole story. That said, I did like the content here - particularly seeing the love that these friends have for each other. I just wish it was a little more concise and more focused with the POVs because as fun as Hayes is, I don’t think his perspective added to the story much. Character wise, it’s extremely focused on the friendship group and then the outlier of our mystery audio man. Do I feel the group was a smidge immature for mid-twenties? Possibly. HOWEVER, I never went to university to have these constant ragers, nor do I have friends who do that anymore. So it could very well be that this is what most friendship groups are like for people my age, but I’m a little granny in the corner telling everyone to drink plenty of water and have something to eat, not encouraging everyone to get plastered! Romance wise, I did enjoy how the author approached so many emotions here. There’s the friends with benefits situation that stirs up tricky feelings, then there is the being happy for your friends and their love lives whilst still having this kernel of jealousy that they have something you desire. Then, of course, there is the falling for a faceless being and not knowing what to do. It was this part of the book that kept me engaged. I love a book driven by emotion and to see Esme being that rock for others whilst floundering herself felt incredibly relatable. And of course, the build up of emotions resounded in a lot of pent up feelings coming out in a delicious blaze of spice. Even the solo sessions were something to behold! Bravo Jones! The ending has me feeling a little conflicted, I can’t lie. I was not expecting a cliffhanger. When I saw this was a multi-book series, I had expected that it was more of an interconnected series that focused on different friends, not that the end of the first book would be a massive cliffhanger that left me floundering. I get it and it does work for the pow factor of what’s just happened but part of me is also annoyed because I wanted to see how things would pan out. I can only hope that the sequel isn’t far off! I will conclude the review by saying this is more of a 3.5 rating, however I wanted to round up because I did find myself generally enjoying the book.
Overall, The Voice is definitely one for the book girlies who go feral for their audiobooks.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to Cranthorpe Millner for an advanced copy of this book.
Why bother with a real boyfriend when you can fuel your fantasies online? At least, that’s how Esme feels about audio content creator Bugz, whose soothing voice provides all the words of affirmation she needs. But when he starts a new account, creating steamy, intimate audios that make Esme tingle in all the best places, she finds herself struggling not to reach out. Determined to keep things professional, she seeks physical fulfilment elsewhere and soon settles into a routine. With her Bugz addiction being fuelled more than ever, her friends keeping her grounded, and regular no strings sex with best friend Myles, everything seems perfect… Until a drunken message she sends to Bugz actually gains his attention. One message soon becomes a string of increasingly meaningful conversations, and her innocent addiction is blown out of proportion. But with his identity still a mystery, is their budding relationship destined for disaster? Or can Esme really have it all?
I can see quite a bit of myself in Esme. She is the anchor for her friendship group, the mummy of honour looking over all and ensuring they’re all okay. Add in a far kinkier side to her than anyone realises… yep, we are rather alike. Whilst I may not understand her fixation for lollipops, I can definitely relate to her having her creature comforts and the things that allow her to fully unwind from the things bringing her stress. She has such a big and generous heart that it is hard not to love her. I was rooting for her all the way with Bugz and whilst a little dubious on what was going on with Myles, power to her for claiming what she needs - especially when it is no strings attached!
I may not be an audiobook lover - my attention span does not allow me the luxury of stay engaged with audio - but I love reading books about feral audios with sultry men and the women who love listening to them. This book is pretty fun, but it did feel a little slow pacing wise for the majority. Usually with a blurb, you get an idea of the book and then experience a whole range of other things to buffer it out. For this book, the blurb tells you everything that happens here and we don’t really have much else - which is a shame. It is likely because this is the first in a series, so perhaps more dedicated to setting the world and everyone’s place in it as opposed to giving the reader the whole story. That said, I did like the content here - particularly seeing the love that these friends have for each other. I just wish it was a little more concise and more focused with the POVs because as fun as Hayes is, I don’t think his perspective added to the story much. Character wise, it’s extremely focused on the friendship group and then the outlier of our mystery audio man. Do I feel the group was a smidge immature for mid-twenties? Possibly. HOWEVER, I never went to university to have these constant ragers, nor do I have friends who do that anymore. So it could very well be that this is what most friendship groups are like for people my age, but I’m a little granny in the corner telling everyone to drink plenty of water and have something to eat, not encouraging everyone to get plastered! Romance wise, I did enjoy how the author approached so many emotions here. There’s the friends with benefits situation that stirs up tricky feelings, then there is the being happy for your friends and their love lives whilst still having this kernel of jealousy that they have something you desire. Then, of course, there is the falling for a faceless being and not knowing what to do. It was this part of the book that kept me engaged. I love a book driven by emotion and to see Esme being that rock for others whilst floundering herself felt incredibly relatable. And of course, the build up of emotions resounded in a lot of pent up feelings coming out in a delicious blaze of spice. Even the solo sessions were something to behold! Bravo Jones! The ending has me feeling a little conflicted, I can’t lie. I was not expecting a cliffhanger. When I saw this was a multi-book series, I had expected that it was more of an interconnected series that focused on different friends, not that the end of the first book would be a massive cliffhanger that left me floundering. I get it and it does work for the pow factor of what’s just happened but part of me is also annoyed because I wanted to see how things would pan out. I can only hope that the sequel isn’t far off! I will conclude the review by saying this is more of a 3.5 rating, however I wanted to round up because I did find myself generally enjoying the book.
Overall, The Voice is definitely one for the book girlies who go feral for their audiobooks.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you again to Cranthorpe Millner for an advanced copy of this book.
April 27, 2026
Esme, or Lollipop, has an obsession with an ASMR voice actor. She religiously listens to his Boyfriend experience and Horror videos. Then one of her friends tells her he’s started a new, adult, series. Obviously she’s got to listen to them. And now she has a new obsession. Whilst drunkenly playing truth or dare one of her friends dates her to message him, which she does. But then he responds. Add to this a developing friends with benefits situation. Suddenly the all-but-celibate Lolly is not.
I liked Esme, and some of her friends, but I found the lollipop thing a bit cringey. There’s something a little infantilising about her character at times. I liked Myles, I was rooting for him (half hoping he was secretly Bugz). The spice is well written and the amount is balanced well with the plot. There was a lot about her friendship group and their messy relationships (and drinking. Yawn). There is a trans character, who is lovely and their relationship is sweet.
I’m so annoyed, the book ends abruptly on a cliffhanger. If I’d known before I started, I wouldn’t have. After finishing it I’m not sure if it’s a why choose. I’m also not sure if I’ll pick up the next one either.
I liked Esme, and some of her friends, but I found the lollipop thing a bit cringey. There’s something a little infantilising about her character at times. I liked Myles, I was rooting for him (half hoping he was secretly Bugz). The spice is well written and the amount is balanced well with the plot. There was a lot about her friendship group and their messy relationships (and drinking. Yawn). There is a trans character, who is lovely and their relationship is sweet.
I’m so annoyed, the book ends abruptly on a cliffhanger. If I’d known before I started, I wouldn’t have. After finishing it I’m not sure if it’s a why choose. I’m also not sure if I’ll pick up the next one either.
May 25, 2026
Where do I even begin with this book?
MAGGIE RAY I NEED BOOK TWO NOW PLEASE!
Your hot sexy friend is willing to serve your every desire and need, no strings attatched and your favourite ASMR creator has responded to your flerty message- let the delicious chaos begin!!
The main thing I love about this book is how real it is. The friendship group is endearing and despite all the messiness and drama they truely care about each other. (Brings back memories of the uni days.)I love the dynamics shown how attentive Esme is to her friends. I also love that the side characters are actually relevant and are not just there doing nothing.
I find Esme to be quite a complex character, she likes to think of herself as well put together and the mother of the group and, whilst she is the designated care taker of her friends; her life becomes just as messy as the rest. I believe Esme puts herself as the caretaker because, though the subtle hints that are dropped before the phone call with her mum, shes always had to be in terms of her family. This makes her 'friendship' with Bugz a perect situation for her as she has someone at arms length she can rely on without him knowing the ins and out of her life. She seems to be the type of person who doesnt want to burden others and has to be the one to clean up the messes. She is constantly pushing her friends to communicate but when shit hits the fan its something she strugfles with herself; that doesnt make her fake, it makes her human.
Hayes and Ashley are goals, perfect angels no notes. (Although that tutor better get whats fucking coming to him!)
I felt like there was a paralel between Esme's situation and Josie and Talia, like she was seeing how terrible a situation could go between friends who have feelings if there isnt communication involved. As much as she wants to help I like that she takes a step back from the situation, allowing them to try work thing out on their own.
The smut in this book is to die for, its not over baring or too frequent and hits all the right spots. My favourite scenes are the bathroom scene and the video call, if you know, you KNOW. They are well written and don't overpower the plot. We like story with our smut over here. Im not crazy on the Daddy kink but it wasnt cringy or overpowering.
When it come to Myles and Bugz honestly I was team Myles for most of the book but Bugz wormed his way into my soul - then that fucking party?! It was so heartbraking... I loved it. Another reason I liked the book so much is it wasn't wrapped up in a pretty bow, its real reactions from the characters and I felt so sad and rage for Esme. I feel like the reveal was done well, even if I had an inkiling on who it was before it happened, that 'angel' broke my soul. I'm despirate to get my hands on book two. Did one of them repsond to the text, both of them, neither of them?! Tell meeee!
Honestly Bugz has some explaining to do, this man better be begging and pleading on his knees in the second book! And as for Myles although I felt like his feeling would develop into something more for Esme, I dont think, from what we have seen so far, that hes fully comprehending what a relationship will take. Honestly hoping both of them get their asses into gear and do right by her.
I could yap forever about this so ill leave it there, thank you to @MaggieRayJones and @CranthorpeMillner for the pleasure of reading this delicious book.
MAGGIE RAY I NEED BOOK TWO NOW PLEASE!
Your hot sexy friend is willing to serve your every desire and need, no strings attatched and your favourite ASMR creator has responded to your flerty message- let the delicious chaos begin!!
The main thing I love about this book is how real it is. The friendship group is endearing and despite all the messiness and drama they truely care about each other. (Brings back memories of the uni days.)I love the dynamics shown how attentive Esme is to her friends. I also love that the side characters are actually relevant and are not just there doing nothing.
I find Esme to be quite a complex character, she likes to think of herself as well put together and the mother of the group and, whilst she is the designated care taker of her friends; her life becomes just as messy as the rest. I believe Esme puts herself as the caretaker because, though the subtle hints that are dropped before the phone call with her mum, shes always had to be in terms of her family. This makes her 'friendship' with Bugz a perect situation for her as she has someone at arms length she can rely on without him knowing the ins and out of her life. She seems to be the type of person who doesnt want to burden others and has to be the one to clean up the messes. She is constantly pushing her friends to communicate but when shit hits the fan its something she strugfles with herself; that doesnt make her fake, it makes her human.
Hayes and Ashley are goals, perfect angels no notes. (Although that tutor better get whats fucking coming to him!)
I felt like there was a paralel between Esme's situation and Josie and Talia, like she was seeing how terrible a situation could go between friends who have feelings if there isnt communication involved. As much as she wants to help I like that she takes a step back from the situation, allowing them to try work thing out on their own.
The smut in this book is to die for, its not over baring or too frequent and hits all the right spots. My favourite scenes are the bathroom scene and the video call, if you know, you KNOW. They are well written and don't overpower the plot. We like story with our smut over here. Im not crazy on the Daddy kink but it wasnt cringy or overpowering.
When it come to Myles and Bugz honestly I was team Myles for most of the book but Bugz wormed his way into my soul - then that fucking party?! It was so heartbraking... I loved it. Another reason I liked the book so much is it wasn't wrapped up in a pretty bow, its real reactions from the characters and I felt so sad and rage for Esme. I feel like the reveal was done well, even if I had an inkiling on who it was before it happened, that 'angel' broke my soul. I'm despirate to get my hands on book two. Did one of them repsond to the text, both of them, neither of them?! Tell meeee!
Honestly Bugz has some explaining to do, this man better be begging and pleading on his knees in the second book! And as for Myles although I felt like his feeling would develop into something more for Esme, I dont think, from what we have seen so far, that hes fully comprehending what a relationship will take. Honestly hoping both of them get their asses into gear and do right by her.
I could yap forever about this so ill leave it there, thank you to @MaggieRayJones and @CranthorpeMillner for the pleasure of reading this delicious book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The biggest cliffhanger of all time, I stayed up until three in the morning to turn the page and find a "to be continued". Yes, I devoured the book in 5 hours, or less. I went through several points of view, drama, outfits and snippets of secondary characters' backstories, and bam! The book was over.
It left me angry. I was barely tolerating Esme and Bugz towards the end, and then a cliffhanger.
I think if the whole series were available, I would have read it in one sitting. Maybe I would have had mixed feelings because Esme is pure drama. She says she's not like that, that she's simple, practical, and a good friend, but the truth is she meddles in her friends' lives and doesn't see when they really need her. That's why when I got to that part (no spoilers) and she panicked, I smiled. I saw something big coming that was going to make her confront her actions and the people she cares about and I was ready for that grow, but “ the end” until the next book.
I read books for the thrill and emotions, to see the characters finding their path and grow toward the end of the book, so that’s why this book didn’t do it for me. I would have prefer if Ash and Hayes, Jo and Talia, have their own books and figure as I don’t like third person angst they would become my favorites for sure, I think their journey would have be amazing, but they left me wanting to know more about them and less about Esme. I even loved Miles, who plays a major role at the beginning but is later relegated to the back seat and even the trunk of the car, and if he didn’t have a mayor rol in the next book I will be really mad .
So, I stayed all night reading but I didn’t get the thrill I was expecting when I read the blurb so for that is three stars. Im going to look for the next book, and hoping for more.
If you enjoy contemporary romance, friends-with-benefits tension, online anonymity, steamy scenes and drama with angst and a cliffhanger to get you hooked this is your book-series.
Thanks to Maggie Ray Jones and the team at Canthorpe Millner Publishers for give a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.
It left me angry. I was barely tolerating Esme and Bugz towards the end, and then a cliffhanger.
I think if the whole series were available, I would have read it in one sitting. Maybe I would have had mixed feelings because Esme is pure drama. She says she's not like that, that she's simple, practical, and a good friend, but the truth is she meddles in her friends' lives and doesn't see when they really need her. That's why when I got to that part (no spoilers) and she panicked, I smiled. I saw something big coming that was going to make her confront her actions and the people she cares about and I was ready for that grow, but “ the end” until the next book.
I read books for the thrill and emotions, to see the characters finding their path and grow toward the end of the book, so that’s why this book didn’t do it for me. I would have prefer if Ash and Hayes, Jo and Talia, have their own books and figure as I don’t like third person angst they would become my favorites for sure, I think their journey would have be amazing, but they left me wanting to know more about them and less about Esme. I even loved Miles, who plays a major role at the beginning but is later relegated to the back seat and even the trunk of the car, and if he didn’t have a mayor rol in the next book I will be really mad .
So, I stayed all night reading but I didn’t get the thrill I was expecting when I read the blurb so for that is three stars. Im going to look for the next book, and hoping for more.
If you enjoy contemporary romance, friends-with-benefits tension, online anonymity, steamy scenes and drama with angst and a cliffhanger to get you hooked this is your book-series.
Thanks to Maggie Ray Jones and the team at Canthorpe Millner Publishers for give a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
This is a complicated one for me, because in spite of the 2 star, I don’t actually think this book is wholly bad - there are just a handful of things that really just did not work for me. On one hand, I actually found the central friend group really precious, especially Ashley and Myles. I wasn’t expecting to switch to their POVS - Bugz I get, Myles I kind of get, but Hayes? It felt really out of place to me, as much as I liked the content of the chapter itself.
As for the writing, there were parts of it that I liked - again, the dynamics between the friend group were great, and it was an easy read. Some scenes, especially transitions, didn’t flow smoothly in my opinion, but I didn’t have trouble following the plot - there just pieces of description that felt like filler, and conversations that didn’t feel organic. It moved slowly considering the plot, and that ended up making sense toward the end. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is a cliffhanger and it’s left for a sequel… which is not indicated in the summary. I went into it expecting a standalone, and frankly, if it’s meant to be a duology (this is an assumption because I have NO IDEA how you’d drag it out to a third book), it doesn’t need to be. Very little happens other than friendship drama and from the summary, I had thought the focus would be on Esme and the streamer, but Bugz turns out to honestly not feel that significant of a character for most of the book. I would even argue there were more friendship dynamic slice of life type things than the actual romance elements.
Overall, this novel was fun, but felt like it was lacking direction.
This is a complicated one for me, because in spite of the 2 star, I don’t actually think this book is wholly bad - there are just a handful of things that really just did not work for me. On one hand, I actually found the central friend group really precious, especially Ashley and Myles. I wasn’t expecting to switch to their POVS - Bugz I get, Myles I kind of get, but Hayes? It felt really out of place to me, as much as I liked the content of the chapter itself.
As for the writing, there were parts of it that I liked - again, the dynamics between the friend group were great, and it was an easy read. Some scenes, especially transitions, didn’t flow smoothly in my opinion, but I didn’t have trouble following the plot - there just pieces of description that felt like filler, and conversations that didn’t feel organic. It moved slowly considering the plot, and that ended up making sense toward the end. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is a cliffhanger and it’s left for a sequel… which is not indicated in the summary. I went into it expecting a standalone, and frankly, if it’s meant to be a duology (this is an assumption because I have NO IDEA how you’d drag it out to a third book), it doesn’t need to be. Very little happens other than friendship drama and from the summary, I had thought the focus would be on Esme and the streamer, but Bugz turns out to honestly not feel that significant of a character for most of the book. I would even argue there were more friendship dynamic slice of life type things than the actual romance elements.
Overall, this novel was fun, but felt like it was lacking direction.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Voice by The Voice by Maggie Ray Jones was such a unique and addictive read that completely hooked me from the premise alone. The idea of falling for an anonymous voice creator online felt fresh, modern and incredibly relatable in a world where digital connections can feel just as intense as real-life ones.
Esme was a fun protagonist to follow, and I really enjoyed watching her navigate the blurred lines between fantasy and reality. Her friendship dynamic felt natural, and the chemistry between her and Myles definitely added extra tension to the story. And Bugz? Let’s just say I completely understood the obsession.
This book balances humour, spice and emotional vulnerability really well. The audio content angle made this stand out from other romances I’ve read, and I found myself flying through the pages wanting to know how everything would unfold.
The reason this wasn’t a full five stars for me was that there were a few moments where I wanted a little more emotional depth and stronger development in certain areas of the relationship. That said, it was still a highly entertaining read with a very original concept.
If you enjoy contemporary romance, friends-with-benefits tension, online anonymity tropes, and stories that feel fun, flirty and addictive, this one is definitely worth adding to your TBR.
Pub Date: 19 May 2026
#BookReview #TheVoice #MaggieRayJones #RomanceBooks
Esme was a fun protagonist to follow, and I really enjoyed watching her navigate the blurred lines between fantasy and reality. Her friendship dynamic felt natural, and the chemistry between her and Myles definitely added extra tension to the story. And Bugz? Let’s just say I completely understood the obsession.
This book balances humour, spice and emotional vulnerability really well. The audio content angle made this stand out from other romances I’ve read, and I found myself flying through the pages wanting to know how everything would unfold.
The reason this wasn’t a full five stars for me was that there were a few moments where I wanted a little more emotional depth and stronger development in certain areas of the relationship. That said, it was still a highly entertaining read with a very original concept.
If you enjoy contemporary romance, friends-with-benefits tension, online anonymity tropes, and stories that feel fun, flirty and addictive, this one is definitely worth adding to your TBR.
Pub Date: 19 May 2026
#BookReview #TheVoice #MaggieRayJones #RomanceBooks
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Okay, soooooo the premise hooked me immediately. The idea of falling for and flirting with an online creator while also hooking up with a friend IRL sounded juicy.
I also appreciated the LGBTQIA+ representation and how unapologetically spicy this was, and spicy is putting it mildly, this leans pretty explicit. For readers looking for exploratory romance with a fanfiction-esque energy, I can absolutely see the appeal.
For me, though, this didn’t quite work. The writing often skewed younger or fanfic-adjacent in tone, which created a strange contrast with the explicit content. I also struggled with the amount of side-character detail, the POV shifts, and some dialogue tics that pulled me out of the story. I found myself skimming quite a bit, and the cliffhanger ending left me more frustrated than eager for book two.
Ultimately, this came down to personal preference. I can see this working for readers who enjoy open-door romance and a more youthful, informal style, but the tonal mix just wasn’t a fit for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Cranthorpe Millner, and Maggie Ray Jones for the eArc!
I also appreciated the LGBTQIA+ representation and how unapologetically spicy this was, and spicy is putting it mildly, this leans pretty explicit. For readers looking for exploratory romance with a fanfiction-esque energy, I can absolutely see the appeal.
For me, though, this didn’t quite work. The writing often skewed younger or fanfic-adjacent in tone, which created a strange contrast with the explicit content. I also struggled with the amount of side-character detail, the POV shifts, and some dialogue tics that pulled me out of the story. I found myself skimming quite a bit, and the cliffhanger ending left me more frustrated than eager for book two.
Ultimately, this came down to personal preference. I can see this working for readers who enjoy open-door romance and a more youthful, informal style, but the tonal mix just wasn’t a fit for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, Cranthorpe Millner, and Maggie Ray Jones for the eArc!
May 1, 2026
We’ve all had that one narrator. The one who doesn’t even need a face because his voice alone has you fully compromised. Deep, rough, that low growl that settles somewhere in your chest and refuses to leave. It’s intoxicating. Honestly, who needs a face when the audio is doing… all of that?
This book hit that exact nerve for me. I’m very much a “voice first, sanity later” kind of girl, so the premise had me immediately hooked.
But what surprised me was how much of the story leaned into friendship. This core group was messy, chaotic, dramatic in the best way. The kind of dynamic that pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re sitting right there with them, watching everything unfold with a drink in hand and zero business being that invested.
And then… the ending.
No. Absolutely not.
You don’t just build all that connection, and then walk away like that. A cliffhanger? I feel mildly betrayed.
So yes, I’ll be waiting for the next one. Against my better judgment. Because clearly I enjoy suffering.
This book hit that exact nerve for me. I’m very much a “voice first, sanity later” kind of girl, so the premise had me immediately hooked.
But what surprised me was how much of the story leaned into friendship. This core group was messy, chaotic, dramatic in the best way. The kind of dynamic that pulls you in and makes you feel like you’re sitting right there with them, watching everything unfold with a drink in hand and zero business being that invested.
And then… the ending.
No. Absolutely not.
You don’t just build all that connection, and then walk away like that. A cliffhanger? I feel mildly betrayed.
So yes, I’ll be waiting for the next one. Against my better judgment. Because clearly I enjoy suffering.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Every audiobook girly has that voice that makes her swoon. So this is exactly what it would be if you started in crime dramas and then found out they went to M and spice. You'd be curious, right?
That's kind of where we find Esme, the fmc. She is an audio girly - she is religious listener to the mmc's audios, and when he goes from Horror/Boyfriend audios to more mature themes, she's locked in for the ride.
The spice of this was great. The friends around Esme were sweet and silly. The flirty banter between Esme and Myles was great.
I could just NOT get over the nickname Lollipop...it felt very Candy Cane (if you watch horror movies you get the reference). Other than that, it reads fine and easy, just not something I'll dive back into.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
That's kind of where we find Esme, the fmc. She is an audio girly - she is religious listener to the mmc's audios, and when he goes from Horror/Boyfriend audios to more mature themes, she's locked in for the ride.
The spice of this was great. The friends around Esme were sweet and silly. The flirty banter between Esme and Myles was great.
I could just NOT get over the nickname Lollipop...it felt very Candy Cane (if you watch horror movies you get the reference). Other than that, it reads fine and easy, just not something I'll dive back into.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It took me a couple of chapters to get into the "flow" of this book and when it set in I didn't want to stop reading!
The description is not kidding..this was spi-cyyy!
I loved the young friend group and their dramas.. sometimes too many side stories in a book can ruin things but in this case I did not mind it one bit and actually enjoyed it.
Miles? Or Bugzie? Omgosh... the choice just became more difficult. I really can't wait for the next book!
And also...I think this will be hot as an audiobook 😬
Many thanks to Netgalley, author and Publisher for the chance to read in advance and share my thoughts.
The description is not kidding..this was spi-cyyy!
I loved the young friend group and their dramas.. sometimes too many side stories in a book can ruin things but in this case I did not mind it one bit and actually enjoyed it.
Miles? Or Bugzie? Omgosh... the choice just became more difficult. I really can't wait for the next book!
And also...I think this will be hot as an audiobook 😬
Many thanks to Netgalley, author and Publisher for the chance to read in advance and share my thoughts.
May 20, 2026
This book was so good 😈🌶 Lolipop was such a relatable and down to earth character and I could really resonate with her. Her friend group was alot, so much drama, but very fun. I loved Ashley and Myles the most. Now Bugz.. omg what a man. How much chemistry him and Lolipop had from just voice calls was deliciously intense. 😏🤭👀
My only downer was that it seemed to be slow starting for me as I felt it didnt really pick up till about the 30% mark but after that I sped through this seductive and sulty romance. I honestly book 2 can't come out fast enough!
I'd like to thank @cranthorpemillner and @maggierayjones for the chance to read and review this book.
My only downer was that it seemed to be slow starting for me as I felt it didnt really pick up till about the 30% mark but after that I sped through this seductive and sulty romance. I honestly book 2 can't come out fast enough!
I'd like to thank @cranthorpemillner and @maggierayjones for the chance to read and review this book.
May 27, 2026
As an avid audiobook listener this one grabbed my attention and I was really looking forward to reading it. The cover is really striking too, I love it.
Told from multiple POV including Esme. I really liked Esme, she was like the mother hen of the group wanting to make sure all her friends were ok.
I really liked Myles too and was rooting for him and Esme, although I did like Bugz too. The spice was so good, the video call scene especially.
I was totally surprised at the reveal it wasn’t who I had suspected. As for that ending I’m going to be needing book two immediately please.
Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner for having me on the tour and for my gifted copy of the book.
Told from multiple POV including Esme. I really liked Esme, she was like the mother hen of the group wanting to make sure all her friends were ok.
I really liked Myles too and was rooting for him and Esme, although I did like Bugz too. The spice was so good, the video call scene especially.
I was totally surprised at the reveal it wasn’t who I had suspected. As for that ending I’m going to be needing book two immediately please.
Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner for having me on the tour and for my gifted copy of the book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A warning for future readers, this ends on a cliffhanger. Really would've appreciated knowing that going in, or at least that it was going to be a series, cause I would've never picked it up.
That said, I DNF-ed (how'd I find out about the cliffhanger, you ask? I looked ahead.) due to the immature writing. It gave me the feeling of "a 12-year-old middle schooler wrote it on Wattpad", which is ironic, considering you know... all the sex.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
That said, I DNF-ed (how'd I find out about the cliffhanger, you ask? I looked ahead.) due to the immature writing. It gave me the feeling of "a 12-year-old middle schooler wrote it on Wattpad", which is ironic, considering you know... all the sex.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. I liked Esme as a character, but I didn’t necessarily connect with any of the other characters. I also didn’t expect a love triangle between Esme, Bugz the ASMR creator and Myles one of Esme’s friends. I did guess the identity of Bugz fairly early on but I still enjoyed when Esme found out. My only real gripe with this book is that it ended on a cliffhanger but I am excited to read the sequel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2026
3.5 stars
I would have given this 4 stars if it wasn’t for that ending! lol also this took a turn! What I thought was happening throughout the whole book… wasn’t! 🤣
Then that cliffhanger??? I feel like we’ve been edged and left unsatisfied! 🤣🤣
It’s a good read, lots of character building and good spice and definitely worth a read but maybe wait til the next book if you don’t like cliff hangers.
I would have given this 4 stars if it wasn’t for that ending! lol also this took a turn! What I thought was happening throughout the whole book… wasn’t! 🤣
Then that cliffhanger??? I feel like we’ve been edged and left unsatisfied! 🤣🤣
It’s a good read, lots of character building and good spice and definitely worth a read but maybe wait til the next book if you don’t like cliff hangers.
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