While You Were Seething

by Charlotte Stein

The road to love is bumpy in Charlotte Stein’s WHILE YOU WERE SEETHING— a sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance filled with fake dating hijinks, delicious forced proximity, and top tier banter.

Daisy Emmett has been enemies with famous romance author Caleb Miller since they were in college together, and time hasn’t lessened their mutual loathing. So when she agrees to manoeuvre him through a PR disaster of his own making, she knows it’s not going to be easy. She just doesn’t realise how not easy until they somehow end up trapped in the same truck, on an endless road trip from one book tour stop to another, bantering and butting heads along the way.

Then, even more people appear to be mistaking her for the woman he dedicates all his books to. The love of his life, his adored beloved—the one who doesn’t actually exist. Now they’re trapped into pretending she does and that Daisy is her, each fake kiss and phoney embrace ratcheting up the tension to the point where enemies suddenly seems a lot closer to lovers than either of them would like.

Or so they’re telling themselves.

But sometimes it’s hard to be sure, when seething turns into something so much more…

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Books About Books

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 9, 2026

About the author

Charlotte Stein is the RT and DABWAHA nominated author of over fifty short stories, novellas and novels. When not writing deeply emotional and intensely sexy books, she can be found eating jelly turtles, watching terrible sitcoms and occasionally lusting after hunks. For more on Charlotte, visit: www.charlottestein.net

Reviews

[cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are books that grab you from page one, and then there are books that make you keep checking how much is left. While You Were Seething landed somewhere in between for me. It has so many tropes I usually devour—fake dating, enemies circling each other like feral cats, forced proximity.

Daisy ends up on this book tour because she’s trying to grow her own PR business, and managing a famous author’s image is a chance she can’t really turn down—even if he happens to be the same guy she’s disliked since college. 👀 It’s supposed to be a professional opportunity, a way to build her brand, not some emotional trap she falls face-first into.

But the real chaos starts when readers assume Daisy is the mysterious woman he dedicates all his books to. The muse everyone has theories about. The secret beloved no one has ever seen. 🫣🫣 Suddenly, pretending to be his great love becomes the only way to keep his reputation from imploding, and she’s stuck fake-dating the man who has never been anything but confusing and cold toward her. Except… that fake affection starts blurring lines fast. And those “just for show” moments get heated before either of them seems prepared. (The tent scene felt like an emotional jump scare. Like WHERE DID THAT COME FROM????) 🥲🥲🥲

The tension should’ve been a slow simmer, but instead it leaps from snark to spice so fast it feels like missing chapters. The banter has its charms, but the writing can get unclear enough that I found myself rereading scenes… not because they were deep, but because I genuinely couldn’t tell what just happened. 😭😭 Caleb’s “grumpy” behavior also leans more cruel than broody in a way that’s tiring, even once his reasons are revealed. (There’s a fine line between brooding and just being a jerk, and he tap-dances allll across it 🫩🤚🏼)

Meanwhile, Daisy keeps acting like there’s no possible universe where he might like her, even when he’s basically holding up a neon sign. At first it’s relatable insecurity… then it just becomes irritating. (like someone please hand her a clue. Or glasses. Or a mirror. GOSH🙄)

She’s also described as curvy, which could’ve been beautiful representation if it were actually explored. Instead it’s mentioned and dropped without adding depth, confidence, or anything meaningful to her character. So disappointing 😖😖

Even with all of this, I can’t say the story is boring. It kept me curious enough to finish, there are cute moments, and the premise itself is eye-catching. It just never quite reaches the emotional payoff it promises, and the confusion in the writing kept pulling me out of the story. 😔

Overall? A one-time read. Fun concept, surprising spice, but… messy execution. 🤷🏼‍♀️

-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-favorite quotes-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

"I thought she was the most attractive woman I'd ever laid eyes on. And I say attractive on purpose, because sure, she's beautiful, she's gorgeous, but it was more than that. More than just looking at someone and seeing that everything is pleasing to your eye. I was drawn to her, drawn in by her, in a way I'd never experienced before."

-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

things to know about the book ↓

📚 enemies→lovers
📚 forced proximity
📚 fake dating
📚 second chance (kinda)
📚 third person POV

A huge thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Charlotte Stein for allowing me to read this arc. These are all my honest opinions in this review.

[ashlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started off slow then picked up enough to get my attention a little more. I wish I could say I loved this but it was hard. There was so much banter that it made me want to stop reading. The premise and concept of the book was good just wished it was presented a bit differently. I must say the spice was spicing and the author didn’t hold back on that.

✨ T r o p e s + T r i g g e r s ✨
Enemies to Lovers
Contemporary Romance | Second Chance
Fake Dating
Forced Proximity
Too Much Banter
Heavy Spice
Road Trip | One Tent
Slow Burn

Book Cover ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Would I recommend this book to you? Yes

Expected Release Date: 04/14/2026

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Author Charlotte Stein for the arc. All thoughts in this review are my own.

[⊹₊⟡⋆Mandy Darling⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started While You Were Seething, I was genuinely giddy. Like, kicking-my-feet, grinning-like-a-moron, squealing-over-the-banter levels of giddy. The chemistry and back-and-forth between Daisy and Caleb had me hooked immediately. I was absolutely inhaling this book. I finished it in about two days, and there were multiple moments where I was supposed to be working but instead was mentally counting down until I could sneak in another chapter.

Yes, I figured out the general direction of the plot pretty early on, but honestly? I didn’t care. Watching it all unfold was still an absolute blast. The slow burn enemies-to-lovers combined with the fast-paced, razor-sharp banter was IMMACULATE. Charlotte Stein really knows how to make dialogue sparkle.

That said, there were two things that kept this from being a full 5-star read for me.

First, the initial spicy scene between Daisy and Caleb felt like it went from 0 to 100 out of nowhere. Caleb shifts from controlled, grumpy, tightly wound man to full-on dirty talker in a way that didn’t quite match the emotional pacing or either character’s personality at that point. Don’t get me wrong, it was hot, but it felt like something that should have happened later, after a few more emotional walls had come down.

Second, the big emotional realizations toward the end felt rushed. Daisy’s emotional baggage gets a lot of attention, but Caleb’s is mostly skimmed over. I really wanted more depth there. More unpacking, more insight into his internal world, and a better understanding of how he processed everything that happened. It felt like there was so much potential to explore his story further, and I wish the book had slowed down just a bit to do that.

Even with those issues, I still really loved this book and would absolutely recommend it. It’s a fun, quick read with delicious banter, satisfying slow burn tension, and plenty of steam.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! 🧡

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was personally attacked and highly turned on by this book. It was so so good and hurt all my feelings. It also made me laugh. It was thoroughly delightful and scratched all of my itches.

[T Rojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW! (Thanks NETGALLEY!)

Eh book was fine, but it me, it was basically When Grumpy met Sunshine again just kind of watered down. There was a bunch of flashback chapters that didn’t really add much to the story. I wish Charlotte Stein would go back to her unconventional borderline creepy MMCs, these guys just seem like asexual weirdos.

[Harleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 40%

The plot sounded promising, but I couldn't get past the writing. At times, I had to keep rereading a section because it was unclear or awkwardly phrased. Also, I love a grumpy mmc, but Caleb didn’t do it for me 🥲

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Griffin for the arc. All opinions are my own.

[Lexa K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Charlotte Stein please don't make this your last rom-com! I loved My big fat fake marriage, and While you were seething had everything I could ask for.

Enemies to lovers AND fake dating in one book? YASSS!!!

The tropes come thick and fast in this one, and the chemistry between Daisy and Caleb was spot on right from the start.

Was it predictable? Absolutely. Was it un-putdownable anyway? 💯

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Jnj_turning_pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

While You Were Seething is a romcom full of all the best tropes. You like second chances, it's got it. Love grumpy/sunshine, it's got one of the grumpiest. Oh, you love only one bed... How about only one tent? The witty banter and spicy tension will keep you turning pages and asking "will they or won't they?"

Caleb, famous romance writer, must save his reputation after his less than flattering, and very public, comments about love. Enter Daisy, PA and celebrity handler, to save the day. However, Caleb and Daisy have history. They attended the same college and were "enemies". Daisy must navigate his eccentricity and get him back in the fans good graces, but it backfires when the fans believe it is her that he is dating and not the actor they hired.

I really loved the literary banter and strong opinions of both characters. And let's talk about the naughty mouth on Caleb. It's hard to believe a man that talks like that doesn't believe in love. The plot was great and really cute. The speed was a bit wonky at times, with some things being sped through and others slowly progressing. Even with that, I loved this book. Solid 4 stars.

Thank you to charlotte.stein, st. martins press, and netgalley for the opportunity.

[Macy Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was POETRY. If you enjoy some of the old classics where the characters are living so internally you wonder how they don’t accidentally just walk straight off a cliff, then you’ll love this.

Daisy and Caleb hated each other in college, fast forward a decade and now they’re thrown into fake-dating hijinks. YEARNING ENSUES. 😭

Daisy is easily one of my favorite FMCs I’ve read this year. She’s smart, hilarious, and completely, vulnerably, *almost* unapologetically herself.

When I tell you Caleb is more emotionally tortured than these FANTASY DUDES, who literally never get a break. 💀 He’s everything. In his ratty henley and his bigass boots, I could literally fix him. He’s been writing romance novels for years, but doesn’t believe he deserves anything gentle or genuine for himself. Enter Daisy 🥹🌼

Honestly, my favorite part about this book - beyond the epic love story - was the way it unfolds in Daisy’s mind. She’s so painfully observant it makes you wonder if you’ve ever truly, deliberately looked at another person before. The way love is described is poetry, the way their shortcomings are described is poetry, the dedications at the beginning of Caleb’s books??? POETRY.

Personally, I adored this book and there are some sentences I know I’ll come back to again and again. ❤️

Excuse me while I go read every other book Charlotte Stein has ever written.

[Lisi Bee (Beth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daisy is a people pleaser and a fixer who has channeled her innate helpfulness into owning and running her own. celebrity assistance firm. She's hired to help Caleb, a capital-G grumpy author who is skittish about going on a media junket for the release of his latest book. Caleb also happens to be an acquaintance from college, where they had a mostly-adversarial relationship. Will Daisy and Caleb make it through the press tour without killing each other? I love this author and I enjoyed the book overall, but I struggled with it at times. Cheerful but practical Daisy has spent her adult life toning herself down, and curmudgeonly Caleb has seemingly always been grumpy (think Ron Swanson being forced to deal with other humans when he'd prefer to be holed up in his cabin in the middle of the woods). I did like the opposites-attract dynamic, as well as their banter. And without giving away specific details of Daisy and Caleb's relationship, I think it's fair to say that their dynamic relies heavily on the miscommunication/misunderstanding trope. It's not a trope I typically enjoy, which is maybe why I felt some disconnect with their evolving relationship during the press junket. I also think some of the disconnect was due to the story being told from only Daisy's perspective. While it helped to convey her general cluelessness into Caleb's thought processes, it also left the reader a little high-and-dry to them as well. (And Caleb is most definitely a walled-off mountain of a man.) And although there is some eventual clarity into Caleb's feelings (as there must be in a romance novel), they come later in the story. The author really made them work for their HEA, holy cow. It was a little frustrating to read at times as clearly they're both tormented by their own repressed emotions and their misconceptions (as well as their dysfunctional emotional history which is repeating itself in the present day). I did like this book overall, but their relationship asks for a *lot* of patience from the reader. I just wish they'd had their emotional epiphanies a little sooner. I will say that Stein's characters are always chock full of insecurities, in the best way possible. They all just want someone to make them feel seen, even if they don't know that's what they want, and they always find it in their romantic partner. It's very relatable and makes her characters incredibly endearing, and it's one of the reasons I keep coming back to her books. That, and her keen sense of the absurd, I truly love it and it makes reading her books so much fun! I think readers who are in mood for an opposites-attract, slow-burn, GRUMPY-sunshine (yes it's capitalized on purpose, Caleb was practically shouting his grumpiness for the bulk of the book), fake-dating, open-door romance will enjoy this book. Publishes April 11th, 2026. This review is based on a complimentary eARC of the book, all opinions are my own.

[Lindsey Domokur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enemies to lovers with a broody hero that you just know is in love with the heroine.. check. That is what I want to read.
Caleb and Daisy have a long history and now Daisy has to travel with Caleb on a book tour, to basically babysit him. She loathes him and seemingly can't stand being around her. As the time goes on and they are thrown together for the tour, Daisy is realizing things aren't what they seem.
I do love a grumpy hero and I liked that he was very into her even if she didn't realize it till much later. The issue I had with the book is that it was really hard to read for me. I understand that the author isn't from the US, and I had trouble with another book that I had read by her, but I thought I could overcome it. Unfortunately, I couldn't. It was really hard to understand and things just didn't flow in a way that made me engrossed at any point in time. I thought the bones of this story were well done, but the execution of their relationship progressing was awkward at the best of times.
If you are familiar with this author and the writing style, I feel that you will enjoy it much more than I did.

[Lyndzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review, thank you NetGalley and Charlotte Stein for the opportunity to read this!

I love a good enemies to lovers story, but oftentimes the enemy part doesn't come easily and it feels forced -- this book, though? Absolutely not. Caleb is a true-blue Grump throughout this novel (and I love him for that). The animosity between Daisy and Caleb felt very real, the tension was thick, and their hatred was palpable. Their bickering was hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud as many times as I found myself grimacing by their jabs.
This novel is a definitely a slow burn, but once you get to the fire -OH WOW- is it hot! 🥵 Sometimes slow burns can feel a little tedious, but the chemistry between these two was electrifying from the get go. When it finally got to the spice, the build up to that level of hotness was like a dam bursting. I'm giving this book personal, mental bonus star (on top of the 5) for those sex scenes. ⭐
The main characters are both delightfully weird and eternally flawed, in ways that contrast and compliment one another so well. I strongly relate to Daisy and her struggle to understand a complicated --and silent-- man (they're the worst, why do we love them? 😅) I don't want to spoil what makes me love Caleb so much, but let's just say it's what turns him on. His "kinks" are one of the best things about him, IYKYK. 🥴
The narrative switches back and forth from the past to the present, which can be a bit confusing at times, referencing things in the past that we, the reader, have not discovered yet, but all gets explained eventually, and it has a very satisfying conclusion. I had never read this author before, and now I'm going to go read everything else she has written.

[Sky DeBoer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took a minute to get into but once we hit 50% of the way in I was LOCKED IN. WOW. The number of times daisy said something and didn’t think it through is sooooo me. Girls when they don’t understand the concept of thinking before you speak. Guys who barely speak and then say positively filthy things. YUP!!! So much yearning but also much more serious emotions from both of them that just hit home

Thank you to Charlotte Stein, St. Martin’s Press, and Net Galley for the arc!!! Baby’s first!!

[Katlyn Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review: While You Were Seething by Charlotte Stein ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Charlotte Stein delivers yet another laugh-out-loud, steamy, and heartfelt enemies-to-lovers romance. Daisy and Caleb’s road trip gone wrong has everything you didn’t know you needed! Fake dating, public scandal, sharp banter, and emotional tension that builds beautifully.

The fake dating + road trip combo? Perfection. It’s got the “we can’t stand each other” energy, the emotional gut punches, and just enough spice to make you blush while grinning like an idiot.

If you love slow-burn tension, forced proximity, and messy but magnetic characters, While You Were Seething is a must-read!!!

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

While You Were Seething took a little while to get going for me the opening felt slow, and the early pacing had me wondering if this one just wasn’t going to land. But once it finds its rhythm, Charlotte Stein’s trademark wit, intimacy, and emotional sharpness kick in and absolutely pull you back in.

As a sucker for rivals to lovers and a good fake-dating setup, I held on, and I’m glad I did. The chemistry between the leads builds with that uniquely Stein blend: messy, charged, and unexpectedly vulnerable. When the banter finally starts firing, it really fires.

The time jumps, while we’re warned about them, still felt a bit abrupt and sometimes cut into the flow. Even so, they add a kind of quirky, off kilter momentum that matches the chaos of the characters themselves.

What really elevates the book are the small things Stein always nails:
✨ Dialogues that feel raw and real
✨ A heroine who is both prickly and soft in the best ways
✨ A hero who’s quietly magnetic beneath the grump
✨ Emotional beats that sneak up on you by the end

It may not be my top Stein, but it’s still clever, spicy in her signature unconventional way, and filled with moments that remind you why she has such a devoted fan base. If you can ride out the slower opening, there’s a surprising amount of heart, and heat, waiting on the other side.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Sydney St Onge · Rating 2 out of 5]

thanks Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I read this for HYRCED prompt of "a book with a main character with the same name as one of your favorite people." Unfortunately this wasn't my favorite (and they called each other by their last names, so it might not even count towards the prompt).

The way that this is written is all banter, and not just between the two main characters but between the narrator and the reader. It is to the point however that it feels so forced and quirky it's unrelatable. There were too many similes and descriptions, however I kept getting lost about where we were in the story.

This is just not rooted in any reality, but feels like an exaggeration of tropes and characters. Caleb's constant discomfort at her eating, how loud she is and how so particular he is about everything went too far and then he just switches abruptly in the middle after Daisy gives him lessons.

Nothing more annoying than a women having to teach a man about empathy and how to act in public.... it felt like his annoyance and her frivolity would have worked better in a regency romance.

It feels unbelievable that our MMC made a living as a romance novelist but never heard of any popular tropes. But instead of a one bed trope we get them stuck in the forest in a tent....?

my favorite motto is "if I'm too much, you can go find less" and I think that's what should have happened here.

[monica • · Rating 3 out of 5]

the writing style needs to be changed I think. I love charlotte and the heart of her books. they always have so much emotion but I just think the writing style prevents a good plot and reduces the depth of the story.

[liz ౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. I didn’t feel any sort of way towards it. I didn’t connect with the characters or their story. Additionally, the flashback chapters didn’t really add anything to the story, in my opinion.

[Anastasia ｼ]

This sounds fun!
Thank you for the ARC, St. Martin's Press!

[Amanda Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Loved this enemies to lovers contemporary romance. The characters and writing were in top form. Very witty and sharp! And the fake dating trope is one of my favorites. This book worked for me on all fronts.. Highly recommend it! *Thanks to Charlotte Stein and NetGalley for this advanced copy.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlotte's writing style has always delighted me and this, her latest, is no different. Our H, Caleb is a grumpy pining king after meeting Daisy at college (both as older students) and the story kicks off ten years later after Daisy has been sent by Henry - from My Big Fat Fake Marriage - to wrangle Caleb on a face-saving book tour in the US.

The series-wide trope of fake dating appears, alongside a classic theres-only-one-bed during their road trip together. Lots of feels and yearns along the way. I loved it, your honour.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC copy, all opinions though are my own.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the author was trying so hard to have witty banter but it just came out kind of stilted and strange in a lot of places? The mmc almost reads like Sheldon from the Big Bang theory if he also had ocd, I don’t know how I’m supposed to find him sexy? He also definitely thinks of himself as some sort of unworthy bad guy and the self hating angsty type isn’t for me, oh she’s sunshine and I’m just black and white I could never deserve her, it’s just a little cringe to me? He felt so 2 dimensional. And Daisy felt like she was supposed to be a rip off of a Gilmore girl but missed the mark. It wasn’t bad, just a lot of the first half wasn’t for me. There’s also pages and pages of description for each little action that got so annoying, this was just a problem with the writing style I guess but why are we describing this man taking off his boots for 2.5 whole pages as if it’s the sexiest thing on gods earth, HES REMOVING BOOTS. I started skimming because you’re genuinely getting paragraphs over analyzing every touch I think it’s supposed to build angst but it was just mind numbing nobody analyzes a shoulder touch that much bud. It just ended up being incredibly cringey not sexy to me.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review!
The main characters have a lot of really good back-and-forth banter, along with some in-depth read in between the lines type of conversations. I love a grumpy x sunshine trope. The female main character was a chaotic girl who just loves life in. The main male character seems to have a lot of unresolved trauma that I wish was looked into a little bit further. He gives off very subtle touch her and die vibes which I love!

-forced proximity
-one bed (tent)
-grumpy x sunshine
-fake dating

[Truusje · Rating 3 out of 5]

While You Were Seething is the third of Charlotte Stein’s series of fake dating romcoms. It’s set in the same world as the previous books but this time the two MCs knew each other years ago and hated each other. Or did they? My criticism of the first two books was that it was so obvious the MMC was crazy about the FMC and it made it a little hard to believe she thought he didn’t. This book also has an MMC head over heels with the FMC but it was easier to accept that she just didn’t see it. The way she saw herself, and the way she thought other people saw her, were clearly the result of being told over and over again that she was too much.

For me this book didn’t work as well as the previous book in this series. I don’t think the funny bits really landed with me, but that may be because the book as a whole felt a little clunky to me. There were these jumps in place and time that puzzled me at times. There were also flashbacks to when they first knew each other, but often I didn’t realise we had gone back in time until I was truly confused. To be fair, those chapters are labelled ‘then’ but to me that looked the same as the chapter numbers. I also thought there were some inconsistencies. What’s more, I feel we needed some more backstory, especially for Caleb; I don’t think I ever got to know him.

Of course the sexy bits were very sexy and I enjoyed the last part of the book, but overall, I’m a bit disappointed: 3 stars.

*** I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***

[Madalyn Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Charlotte Stein for an advanced reader copy of While You Were Seething in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the last 75% of While You Were Seething so much so that I REALLY wanted to give it 5 stars, but the first 25% of the book was a little difficult to get into for some reason— hence, the 4 stars.

The beginning of the book just felt a little slow, and I honestly found myself confused at times. There are a lot of vague references all throughout the book to past experiences and past feelings, but the vagueness of these memories lends to some confusing moments. I know the nods to the past (with no details) was done with the intent of keeping us in suspense until the moments in question are finally revealed to us, but to me it felt less mysterious and simply more confusing.

I also found myself confused by the writing style at times. This is going to be hard to describe, but sometimes the sentences didn’t make a lot of sense— almost like the characters were referencing previous conversations that we had never seen, and so without context some verbal exchanges were really confusing to me. It happened at least half a dozen times, where I’d find myself rereading dialogue multiple times to try to understand what the characters were really saying.
The book isn’t released for another 5 months, though, so this could be a glitch that gets ironed out before publication!

Aside from those small hurdles, though (which could easily be resolved before official publication), I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Like, really loved it.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers because it was really fun to watch this story evolve, but I really enjoyed the main relationship and the main characters. The main male character, Caleb Miller, is really grumpy, really awkward, and definitely a little neurotic at times, but he’s also really likable (in his own prickly, socially awkward way). The main female character is Daisy Emmett, and I found her to be super delightful and fun to get to know. There are deep aspects of this story where we experience the characters being afraid of being “too much” and making themselves smaller to make other people happy, and I truly loved watching Daisy overcome this deep insecurity.
This is something I have also struggled with my whole life (the “laughing too loud” part really hit home), and it made me feel a lot of big emotions to see her get stronger and to see her fall in love with herself.
There are a lot of deep emotions throughout this book, and towards the end, when they’re both pushed out of their comfort zones and being forced to grow, I felt the emotions and the struggles in a really visceral way. As odd as it sounds, I love when books can make me feel strong, negative emotions and push me out of my own comfort zone— and While You Were Seething did this for me, especially the more we get to know Miller. There’s of course positive resolution, but I really loved the difficult journey to get there.
They both grow a lot as individuals throughout the book, but I also love the way their relationship evolves. This is a very tension-filled enemies-to-lovers story, with several other fun tropes sprinkled throughout.

Also, their intimate scenes are PERFECT. This is the first book I’ve read by Charlotte Stein, and the spice in this book was exceptional. The spice, the details, the lust, the originality— it was all *chef’s kiss*.
Literally the spicy scenes alone make me want to go read another Charlotte Stein book immediately!

To wrap up, I devoured this book in two days (the last 80% of it in one day), and I will absolutely be recommending it to my fellow romance girlies!

[The Romantic Rush Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

While You Were Seething is one of those books that doesn’t fully hook you right away, but still keeps you curious enough to turn the pages with curiosiosity. It’s packed with tropes I usually love like fake dating, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and grumpy sunshine, so I hung with it... yet the execution felt a little uneven at times. The spice though? spicing.

Daisy is a people pleaser through and through, someone who has turned her need to help into a career by running her own PR business. When she’s hired to manage a press tour for a famous and notoriously grumpy author, she can’t afford to say no, even though that author is Caleb Miller, a former college rival she never quite understood. What starts as a professional arrangement quickly spirals when fans assume Daisy is the mystery woman Caleb dedicates his books to, forcing them into a fake relationship to protect his reputation.

That setup is genuinely fun, and when the chemistry hits, it really hits. The banter is HEAVY...but it can be sharp and entertaining at it's best, and the intimate scenes are intense, surprising, and incredibly well written...and delicious. Charlotte Stein absolutely knows how to write spice, especially when it sneaks up on characters who are emotionally guarded or uncomfortable with vulnerability. Caleb may be prickly and socially awkward, but once he finally lets his walls down, the payoff is worth the wait. He just took a long time for me to want to fully invest in. But we GET there...

That said, the road to get there can be frustrating. The tension jumps from sarcastic sniping to full heat so fast it sometimes feels like emotional steps were skipped. The story is told only from Daisy’s perspective, which makes Caleb feel distant (and unlikable) for a long stretch, and his grumpiness occasionally crosses into cruelty before his motivations become clear. There are also moments where the writing feels vague or confusing, with references to past events that are teased without enough grounding or context, making some scenes harder to follow than they should be. At times I felt like I was missing stuff, when it just wasnt on page. (the story kind of drops you into it too)

Daisy’s insecurity is relatable at first, especially her fear of being too much, but it eventually becomes repetitive. Her body is described as curvy, which could have added meaningful depth, but it never fully connects to her confidence or growth in a satisfying way. Still, watching her slowly stop shrinking herself and begin to believe she deserves love is one of the story’s strongest emotional threads. And again, there were some good parts between them.

Once the book hits its midpoint, everything tightened up and the last part of the book was the strongest. The emotional stakes deepen, the yearning becomes deliciously unbearable, and the characters are forced to confront their baggage head on. The growth, both individually and as a couple, is messy but honest, and the final stretch delivers the emotional weight the story promises but took a bit too long to get to.

Overall, While You Were Seething is a mixed but memorable read. The concept is strong, the chemistry is undeniable, and the spice is worth the read. While the pacing and clarity stumble early on, the heart of the story shines through in the second half. So all in all, this one is worth the ride, even if it asks for a little patience along the way.

[Randee Newberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

✨”Enemies” to lovers ✨Grumpy/Sunshine ✨Forced Proximity ✨Fake Dating ✨Nicknames ✨”It was always you “ ✨Interconnected Standalone

👉🏻Let me start by saying that the parts I loved were SO good. It started slow though, which is a hard thing for my adhd brain. And there were just random things that weren’t doing it for me. I liked it a lot, buuuuut it just wasn’t quite “it”.

“All those dedications at the start of his books were just bunk, as far as she was concerned. Lemony Snicket-style nonsense.”

“Nudging things had always been his favorite past time.”

“He had volunteered to take her heart in his fist and crush it. And true, he hadn’t entirely known that he could.”

”If he had loved someone from afar somehow, there was no way that person even knew.”

”He was staring at her. And she was staring back at him. And it was going in for a very, very long time.”

”He hadn’t hated her laugh, he had hated being laughed at. And his reaction wasn’t intended to hurt. It was intended to cover up his own.”

”He would never be good for anyone, let alone someone like her.”

”She did something from the heart, something sincere and joyful. And he had scoffed and rolled his eyes and tried to stop it somehow.”

”I can pretend I like you. I can pretend you never bother me. I can pretend it pains me to suddenly learn I’ve hurt you, that things I do can actually hurt you, and want to make it up to you, even if I’m no good at it.”

”He guarded his every touch like a dragon, over a hoard of impossibly rare gold. And now one small piece of it was hers.”

”She had always known he was handsome, of course. But it had never really mattered to her. She had never let it matter.”

”Even though you feel nothing for me, and you think I feel nothing for you, there’s nothing wrong with finding something hot if it’s the kind of thing you’re into.”

”In real life, people had choices other than her. And they chose the others.”

”Nothing wrong with being into a little care and consideration.”

”I’m starting to suspect that I may really like my mortal enemy, Caleb Miller, in a way he definitely doesn’t like me.”

”There is nothing about you that would justify judgement at all. Nothing that shouldn’t be accepted by anybody even halfway decent. There is nothing wrong with you. Do you understand me?”

”I thought you just hated me, I thought you hated love, and you were just looking for a way into it the whole time.”

”I could see you, I can see how you are exactly. But I couldn’t see myself through your eyes.”

”They were all you. It was always you, every line, every word.”

”Never let anyone think it’s silly to be passionate, to be soft, to say you adore something with everything in you.”

”I want to know myself, I want to know you. And honestly, just be there for you. If you reach out for a lifeline, I don’t want you to come up empty.”

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Only You Knew
By Ellie K. Wilde
Release Date: 2/17/26

I received this eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Atria for the opportunity.

Summer Prescott and Parker Woods are navigating the uneasy transition into adulthood after spending thirty years as inseparable best friends. In Oakwood Bay, everyone assumes that if you spot one of them, the other is close behind. That kind of closeness is adorable when you’re kids, but as their friends settle into long‑term relationships and they enter their thirties, the dynamic starts to shift.

After yet another disastrous first date, Summer lets Parker take charge of choosing her next one—while she sets him up in return. Parker quickly realizes that no one seems “good enough” for Summer, and it slowly dawns on him that it’s because he’s been in love with her for far longer than he’s admitted. Meanwhile, Summer is dealing with small‑town gossip after a very public dating mishap. Between juggling a new relationship and training for a surf competition, their once‑effortless friendship hits some bumps as they both try to figure out what they mean to each other now.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I went in worried that my frustration with the characters would overshadow the story, but that wasn’t the case. Even though Parker spectacularly fails at finding Summer a decent date, the writing makes their bond believable—so close that it’s genuinely hard to tell where familial affection ends and romantic feelings begin. Were the characters a bit thick at times? Absolutely. But their interactions with each other, their friends, and their workplace made it easy to forgive thirty years of obliviousness.

I especially appreciated having a female athlete as the FMC. As someone who’s always been involved in sports, I’ve grown tired of the endless parade of WAG‑centered romances. Summer’s athleticism felt refreshing. While I do love a good rage‑fueled breakup (platonic or romantic), I do wish the small‑town setting had played a stronger role in Parker and Summer’s reconciliation.

In the end, this story had enough emotional depth to keep me invested, yet stayed light enough to offer a welcome escape from the chaos of real life.

[°˖✧˚lindsay˚✧˖° · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning is slow, like other reviewers have said, but there’s such intimacy in their reluctant knowledge of each other, that I found I didn’t mind as much.
And her irreverent exasperation is entertaining, at least.

Their initial banter was often reminiscent of a theater production that I inadvertently stumbled upon – I’m sure it makes sense to the audience who bought the tickets, but a good amount of the humor was often lost on me in their unrealistic responses during their extended dialogues.

I almost feel like the latter ‘Then’ portions of the chapters should actually be at the beginning.
They give us a greater image of these characters that would make their reuniting more interesting and enlightening in a satisfying chronological way until we’re fully introduced to their present selves.

But I could see the ensuing story becoming a movie on Netflix or something.
Henry Cavill as the lead, because he fits the description, and I also just want to look at him.

Their antagonistic chemistry had me laughing, as well as their insistent mutual refusal of its existence.

I felt and ignored the stupid smile on my face the closer they became.

And wow! are they hot together.
The encouragement to be themselves with each other transcends everyday situations.
The granted freedom, where they’d separately been repressed before, was so refreshing.

I didn’t love the third act, where he seemed to blame her for not seeing something that even he is just now recognizing, but it’s not like he’d been a gem until then anyway.

I read her speech multiple times.
Not a clue what she meant beyond a string of sporadic platitudes.
Tried reading it in a British accent, to no avail.
Even her audience seemed as confused as I was, so that was a relief.

The ending was so rom com that I can’t wait to see Henry attempting it after my mental dress rehearsal went so well.

I’ve read many similar premises, but never anything like this. I’m glad to have remedied that.

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Stein, and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the eARC of this book.

[FabledFernReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun with this book!

While You Were Seething follows two former college rivals who are brought together again years later, when their work reunites them (albeit very reluctantly from both sides!). What starts as sharp banter and unresolved tension slowly morphs into a reluctant ally-ship, and then- gasp- something much deeper.

Daisy was such a sweet FMC, who was so relatable and easy to like. She's a people pleaser through and through, and spends a lot of mental energy trying to make herself as palatable as possible. But she has a big and charming personality, and we can see her struggle with her self image and feeling like she can be too much. Miller, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care what people think in the slightest. If he could lock himself away in his house without human contact for the rest of his life he'd be just fine- or at least that's how it seems to Daisy. Now admittedly, it was harder for me to like Miller. But then, that's the whole point isn't it? He's supposed to be this crotchety, repressed, brooding man who struggles with people. His resistance to his feelings for Daisy made sense, but at some point it felt like maybe he was struggling against it too much. He was in his own way for a while, which happens to the best of us, but when it started affecting Daisy, that's when I was starting to feel really exasperated. Still, his tortured energy is the whole point, and when the tension snaps, boyyy does it snap.

Listen. When I tell you... the scene in the tent? Oh. My. God. If you know, you know. It wreaked havoc on my blood pressure.

The chemistry between them was sharp and addictive. I really did enjoy watching their dynamic unfold (even if at times I was screaming at them to get on with it already).

Overall, this was a fun, steamy, emotional read and I recommend it if you enjoy slow-burns, forced proximity, fake dating, or enemies to lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this ARC and the opportunity to read this story!