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The Headliners Duology #1
Make Me Laugh
A fake dating rom-com full of cheesy laughs and sneaking around spice!
Thriving off structure, Jo Daniels is known to have a plan for everything, finding comfort in her perfectly crafted routines. But not even she can prepare for what happens when being laid off leads to flirty banter at a comedy show and a one-night stand with the headliner.
Trading a hockey rink for center stage, West Parker is on the precipice of stardom and accidentally doxxing the internet’s favorite masked book influencer makes him an overnight sensation. After a night he’s not ready to forget, West shows up at Jo’s door with news: a video of them from his show has gone viral, and the world now knows she’s HexedHeroine.
No longer able to hide behind Hex’s mask, Jo agrees to join him on tour and manage his social media accounts… but with a strict set of rules in place to keep herself from falling for the hotshot stand-up comedian. As the tension between them continues to grow, so do the followers, leaving everyone to wonder if West is really under Hex’s spell, or if it’s all an illusion for money and fame.
Thriving off structure, Jo Daniels is known to have a plan for everything, finding comfort in her perfectly crafted routines. But not even she can prepare for what happens when being laid off leads to flirty banter at a comedy show and a one-night stand with the headliner.
Trading a hockey rink for center stage, West Parker is on the precipice of stardom and accidentally doxxing the internet’s favorite masked book influencer makes him an overnight sensation. After a night he’s not ready to forget, West shows up at Jo’s door with news: a video of them from his show has gone viral, and the world now knows she’s HexedHeroine.
No longer able to hide behind Hex’s mask, Jo agrees to join him on tour and manage his social media accounts… but with a strict set of rules in place to keep herself from falling for the hotshot stand-up comedian. As the tension between them continues to grow, so do the followers, leaving everyone to wonder if West is really under Hex’s spell, or if it’s all an illusion for money and fame.
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2026
About the author
Dany Crooks
5 books182 followersDany is an adult romance author currently living in southwest Michigan with her husband and four fur babies. Revenge of the Forgotten was her debut, introducing the world to Tolevarre and the bonded. Whenever she's not stuck in a fictional world, she enjoys traveling, diving into books that make her cry, and belting songs anywhere she goes like it's her own concert. She’s known for her mid-scene cliffhangers and emotional twists with a side of comedy to lighten the blow.
Find her at:
Instagram: @danycrooksauthor
TikTok: @authordanycrooks
Find her at:
Instagram: @danycrooksauthor
TikTok: @authordanycrooks
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
September 24, 2026
“I love you, West, and that terrifies me, but nothing scares me more than the idea of a life without you there to make me laugh.”
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ” x ʜᴀʀʀʏ sᴛʏʟᴇs
0:38 ──♥──────── 3:27
Jo Daniels has her life planned down to the tiniest detail, so obviously losing her job, having a flirty one-night stand with a comedian, and accidentally becoming the internet’s favorite masked book influencer was NOT on the agenda. Then West Parker shows up at her door, and suddenly the two of them are navigating viral fame, fake dating, tour life, and a whole lot of feelings neither of them planned for. 😏
AHHHHH. So freaking good. I loved BOTH of these characters so much, but WEST?????
🚨 SIMP ALERT SIMP ALERT 🚨
AHHHH. GREEN FLAG MANNNNN. This man will do ANYTHING for Jo. Like anything. The second he sees her, this man is basically like, “yeah, I’m gonna marry her,” and then proceeds to spend the rest of the book proving just how serious he is. HE CRAWLS. HE CRAWLS. HE CRAWLS 😈😟😛
And Jo!!! The confidence of this girl was INSANE. I loved how smart, capable, and completely no-nonsense she was. Her personality paired with West’s was genuinely perfect because they balanced each other so well. Their banter had me grinning constantly, and watching their relationship shift from attraction to friendship to something deeper was SO satisfying 🙂↕️
Also the spice??? SCORCHING. These two had chemistry so intense I’m pretty sure a fire extinguisher was needed. 😅🔥 Their attraction was off the charts, and the tension between them was absolutely delicious and so thick i was about choking. (emphasis on choking... 👀) West and Jo BROUGHT the heat
I will say the middle dragged a little for me, especially with Jo repeatedly pushing West away because she was scared of getting hurt. GIRL. This man has been showing you over and over that he respects you, adores you, and wants what’s best for you. 😭 But even then, watching West continue to love her without trying to force anything made me adore him even more *dreamy sigh* like this man was SO DOWN BAD.
JDBSHDBDHSBSHD 😩😩😫🤯
My heart also absolutely broke over the meaning behind his outro for each show😭 There was so much emotion tucked into those little details🥺🥺
And FRANKIE!!!! I LOVE HER. Her friendship with Joey was one of my favorite parts, and this quote genuinely captures why ↓
The side characters added SO much, and I loved how much friendship and found-family energy surrounded them. I already need Frankie and Enzo’s book because a 5’ girly with a 6’6” tattooed man??? YES PLEASE HEHEH😍😋
There was something genuinely beautiful about watching West and Joey find their way toward each other. Their loyalty, trust, friendship, and love felt so meaningful, and I closed this book feeling like I had experienced SO much alongside them. Five stars hands down 😌🙂↕️ EASILY 💜
favorite quotes ↓
“I really look forward to hearing your laugh some more, Joey baby. It’s healing something inside me.”
“Laughter and Joey. They’re the only drugs I need.”
“I want Joey like I wanted hockey.
I want Joey like I wanted comedy.
I want Joey like I want to believe I deserve this second chance at a happy life.”
things to know about the book ↓
💜 black cat x golden retriever
💜 fake dating
💜 delicious banter!!!
💜 reverse age gap (31/25)
💜 forced proximity
💜 “good boy”
💜 found family
💜 dual POV
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 9, 30, 36, 39, 45
Thank you House of Hearts Lit, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
september 23rd- okay first off... this cover???? BEAUTIFUL. second... i love me some forced proximity 😏
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴀᴅᴏʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ” x ʜᴀʀʀʏ sᴛʏʟᴇs
0:38 ──♥──────── 3:27
Jo Daniels has her life planned down to the tiniest detail, so obviously losing her job, having a flirty one-night stand with a comedian, and accidentally becoming the internet’s favorite masked book influencer was NOT on the agenda. Then West Parker shows up at her door, and suddenly the two of them are navigating viral fame, fake dating, tour life, and a whole lot of feelings neither of them planned for. 😏
AHHHHH. So freaking good. I loved BOTH of these characters so much, but WEST?????
🚨 SIMP ALERT SIMP ALERT 🚨
AHHHH. GREEN FLAG MANNNNN. This man will do ANYTHING for Jo. Like anything. The second he sees her, this man is basically like, “yeah, I’m gonna marry her,” and then proceeds to spend the rest of the book proving just how serious he is. HE CRAWLS. HE CRAWLS. HE CRAWLS 😈😟😛
And Jo!!! The confidence of this girl was INSANE. I loved how smart, capable, and completely no-nonsense she was. Her personality paired with West’s was genuinely perfect because they balanced each other so well. Their banter had me grinning constantly, and watching their relationship shift from attraction to friendship to something deeper was SO satisfying 🙂↕️
Also the spice??? SCORCHING. These two had chemistry so intense I’m pretty sure a fire extinguisher was needed. 😅🔥 Their attraction was off the charts, and the tension between them was absolutely delicious and so thick i was about choking. (emphasis on choking... 👀) West and Jo BROUGHT the heat
I will say the middle dragged a little for me, especially with Jo repeatedly pushing West away because she was scared of getting hurt. GIRL. This man has been showing you over and over that he respects you, adores you, and wants what’s best for you. 😭 But even then, watching West continue to love her without trying to force anything made me adore him even more *dreamy sigh* like this man was SO DOWN BAD.
"Joey, I’ll be pining after you in this life and whatever comes after it.”
JDBSHDBDHSBSHD 😩😩😫🤯
My heart also absolutely broke over the meaning behind his outro for each show😭 There was so much emotion tucked into those little details🥺🥺
And FRANKIE!!!! I LOVE HER. Her friendship with Joey was one of my favorite parts, and this quote genuinely captures why ↓
“I love Jo. She’s not just my best friend, she’s the sister the universe knew I needed.”
The side characters added SO much, and I loved how much friendship and found-family energy surrounded them. I already need Frankie and Enzo’s book because a 5’ girly with a 6’6” tattooed man??? YES PLEASE HEHEH😍😋
There was something genuinely beautiful about watching West and Joey find their way toward each other. Their loyalty, trust, friendship, and love felt so meaningful, and I closed this book feeling like I had experienced SO much alongside them. Five stars hands down 😌🙂↕️ EASILY 💜
favorite quotes ↓
“I really look forward to hearing your laugh some more, Joey baby. It’s healing something inside me.”
“Laughter and Joey. They’re the only drugs I need.”
“I want Joey like I wanted hockey.
I want Joey like I wanted comedy.
I want Joey like I want to believe I deserve this second chance at a happy life.”
things to know about the book ↓
💜 black cat x golden retriever
💜 fake dating
💜 delicious banter!!!
💜 reverse age gap (31/25)
💜 forced proximity
💜 “good boy”
💜 found family
💜 dual POV
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 9, 30, 36, 39, 45
Thank you House of Hearts Lit, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
september 23rd- okay first off... this cover???? BEAUTIFUL. second... i love me some forced proximity 😏
October 2, 2026
5🌟 | 3🌶️
When the banter is this good and the chemistry is this obvious, I’m basically done for.
Jo and West had such a fun dynamic, and I loved watching their messy start turn into a genuine friendship before everything deepened. Their connection felt easy without losing the tension, and the fake dating chaos made it even more entertaining.
Jo was such a fantastic FMC. She’s confident, capable, and completely herself, but underneath that is someone who’s spent a long time protecting her heart. Watching her slowly let West in really got to me. And West? Absolutely gone for her. He was funny and charming, but it was his patience, respect, and unwavering support that made me completely fall for him. Learning what was behind his humor also hit me way harder than expected.
And the spice? These two were 🔥. But honestly, the little things between them got me just as much as the chemistry. Their banter, friendship, and the way they showed up for each other made the romance feel so satisfying. Frankie, Enzo, and Kell brought so much found-family energy too.
Funny, emotional, ridiculously steamy, and full of characters I wanted to keep spending time with, this was such an easy read for me.
~~~~
A sincere thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts Lit for the ARC! 🥰📚
I’m so grateful for the early read. As always, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own. ✨
When the banter is this good and the chemistry is this obvious, I’m basically done for.
Jo and West had such a fun dynamic, and I loved watching their messy start turn into a genuine friendship before everything deepened. Their connection felt easy without losing the tension, and the fake dating chaos made it even more entertaining.
Jo was such a fantastic FMC. She’s confident, capable, and completely herself, but underneath that is someone who’s spent a long time protecting her heart. Watching her slowly let West in really got to me. And West? Absolutely gone for her. He was funny and charming, but it was his patience, respect, and unwavering support that made me completely fall for him. Learning what was behind his humor also hit me way harder than expected.
And the spice? These two were 🔥. But honestly, the little things between them got me just as much as the chemistry. Their banter, friendship, and the way they showed up for each other made the romance feel so satisfying. Frankie, Enzo, and Kell brought so much found-family energy too.
Funny, emotional, ridiculously steamy, and full of characters I wanted to keep spending time with, this was such an easy read for me.
~~~~
A sincere thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts Lit for the ARC! 🥰📚
I’m so grateful for the early read. As always, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own. ✨
September 19, 2026
5 stars.
I LOVED "Make Me Laugh" by Dany Crooks so, so much! Forced proximity is my jam, and this one does the trope justice and then some. Let me tell you this: I *did not* go into this book expecting it to be one of my favorites of the year, but here we are! I do not get obsessed with books all that often, but I see myself positively gushing about this one for years to come. If you like romantic comedies, this is the book for you. I loved the characters, I loved the settings, I loved the attitudes, I loved the spice, I loved the self-discovery, I loved the vibes, I loved the side characters, I loved EVERYTHING about it! I could literally see this book playing out like a movie in my head while I was reading it. Jo (FMC) and West (MMC) are both incredible main characters! I loved their chemistry, their banter, their humor! Their yearning for one another, the palpable, realistic pull between Joey Baby (HIS NICKNAME FOR HER, which I usually hate, but this made me, as the youths say, FERAL) and West, kept me reading and reading and reading until the wee hours of the morning. I could not put this down. It's not just their physical chemistry, though that is off the charts good, and they both know they are hot as $h1t and it certainly shows in the spicy scenes. It's the devil in the details between them, about how he remembers things she told him, about how she cares for him when she thinks no one is looking. It's a remarkably frank and tender pairing, even if it started with a one-night stand. I hate to say it, but I am *so* over the "influencers as main characters" thing in books, but Crooks makes it entirely her own with a spin I don't think I've seen in a lot of romances yet. Watching Jo get doxxed at Hex, the entire bookish theme about her character... all of this worked so extraordinarily well. Also, West's past trauma? Made me cry; I just wanted the world for these two, both together and individually. I honestly wonder if Dany Crooks is a comedian in real life; her comedic timing is freaking impeccable here. I cried laughing multiple times while reading this. Incredibly amazing book, please give it a chance - you won't regret it!!!
Thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts Lit. for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I LOVED "Make Me Laugh" by Dany Crooks so, so much! Forced proximity is my jam, and this one does the trope justice and then some. Let me tell you this: I *did not* go into this book expecting it to be one of my favorites of the year, but here we are! I do not get obsessed with books all that often, but I see myself positively gushing about this one for years to come. If you like romantic comedies, this is the book for you. I loved the characters, I loved the settings, I loved the attitudes, I loved the spice, I loved the self-discovery, I loved the vibes, I loved the side characters, I loved EVERYTHING about it! I could literally see this book playing out like a movie in my head while I was reading it. Jo (FMC) and West (MMC) are both incredible main characters! I loved their chemistry, their banter, their humor! Their yearning for one another, the palpable, realistic pull between Joey Baby (HIS NICKNAME FOR HER, which I usually hate, but this made me, as the youths say, FERAL) and West, kept me reading and reading and reading until the wee hours of the morning. I could not put this down. It's not just their physical chemistry, though that is off the charts good, and they both know they are hot as $h1t and it certainly shows in the spicy scenes. It's the devil in the details between them, about how he remembers things she told him, about how she cares for him when she thinks no one is looking. It's a remarkably frank and tender pairing, even if it started with a one-night stand. I hate to say it, but I am *so* over the "influencers as main characters" thing in books, but Crooks makes it entirely her own with a spin I don't think I've seen in a lot of romances yet. Watching Jo get doxxed at Hex, the entire bookish theme about her character... all of this worked so extraordinarily well. Also, West's past trauma? Made me cry; I just wanted the world for these two, both together and individually. I honestly wonder if Dany Crooks is a comedian in real life; her comedic timing is freaking impeccable here. I cried laughing multiple times while reading this. Incredibly amazing book, please give it a chance - you won't regret it!!!
Thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts Lit. for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
September 26, 2026
3.75 rounded up!
i actually really enjoyed this one, i loved jo and west but its a tad too long and redundant… if it was like 70 pages shorter i think i would have enjoyed it more.
i actually really enjoyed this one, i loved jo and west but its a tad too long and redundant… if it was like 70 pages shorter i think i would have enjoyed it more.
June 16, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Make Me Laugh? Yeah, it did that.
Make Me Cry? ….it did that too. 😭
I don’t even know how to explain all the different ways this book got me right in the feels.
First of all, the vibes? Immaculate. It gave me Friends meets New Girl with all the cozy 90s/early 2000s rom-com energy that my millennial heart eats up every single time. And as someone whose comfort show is New Girl, this book felt like it was written specifically for me.
But beneath all the laughs is a story about grief, healing, and the masks we wear to survive.
West Parker may be one of the funniest MMCs I’ve ever read, but the reality behind how he went from hockey player to stand-up comedian absolutely wrecked me. The idea that some of the funniest people use humor as armor hit hard, and when I learned the truth behind his story? I was full-on ugly crying.
And then there’s Jo.
JoJo. Joey Baby.
I have never related to an FMC more.
The trauma. The insecurities. The constant need to protect yourself before anyone else can hurt you. Watching Jo slowly learn that she deserved more than survival mode genuinely moved me. She felt real in a way that very few characters do.
She’s also ridiculously cool. Tattooed, confident, wildly successful, unapologetically herself, and somehow both intimidating and relatable at the same time. I didn’t just love her—I wanted to be her.
What really made this book special, though, was watching West and Jo heal pieces of each other. Their relationship felt earned. Every laugh, every vulnerable moment, every step forward mattered.
And can we talk about West Parker for a second? Because this man is the greenest of green flags. The ultimate golden retriever MMC. Pair him with a black-cat FMC and you’ve basically handed me one of my favorite romance dynamics of all time.
This book was funny. It was heartfelt. It was hot as hell.
WHEN HE CRAWLED TO HER. 😮💨
And then SHE’S the one who spits tequila into HIS mouth?
Joey baby, I’m never recovering.
🖤 Friends x New Girl vibes
🎤 Found Family
🖤 Fake Dating
🎤 Workplace Romance
🖤 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🎤 He Falls First
🖤 “Good Boy” 😮💨
🎤 Banter for days
🖤 Hockey Player Turned Stand-Up Comedian MMC
🎤 Masked (and bi!) Book Influencer FMC
A rom-com that made me laugh, cry, swoon, and immediately wish I could read it again for the first time.
Make Me Laugh? Yeah, it did that.
Make Me Cry? ….it did that too. 😭
I don’t even know how to explain all the different ways this book got me right in the feels.
First of all, the vibes? Immaculate. It gave me Friends meets New Girl with all the cozy 90s/early 2000s rom-com energy that my millennial heart eats up every single time. And as someone whose comfort show is New Girl, this book felt like it was written specifically for me.
But beneath all the laughs is a story about grief, healing, and the masks we wear to survive.
West Parker may be one of the funniest MMCs I’ve ever read, but the reality behind how he went from hockey player to stand-up comedian absolutely wrecked me. The idea that some of the funniest people use humor as armor hit hard, and when I learned the truth behind his story? I was full-on ugly crying.
And then there’s Jo.
JoJo. Joey Baby.
I have never related to an FMC more.
The trauma. The insecurities. The constant need to protect yourself before anyone else can hurt you. Watching Jo slowly learn that she deserved more than survival mode genuinely moved me. She felt real in a way that very few characters do.
She’s also ridiculously cool. Tattooed, confident, wildly successful, unapologetically herself, and somehow both intimidating and relatable at the same time. I didn’t just love her—I wanted to be her.
What really made this book special, though, was watching West and Jo heal pieces of each other. Their relationship felt earned. Every laugh, every vulnerable moment, every step forward mattered.
And can we talk about West Parker for a second? Because this man is the greenest of green flags. The ultimate golden retriever MMC. Pair him with a black-cat FMC and you’ve basically handed me one of my favorite romance dynamics of all time.
This book was funny. It was heartfelt. It was hot as hell.
WHEN HE CRAWLED TO HER. 😮💨
And then SHE’S the one who spits tequila into HIS mouth?
Joey baby, I’m never recovering.
🖤 Friends x New Girl vibes
🎤 Found Family
🖤 Fake Dating
🎤 Workplace Romance
🖤 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🎤 He Falls First
🖤 “Good Boy” 😮💨
🎤 Banter for days
🖤 Hockey Player Turned Stand-Up Comedian MMC
🎤 Masked (and bi!) Book Influencer FMC
A rom-com that made me laugh, cry, swoon, and immediately wish I could read it again for the first time.
September 25, 2026
3.5⭐️
Jo and her friend Frankie go to West comedy event and well he got his eyes on her he tries to make her laugh and then thanks to Frankie she spilled that she has a big following. Which leads to a ons between Jo and West and a accidentally doxxed Jo since she famous for being a masked bookstagramer. So its a little messy with online. But West has a idea fake dating and Jo goes along with it since they got some boost from fans who love them together.
We see lots of banter some sneaky make outs and spicy moments and found family between the gang. Its a cute moment when the whole group is in on things.
I love Frankie and Jo friendship and the guys friendship. Perfect and fun.
There is tiny drama but nothing to big that has them slowly finally thinking straight mostly Jo. West was all in since he called her Joey baby.
Saftey- mentions he was a playboy flirts with the crowd since he's a comedian, few woman flirt with him he turns everyone down.
No om drama/tiny ow drama, no cheating, tiny drama, secondary characters, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶
Slowburnish
Reverse age gap
25mmc/31fmc
Praise kink
Push away from fmc
Death of a Sibling Off-Page Fatal Car Accident
Grief and Survivor’s Guilt
Lasting Injuries and Chronic Pain
Anxiety and Depression
References to Suicidal Thoughts
Parental Abandonment
Past Emotionally Abusive Relationship
Doxxing and Invasion of Privacy Online Bullying
Alcohol and Cannabis Use
Sexual Choking
Spit Play
Light Degradation
Safe sex/no condom
Found family
Hea
Epilogue
Jo and her friend Frankie go to West comedy event and well he got his eyes on her he tries to make her laugh and then thanks to Frankie she spilled that she has a big following. Which leads to a ons between Jo and West and a accidentally doxxed Jo since she famous for being a masked bookstagramer. So its a little messy with online. But West has a idea fake dating and Jo goes along with it since they got some boost from fans who love them together.
We see lots of banter some sneaky make outs and spicy moments and found family between the gang. Its a cute moment when the whole group is in on things.
I love Frankie and Jo friendship and the guys friendship. Perfect and fun.
There is tiny drama but nothing to big that has them slowly finally thinking straight mostly Jo. West was all in since he called her Joey baby.
Saftey- mentions he was a playboy flirts with the crowd since he's a comedian, few woman flirt with him he turns everyone down.
No om drama/tiny ow drama, no cheating, tiny drama, secondary characters, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶
Slowburnish
Reverse age gap
25mmc/31fmc
Praise kink
Push away from fmc
Death of a Sibling Off-Page Fatal Car Accident
Grief and Survivor’s Guilt
Lasting Injuries and Chronic Pain
Anxiety and Depression
References to Suicidal Thoughts
Parental Abandonment
Past Emotionally Abusive Relationship
Doxxing and Invasion of Privacy Online Bullying
Alcohol and Cannabis Use
Sexual Choking
Spit Play
Light Degradation
Safe sex/no condom
Found family
Hea
Epilogue
Review of advance copy received from Author
I am a Hex & Westifer girlie FOREVER! I did more than laugh while reading Make Me Laugh. I laughed my 🍑 off, I cried, I fell in love and I felt seen. There is no one that can compare to Jo & West.
Josette Daniels is my hero. I've never related to an fmc the way I did Jo. She is a planner, she's strong, confident, but she protects herself. She afraid of being hurt, feels like she's unlovable and not worthy. I wanted to hug Jo so many times as I read this book. I saw myself in her multiple times and it made my heart ache. I loved seeing Jo learn to let West in. Seeing her heal and let herself be loved. It was a beautiful journey.
Now West Parker? I may have had my eye on him since Dany released a certain picture of our ex- hockey player turned comedian 👀. West Parker, affectionately known as Westifer, is the ultimate book boyfriend 🙌. I love how down bad he was for his Joey baby. I was giggling and loving every single second of their banter. While he may seem like an adorable goofball on the outside, there is so much more to West. Learning his story broke my heart. Learning why West does comedy made me cry. No really I cried myself to sleep 😭😂. He is the most unselfish mmc I've ever had the pleasure to read about. The way he cares for Joey is something that needs to be studied. He is sheer perfection!
The spice was spicing!! This man aimed to please his lady and definitely succeeded every time 🤭. I also loved Frankie, Enzo and Kell. They were the best bff's. This friend group was friend goals 💜. I loved how much the three of them cared for Jo and West 🥹.
I loved all the pop culture references, visiting all the east coast cities, and I can actually say I've been to every one of them mentioned 😌. I loved that scene in NYC and the one in Philly even more. I loved the comments throughout the book and I just love Joey and West 💜.
Joey and West's story are soulmates. I love them x♾️! I loved seeing them grow and overcome their challenges together and separately. I'm so sad it's over but I am ecstatic for the second book in the headliners duology and cannot wait to be back with some of my favorite people ☺️💜!
Thank you Dany Crooks and House of Hearts for the opportunity to read an ARC 💜!!!
Josette Daniels is my hero. I've never related to an fmc the way I did Jo. She is a planner, she's strong, confident, but she protects herself. She afraid of being hurt, feels like she's unlovable and not worthy. I wanted to hug Jo so many times as I read this book. I saw myself in her multiple times and it made my heart ache. I loved seeing Jo learn to let West in. Seeing her heal and let herself be loved. It was a beautiful journey.
Now West Parker? I may have had my eye on him since Dany released a certain picture of our ex- hockey player turned comedian 👀. West Parker, affectionately known as Westifer, is the ultimate book boyfriend 🙌. I love how down bad he was for his Joey baby. I was giggling and loving every single second of their banter. While he may seem like an adorable goofball on the outside, there is so much more to West. Learning his story broke my heart. Learning why West does comedy made me cry. No really I cried myself to sleep 😭😂. He is the most unselfish mmc I've ever had the pleasure to read about. The way he cares for Joey is something that needs to be studied. He is sheer perfection!
The spice was spicing!! This man aimed to please his lady and definitely succeeded every time 🤭. I also loved Frankie, Enzo and Kell. They were the best bff's. This friend group was friend goals 💜. I loved how much the three of them cared for Jo and West 🥹.
I loved all the pop culture references, visiting all the east coast cities, and I can actually say I've been to every one of them mentioned 😌. I loved that scene in NYC and the one in Philly even more. I loved the comments throughout the book and I just love Joey and West 💜.
Joey and West's story are soulmates. I love them x♾️! I loved seeing them grow and overcome their challenges together and separately. I'm so sad it's over but I am ecstatic for the second book in the headliners duology and cannot wait to be back with some of my favorite people ☺️💜!
Thank you Dany Crooks and House of Hearts for the opportunity to read an ARC 💜!!!
September 25, 2026
a bisexual’s dream. let me on the midwest tour part 2. i dunno who i loved more. i read almost this whole thing in 24 hours. hex doesn’t like sharing, but i would beg them both for one night
October 14, 2026
5⭐️ 3.5🌶️ chemistry to die for, banter off the charts, sexual tension galore, and a surprisingly deep emotional connection that legit made me tear up a few times... this is a top read of the year for me!!
💚 black cat x golden retriever
💜 masked influencer FMC
🎤 stand up comedian MMC
💚 ONS turned fake dating
💜 forced proximity
🎤 book 1 in a duology
*check TWs
the vibes in this were absolutely delicious. it was giving early 2000's sit com vibes in the best way possible. this had a great found family made up of main and side characters that i felt like i could genuinely be friends with. the romance felt so believable because while it might've started a bit messy, it was built upon a sincere friendship that evolved at a natural pace.
my expectations were already high, and this still exceeded them. it was everything i could've asked for in a romance because it felt fresh, authentic, and surprisingly relatable. these characters were just fleshed out so well; they felt like people i could know and care about in my real life. they faced the types of hardships and internal struggles that a lot of regular people can empathize with, and they reacted to both challenges and successes in a way that i admired.
tldr: if your reading taste is anything like mine, pick this up asap and you won't regret it. i am so stoked for the next book, and you best believe that i will be doing a reread once the audiobook comes out in 2027!
˙⋆✮⋆˙ some quotes i loved ˙⋆✮⋆˙
"She looks over her shoulder, eyes calling me to her like I'm a soldier lost at sea and she's the siren sent to trap me. I'll drown with a smile on me face."
"West fucking Isakson knows me like I'm his favorite book, and he's spent the last seven weeks doing nothing but reading it over and over again."
"I love you, West, and that terrifies me, but nothing scares me more than the idea of a life without you there to make me laugh.”
💚 black cat x golden retriever
💜 masked influencer FMC
🎤 stand up comedian MMC
💚 ONS turned fake dating
💜 forced proximity
🎤 book 1 in a duology
*check TWs
the vibes in this were absolutely delicious. it was giving early 2000's sit com vibes in the best way possible. this had a great found family made up of main and side characters that i felt like i could genuinely be friends with. the romance felt so believable because while it might've started a bit messy, it was built upon a sincere friendship that evolved at a natural pace.
my expectations were already high, and this still exceeded them. it was everything i could've asked for in a romance because it felt fresh, authentic, and surprisingly relatable. these characters were just fleshed out so well; they felt like people i could know and care about in my real life. they faced the types of hardships and internal struggles that a lot of regular people can empathize with, and they reacted to both challenges and successes in a way that i admired.
tldr: if your reading taste is anything like mine, pick this up asap and you won't regret it. i am so stoked for the next book, and you best believe that i will be doing a reread once the audiobook comes out in 2027!
˙⋆✮⋆˙ some quotes i loved ˙⋆✮⋆˙
"She looks over her shoulder, eyes calling me to her like I'm a soldier lost at sea and she's the siren sent to trap me. I'll drown with a smile on me face."
"West fucking Isakson knows me like I'm his favorite book, and he's spent the last seven weeks doing nothing but reading it over and over again."
"I love you, West, and that terrifies me, but nothing scares me more than the idea of a life without you there to make me laugh.”
October 2, 2026
Thank you, House of Hearts and Dany Crooks for this gifted copy and allowing me to be a part of this journey! I can't wait for book two!
Um excuse me, this man fucking C R A W L S.
Ladies! Do not miss out on our green flag, golden retriever man, West Parker! And he calls her Joey baby... I MELT. Don't even get me started. I love everything about Jo from her crazy organized routines and masked persona, Hex. Not to mention, she's gorgeous. I think it would be hard not to fall in love with them!
This was such a fun read! I haven't read any fake dating tropes or any rom coms, but this certainly convinced me to start adding more of them to my TBR. I love the found family she has through the side characters, Enzo and Frankie. There are a lot of little sneak peeks into their souls and the emotion finds you in the end. There is so much I want to say, but without giving it away, I will tell you that if you love forced proximity, fake dating, found family, and spicy scenes with a sexy former hockey player turned comedian, this book is 1000% for you!
"I love you, West, and that terrifies me, but nothing scares me more than the idea of a life without you there to make me laugh."
*all opinions are my own*
♡ Romantic Comedy with 90s/2000s sitcom vibes (laugh track not included)- Friends meets New Girl
♡ Dual POV
♡ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
♡ Fake Dating
♡ Found Family
♡ Ex Hockey Player turned Stand-Up Comedian MMC
♡ Bi (and masked) FMC
♡ One-Night Stand turned Lovers
♡ “Workplace” Romance
♡ BANTER
Um excuse me, this man fucking C R A W L S.
Ladies! Do not miss out on our green flag, golden retriever man, West Parker! And he calls her Joey baby... I MELT. Don't even get me started. I love everything about Jo from her crazy organized routines and masked persona, Hex. Not to mention, she's gorgeous. I think it would be hard not to fall in love with them!
This was such a fun read! I haven't read any fake dating tropes or any rom coms, but this certainly convinced me to start adding more of them to my TBR. I love the found family she has through the side characters, Enzo and Frankie. There are a lot of little sneak peeks into their souls and the emotion finds you in the end. There is so much I want to say, but without giving it away, I will tell you that if you love forced proximity, fake dating, found family, and spicy scenes with a sexy former hockey player turned comedian, this book is 1000% for you!
"I love you, West, and that terrifies me, but nothing scares me more than the idea of a life without you there to make me laugh."
*all opinions are my own*
♡ Romantic Comedy with 90s/2000s sitcom vibes (laugh track not included)- Friends meets New Girl
♡ Dual POV
♡ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
♡ Fake Dating
♡ Found Family
♡ Ex Hockey Player turned Stand-Up Comedian MMC
♡ Bi (and masked) FMC
♡ One-Night Stand turned Lovers
♡ “Workplace” Romance
♡ BANTER
September 29, 2026
✨ WHEEZY’S FIVE STAR CLUB ✨
Okay… this book was FANTASTIC. Like, “every free second suddenly becomes reading time” fantastic. 😂
Couldn’t put it down. Had 20 minutes? Reading. Waiting on something? Reading. Had enough time for literally ONE PAGE? You better believe I was squeezing that page in. 📖
And can we talk about the reverse age gap?! 👀
I already know I’m a sucker for an age gap, but this was my FIRST reverse age gap and EXCUSE ME??? Where has this been all my life?! Apparently I have a new obsession, because now I need approximately 47 more immediately. 😂
This book had me giggling, sweating, kicking my feet, and having an absolutely fantastic time. The characters were AMAZING, but what really got me was the growth—not only between them and their relationship, but individually too. Watching everything develop throughout the story made me love them even more. 🥹
I loved the story.
I loved the characters.
I loved the romance.
And most importantly…
I NEED HEX TO BE REAL.
That’s it. That’s the review. Someone find me a Hex. 😂
⭐️ 10/10 recommend
💜 Would absolutely lose sleep over this book again.
Okay… this book was FANTASTIC. Like, “every free second suddenly becomes reading time” fantastic. 😂
Couldn’t put it down. Had 20 minutes? Reading. Waiting on something? Reading. Had enough time for literally ONE PAGE? You better believe I was squeezing that page in. 📖
And can we talk about the reverse age gap?! 👀
I already know I’m a sucker for an age gap, but this was my FIRST reverse age gap and EXCUSE ME??? Where has this been all my life?! Apparently I have a new obsession, because now I need approximately 47 more immediately. 😂
This book had me giggling, sweating, kicking my feet, and having an absolutely fantastic time. The characters were AMAZING, but what really got me was the growth—not only between them and their relationship, but individually too. Watching everything develop throughout the story made me love them even more. 🥹
I loved the story.
I loved the characters.
I loved the romance.
And most importantly…
I NEED HEX TO BE REAL.
That’s it. That’s the review. Someone find me a Hex. 😂
⭐️ 10/10 recommend
💜 Would absolutely lose sleep over this book again.
September 18, 2026
Dany brings us into a new world with the Rom Com vibes in this one.
West is the epitome of a lovable golden retriever MMC. He is a hockey player turned stand up comedian after life hit him with some punches. (Read Trigger Warnings as needed).
Jo’s pure black cat energy to protect herself is perfect. She loses her job she gave up everything for and has her masked influencer persona revealed all in the same day.
After a steamy night together, Jo peaces out to figure out her next move until West realizes he revealed her secret when they go viral in a video from his show. He is immediate to offer a fix - she helps him with his social media and they lean into the chemistry everyone loved.
These two had instant love me/hate you vibes. He is down bad, head over heels, never looking back and had no shame in his game. She is trying to delay the inevitable but how can she not fall for this backward hat wearing fool.
I love the friend group and found family in this story! Kell is the little brother causing mischief while Enzo is the big brother looking out for everyone. Frankie is the life of the party and Jo’s little devil on her shoulder at every turn - we love Frankie!
I did feel like the story overall was too long with filler scenes that didn’t add to the overall story. I loved getting the emotional and raw sides of West & Jo but it took a while to get under the layers.
I am looking forward to book 2 and seeing what happens next with everyone!
Thank you to House of Hearts for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
West is the epitome of a lovable golden retriever MMC. He is a hockey player turned stand up comedian after life hit him with some punches. (Read Trigger Warnings as needed).
Jo’s pure black cat energy to protect herself is perfect. She loses her job she gave up everything for and has her masked influencer persona revealed all in the same day.
After a steamy night together, Jo peaces out to figure out her next move until West realizes he revealed her secret when they go viral in a video from his show. He is immediate to offer a fix - she helps him with his social media and they lean into the chemistry everyone loved.
These two had instant love me/hate you vibes. He is down bad, head over heels, never looking back and had no shame in his game. She is trying to delay the inevitable but how can she not fall for this backward hat wearing fool.
I love the friend group and found family in this story! Kell is the little brother causing mischief while Enzo is the big brother looking out for everyone. Frankie is the life of the party and Jo’s little devil on her shoulder at every turn - we love Frankie!
I did feel like the story overall was too long with filler scenes that didn’t add to the overall story. I loved getting the emotional and raw sides of West & Jo but it took a while to get under the layers.
I am looking forward to book 2 and seeing what happens next with everyone!
Thank you to House of Hearts for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 21, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
I absolutely LOVED the characters & LOVED their uniqueness, but the plot felt boring :// I found myself getting bored of the will they won’t they energy because there really wasn’t a reason for the “won’t they” aspect that I could understand warranting being the only plotline.
I absolutely LOVED the characters & LOVED their uniqueness, but the plot felt boring :// I found myself getting bored of the will they won’t they energy because there really wasn’t a reason for the “won’t they” aspect that I could understand warranting being the only plotline.
Did Not Finish
October 8, 2026Man I HATE to DNF more than 50% into a book with my goal on the line! Pretty shallow and over the top on the horny. Didn't make me believe it.
October 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
📚 The Headliners Duology #1
🎭 Fake Dating | Reverse Age Gap | He Falls First
💚 Green Flag MMC | Independent FMC | Found Family
I LOVED this book. Like genuinely loved it. This was such a fun read and I basically couldn't put it down. It wasn't necessarily a book that had me literally laughing out loud the entire time, but I found myself smiling through pretty much the whole thing, and honestly sometimes that's even better.
And West Parker… THE WALKING GREEN FLAG. This man really should be studied because the way he communicates, supports Jo, and just genuinely shows up for her should be the bare minimum in IRL relationships. Every time he called her “Joey Baby” I swear I melted a little. And I know that's such a small thing, but it wasn't the generic "baby" that gets thrown around in every romance. Something about Joey Baby just had so much more oomph to it.
I also absolutely loved the reverse age gap in this one. We love a woman who is a boss on her own account and doesn't actually need a man to take care of her, but I really loved that the story also showed how much the **right** man can add to your life. West never made Jo feel like she needed him. He was just there to support her, encourage her, and let her be completely herself.
And Joey? she really is That bitch. I love her. She's smart, independent, funny, and has plenty of fight in her. I loved all of her feistiness, although I absolutely wanted to smack her a few times because GIRL… West was basically handing you his heart with both hands and you were still trying to convince yourself there was no way this could be real. Please stop fighting the inevitable. 😂
I also really loved what happened with her being doxxed. Obviously that whole situation was awful for her, but I loved how it ultimately forced Joey out of the perfectly structured life she had created for herself and gave her the space to actually figure out who she was outside of Hex. There was something really satisfying about watching her find herself through all of that instead of just having the romance be the thing that “fixed” her.
And the side characters?! ENZO, KELL, AND FRANKIE. I loved all three of them. They brought so much to the story and I am already emotionally invested in their lives. I cannot WAIT for Frankie and Enzo's books because I need more of this group.
Overall, this was just such a feel good romance for me. Fake dating, reverse age gap, a woman who doesn't need saving, a man who is basically the human equivalent of a green flag, and enough banter and tension to keep me completely invested.
And apparently all I needed was a hot comedian calling a woman “Joey Baby” to have me completely sold.
5 stars. No notes. I loved it. ❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
📚 The Headliners Duology #1
🎭 Fake Dating | Reverse Age Gap | He Falls First
💚 Green Flag MMC | Independent FMC | Found Family
I LOVED this book. Like genuinely loved it. This was such a fun read and I basically couldn't put it down. It wasn't necessarily a book that had me literally laughing out loud the entire time, but I found myself smiling through pretty much the whole thing, and honestly sometimes that's even better.
And West Parker… THE WALKING GREEN FLAG. This man really should be studied because the way he communicates, supports Jo, and just genuinely shows up for her should be the bare minimum in IRL relationships. Every time he called her “Joey Baby” I swear I melted a little. And I know that's such a small thing, but it wasn't the generic "baby" that gets thrown around in every romance. Something about Joey Baby just had so much more oomph to it.
I also absolutely loved the reverse age gap in this one. We love a woman who is a boss on her own account and doesn't actually need a man to take care of her, but I really loved that the story also showed how much the **right** man can add to your life. West never made Jo feel like she needed him. He was just there to support her, encourage her, and let her be completely herself.
And Joey? she really is That bitch. I love her. She's smart, independent, funny, and has plenty of fight in her. I loved all of her feistiness, although I absolutely wanted to smack her a few times because GIRL… West was basically handing you his heart with both hands and you were still trying to convince yourself there was no way this could be real. Please stop fighting the inevitable. 😂
I also really loved what happened with her being doxxed. Obviously that whole situation was awful for her, but I loved how it ultimately forced Joey out of the perfectly structured life she had created for herself and gave her the space to actually figure out who she was outside of Hex. There was something really satisfying about watching her find herself through all of that instead of just having the romance be the thing that “fixed” her.
And the side characters?! ENZO, KELL, AND FRANKIE. I loved all three of them. They brought so much to the story and I am already emotionally invested in their lives. I cannot WAIT for Frankie and Enzo's books because I need more of this group.
Overall, this was just such a feel good romance for me. Fake dating, reverse age gap, a woman who doesn't need saving, a man who is basically the human equivalent of a green flag, and enough banter and tension to keep me completely invested.
And apparently all I needed was a hot comedian calling a woman “Joey Baby” to have me completely sold.
5 stars. No notes. I loved it. ❤️
September 26, 2026
A fake dating rom-com full of cheesy laughs and sneaking around spice!
Thriving off structure, Jo Daniels is known to have a plan for everything, finding comfort in her perfectly crafted routines. But not even she can prepare for what happens when being laid off leads to flirty banter at a comedy show and a one-night stand with the headliner.
Trading a hockey rink for center stage, West Parker is on the precipice of stardom and accidentally doxxing the internet’s favorite masked book influencer makes him an overnight sensation. After a night he’s not ready to forget, West shows up at Jo’s door with news: a video of them from his show has gone viral, and the world now knows she’s HexedHeroine.
No longer able to hide behind Hex’s mask, Jo agrees to join him on tour and manage his social media accounts… but with a strict set of rules in place to keep herself from falling for the hotshot stand-up comedian. As the tension between them continues to grow, so do the followers, leaving everyone to wonder if West is really under Hex’s spell, or if it’s all an illusion for money and fame.
Review: this was such a funny and cute and spicy book .
Jo gets let go from her job and her bestie Frankie brought her to a comedy club and West calls her out for not laughing .
He finds out about her book account where she's a masked book tocker
She got accidentally doxed
West and Jo end up hooking up and wow the spice between them
Jo is 31
West is 25
West wanted more than one night but Jo didn't he finds out about the doxing and viral video.
Jo is going to run his social media
She ends up going on tour with West and his two friends Enzo and Kell.
They are fake dating .
They go to see Hamilton together
Jo learns about the accident which took his younger brother life
They hook up but are keeping it a secret
Jo drove me a little nuts but I understood her . She kept her walls up to keep her safe
Cause everyone has always left Jo
Jo gets offered a CFO job at this publishing and she's going to take it .
West planned this amazing birthday
Jo runs when this gossip article posts about them
But she leaves a voicemail for him
He goes to Boston
They confess their love for each other
West moves to Boston and gets an apartment with enzo
Jo tells West Hilda is moving and if they wanted to go half on the house together
West proposes.
I can't wait for Frankie and Enzo book.
Thriving off structure, Jo Daniels is known to have a plan for everything, finding comfort in her perfectly crafted routines. But not even she can prepare for what happens when being laid off leads to flirty banter at a comedy show and a one-night stand with the headliner.
Trading a hockey rink for center stage, West Parker is on the precipice of stardom and accidentally doxxing the internet’s favorite masked book influencer makes him an overnight sensation. After a night he’s not ready to forget, West shows up at Jo’s door with news: a video of them from his show has gone viral, and the world now knows she’s HexedHeroine.
No longer able to hide behind Hex’s mask, Jo agrees to join him on tour and manage his social media accounts… but with a strict set of rules in place to keep herself from falling for the hotshot stand-up comedian. As the tension between them continues to grow, so do the followers, leaving everyone to wonder if West is really under Hex’s spell, or if it’s all an illusion for money and fame.
Review: this was such a funny and cute and spicy book .
Jo gets let go from her job and her bestie Frankie brought her to a comedy club and West calls her out for not laughing .
He finds out about her book account where she's a masked book tocker
She got accidentally doxed
West and Jo end up hooking up and wow the spice between them
Jo is 31
West is 25
West wanted more than one night but Jo didn't he finds out about the doxing and viral video.
Jo is going to run his social media
She ends up going on tour with West and his two friends Enzo and Kell.
They are fake dating .
They go to see Hamilton together
Jo learns about the accident which took his younger brother life
They hook up but are keeping it a secret
Jo drove me a little nuts but I understood her . She kept her walls up to keep her safe
Cause everyone has always left Jo
Jo gets offered a CFO job at this publishing and she's going to take it .
West planned this amazing birthday
Jo runs when this gossip article posts about them
But she leaves a voicemail for him
He goes to Boston
They confess their love for each other
West moves to Boston and gets an apartment with enzo
Jo tells West Hilda is moving and if they wanted to go half on the house together
West proposes.
I can't wait for Frankie and Enzo book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2026
This review and more can be found on my Bookstagram & Booktok @ Ambeeandink!
Thank you so much to House of Heart Lit and Dany Crooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
TROPES:
🎤 Romantic Comedy with 90s/2000s sitcom vibes (laugh track not included)- Friends meets New Girl
📱Dual POV
🎤 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
📱Fake Dating
🎤 Found Family
📱Ex Hockey Player turned Stand-Up Comedian MMC
🎤 Bi (and masked) FMC
📱One-Night Stand turned Lovers
🎤 “Workplace” Romance
📱BANTER
I absolutely LOVED Make Me Laugh. First of all, West? That man has my entire heart. The way he cared for Joey made me love him even more, and every single time that man called her “Joey baby”? I was weak in the knees!
But Joey was really what made this book hit for me. I loved her as a character and related to her way more than I expected to, especially when it came to the trauma she carried from her ex boyfriend. The way those experiences affected how she saw herself, relationships, and how she reacted to certain situations felt painfully real at times. But I knew my girl was going to work hard to overcome it, the last pages brought tears to my eyes.
One of the things I loved most about this book is that these characters felt like actual people to me. They were so fleshed out and had real world problems, complicated emotions, baggage, and lives outside of the romance. They were messy and imperfect and just trying to figure their shit out, which made it so easy to connect with them and love each of them. (I know this is a duology buttttt I need Kell’s story too?)
And somehow, with all of that, this book was still genuinely FUNNY. Not cheesy or trying too hard to be quirky, but actually funny. The banter landed, the humor felt natural, and I was entertained the entire time. The spice was also spicing! Make Me Laugh was scorching hot when it needed to be and the chemistry was doing its thing!
I loved Joey, I’m obsessed with West, “Joey baby” altered my brain chemistry, and I genuinely did not want to leave these characters. Such an easy five stars for me!
Thank you so much to House of Heart Lit and Dany Crooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
TROPES:
🎤 Romantic Comedy with 90s/2000s sitcom vibes (laugh track not included)- Friends meets New Girl
📱Dual POV
🎤 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
📱Fake Dating
🎤 Found Family
📱Ex Hockey Player turned Stand-Up Comedian MMC
🎤 Bi (and masked) FMC
📱One-Night Stand turned Lovers
🎤 “Workplace” Romance
📱BANTER
I absolutely LOVED Make Me Laugh. First of all, West? That man has my entire heart. The way he cared for Joey made me love him even more, and every single time that man called her “Joey baby”? I was weak in the knees!
But Joey was really what made this book hit for me. I loved her as a character and related to her way more than I expected to, especially when it came to the trauma she carried from her ex boyfriend. The way those experiences affected how she saw herself, relationships, and how she reacted to certain situations felt painfully real at times. But I knew my girl was going to work hard to overcome it, the last pages brought tears to my eyes.
One of the things I loved most about this book is that these characters felt like actual people to me. They were so fleshed out and had real world problems, complicated emotions, baggage, and lives outside of the romance. They were messy and imperfect and just trying to figure their shit out, which made it so easy to connect with them and love each of them. (I know this is a duology buttttt I need Kell’s story too?)
And somehow, with all of that, this book was still genuinely FUNNY. Not cheesy or trying too hard to be quirky, but actually funny. The banter landed, the humor felt natural, and I was entertained the entire time. The spice was also spicing! Make Me Laugh was scorching hot when it needed to be and the chemistry was doing its thing!
I loved Joey, I’m obsessed with West, “Joey baby” altered my brain chemistry, and I genuinely did not want to leave these characters. Such an easy five stars for me!
September 18, 2026
Incredible!!
Damn this book had me kicking my feet off the jump!! Dany you are a genius! It was so much fun and oh so sweet 🥰
..I laughed
..I cried
..And I fell in love with West fucking Isakson!!!
There are so many great things about this book, the way the meet (he accidentally doxxes her at his comedy show 😬) , the one night stand (ummm... lots of orgasms) , when they start touring together (hello force priximity 🥵)... and please, you know I LOVE tension 🔥 I could not get enough. Those spicy pages had me crawling for water because damnnn West & Joey know what they're doing.
It wasn't just the spice I loved, it's also the inbetweens, the little details.. like I love that he's so obsessed he'll be in the middle of a conversation but he's fixated on how she takes her coffee because he just needs to know every little thing about her. ☕️🥰
..and I love that Joey just can't help herself 😏 Joey baby, there's a reason.. and it's because he's good for you 😘 Jo, aka Hex (her bookish persona) has so much character growth and I liked that the people in her life helped her get there, especially since so many people had let her down in the past.
The found family is so on point in this one too. I really hope we get more of all the side characters 👀 their friendships and how they've helped our MCs in their pasts and encouraged them to build their future.. they are true MVPs 🫶
Thank you to Dany Crooks & House of Hearts for the eARC because I couldn't wait to read it!! And now no one else has to because it's here!!!
Damn this book had me kicking my feet off the jump!! Dany you are a genius! It was so much fun and oh so sweet 🥰
..I laughed
..I cried
..And I fell in love with West fucking Isakson!!!
There are so many great things about this book, the way the meet (he accidentally doxxes her at his comedy show 😬) , the one night stand (ummm... lots of orgasms) , when they start touring together (hello force priximity 🥵)... and please, you know I LOVE tension 🔥 I could not get enough. Those spicy pages had me crawling for water because damnnn West & Joey know what they're doing.
It wasn't just the spice I loved, it's also the inbetweens, the little details.. like I love that he's so obsessed he'll be in the middle of a conversation but he's fixated on how she takes her coffee because he just needs to know every little thing about her. ☕️🥰
..and I love that Joey just can't help herself 😏 Joey baby, there's a reason.. and it's because he's good for you 😘 Jo, aka Hex (her bookish persona) has so much character growth and I liked that the people in her life helped her get there, especially since so many people had let her down in the past.
The found family is so on point in this one too. I really hope we get more of all the side characters 👀 their friendships and how they've helped our MCs in their pasts and encouraged them to build their future.. they are true MVPs 🫶
Thank you to Dany Crooks & House of Hearts for the eARC because I couldn't wait to read it!! And now no one else has to because it's here!!!
September 19, 2026
Thanks to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts for the gifted copy of Make Me Laugh! This made me laugh, swoon, cry and every emotion in between.
The energy and connections in this book were electric, and I knew from the second that West laid eyes on Jo that I was going to be eating this up and begging for more. And listen, I don’t like comedy shows, but maybe I should give them another chance just in case…
Jo felt like an alternate reality version of me almost. She’s so type A, always planning and making backup plans for those plans, organized to a fault, and the girl loves a good book. She’s also very closed off and refuses to let people other than Frankie in, so seeing her blossom while with West was like watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon.
West on the other hand is the ultimate simp and I love this for him. He genuinely fell in love with Jo at first sight and did everything he could to make her understand that he saw her for who she was behind her (literal) mask and loved every bit of her. The man genuinely worships the ground she walks on!!
Frankie and Enzo, their respective best friends, also had great chemistry and I cannot wait to read their story. Those two could not be more opposite if they tried, so I know this will be delightful. 👀😋
The energy and connections in this book were electric, and I knew from the second that West laid eyes on Jo that I was going to be eating this up and begging for more. And listen, I don’t like comedy shows, but maybe I should give them another chance just in case…
Jo felt like an alternate reality version of me almost. She’s so type A, always planning and making backup plans for those plans, organized to a fault, and the girl loves a good book. She’s also very closed off and refuses to let people other than Frankie in, so seeing her blossom while with West was like watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon.
West on the other hand is the ultimate simp and I love this for him. He genuinely fell in love with Jo at first sight and did everything he could to make her understand that he saw her for who she was behind her (literal) mask and loved every bit of her. The man genuinely worships the ground she walks on!!
Frankie and Enzo, their respective best friends, also had great chemistry and I cannot wait to read their story. Those two could not be more opposite if they tried, so I know this will be delightful. 👀😋
September 25, 2026
💜 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇 💚
"𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪 𝘥𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸: 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦."
"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼."
"ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ʙᴇsᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ, ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ʟɪғᴇ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ."
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
🎤sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ
📱ᴇx ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ sᴛᴀʀ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅɪᴀɴ ᴍᴍᴄ
🎤ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ғᴍᴄ
📱ʜᴇ ғᴀʟʟs ғɪʀsᴛ
🎤ᴏɴᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ғᴀᴋᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ
📱ɪғ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ɴᴇᴡ ɢɪʀʟ
🎤ʜᴇ's ᴀ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴍ
📱ʙᴜᴛ ᴄʀᴀᴡʟs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ sʜᴇ sᴀʏs ᴛᴏ
🎤sʜᴇ sᴘɪᴛs ᴛᴇǫᴜɪʟᴀ ɪɴ ʜɪs ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ
📱ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ (ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ)
🎤sᴇxʏ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅʏ ᴄʟᴜʙ ɢᴏᴇs ᴠɪʀᴀʟ
"𝙻𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎."
"𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆'𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆. 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅."
"ɪ ʜɪᴅ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴛ, ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴡɪʟʟғᴜʟ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴊᴏᴇʏ ᴄʀᴀsʜᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴏᴍsᴛɪᴄᴋ."
"𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚆𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑."
"𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪 𝘥𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸: 𝘐'𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦."
"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼."
"ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜ, ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ's ʙᴇsᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ, ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ʟɪғᴇ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ."
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛ:
🎤sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ
📱ᴇx ʜᴏᴄᴋᴇʏ sᴛᴀʀ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅɪᴀɴ ᴍᴍᴄ
🎤ᴍᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ғᴍᴄ
📱ʜᴇ ғᴀʟʟs ғɪʀsᴛ
🎤ᴏɴᴇ ɴɪɢʜᴛ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ғᴀᴋᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴛɪɴɢ
📱ɪғ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ɴᴇᴡ ɢɪʀʟ
🎤ʜᴇ's ᴀ ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴜʀᴇ ᴅᴏᴍ
📱ʙᴜᴛ ᴄʀᴀᴡʟs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ sʜᴇ sᴀʏs ᴛᴏ
🎤sʜᴇ sᴘɪᴛs ᴛᴇǫᴜɪʟᴀ ɪɴ ʜɪs ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜ
📱ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ (ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ)
🎤sᴇxʏ ʙᴀɴᴛᴇʀ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴇᴅʏ ᴄʟᴜʙ ɢᴏᴇs ᴠɪʀᴀʟ
"𝙻𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎."
"𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆'𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆. 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝑰'𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅."
"ɪ ʜɪᴅ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴛ, ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴡɪʟʟғᴜʟ ɪɢɴᴏʀᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴊᴏᴇʏ ᴄʀᴀsʜᴇᴅ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʟɪғᴇ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴏᴍsᴛɪᴄᴋ."
"𝙸 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚆𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑."
September 27, 2026
Where is the next book???? I need it NOW!
I immediately fell in love with the cover and when I read the tropes, I was so excited to start reading it.
I was a little hesitant in the beginning and wasn’t a fan until suddenly, I flipped the page and was so giddy! The initial scene with the two of them was so effing good! The tension was unbelievable! I could not wait to see their relationship develop.
I absolutely LOVED Hex. She was such a baddie who totally embraced her dom vibes. The videos with the two of them!!! THE SCENE WITH THE TEQUILA!!! 🤤😮💨
This was such a beautiful book with the perfect mix of spice, laughs, and sweetness. I would HIGHLY suggest this book.
Favorite Quotes:
“For starters, because you’re hands down the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and I can’t stop looking at you.”
“But when he smiles, it sucks the life out of mine. He’s so fucking hot it makes me mad.”
“I’d join a cult if Joey was their recruiter, for sure!”
“I groan internally when he puts it on the wrong way. Why? Why are backwards hats so hot?”
I literally have so many highlights but I can’t post them all!!!
Thank you House of Hearts Lit and Dany Crooks for this ARC
I immediately fell in love with the cover and when I read the tropes, I was so excited to start reading it.
I was a little hesitant in the beginning and wasn’t a fan until suddenly, I flipped the page and was so giddy! The initial scene with the two of them was so effing good! The tension was unbelievable! I could not wait to see their relationship develop.
I absolutely LOVED Hex. She was such a baddie who totally embraced her dom vibes. The videos with the two of them!!! THE SCENE WITH THE TEQUILA!!! 🤤😮💨
This was such a beautiful book with the perfect mix of spice, laughs, and sweetness. I would HIGHLY suggest this book.
Favorite Quotes:
“For starters, because you’re hands down the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my entire life, and I can’t stop looking at you.”
“But when he smiles, it sucks the life out of mine. He’s so fucking hot it makes me mad.”
“I’d join a cult if Joey was their recruiter, for sure!”
“I groan internally when he puts it on the wrong way. Why? Why are backwards hats so hot?”
I literally have so many highlights but I can’t post them all!!!
Thank you House of Hearts Lit and Dany Crooks for this ARC
October 12, 2026
I love Jo so much, and honestly, I think it's because I see a little too much of myself in her. 😂
Sometimes life is very much fuck it, let's go. Throw the plan out the window and see what happens.
And other times? Every single move needs to be carefully crafted because there's a very fine line between taking a chance and getting close enough to the flame to get burned.
Jo walks that line throughout this book, and I loved watching her try to balance the safety of her perfectly constructed rules with West coming in and basically giving those rules the middle finger.
And then there's Frankie, who is an absolute chaos agent and I love them for it. 😂
The balance of plot, humor, romance, and spice worked really well for me here. The fake dating and sneaking around give us plenty of tension, but there's enough happening outside of the romance that I stayed invested in Jo and West as actual characters—not just waiting for them to get together.
Also, if you haven't already, GO LOOK AT THE CHARACTER ART. Trust me. 👀
Funny, spicy, chaotic, and ridiculously easy to devour. Definitely a good time.
Sometimes life is very much fuck it, let's go. Throw the plan out the window and see what happens.
And other times? Every single move needs to be carefully crafted because there's a very fine line between taking a chance and getting close enough to the flame to get burned.
Jo walks that line throughout this book, and I loved watching her try to balance the safety of her perfectly constructed rules with West coming in and basically giving those rules the middle finger.
And then there's Frankie, who is an absolute chaos agent and I love them for it. 😂
The balance of plot, humor, romance, and spice worked really well for me here. The fake dating and sneaking around give us plenty of tension, but there's enough happening outside of the romance that I stayed invested in Jo and West as actual characters—not just waiting for them to get together.
Also, if you haven't already, GO LOOK AT THE CHARACTER ART. Trust me. 👀
Funny, spicy, chaotic, and ridiculously easy to devour. Definitely a good time.
September 23, 2026
Oh this was so fun!! We have West and Jo! West is a former hockey player and now comedian and Jo has just lost her job so her friend drags her to a comedy show which her and west have instant sparks!! When people see the video of them online her online persona Hex is exposed she’s a dark romance reviewer and her posts are spicy so everyone knows her true identity! West is determined to get to know her and their first night together was 🔥! West offerers her a job running his social media but the tensionnnnnn was delicious’ this was fun but also had some serious topics with each of them
West has this persona he puts on for his fans kinda reminded me of Matt rife LOL but Jo gets to know the real him she gets to know the real reason he’s gone into comedy for his brother! And when he calls her Joey baby was so damn cute!
Jo has rooted issues of her thinking she’s not enough not good enough for him and it causes her to run!
But their relationship the tension the whole book when they finally give in!!!!
Also book 2 with Frankie and Enzo will be sooo damn good I can’t wait!
West has this persona he puts on for his fans kinda reminded me of Matt rife LOL but Jo gets to know the real him she gets to know the real reason he’s gone into comedy for his brother! And when he calls her Joey baby was so damn cute!
Jo has rooted issues of her thinking she’s not enough not good enough for him and it causes her to run!
But their relationship the tension the whole book when they finally give in!!!!
Also book 2 with Frankie and Enzo will be sooo damn good I can’t wait!
September 20, 2026
DANY YOU CAN’T KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS.
I love Dany’s fantasy series, so I was super excited to receive an ARC of her new romcom! Thank you so much for the early copy!
MML features a one night stand between Jo Daniels, a masked/anonymous booktoker, and West Parker, an up and coming stand up comedian. Now, I am not normally one to like an insta-lust story, but the CHEMISTRY between our mcs was toooo gooood.
In true Dany fashion this book is so much more than just a romcom and she is out to get us. Jo and West are each struggling with personal battles that makes it difficult for them to get close to others.
And then West goes and doxxes her! Rude! Deciding to make the most of the situation Jo goes on tour with West as his social media manager. The tension between the two of them is off the charts!
I was not expecting to cry at this book, but I did. Multiple times. So if you are on the fence because you don’t like insta-lust or insta-love books, GIVE THIS ONE A CHANCE!!
I love Dany’s fantasy series, so I was super excited to receive an ARC of her new romcom! Thank you so much for the early copy!
MML features a one night stand between Jo Daniels, a masked/anonymous booktoker, and West Parker, an up and coming stand up comedian. Now, I am not normally one to like an insta-lust story, but the CHEMISTRY between our mcs was toooo gooood.
In true Dany fashion this book is so much more than just a romcom and she is out to get us. Jo and West are each struggling with personal battles that makes it difficult for them to get close to others.
And then West goes and doxxes her! Rude! Deciding to make the most of the situation Jo goes on tour with West as his social media manager. The tension between the two of them is off the charts!
I was not expecting to cry at this book, but I did. Multiple times. So if you are on the fence because you don’t like insta-lust or insta-love books, GIVE THIS ONE A CHANCE!!
September 19, 2026
thank you @houseofheartslit for the arc!!
CALL ME HEXED!!
I'm obsessed with Joey Babyyyyy & Westtttttifer.
West Parker is a stand-up comedian. Jo Daniels is a marketing guru. and Hex? well, she's the sexy bookstagrammer that provides spicy dark romances and is always masked up--until she's doxxed and their famous personas interact!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO, HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHARACTER ART?! undeniably S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G.
Dany is literally hilarious and this book will make YOU laugh. it reads just like you're watching friends & new girl--the characters are lovable, realistic, and SO relatable.
MAKE ME LAUGH OUT!! congratulations dany, you deserve all of this incredible success!!! watching you fly has been sooooo exciting, cheers to your future!!
(p.s. can't wait for the next book in this duology--that's right, there's a motherfreaking BOOK TWOOOOOOO).
CALL ME HEXED!!
I'm obsessed with Joey Babyyyyy & Westtttttifer.
West Parker is a stand-up comedian. Jo Daniels is a marketing guru. and Hex? well, she's the sexy bookstagrammer that provides spicy dark romances and is always masked up--until she's doxxed and their famous personas interact!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALSO, HAVE YOU SEEN THE CHARACTER ART?! undeniably S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G.
Dany is literally hilarious and this book will make YOU laugh. it reads just like you're watching friends & new girl--the characters are lovable, realistic, and SO relatable.
MAKE ME LAUGH OUT!! congratulations dany, you deserve all of this incredible success!!! watching you fly has been sooooo exciting, cheers to your future!!
(p.s. can't wait for the next book in this duology--that's right, there's a motherfreaking BOOK TWOOOOOOO).
October 21, 2026
woke up in the middle of the night randomly and decided to finish this so I don’t have any real words in my head so for now I will say this and come back later:
Joey and West were actually perfect. The chemistry was off the f**king charts and I need book two SO BAD.
Ok I’m awake again, and I have things to say!!! I picked up this book randomly because the character art was absolutely stunning so I was like “oh absolutely” but what I didn’t expect was the talk of grief from the MMC and FMC’s deep insecurities around heartbreak and abandonment. I loved these two characters so much, their flaws made them 10x better and more human. I just wanted to hug them both!! They were also so hot?? Didn’t know if I wanted to be them or be with them let’s be honest!!
Dany, you killed it, this was absolutely amazing!!
Joey and West were actually perfect. The chemistry was off the f**king charts and I need book two SO BAD.
Ok I’m awake again, and I have things to say!!! I picked up this book randomly because the character art was absolutely stunning so I was like “oh absolutely” but what I didn’t expect was the talk of grief from the MMC and FMC’s deep insecurities around heartbreak and abandonment. I loved these two characters so much, their flaws made them 10x better and more human. I just wanted to hug them both!! They were also so hot?? Didn’t know if I wanted to be them or be with them let’s be honest!!
Dany, you killed it, this was absolutely amazing!!
September 18, 2026
“𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳.”
———————————————————————
Dany smashed it out of the park. Venturing away from her Romantasy roots and going into romcom is such a big move but it was such a great move cause this was AMAZING. I really enjoyed reading about Jo and West, they had such a beautiful connection. They were so healing for each other. I can’t wait for book two!
———————————————————————
“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.”
———————————————————————
🎤 One Night Stand Turned Lovers
📱 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🎤 Fake Dating
📱 Ex Hockey Player Turned Stand Up Comedian
🎤 Full Of Banter
📱 She’s Masked
🎤 He Crawls
📱 Dual POV
🎤 He’s A Pleasure Dom
📱 Forced Proximity
———————————————————————
Dany smashed it out of the park. Venturing away from her Romantasy roots and going into romcom is such a big move but it was such a great move cause this was AMAZING. I really enjoyed reading about Jo and West, they had such a beautiful connection. They were so healing for each other. I can’t wait for book two!
———————————————————————
“𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.”
———————————————————————
🎤 One Night Stand Turned Lovers
📱 Black Cat x Golden Retriever
🎤 Fake Dating
📱 Ex Hockey Player Turned Stand Up Comedian
🎤 Full Of Banter
📱 She’s Masked
🎤 He Crawls
📱 Dual POV
🎤 He’s A Pleasure Dom
📱 Forced Proximity
September 24, 2026
ARC Read:
If you’ve ever thought that one comedian that does crowd work and flirts with MILFs in a greenish flag but still a f-boy way was hot and you wanna see him down bad for a woman that would eat him alive with a smile… this is for you! This book really did Make Me Laugh! West and Hex would have both had me as followers and I would have enjoyed every moment of shipping them! I can see the ship shirts now it would be the Southwest Airlines logo but spooky and read ‘HexWest” ! 😂
This book had such fun characters with great character development! Make Me Laugh felt real and refreshing. Can wait to read book 2 about Frankie Lou!
A big thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts Lit for the opportunity to read this early!
If you’ve ever thought that one comedian that does crowd work and flirts with MILFs in a greenish flag but still a f-boy way was hot and you wanna see him down bad for a woman that would eat him alive with a smile… this is for you! This book really did Make Me Laugh! West and Hex would have both had me as followers and I would have enjoyed every moment of shipping them! I can see the ship shirts now it would be the Southwest Airlines logo but spooky and read ‘HexWest” ! 😂
This book had such fun characters with great character development! Make Me Laugh felt real and refreshing. Can wait to read book 2 about Frankie Lou!
A big thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts Lit for the opportunity to read this early!
October 2, 2026
oh em gee!!! this book was so FUN!!! west & jo are so HOT! i will not lie, the character art got me so good. i was doom scrolling on social media and saw the art and my jaw dropped. i felt like a dog hearing all of my favorite words reading the tropes that would be in the book. i ended up preordering the paperback cause i just knew i was going to thoroughly enjoy this book, and i did. i had so much fun and it did indeed make me laugh. west & jo's banter is off the charts i was literally giggling and kicking my feet like i was there with them. def recommend reading and i can't wait to read future books by dany!
i girl bossed too close to the sun and started this book while reading other books so it took me a little long to finish it but we did it #noregrets
i received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. thank you so much to dany crooks and house of hearts for the gifted copy! all thoughts & opinions are my own :)
i girl bossed too close to the sun and started this book while reading other books so it took me a little long to finish it but we did it #noregrets
i received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. thank you so much to dany crooks and house of hearts for the gifted copy! all thoughts & opinions are my own :)
October 25, 2026
Thank you to Dany Crooks and House of Hearts for the arc.
I freaking loved this book! I mean the cover got me immediately and then I just ate up every second of West and Joey! West is a former hockey player turned stand up comedian has an encounter an audience member leading to a very HOT one night stand. What they don’t realize is that the video of their meet cute has gone viral, accidentally doxxing Joey in the process. Her online masked persona HexedHeroine is no longer a secret and the world is shipping them hard!
Joey also happens to be a master marketer and agrees to take on West’s social media, capitalizing on their viral moment. As they tour together, they grow closer and the chemistry is seriously undeniable. West is DOWN BAD for Joey and seems to be the only person to get her to start letting down her walls. The found family in this is also top notch. I love this entire crew! Such an amazing read and I can’t wait for book 2!
🐈⬛ Black Cat FMC
🐶 Golden Retriever MMC
❣️ Fake Dating
🗣️All the Banter
🗓️ Age Gap (she’s older)
🎤 Forced Proximity
❤️🔥 Good Boy
🫶🏻 Found Family
I freaking loved this book! I mean the cover got me immediately and then I just ate up every second of West and Joey! West is a former hockey player turned stand up comedian has an encounter an audience member leading to a very HOT one night stand. What they don’t realize is that the video of their meet cute has gone viral, accidentally doxxing Joey in the process. Her online masked persona HexedHeroine is no longer a secret and the world is shipping them hard!
Joey also happens to be a master marketer and agrees to take on West’s social media, capitalizing on their viral moment. As they tour together, they grow closer and the chemistry is seriously undeniable. West is DOWN BAD for Joey and seems to be the only person to get her to start letting down her walls. The found family in this is also top notch. I love this entire crew! Such an amazing read and I can’t wait for book 2!
🐈⬛ Black Cat FMC
🐶 Golden Retriever MMC
❣️ Fake Dating
🗣️All the Banter
🗓️ Age Gap (she’s older)
🎤 Forced Proximity
❤️🔥 Good Boy
🫶🏻 Found Family
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