Trust Issues

by Kasie West

The perfect follow up to Kasie West’s duo of adult rom-coms, We Met Like This and Stranger Things Have Happened, Trust Issues will appeal to readers of Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood.

While out of town on a work trip, Parker begins to question her boyfriend’s fidelity when she receives an anonymous text with a link to his profile on a dating app. Desperate to be proven wrong Parker hires a food delivery driver to deliver both food and information. But the driver, upon learning what he’s been hired for, ruins the surveillance mission by ratting her out to her boyfriend, effectively ending her 2-year relationship with one ten-piece wing order. Parker is angry at herself…and at the asshole food delivery driver. Too bad three months later he becomes the new hire at the newspaper where she writes.

Not only has he invaded her daily happy place, they are put on an assignment together, against both of their wills, investigating a local fire. Parker finds that he’s just as arrogant, condescending, and utterly infuriating as she initially thought. But he also has stunning blue eyes. And an annoyingly cute smirk. Are his mouth and intense stare starting to cloud her judgement? Crumble her well-earned trust issues?

Or is she discovering that loathing and lust aren’t actually as different as they seem and that maybe she wants to see which one of those emotions will come out on top.

Genres: Romance, Adult, Contemporary, Adult Romance, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Workplace Romance

368 pages, Paperback

Expected publication April 27, 2027

About the author

I write YA and adult romance novels. I eat chocolate cinnamon bears. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. A few of my works are: SUNKISSED, PS I LIKE YOU, MOMENT OF TRUTH, WE MET LIKE THIS, and more. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

Reviews

[aira]

I enjoyed We Met Like This and I have Stranger Things Have Happened on my tbr....now I have the arc for this....ughh these adult romances are just what I need sometimes.

[maddie's reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc!

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. It was my first by Kasie West, and I don't think I'll be reading more. I didn't like the writing style, and I felt like the characters were very immature and annoying. Parker frustrated me way too much; why did she let Drake get away with actual fraud?? Why did she never ask proper questions despite apparently being a good journalist?? I don't know. The romance didn't work for me either; it felt very insta-lust, and there really wasn't any chemistry between Parker and Jude. Despite having a good premise, this book didn't work for me. The setting was cute, but overall, not for me.

[Angelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes! This is my third adult rom-com by Kasie West, and while I liked them all, I loved this one. It’s a fast read, and one that I just didn’t want to put down. The sass and witty banter were top-notch!

This story was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. The characters were wonderful, the romance was believable and full of romantic heat. I enjoyed the surrounding main plot as well as the mini subplots. I don’t want to share any details, because there are tiny little twists that happen along the way. I will say that I appreciated that there was depth written into the characters, but not written in such a dramatic way, which made this story more comedy and lighthearted. Also there were good overarching messages to tie everything up.

Two issues that I sometimes run into with romance novels are that men are often written kind of womanly, and the supporting plot surrounding the romance sometimes falls flat. Neither of those issues were present in this book. I highly recommend!

Thanks to Kasie West, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All opinions and statements are my own.

[Kristy · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

My first Kasie West book, but not my last!

This is the epitome of a cute quirky romance, and it pulls off enemies to lovers with perfection!

Parker’s relationship falls apart when she asks a delivery worker to spy on her boyfriend (seriously, the guy couldn’t have just told her if there was another car in the driveway?!) and instead he rats her out. Imagine her surprise when said delivery worker shows up at her local newspaper workplace and snags the features gig she was hoping to earn. Parker’s convinced he’s a nepo hire, and she hates his guts.

But soon the boss puts Parker and Jude on a shared story investigating a fire at a local bar. The chemistry between these two absolutely crackles. They truly spar with perfection. Watching Parker learn to be less of a doormat while Jude learns to ask for help… West implements the tropes with style. Also, I’m not sure why there is a side plot about Parker’s mom basically stealing a cat, but I was there for it. This is an enjoyable romance with small town charm!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Saturday Books in return for an unbiased review.

[Samantha Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

TRUST ISSUES by Kasie West

I love myself a good enemies to lovers romance and add a little investigative journalism for some flare. Parker is a sunshine character who resents the new grumpy employee at the newspaper for taking the front page spot (and for assisting in her breakup with her ex). It was delightful watching their repartee turn into friendship and then something more. This front page news story is sure to delight romcom fans.

Content: brief strong language, swearing, multiple intimate scenes.

@macmillanusa @kasiewest #bookreview #bookrecommendation #newrelease #netgalley

[Lucie Rangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quick fun read. I enjoyed Parker and Jude’s bickering. I wish there was a Jude pov thought, because at times it was hard to figure out what he was thinking.
Overall, I thought this was fun.

Thank you for the arc

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trust Issues was a fast and easy read with a quick pace. I enjoyed the story overall, and I really appreciated the way the author explored trust issues from opposite sides of the spectrum. It was interesting to see how different experiences can shape the way people approach trust and relationships.

One thing that stood out to me was how differently the main character treated the male lead compared with her best friend. She seemed to hold on tightly to her anger toward him while extending a great deal of grace to her best friend. At the same time, I could understand the reasoning behind it—we often extend more grace to people we already have relationships with than we do to people we don't know as well.

The missing-cat storyline was probably my least favorite part. I found the cat itself and some of the decisions surrounding it frustrating, particularly the way the mother responded and the way the daughter ultimately chose to handle things without honoring her mother's wishes. I understood how the storyline was intended to contribute to the main character's growth, but it didn't really work for me and felt somewhat separate from the rest of the story.

I also struggled with the amount of language in the book. More than anything, I realized that my personal preferences simply lean toward a cleaner and more balanced romance. I have a hard time connecting with a relationship when the characters begin by calling each other hurtful names, and I prefer romances where love, commitment, and marriage are more central to the relationship rather than intimacy coming first and love developing afterward.

That said, I didn't dislike this book. It was entertaining, moved quickly, and held my attention. I simply realized that it wasn't quite the type of romance I personally prefer. I appreciate what the author was trying to explore, particularly the different ways people can struggle with trust, but I prefer a cleaner approach to romance and relationships. For that reason, this was a three-star read for me rather than a book I would rave about or recommend personally.

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book ! I have read all 3 of this author’s adult romances and this one was my favorite !
The tension and banter between Parker and Jude was unmatched. It was a true slow burn which I loved ! Their relationship was really built on the time spent together and it didn’t move too fast, it didn’t feel lusty. I really enjoyed how there was also a mystery happening at the same time. The investigation really intrigued me, and the setting in a small town made it very interesting. All the characters were well written and their actions made sense with how they were portrayed.
I really enjoyed seeing the character development from Parker but also Jude. They both made each other better. I would love another book in this universe. All the supporting characters were so endearing especially Owen. Overall, this is a great romance with deep characters, a very intriguing mystery set in a small town and a lot of tension and banter ! I definitely recommend this book !

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this book in advance, mainly because I loved The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West as a teenager; it brought me a lot of nostalgia.
I want to begin by saying I really enjoyed reading this book, and it surprised me; I wasn't expecting to enjoy it this much.
The characters' build-up was interesting because it always kept me curious, especially about Jade, alongside the story.
Even though this is a romance, there was the mystery of the article they were pursuing, and it showed a lot of their chemistry and how they worked together.

What bothered me a bit was how long it took to actually show the MMC more, and the interaction between them. I was already thinking it would never happen.

I enjoyed the other characters, her best friend and the coworkers, even though her best friend was a little bit mean towards the end. My only thought is that I would have liked a more pronounced storyline related to the ex, something more vengeful.

Overall, it's a great book. Entertaining and light.

[mandie ੈ♡˳ · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a fun, easy read! i really liked the whole setup with Parker discovering her boyfriend might be on a dating app, only for the food delivery driver she hires to investigate to completely blow up her plan… and then somehow end up as her new coworker three months later. 😂 the forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers dynamic were definitely my favorite part, especially watching Parker and Jude go from constantly getting on each other’s nerves to realizing there might actually be something there.

i also enjoyed the journalism/investigation aspect and thought it gave the story something to keep me invested outside of the romance. that said, i did wish the romance had a little more emotional depth and development, because some of it felt a bit rushed. i also wanted a little more closure with some of the drama toward the end. overall though, this was a cute, entertaining romance with plenty of banter and a really fun setup.

thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've read a few other Kasie West adult romances so I was really excited for this one! I think the book started off really strong, but dropped to about three stars for me, mainly due to character development, plot pacing and chemistry.

I loved the tension between the two characters, but I couldn't help but feel that I was told things, rather than shown them. We are told that Parker is nice, but we don't really see many examples of that. Jude was given a very intense backstory that is never entirely fleshed out.

I think if backstory and characters had been fleshed out more, and the book didn't wrap up quite so quickly, this would have been a 4.5 stars for me! Overall, it is a cute enjoyable read!

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dynamics between Parker and Jude hooked me in the beginning. Food delivery driver turned enemy? Sign me up.

Sadly, I thought that the Frank story took too long to develop and it made me lose interest as the chapters went on. I also thought that it moved at a snail’s pace towards the end and then randomly rushed to the epilogue. It was just okay for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

rep: sapphic side character

this probably ranks second of kasie west’s adult romances to me after stranger things have happened. I liked the characters and the romance in this one but I felt the plot was a bit too slow-moving considering it’s an investigation. I think that made the pacing of the book — plot-wise and romance-wise — feel off because I was at the 75% mark wondering what was going to happen.

rtc ?

[Amber Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the dynamic of this book. I think Kacie did a really good job with guiding Parker out of an era of sadness and seeing her come into her own and speaking up for herself. This was such a fun read. I’ll definitely read more of her books in the future.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️¾

Trust Issues is my favorite of Kasie West’s adult rom-coms so far—and I’ve read all three! Also, can we talk about these covers? The cover art on her adult books is incredible, and I keep wanting to buy physical copies based on the covers alone.

This is an enemies-to-lovers romance with truly elite banter. I sometimes struggle with this trope because the characters can spend so much time genuinely disliking each other that the eventual romance feels like it comes out of nowhere. That isn’t the case here. West does a particularly good job pacing Parker’s relationship with her love interest, allowing their antagonism to gradually shift into chemistry and something more.

The setup is also hilarious. Parker suspects her boyfriend is cheating while she’s out of town, so she orders DoorDash to his house—and then messages the driver through the app to investigate whether there’s another car in the driveway. There isn’t, but Parker’s trust issues ultimately contribute to the end of the relationship anyway.

Three months later, that same delivery driver unexpectedly walks into Parker’s workplace. Turns out, he’s a reporter too, and now the two of them have been assigned to work together.

My favorite part of this book is easily the dialogue. Nearly everything I highlighted was a line of dialogue because these two have such good chemistry. The exchanges are clever and genuinely funny—“I was couch asleep, not bed asleep” made me laugh—but West also gives them quieter, more tender moments. I especially loved the sentiment that you can still have had a hard time even if someone else experienced a different kind of hard.

For me, Trust Issues feels like Kasie West really settling into her voice as an adult rom-com writer. YA still feels like her greatest strength, but this is easily my favorite of her adult books. It’s clever, funny, fast-moving, and an excellent palate cleanser. Her adult romances remind me a little of Tessa Bailey, and I’d especially recommend this one to readers who enjoy Sarah Adams.

3.75/5 stars.

Trust Issues publishes April 27, 2027.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an electronic advance reading copy.

[Bon(s) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Promising Premise Bogged Down by Clunky Blocking and Extraneous Detail Trust Issues by Kasie West has an engaging core concept, but the execution unfortunately suffers from a severe lack of narrative economy. While the plot and character dynamics show promise, the reading experience is frequently disrupted by hyper-specific, unnecessary descriptions that stall the pacing and pull the reader out of the story.

The primary issue lies in a heavy-handed approach to overwriting mundane micro-actions. The author routinely stops the momentum of a scene to describe details that offer absolutely no payoff to the plot or character development. For example, we are treated to a breakdown of the FMC getting into her car, finding a tissue to wipe her face, and storing it away in her side compartment. Rather than making the world feel lived-in, these inconsequential details function as narrative white noise.

Furthermore, the physical mechanics and character blocking throughout the book are incredibly clunky. In one particularly distracting scene, the FMC is eating a sandwich, yet the author notes that she is using a fork to pick at a piece of tomato that fell onto her plate. Trying to visually parse how a character is realistically managing a fork and a sandwich at the same time turns what should be a casual moment into a confusing logical head-scratcher.

Compounding this is a frequent violation of "Chekhov’s Gun." The author repeatedly goes out of her way to mention that the FMC’s phone is face down. Because this specific detail is highlighted multiple times, it signals to the reader that a major text, a hidden secret, or an impending emergency call is about to disrupt the narrative. Instead, it turns out to be a meaningless red herring with zero plot relevance.

While the author clearly has a vision for this story, the prose desperately needs tighter editing to cut away the fluff. Readers who enjoy hyper-detailed realism might find something to appreciate here, but those looking for a tightly paced, seamless narrative may find themselves frustrated by the mechanical, over-described execution.

[Laura B · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Parker is a hometown girl through and through, with a sunshiny personality and, even after a rough breakup with her ex, always puts forth an optimistic attitude, or at least she does until she meets Jude. When Jude is hired as the new News, or front page, writer of the hometown newspaper where Parker works, Parker must suddenly face the person who “caused” her breakup with her ex on a daily basis. Add to that the fact that Parker thought she was a shoo-in for the job and she has a hard time containing her dislike for her new coworker. Much to her chagrin, Parker and Jude are assigned to work together on a big story that will require them to research and sleuth together to get down to the bottom of the mystery. Will their time together be spent constantly battling with each other, or will they be able to work together to overcome their differences and find some common ground?

I enjoyed this Kasie West adult romance more than her last one. The banter between Parker and Jude, especially towards the beginning of the book is entertaining, and I can understand why Parker would feel an animosity towards Jude, however, her animosity is misplaced. Jude is an innocent bystander and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in Parker’s life. Once Parker can finally see past her hurt and anger, her propensity towards forgiveness begins to stand out. I appreciate the way that Parker begins to grow and stand up for herself as the novel progresses, however, I feel like some of the other characters, namely her mother given the side plot with the cat, should have also developed more over the course of the story. The journalistic/investigative side of the story really helped both with the plot and to keep me interested. It would have been nice if there had been a bit more overall depth to the characters and a bit more closure to some of the sub-plots. Overall, I think I enjoy her YA romances more than her adult ones.

3.5 Stars Adult Language, a few explicit intimate scenes

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC. As always, all thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

[Alexis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book started off interesting enough—Parker, the MFC, and her friend order food to have the delivery guy spy on her boyfriend while she’s away from home, because she subconsciously suspects he’s cheating on her. It goes poorly, and the banter and friendship between Parker and Naomi had me feeling hopeful, but the story quickly went downhill from there. Parker is described as a good/nice person who people seem to really like, but the author doesn’t give any examples of this in the story. We are just meant to take their word for it. There is quite a bit of telling in this story and not enough showing.

Parker is a journalist, but doesn’t seem to be very good at her job, so when certain things don’t go her way, it’s very hard to have any sympathy for her, especially when she displays such an undeserving attitude toward the person who “stole” her career opportunity. I found her to be a very unlikable character, which made getting through the story extremely hard. The mystery (that wasn’t really quite all that mysterious) was the only thing that really manage to keep me reading, but it took a lot of effort. I can understand why the author made some of her choices with Parker, but still felt like she missed the mark on fleshing out what she intended.

I’m a sucker for the enemies to lover trope, which is part of what interested me in this book in the first place, and I believe the author did a good job when it came to that. However, I needed more romance. The story and some of the characters, like Parker’s ex seemed rushed and not at all completely thought out.

Despite disliking this book, I would read another book by Kasie West. She has mostly written YA and might need a bit of time to find her footing in adult romance. I’d like to thank her, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[inmyreadingera321 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look, I’ve been a Kasie West stan since her YA days, but I have absolutely adored her foray into adult novels! All three of her adult books have completely stolen my heart, Trust Issues included.

What I think I love most about these books — and this one in particular — is how successfully she turns a meet-cute on its head, giving us, instead, a meet-uncute that’s somehow just as charming as a meet-cute would be. I loved how Parker and Jude butted heads (and frankly both had good reason to!), because it made watching them fall for each other against their own wishes even better.

I wish, in some ways, we got even more of Jude because he really did charm me, but it’s very clear that this is Parker’s Story. From her unresolved issues with her ex to her instability of living with her best friend to her feelings of insecurity in relation to her job to her complicated relationship with her parents (that CAT plotline oh my god), Parker was at the forefront of the novel. Jude was such a lovely foil to her, with his own trauma and insecurities, but getting to watch everything (and him, especially) from her eyes was so heartwarming. There was something so satisfying about this people pleasing, optimistic, sunshine girl letting her claws out at this man that wouldn’t stop getting on her nerves — and him loving that.

Their dynamic was just so great, and the story really just made me smile so many times. Kasie did such a wonderful job of making this both a life story and a love story, hitting those marks and balancing those feelings so well. Just, such a good time!

————————————————————————

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC!

[Bookish In Orlando · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. It’s a true enemies to lovers romance, and I liked that the two main characters actually felt like enemies the beginning. A lot of books use that trope, but the characters don’t always feel like they genuinely dislike each other, so I really appreciated that here. It’s an extremely slow burn, but the little bit of romance we do get is mostly clean and not overly graphic or detailed, which I also appreciate.

The writing was great, and I enjoyed the storyline. There’s also a bit of a mystery throughout the book, and I thought I had figured out the plot twist, but I was completely wrong. I liked that I didn’t predict the ending and that the story managed to surprise me.

I also really liked how the author handled the ending. It leaves the door open for the possibility of another book in this world, whether that’s with these characters or some of the side characters, but it also wraps everything up in a way that makes it feel complete if it stays a standalone. I would definitely be happy to revisit this world, but I also wouldn’t feel like anything was missing if there isn’t another book.

Overall, this was a really great read, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good slow burn enemies to lovers romance with a little small town mystery thrown in!

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for sending this eARC for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Kate Laycoax · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this was just not great. I’ve liked books by Kasie West before, but this felt SO juvenile and childish and I really struggled with the writing style. Even though this is technically an adult romance, it felt very YA to me at times, not because of the story itself but because the writing and characters just didn’t feel very mature.

I actually really liked the premise and I thought that setup had a lot of potential. I also liked the idea of them being forced to work together and slowly going from enemies to something more. But I just could not get past the writing! Everything felt a little too childish and over the top for me, and it made me pretty much hate it all... the characters, the plot going forward, the romance... I ended up not liking anyone and it was a struggle to get through.

And the fraud storyline?! WHY was that allowed?! I wanted there to be some actual consequences, and then they just… got away with it?! I was so confused by that whole situation.

I really wish this was better for me, but it just wasn’t great. I will read another Kasie West book and hope it is better next time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kasie West, and Saturday Books for the eARC of this book.

[Liv]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

First off, this novel was a definite improvement from West’s other two adult novels. It seemed to correct several mistakes the other ones made and wasn’t nearly as problematic as they were.

I liked this book. Wasn’t the greatest thing ever, but it kept me entertained.

A few minor nitpicks:
I feel like we’re kinda told that Parker is the “nice one” but we’re not really shown any examples. All I remember of her is her being pissed at Jude for the first half of the book before falling for him.
And I feel like there could’ve been more closure with the Drake drama. I feel like the saga with him ended kind of abruptly.
And I feel like Jude’s backstory could’ve been fleshed out a little more.

My main critique with this novel is that I wish there were more romantic moments (like at the end) and more emotional connection between our two main characters. Whenever they interacted “romantically” it was just them getting hot and heavy, which didn’t make it feel 100% believable when Parker admitted to herself that she was starting to fall in love with him…because why?

On a more positive note, I like how this was actual enemies to lovers—where the disliking is mutual and not one-sided. And the mystery aspect was interesting. If you like slow burns and the enemies to lovers trope, you might like this.

[April Kreiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Give me a story about anyone in the writing field and I am there for it; bonus points if both MCs are writers and there is a bit of underlying enemies-to-lovers happening.

Trust Issues is my third novel by Kasie West and once again, she has delivered. The premise of the story really caught my attention right from the start. Parker, while out of town for work, begins to question her boyfriend's loyalty and hires a food delivery driver to do a little spying. The driver is not thrilled with her request and ends up selling Parker out to her boyfriend - who immediately ends their relationship. Flash forward a few months, a still-seething mad Parker comes face-to-face with the delivery driver ... who just happens to be her newly hired co-worker.

Jude is a prime example of how strong MMCs should be written ... the author knocked it out of the park with this guy. And, his interactions with Parker are everything a reader could hope for complete with sexual tension, adorable moments and witty banter.

Such an enjoyable read - don't sleep on this one when it releases in April 2027!!

[Katie Camden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grinned all the way through this one! It’s such a lighthearted read, perfect for escaping the horrors of the world. Parker is a small-town journalist who writes feel-good stories but is hoping to break onto the front page. She’s in a solid relationship, but when an anonymous tip suggests he’s cheating, she hires a food delivery person to scope out their place while she’s out of town to find out if the cheating rumor is true. Instead, the driver rats her out to her boyfriend, convincing him to break up with her since she doesn’t trust him.

Months later, instead of getting the promotion at work, an outside hire shows up to take the spot–and it’s Food Delivery Guy. Now she has to face the person who’s ruined her life in more ways than one and somehow work with him on a shared assignment.

This book is jam-packed with perfect banter of two people who start out unable to stand each other, but their enmity quickly morphs into something heated for far different reasons. Their chemistry is amazing and the journalistic investigation is fast-paced.

Loved this newest from Kasie West! Thanks to NetGalley and Saturday Books for the ARC!

[Sydney Gessler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trust Issues follows Parker, suspecting her boyfriend might be up to no good, she sends a delivery driver to check on him while she’s out of town. Sadly our delivery driver- the morality police sells her out. Fast forward a few months and after a crappy breakup, Parker is hopeful to get a new job at the newspaper she works out. But alas the position goes to none other than the morality police himself. The two of them are forced to work together, because of course.

There were a lot of things I liked in this book- there’s something about when people need to talk and they just say “roof” and they exit stage left to have a serious conversation, that I love. Maybe one of the most niche micro-tropes, but I really enjoy it. Also the forced proximity was delicious.

There were some things that weren’t my favourite, for one Parker’s character felt a little all over the place (I think by design) but I felt like I was having a hard time keeping up with what was bothering her. I think Trust Issues focuses on emulating real life and how messy relationships can be and how messy humans can be.

Overall I did enjoy the book and will continue to read anything Kaisie West puts out :)

[Brittni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trust Issues was a fun read.

The grumpy/sunshine pairing and the enemies-to-lovers trope was a good time. I really liked the setup of the "enemies" part of enemies to lovers. The MMC wasn't the reason Parker's relationship was doomed, but he was the catalyst that brought it to an end. And then he gets the job she wanted? Oh boy, buckle up.

One thing I had a hard time reconciling at the beginning of this book is that we're supposed to believe Parker is a great journalist, but her tendency to trust everything at face value without question seems inconsistent with that. It was easy enough to overlook, but it did give me pause, and I was glad it was eventually addressed in the plot.

The investigation gave the book a nice extra layer, there was enough at stake to keep me guessing, and watching Parker and the MMC go from barely tolerating each other to actually working as a team was genuinely satisfying to see unfold.

Also, fingers crossed there's a bonus scene in our future where Drake gets the punch to the face he so thoroughly earned.

[Sheryl · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I am once again in love with Kasie West’s adult romances. Parker is a classic only child who trusts a little too much until she is wronged by her new coworker Owen (then she’s a little too hate-y towards him until she gets to know him better when forced to research a news story for the newspaper where they work). I really appreciated all that the characters had going on, as well as the secondary characters like Parker’s best friend and Owen’s brother. And Kasie West can really write a fantastic spicy scene! The only things kind of keeping it from being a full five stars were that I was expecting a little more from the end of their investigation - something bigger or more revelatory. It seemed to fizzle or wrap up a little quickly/easily. And there was kind of a random jump from hate to makeout in the middle. I loved the scene with Parker’s shapewear - every woman can relate to those menaces, and I can totally see a great bonus chapter or novella from Owen’s POV. You just know there’s a lot going on with him in this that we don’t get.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit from Kasie West! The premise and meet 'ugly' between Parker and Jude was so entertaining and fresh. I don't think I've ever read anything similar to this before. I loved the conflict it brought between them at the beginning of the story - and the one of how they do their jobs in opposite ways. But the connection between them was really clear from the start. I loved each character and their flaws and arc. Parker with her trust issues and her dynamic with her mom and Naomi, and Jude with his feelings of self worth about being loved. The story about the case they're investigating was interesting, too. I did feel the pacing of the reveal of that was a little jarring as it came to a head in the end, though. And some of the dialogue felt a little awkward to me but it's hard to put a finger on why. But the story was so lovely and I loved the penultimate moment between Jude and Parker and how that happened.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher!

[Valeria Ayala · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve always been a fan of the bizzarre meet-cutes in Katie West’s books and this one stuck to that pattern!

I loved Parker so much, and related to her in a lot of ways. She’s got trust issues *wink wink* the kind where her instincts make her trust too easily, and then our MMC becomes the catalyst for her realizing that.

The reason my rating isn’t higher is because after a while, the back-and-forth between Parker and MMC felt repetitive and it felt like the writing was explaining everything to the reader instead of letting us delve into the story and learn it through the characters actions. I’ve loved Katie West’ past books, but this one didn’t feel as strong as the others. I also would have liked to get to know more in-depth our MMC, I felt disconnected from him throughout the story.

Still a fun read and i’m always a fan of a hate to love that actually starts as hate and not infatuation disguised as hate.

[Kip · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

This rivals to lovers small-town romance was soft, sweet and easy to read. The food delivery driver turned enemy/rival plot point was a great opening idea. There was lots of dialogue, bickering and banter and the journalism/paper setting gave the story lots of interesting side plots like the stolen cat and different columns ( Mark's bad advice column was my favourite) and a wealth of side characters. My main issues were between Jude and Parker's romance which was developed fast and I would have liked the rivals part to be longer. I was a little disappointed at how Parker handled herself with Drake, her ex and how she let things go and Jude and Parker were missing some of that magic spark together. I know a lot of people will love the tropes- journalists, small town, rivals to lovers, grumpy/sunshine and some mystery as well. I would recommend this book especially for people who love dialogue heavy romances or audiobooks because there were lots of funny, warm lines.