After reading Brake Me I was HANGING out for this book and Athena and Marley DELIVERED!!
The spice is top tier—even if it’s made me suspiciously side eye my tools as a mechanic. The angst? I was yelling at them constantly for it. And the revenge arc was absolute P E R F E C T I O N !
The art is beautiful, the writing is immaculate. Everything is just perfect inside this book, if I had to complain, it’d be that the book ended 🥲 I wanted it to last forever.
Challenge Me is definitely not a book you want to skim past. I mean who doesn’t want a hot LITERAL shadow daddy with a southern accent who calls you little hellcat?
I won’t post spoilers. But I will say chapter 10… you’re gonna love it.
Another five star read for me. And made its way to the top 5 best reads of 2026–right alongside Brake Me.
So so good. So much more intense than Brake Me but I was happily teetering on the edge of my seat the whole time. Lai is murder princess to Ghost’s literal shadow daddy and I could not get enough of them. Did I need mouthwash after a particular car maintenance scene? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. I sincerely hope this series continues because I will never grow tired of these fantastical characters and their hot as hell cars.
I was very lucky enough to receive an arc copy of this book, and I’m absolutely in love with it! Lai and Ghost’s story was fantastic and utterly sexy. Usually I can keep a pretty straight face while reading smut but I was so flushed during this book, so hot. And the plot was also really good. I really enjoyed and want more of this world!
Thank you to Athena M. Blissfor selecting me as an ARC reviewer.
We are back to the world of cars! This is book two of the cars behind the men of The Sons Of Echidna. Book 1, Brake Me, was an absolute masterpiece (review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ). I already knew I had no qualms about a book regarding a man and his car, and still this book took me by surprise! As promised, this story is darker, grittier, and more emotional than the first. Lai and Ghost are both battling the realization that they are no longer the young men– or car– they once were. Even though this book is on the shorter side, the character arcs are so well developed (I still haven't read Sons of Echidna…yet!). The hurt from Ghost and his abandonment is so palpable through the pages. Same goes for Lai and his inner demons, which he hides behind a curtain of superiority and indifference. This book had all the elements of book one, friendship, found family, yearning, and added comfort in loving after being hurt. Lai sees Ghost because he understands his pain. Ghost sees through Lai’s walls because he understands the grief of aging. All that said, this book was also hilarious, especially when Al makes an appearance and reminds us of the horse joke. And oh, boy is this book even spicier… I will never see a breaker bar or allen key the same. The spicy scenes in this book are a masterpiece of imagination.
As for the writing itself, I am still a 100% fan of the switch between first person and second person. It adds to the magic that made both cars sentient (and apparently many others). It was such a great choice for storytelling that went beyond the actual words written, and conveyed the state of mind of both human and car.
I hear rumblings there might be a Book 3. Gods I hope that's true!
✎✧˚ Thank you to the authors, Athena M. Bliss and Marluxia Bliss, for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Challenge Me is the direct continuation of Brake Me, and I was genuinely excited to jump back into this world and see where Lai and Ghost’s story would go. After the setup in the first book, their relationship had plenty of potential, and there were definitely moments in this one that delivered on that promise.
The spice is, without a doubt, one of the biggest selling points. Ghost’s dominant personality, the tension between him and Lai, and the sheer craziness of their relationship make for some seriously memorable scenes. The book also brings plenty of angst, vulnerability, and emotional baggage, particularly with Ghost’s abandonment issues and the way both characters deal with their own struggles. I appreciated seeing their relationship develop beyond the initial novelty of the premise.
The revenge storyline was another highlight for me. It added a darker edge to the story and gave Ghost’s past more emotional weight. There are some wonderfully chaotic and unhinged moments throughout, and the authors clearly know how to embrace the ridiculousness of a sentient-object romance while still giving the characters genuine emotional complexity. The artwork continues to be a fantastic addition and really enhances the reading experience.
Overall, Challenge Me is a wild, spicy, and undeniably unique sequel, with plenty of heat, revenge, humor, and heart.
"Forgiving is weak. You don’t have to do anything to forgive; you just have to wait until you get too tired or too old to stay angry. Revenge is different." My thumbs swept under Ghost’s rapt eyes, gently stroking his face. "Revenge is how you return the suffering to the sender."
Thank you to the authors, Athena M. Bliss and Marluxia Bliss, for the opportunity to read an eARC of Challenge Me! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Challenge Me is such an addictive, wild, and spicy good time! 😍🔥
The book directly continues on from the events of Brake Me, but switches focus to the budding relationship between Lai and Ghost. After their introduction as side characters in Brake Me, I was beyond excited to be them become the main characters.
Obviously, there is a lot of spice and it is immaculate. Athena and Marluxia know how to write a romance between a man and his car in a way where it's the wild good time that you didn't know you'd enjoy!
The character depth and development was so beautiful and was the absolute standout feature for me. I love that, when looking from the outside, Ghost is just this tough and dominant Dodge Challenger and Lai is this shallow arrogant man. However, Challenge Me really challenges those perspectives. I love that the book explores both characters' vulnerabilities, being Ghost's abandonment issues and the way Lai feels constrained by the others' expectations of how he should behave. I was not prepared for just how emotionally invested I would become in their individual character development as well as their development as a couple.
The banter in Challenge Me was also on point. There were so many moments where Lai, Ghost, Al and Fox had me giggling because they just know how to push each others' buttons. It's like they somehow the attitudes of teenagers and old married couples at the same time!
What a ride! Challenge Me is book two in the Brake Me series and it was another snappy, sharp hilarious and blood filled adventure.
I didn't think Al and Fox could be topped (I'm sure there is a joke there somewhere) but Lai and Ghost... their chemistry is off the chart!
What do you get when you mix a 1970s Dodge Challenger who is stubborn and set in it's way with a runway designer dragon with issues and attitude? A freaking incredible story with bite, heart, connection and a sense of belonging. It's much more than a car fucking book (although that happens...a lot...)
Lai is hesitant to let his guard down, to get his hands dirty, to have a meaningful connection (not that he'd admit that to himself anyway) but Ghost, his newest and most decadent purchase is proving extremely hard to ignore. A sentient car might just be his undoing...
Ghost needs to belong, his entire existence is built on connection and worship and Lai, his new owner is certainly up for... activities, but refuses to own him, look after him in the way he needs. Can Ghost force Lai's hand to prove he's worth it?
With a sub plot of murder, revenge and finding peace within yourself, (and cameos by sassy Fox and Al being... well, Al) this is a book you won't be able to put down. I know I couldn't!
If you adore:
- car to lovers - touch him and die - unorthodox relationship - why choose - possessiveness - broody MCC (main car character) - revenge subplot - hurt/comfort - blood and mayhem - the most incredible artwork within the pages
Then what are you waiting for?? This book is epic, Brake Me is epic - they are just fun, sexy and a little unhinged (like most of us). I read this prior to release!
Sometimes you need a read so far out of your comfort zone that it basically reboots your entire system. That's the story of how I came across book one (Brake Me) of this series. It was so fun to spend an afternoon with the married principal of an academy for descendants of Gods and his new sentient Mustang Foxbody. Maybe you remember 🫣😉
When I saw that two of our favourite side characters from Brake Me were getting their own story, it was clear I'd be reading it. By chance, I stumbled upon the last ARC call, and here I am.
Ghost—the 1970s Dodge Challenger—and Lai—the rich retired dragon assassin, whose family's property has turned into the academy that his ex is the principal of—go through complex bonding by learning about the ins and outs of each other. Lai gets to let go for the first time in a long time, and Ghost finally gets closure from his own trauma.
Oh, and there's s*x. Between them. Did I mention that Ghost is sentient, just like Fox? Yeah, he is. And he can be quite the dom.
What a fun ride. Quite literally.
📖 Challenge Me by Athena M. Bliss and Marluxia Bliss Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I dropped everything to read this book! 😂 This was equally as good as the first one, but I definitely think you should read BRAKE ME first to understand Lai a little more.
This book ramps things up by like 100%. Chapter 10 had me looking like 😳😳😳. I can genuinely say I have NEVER read a smut scene like that before. 🤣🤣 I am HERE for a really wild time!
For a novella, the story flowed beautifully and still had so much depth. Lai and Ghost showed really vulnerable sides of themselves that I honestly wasn’t expecting. Lai, an ex-assassin, is struggling with the way his body is betraying him, especially after finding ONE SINGLE SILVER HAIR and suddenly he’s spiraling about getting older 😂. Meanwhile, Ghost is dealing with his own trauma and the abandonment he experienced from his previous owner. They both find this unexpected solace in each other, and they both absolutely deserve it.
Also, the ARTWORK inside the book?! AMAZING!! I love when authors add artwork to their books, especially when you’re reading on an e-reader. It just makes it an even better experience.
I knew it was going to be wild because it was LI so duh but it was also so much more emotional than it had any right to be tbh.
There was so much growth between Lai and Ghost. Way more than one would expect for a sentient object romance! I loved that they both faced issues with aging, albeit in different ways, and that Ghost got some closure on his abandonment issues. I loved what a bossy dom Ghost was. He didn’t put up with any ish from Al and brought Lai to heel reeeeaal quick hehe.
There were so many moments that had me cackling and/or kicking my feet but quoting them would definitely spoil it for others so I won’t! I will say that the club scene in Chapter 17. It was unhinged, chaotic and exactly what I’d expect from Athena and Marly!!
Athena and Marly somehow once again wrote the most beautiful car 🌽 you’ll ever read, with so much emotion and depth. It’s absolutely worth the 5 star rating!!
I had the immense pleasure of ARC reading “Challenge Me” and let me tell you…
Hot girls DO hit curbs 🙂↕️
I absolutely LOVED this novel. From beginning to end I was locked in. I absolutely suck at explaining things without leaving any spoilers but, here are my highlights!
Characters -Absolutely adore Lai and will be reading the other novels in order to get to know him better! -Ghost… listen. I love me a 1970’s Challenger. Happy for Lai but it should have been me, ngl
Pacing -It was perfect. 10/10 no notes. You really feel the trust building between them
Plot and subplot -I’ll say that the title is apt in many ways! The characters challenge one another in subtle ways that build up to the perfect climax and the most satisfying ending.
Spice -The use of tools? Bruh 😩🙌🏾🙌🏾🤭 had me giggling and kicking my feet real bad
Overall, highly recommend to those of y’all that ever looked at Dean and Baby and went “Hmm…”
Following on from Brake Me, we get the story of Lai: chaos incarnate, retired assassin, appearance-is-everything, and his Dodge Challenger, Ghost: powerful, wary, with more to him than a classically beautiful and instantly recognisable body type. Lai finds out that owning Ghost is more than he bargained for, Ghost finds out exactly who his new owner is, and it’s not long before they’re more alike than they realise.
Tension, obsession, revenge, and some hot scenes, this was a romp and a half. A classic Bliss combination of witty humour and heart-baring emotion, with stunning illustrations. Very easy to get engrossed, very hard to remember it’s just a sentient object romance novella 😅
A big thank you to Athena and Marly for the eARC and letting me be a silent part of your street team again 🧡
4.5⭐️ rounded down (no fault of the book, more to do with my state of being whilst reading it)
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 🚗 Sentient object (obviously, it's a car) 🗡️ Brat x brat tamer (being the car 😏) 🚗 Hurt him and die 🗡️ He put what tools where? 🚗 Revenge plot 🗡️ Al being the perfect attention whore
Of course I loved this. Gobbled it up and left no crumbs. It was a completely different dynamic than Al and Fox of course and I was SO here for it! I love to think about their respective partners in the background being totally okay with their husbands casually fucking their cars and then having them come home covered in oil and stuff 🤣 The only reason I'm giving this 4.5 stars is because I wanted more! 😍
Arc copy - This was such a fun spicy little read and an awesome follow on from brake me! Lai... Lai... Yes! And tools... Im never gonna be able to look and my car tools again... And Al on the club... Damnnnnn
Well worth a read if you are looking for a quick quirky book. The spice is spicing and the plot is great. The art is *chefs kiss*
(.... My only gripe is Ghost talking about Lai as 'you', 'you did this' 'you went there' felt like he was talk about the reader rather than Lai. 😬 )
This is such a fun read. I enjoyed Lai and Ghost and their unconventional relationship. These two were very much alike and their differences made them perfectly suited for one another. The plot was a good time and it was fun to see Al and Fox (Brake Me book 1) who are always up for a bit of chaos! I’m not sure if we’ll get more in the set of books but if we do, I’m reading it ASAP!
Another 5 start read!! I was so excited for Lia and Ghost after Brake me and they didn't disappoint. One of the things I love the both the books is the arts they have for the scene which makes it so much better. The books is perfect combination of smut and vulnerability. I love that it's multiple pov and we get so much Al and Fox too
I loved "Brake Me", so of course I HAD to run and sign up for an ARC of this book, and it did NOT disappoint! Lai was quite the character in book one, so to read his story with Ghost? What a book 🥵 Who knew a car fxc!ng was gonna be so hot? 10/10. No notes. Go read this book.
Lai & Ghost are perfect for one another. In the only way revenge seeking lovers can be. Thank you Athena for blessing my eyes with this sexy comforting read!