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Hawthorne Brothers #2
Happily Enemy After
Landing my dream job: Check.
Signing the lease on a luxury apartment: Double Check.
Finding out my new boss is the jerk that broke my heart in college,
And he’s my new neighbor: FML.
Asher Hawthorne is the epitome of a stuck-up suit,
He’s got a rich daddy with endless connections,
And a drop-dead smile that could have a saint week in the knees,
But not these knees, not after he took me to a party in college only to leave with someone else…typical.
I swear he’s set his sights on making my life a living hell,
Between the micro-managing and nitpicking,
And the endless stream of moaning women in and out of his apartment,
This grudge is about to turn into an all out war.
Rude and arrogant I can handle,
But when he starts to play nice,
My entire plan goes out the window.
Who the hell does he think he is making me fall for him all over again?
One stupid, thoughtless kiss and there go my traitor knees,
But as one kiss turns into so much more,
I realize that the line between love and hate,
Is blurred by the reminder of why I fell for him in the first place.
***Dive In and Explore this Full-Length Enemies-to-Lovers Romance.
***No Cheating. No Cliffhangers. And, of course, Includes an Unbeatable HEA.
***All Books In This Enticing Series Can Be Read As A Standalone.
Signing the lease on a luxury apartment: Double Check.
Finding out my new boss is the jerk that broke my heart in college,
And he’s my new neighbor: FML.
Asher Hawthorne is the epitome of a stuck-up suit,
He’s got a rich daddy with endless connections,
And a drop-dead smile that could have a saint week in the knees,
But not these knees, not after he took me to a party in college only to leave with someone else…typical.
I swear he’s set his sights on making my life a living hell,
Between the micro-managing and nitpicking,
And the endless stream of moaning women in and out of his apartment,
This grudge is about to turn into an all out war.
Rude and arrogant I can handle,
But when he starts to play nice,
My entire plan goes out the window.
Who the hell does he think he is making me fall for him all over again?
One stupid, thoughtless kiss and there go my traitor knees,
But as one kiss turns into so much more,
I realize that the line between love and hate,
Is blurred by the reminder of why I fell for him in the first place.
***Dive In and Explore this Full-Length Enemies-to-Lovers Romance.
***No Cheating. No Cliffhangers. And, of course, Includes an Unbeatable HEA.
***All Books In This Enticing Series Can Be Read As A Standalone.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 25, 2020
831 people are currently reading
233 people want to read
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Ashlee Price
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
September 26, 2020
He wants to get with her again but has sex with ow, according to him he tried too hard with her (he didn’t!) then just says he’s going to give up! Pathetic heroine still pines for this jerk who took her on a date years back and left with another woman! His wimpy behaviour and and her pathetic desperation for him was embarrassing to read! Both of them were losers so they deserved their so called “happily ever after”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2020
Happily Enemy After is an awful romance. Asher Hawthorne is a despicable hero--and not in a good way that is jackhole hot. I will admit I gave up towards the end of the book because I lost all respect for Violet, and just couldn't keep going.
This book's premise is Asher is a womanizer who meets Violet, who is memorable because she has rare blue eyes and black hair, apparently one in a million, in college, and when she doesn't put out, he leaves her at a party for someone who will. A true prince. When they cross paths years later, animosity is rekindled. Violet decides to make him pay for making her feel like trash. So with a lot of manipulations, she gets a job at Hawthorne Holdings and tells him she's going for his job--which makes no sense. He has his position because he's a Hawthorne. Derp.
Now Asher spends most of the book trying to get in her pants and calling her a tease when he can't. He tries to convince her she wants him and forcing himself on her. He doesn't take 'no' for an answer and punishes her at work when she fights off his advances or changes her mind in-the-moment, throwing cold water on things. Asher criticizes and humiliates her, and steals her ideas at work. And when he decides to be a 'good guy,' he offers her gifts and expects rewards. He's the worst.
I expected so much more from this book after reading Billionaire's Baby Contract. That book was so hot, steamy, and sexy. There were pages of erotic-woah-oh-my in that book that doesn't exist in this book. But more than that, Ethan and Stella were as relatable and likable as Violet and Asher are easy to squick and cringe from character-wise.
I don't recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
This book's premise is Asher is a womanizer who meets Violet, who is memorable because she has rare blue eyes and black hair, apparently one in a million, in college, and when she doesn't put out, he leaves her at a party for someone who will. A true prince. When they cross paths years later, animosity is rekindled. Violet decides to make him pay for making her feel like trash. So with a lot of manipulations, she gets a job at Hawthorne Holdings and tells him she's going for his job--which makes no sense. He has his position because he's a Hawthorne. Derp.
Now Asher spends most of the book trying to get in her pants and calling her a tease when he can't. He tries to convince her she wants him and forcing himself on her. He doesn't take 'no' for an answer and punishes her at work when she fights off his advances or changes her mind in-the-moment, throwing cold water on things. Asher criticizes and humiliates her, and steals her ideas at work. And when he decides to be a 'good guy,' he offers her gifts and expects rewards. He's the worst.
I expected so much more from this book after reading Billionaire's Baby Contract. That book was so hot, steamy, and sexy. There were pages of erotic-woah-oh-my in that book that doesn't exist in this book. But more than that, Ethan and Stella were as relatable and likable as Violet and Asher are easy to squick and cringe from character-wise.
I don't recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
January 12, 2021
No
This book is exactly why I always have the urge to “one and done” after reading a really crappy book. I read one by this author that just had some dumb plot points and a hero that doesn’t really redeem himself, but for some dumb reason I like to give a second chance. Almost every author I like has a couple of books that just weren’t for me, so I try to give another try. Boy I wish I hadn’t. This one was even worse. The hero is an unrepentant manwhore, a different woman in bed every night type. They knew each other in college, and 5 years later they run j to each other through work. He is hitting on her pursuing her like crazy, she is resisting because he doesn’t even remember her. Around 59 pages in she reminds him why she hates him. What to hear the reason? It’s a good one. He invited her to a friends party. They went and were making out in a gazebo and she pulls away (they were only in college and she didn’t feel comfortable in public) he was hoping they’d go farther. He says he’s going get them a drink. He disappears and she starts to think something is wrong. She finally spots him as he is loading another woman into his car. In case you try to think it was just a miscommunication or wonder if it was an emergency? It wasn’t he left her alone at his friends party, without so much as a text goodbye to go screw a sure thing. His excuse is that her pulling away gave him blue balls and she is a tease, so when the other woman hit in him he thought, why not. She tells him and he doesn’t give her a reason or anything, he just basically tells her to get over it, it was a whopping 5 years ago. Like that’s a lifetime? So then you’d think he’d not be a douche right? Try to make things better? But no, it... gets... worse! So he continues to pursue her. She ends up renting an apartment in his building. Neither of them realize that she’s his new neighbor at first. He find out. And just for shock value... I don’t like other woman drama but in this case I really asked myself wtf? I do it understand why the author thought with their history it could work at all in THIS book, but here goes. He has still been pursuing her and still wants her, but almost halfway through the book he starts to pick up random skanks to bring to his apartment when he knows that she is the heroine is home (again she’s right next door) and starts screwing the women (multiple times, for hours) as loud as he can, even asking the women to be louder and louder. He does this until he knows she can hear. So finally after a week or two off this, one day the heroine hears a thump and comes over to check him because she thinks somethings wrong. Why does this Jacka$$ do? He rubs it in and makes fun of her, telling her what amazing sex he just had grinning and he whole time. It isn’t even only one woman at a time (while pursuing her) because later when someone is talking about group sex he has an inner monologue about the threesome he had last week and wondering if that counts as group sex. Who knows how many women he has screwed just recently. He is so eyerollingly douchey, it actually makes my skin crawl. I just wanted him to catch an STD and die. She thinks several times about how he just blew off what happened in college and how she wishes she knew why he did it. He never does tell her anything, or even grovel! It just becomes a plot hole that disappeared never to be heard from again. For all of his issues you’d think he’d at least come of as angsty and sexy? But no, he doesn’t, because there is nothing to his personality, but him sleeping with women. He’s not smart or interesting. His entire inner monologue is just about women, sleeping with them, trying to sleep with them etc. that’s his entire personality. I don’t even know that I can even call this clown a beta. He’s honestly more like an omega hero. I don’t think this author is capable of writing a decent hero. I love dark sexy books, that have some plot twists and can even wrap my head around some seriously imperfect heroes. But this isn’t that. This is told more like a romcom, and everything hard is glossed over. He offers nothing for a reader. Of course the idiot weak heroine falls for his tricks a few days after his being such a tool to her in front of that other woman. He continues to be a tool and doesn’t want to give up his playboy ways. He fights every single thing until the last minute and yet there is no groveling to speak of, like the doormat she is she just keeps forgiving him. It’s like this author just wants people to hate her book. There is no real story, nothing positive to him, nothing at all to root for. Everyone knows that the type of guy to behave that badly is going to be the first one to go out and cheat as soon as life gets hard. When the behavior is that despicable neither love or a wedding band is going to stop their behavior. They will just get better at hiding it when it’s more convenient. I can’t even believe that this
This book is exactly why I always have the urge to “one and done” after reading a really crappy book. I read one by this author that just had some dumb plot points and a hero that doesn’t really redeem himself, but for some dumb reason I like to give a second chance. Almost every author I like has a couple of books that just weren’t for me, so I try to give another try. Boy I wish I hadn’t. This one was even worse. The hero is an unrepentant manwhore, a different woman in bed every night type. They knew each other in college, and 5 years later they run j to each other through work. He is hitting on her pursuing her like crazy, she is resisting because he doesn’t even remember her. Around 59 pages in she reminds him why she hates him. What to hear the reason? It’s a good one. He invited her to a friends party. They went and were making out in a gazebo and she pulls away (they were only in college and she didn’t feel comfortable in public) he was hoping they’d go farther. He says he’s going get them a drink. He disappears and she starts to think something is wrong. She finally spots him as he is loading another woman into his car. In case you try to think it was just a miscommunication or wonder if it was an emergency? It wasn’t he left her alone at his friends party, without so much as a text goodbye to go screw a sure thing. His excuse is that her pulling away gave him blue balls and she is a tease, so when the other woman hit in him he thought, why not. She tells him and he doesn’t give her a reason or anything, he just basically tells her to get over it, it was a whopping 5 years ago. Like that’s a lifetime? So then you’d think he’d not be a douche right? Try to make things better? But no, it... gets... worse! So he continues to pursue her. She ends up renting an apartment in his building. Neither of them realize that she’s his new neighbor at first. He find out. And just for shock value... I don’t like other woman drama but in this case I really asked myself wtf? I do it understand why the author thought with their history it could work at all in THIS book, but here goes. He has still been pursuing her and still wants her, but almost halfway through the book he starts to pick up random skanks to bring to his apartment when he knows that she is the heroine is home (again she’s right next door) and starts screwing the women (multiple times, for hours) as loud as he can, even asking the women to be louder and louder. He does this until he knows she can hear. So finally after a week or two off this, one day the heroine hears a thump and comes over to check him because she thinks somethings wrong. Why does this Jacka$$ do? He rubs it in and makes fun of her, telling her what amazing sex he just had grinning and he whole time. It isn’t even only one woman at a time (while pursuing her) because later when someone is talking about group sex he has an inner monologue about the threesome he had last week and wondering if that counts as group sex. Who knows how many women he has screwed just recently. He is so eyerollingly douchey, it actually makes my skin crawl. I just wanted him to catch an STD and die. She thinks several times about how he just blew off what happened in college and how she wishes she knew why he did it. He never does tell her anything, or even grovel! It just becomes a plot hole that disappeared never to be heard from again. For all of his issues you’d think he’d at least come of as angsty and sexy? But no, he doesn’t, because there is nothing to his personality, but him sleeping with women. He’s not smart or interesting. His entire inner monologue is just about women, sleeping with them, trying to sleep with them etc. that’s his entire personality. I don’t even know that I can even call this clown a beta. He’s honestly more like an omega hero. I don’t think this author is capable of writing a decent hero. I love dark sexy books, that have some plot twists and can even wrap my head around some seriously imperfect heroes. But this isn’t that. This is told more like a romcom, and everything hard is glossed over. He offers nothing for a reader. Of course the idiot weak heroine falls for his tricks a few days after his being such a tool to her in front of that other woman. He continues to be a tool and doesn’t want to give up his playboy ways. He fights every single thing until the last minute and yet there is no groveling to speak of, like the doormat she is she just keeps forgiving him. It’s like this author just wants people to hate her book. There is no real story, nothing positive to him, nothing at all to root for. Everyone knows that the type of guy to behave that badly is going to be the first one to go out and cheat as soon as life gets hard. When the behavior is that despicable neither love or a wedding band is going to stop their behavior. They will just get better at hiding it when it’s more convenient. I can’t even believe that this
October 1, 2020
One of the silliest books I’ve read in a very long time. I hated both of the main characters, they where childish, immature and petty. Complete waste of my two hours. Only good thing about this book was that it was free.
October 17, 2023
Jefe y empleada + enemigos= una historia muy entretenida con dos personajes que son imposibles dejar de leer.
December 29, 2020
This whole story was bullshit and filled with really unhealthy messages about relationships. I know that potentially unhealthy messages are pretty common in romance novels, but this book was unique and particularly offensive to me. This review is going to contain spoilers.
For the record, I'm not easily put off by the prickish antics of the heroes in enemies to lovers romances. Hell, I can get down with dubcon, even noncon type business on occasion. The reason why this book bothered me is that it appeared to support the hero's shitty beliefs and behavior as valid. In fact, the overall narrative in the story places the blame for the couple's conflicts on the heroine for her very normal, justified, and healthy responses and attempts to take care of herself, physically and emotionally.
SPOILERS
Over and over throughout the book, it seems to be a belief on the part of the hero that a kiss automatically creates an expectation of sex, and that stopping a kiss before sex happens is some kind of cruel injustice. Any time the heroine kisses him without fucking him, he feels wronged. Not just rejected, but wronged, and he retaliates in kind.
The first example of this is when the H did his original fucked up thing to the h in grad school. She didn't want to immediately fuck him in the gazebo in the backyard of a party on their first date (mind you, she didn't even reject him, she just wanted to slow down a fucking second), so he leaves her standing out in the cold to wait for his return, while he goes back to the party and picks up another woman to go home with. The h spots them just as they're taking off, leaving her to find her own way home. It really traumatizes her, even for years afterward.* While the H does give the most lackluster apology possible five years later, he keeps coming back this idea of the h being a "cocktease" and "giving him blueballs."
Now, up to this point this would be just one guy's shitty perspective, but where this gets hairy is that the h slowly gets this newfound clarity that she was wrong to have stopped them from fucking in the gazebo in the first place, because if she had they might have been able to be together all this time. OR MAYBE THE H COULD HAVE TREATED YOU WITH BASIC HUMAN DECENCY FROM THE BEGINNING, RATHER THAN A POTENTIAL CUM RECEPTACLE! Unfortunately this way of thinking never comes up in the story, and the blame stays on the h for not having sex before she was ready.
Another major example comes when the H decides he wants to make amends, and in the same conversation kisses the h. She starts kissing him back, but then stops and tries to push him off her. He forces them in place and keeps kissing her in the assumption that she'll give in soon. She panics, slaps him in the face and kicks him in the nuts.
At this point, I'm thinking fuck yes! You were scared, you defended yourself, good for you. But I guess I'm the only one. The H, rather than feel some kind of shame or remorse for his own actions, is furious with the h, and sees this as further evidence of her "cocktease" tendencies. Even worse, the h feels TERRIBLE. She's wracked with guilt all night long, worried about his poor balls and feelings, debating whether of not to go and check on him, the whole nine. She does hold that the slap was fair, and it was just the ball kick that she regrets, but still! She had a very healthy fear response to someone trying to force himself on her and ignoring her attempts to stop, and she defended herself and disabled her attacker! But no, she shows up the next day with fucking pancakes TO APOLOGIZE FOR HER BEHAVIOR. Even after her apology, he keeps bringing it up to her as a way she's wronged him to make her feel bad, and it works. No one ever points out that he might actually have been in the wrong.
Then, in my final example of what the fuck, and I should mention that this is not at all a comprehensive list, is their final argument over their relationship status. The h feels scared because she's developed feelings for H, but she doesn't know where they stand. The H won't acknowledge that they're in a relationship, but says rather that they're having lots of exclusive sex and hanging out. He refuses to give her a straight answer on whether of not this is going somewhere or if he's serious about her. Understandably, the h is unnerved by his hesitation, because she has feelings for him and she's afraid that she's just setting herself up to get her heart broken. She's scared that all he wants from her is sex. Her attempts to get a straight answer out of him fail, and she leaves upset.
The H's thoughts:
" ...I even said just a while ago that I missed her. Hasn’t she been listening? Isn’t it enough? Why won’t she believe me? What more does she want from me? Does she want me to propose to her? Is that it? I shake my head. Women. Why can’t they ever be satisfied? Why do they always have something to complain about? Why can’t they be reasonable? "
In their next conversation, she makes it clear that her impression is that he only wants sex from her. As a way of explaining his feelings, he brings up the fact that he didn't just throw her away after they fucked like he does with other women (cute), and she responds,
“I don’t know what it means,” she says. “Tell me what it means, Asher. That’s all I’m asking.”
“No. That’s not all you’re asking. You want me to give you a ring.”
“I never said that.”
“You want me to say I’m in love with you and I can’t live without you. Isn’t that right?”
She doesn't respond, likely because she's in love with him and be delighted to hear that he's in love her back, and this is seen as evidence that he's right. But he's not right! Sure, she would love to know that her feelings are reciprocated, but that's not what she's asking. She's just asking for the truth of who they are to each other.
He goes on, saying the h wouldn't even trust him to make a love proclamation. she responds that faith is earned, and boom! The H flips the whole thing around, and decides that this conversation is actually the h saying that she doesn't want anything to do with him. His response? " Then I guess I have no choice but to respect it ." Of course, the one time he decides to respect her feelings about something is the time when he made up what her feelings were in the first place.
The h gets advice on the situation and is told that while she was in the right, "doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily make you happy. In fact, it rarely does.” the advisor (Stella, former book's h) suggests that h should go back to H, give him another chance, and "teach him how to love." It's with this wisdom that the h comes to the revelation:
" What if she’s right? What if I asked too much of Asher like he said? What if I was too impatient? What if I didn’t really give him a chance ?"
That shit pisses me off. Don't get me wrong, compromise can be good, and sometimes things like pride and being in the right are barriers to a successful resolution in relationships. But the h was feeling scared and anxious, and she needed to know how he felt one way or another for her own emotional well being. It is fucked that she was made to regret that. Taking care of his feelings, or of the relationship, should not come at the expense of her own feelings. That's super messed up.
The hero's own revelation contains nothing of the sort. Over the few days of their separation, the hero comes to discover that he misses her. That's pretty much it. He's advised to tell the h his feelings, so then he does. In the middle of his outpour to the h, she interrupts, saying:
“ I was expecting too much of you. I know that now. So I’m not going to anymore. I’m not going to rush you and I’m not going to force you to feel things. I’m just going to be here. ”
And she's rewarded for her new wisdom with his declaration of love. FUCK THAT. She should never have been made to feel bad about any of this shit.
Lastly I have an unrelated, but equally disturbing gripe. There's a line where the h says she tried to sleep in her spare bedroom, but she got bitten by bedbugs, AND THEN IT'S NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. Are you kidding me?? Your new apartment has bedbugs and you're not going to address it at all?? Call a landlord, hire an exterminator, do something!! Especially because sleeping in there for the night means you probably brought them into the rest of the apartment, and possibly to your workplace. Either way they're going to migrate over to where a food source is eventually. They're likely already infesting other apartments, traveling through the walls. Bedbugs are not the stuff of offhand remarks. They take over your life.
I gave it two stars because I did enjoy parts of it, and there were some pretty good sex scenes. I just don't like that this book perpetuates some pretty insidious ideas about relationships.
*She even started wearing color contacts after that night, hoping to avoid attracting any more male attention for her looks. For five years!!
For the record, I'm not easily put off by the prickish antics of the heroes in enemies to lovers romances. Hell, I can get down with dubcon, even noncon type business on occasion. The reason why this book bothered me is that it appeared to support the hero's shitty beliefs and behavior as valid. In fact, the overall narrative in the story places the blame for the couple's conflicts on the heroine for her very normal, justified, and healthy responses and attempts to take care of herself, physically and emotionally.
SPOILERS
Over and over throughout the book, it seems to be a belief on the part of the hero that a kiss automatically creates an expectation of sex, and that stopping a kiss before sex happens is some kind of cruel injustice. Any time the heroine kisses him without fucking him, he feels wronged. Not just rejected, but wronged, and he retaliates in kind.
The first example of this is when the H did his original fucked up thing to the h in grad school. She didn't want to immediately fuck him in the gazebo in the backyard of a party on their first date (mind you, she didn't even reject him, she just wanted to slow down a fucking second), so he leaves her standing out in the cold to wait for his return, while he goes back to the party and picks up another woman to go home with. The h spots them just as they're taking off, leaving her to find her own way home. It really traumatizes her, even for years afterward.* While the H does give the most lackluster apology possible five years later, he keeps coming back this idea of the h being a "cocktease" and "giving him blueballs."
Now, up to this point this would be just one guy's shitty perspective, but where this gets hairy is that the h slowly gets this newfound clarity that she was wrong to have stopped them from fucking in the gazebo in the first place, because if she had they might have been able to be together all this time. OR MAYBE THE H COULD HAVE TREATED YOU WITH BASIC HUMAN DECENCY FROM THE BEGINNING, RATHER THAN A POTENTIAL CUM RECEPTACLE! Unfortunately this way of thinking never comes up in the story, and the blame stays on the h for not having sex before she was ready.
Another major example comes when the H decides he wants to make amends, and in the same conversation kisses the h. She starts kissing him back, but then stops and tries to push him off her. He forces them in place and keeps kissing her in the assumption that she'll give in soon. She panics, slaps him in the face and kicks him in the nuts.
At this point, I'm thinking fuck yes! You were scared, you defended yourself, good for you. But I guess I'm the only one. The H, rather than feel some kind of shame or remorse for his own actions, is furious with the h, and sees this as further evidence of her "cocktease" tendencies. Even worse, the h feels TERRIBLE. She's wracked with guilt all night long, worried about his poor balls and feelings, debating whether of not to go and check on him, the whole nine. She does hold that the slap was fair, and it was just the ball kick that she regrets, but still! She had a very healthy fear response to someone trying to force himself on her and ignoring her attempts to stop, and she defended herself and disabled her attacker! But no, she shows up the next day with fucking pancakes TO APOLOGIZE FOR HER BEHAVIOR. Even after her apology, he keeps bringing it up to her as a way she's wronged him to make her feel bad, and it works. No one ever points out that he might actually have been in the wrong.
Then, in my final example of what the fuck, and I should mention that this is not at all a comprehensive list, is their final argument over their relationship status. The h feels scared because she's developed feelings for H, but she doesn't know where they stand. The H won't acknowledge that they're in a relationship, but says rather that they're having lots of exclusive sex and hanging out. He refuses to give her a straight answer on whether of not this is going somewhere or if he's serious about her. Understandably, the h is unnerved by his hesitation, because she has feelings for him and she's afraid that she's just setting herself up to get her heart broken. She's scared that all he wants from her is sex. Her attempts to get a straight answer out of him fail, and she leaves upset.
The H's thoughts:
" ...I even said just a while ago that I missed her. Hasn’t she been listening? Isn’t it enough? Why won’t she believe me? What more does she want from me? Does she want me to propose to her? Is that it? I shake my head. Women. Why can’t they ever be satisfied? Why do they always have something to complain about? Why can’t they be reasonable? "
In their next conversation, she makes it clear that her impression is that he only wants sex from her. As a way of explaining his feelings, he brings up the fact that he didn't just throw her away after they fucked like he does with other women (cute), and she responds,
“I don’t know what it means,” she says. “Tell me what it means, Asher. That’s all I’m asking.”
“No. That’s not all you’re asking. You want me to give you a ring.”
“I never said that.”
“You want me to say I’m in love with you and I can’t live without you. Isn’t that right?”
She doesn't respond, likely because she's in love with him and be delighted to hear that he's in love her back, and this is seen as evidence that he's right. But he's not right! Sure, she would love to know that her feelings are reciprocated, but that's not what she's asking. She's just asking for the truth of who they are to each other.
He goes on, saying the h wouldn't even trust him to make a love proclamation. she responds that faith is earned, and boom! The H flips the whole thing around, and decides that this conversation is actually the h saying that she doesn't want anything to do with him. His response? " Then I guess I have no choice but to respect it ." Of course, the one time he decides to respect her feelings about something is the time when he made up what her feelings were in the first place.
The h gets advice on the situation and is told that while she was in the right, "doing the right thing doesn’t necessarily make you happy. In fact, it rarely does.” the advisor (Stella, former book's h) suggests that h should go back to H, give him another chance, and "teach him how to love." It's with this wisdom that the h comes to the revelation:
" What if she’s right? What if I asked too much of Asher like he said? What if I was too impatient? What if I didn’t really give him a chance ?"
That shit pisses me off. Don't get me wrong, compromise can be good, and sometimes things like pride and being in the right are barriers to a successful resolution in relationships. But the h was feeling scared and anxious, and she needed to know how he felt one way or another for her own emotional well being. It is fucked that she was made to regret that. Taking care of his feelings, or of the relationship, should not come at the expense of her own feelings. That's super messed up.
The hero's own revelation contains nothing of the sort. Over the few days of their separation, the hero comes to discover that he misses her. That's pretty much it. He's advised to tell the h his feelings, so then he does. In the middle of his outpour to the h, she interrupts, saying:
“ I was expecting too much of you. I know that now. So I’m not going to anymore. I’m not going to rush you and I’m not going to force you to feel things. I’m just going to be here. ”
And she's rewarded for her new wisdom with his declaration of love. FUCK THAT. She should never have been made to feel bad about any of this shit.
Lastly I have an unrelated, but equally disturbing gripe. There's a line where the h says she tried to sleep in her spare bedroom, but she got bitten by bedbugs, AND THEN IT'S NEVER MENTIONED AGAIN. Are you kidding me?? Your new apartment has bedbugs and you're not going to address it at all?? Call a landlord, hire an exterminator, do something!! Especially because sleeping in there for the night means you probably brought them into the rest of the apartment, and possibly to your workplace. Either way they're going to migrate over to where a food source is eventually. They're likely already infesting other apartments, traveling through the walls. Bedbugs are not the stuff of offhand remarks. They take over your life.
I gave it two stars because I did enjoy parts of it, and there were some pretty good sex scenes. I just don't like that this book perpetuates some pretty insidious ideas about relationships.
*She even started wearing color contacts after that night, hoping to avoid attracting any more male attention for her looks. For five years!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2020
Nope not for me...Disappointing book
Happily Enemy After is the second book in the Hawthorne Brothers series. It is the story of Asher and Violet. I really wanted to like this story but there were just a few too many things wrong for me to. First off Asher is a big azz who is really a character that I would kick from here to doomsday and still want to kick him in the family jewels. Actually this man should never, ever, and I do mean ever breed. Violet was supposed to be a smart woman but she was just crazy if she ever thought she was going to be able to accomplish what she wanted to as it was his family's company. Then add in the fact that she puts up with all his crazy cr@p and then falls for him. Like WTH woman, you need your own head examined.
Sorry but I just could not get into this "romance" as there were just too many things that grated on my nerves. In the end I skimmed a lot of the story.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own and I know that other readers may like this book. So all the more power to you if you are one of those readers.
Happily Enemy After is the second book in the Hawthorne Brothers series. It is the story of Asher and Violet. I really wanted to like this story but there were just a few too many things wrong for me to. First off Asher is a big azz who is really a character that I would kick from here to doomsday and still want to kick him in the family jewels. Actually this man should never, ever, and I do mean ever breed. Violet was supposed to be a smart woman but she was just crazy if she ever thought she was going to be able to accomplish what she wanted to as it was his family's company. Then add in the fact that she puts up with all his crazy cr@p and then falls for him. Like WTH woman, you need your own head examined.
Sorry but I just could not get into this "romance" as there were just too many things that grated on my nerves. In the end I skimmed a lot of the story.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own and I know that other readers may like this book. So all the more power to you if you are one of those readers.
October 22, 2020
Not great
I was really disappointed in this book. The characters were awful and the author made light of things that were by no means ok! It left me not caring if either character changed or got better....the things the guy does is beyond sexual harassment btw!! I'm not even a feminist and I will never be ok with a man acting like this!! Honestly, I'm not a fan of this author's writing style at all and will not be reading anymore of her stuff. There is just way better things to read without wasting your time on this.
I was really disappointed in this book. The characters were awful and the author made light of things that were by no means ok! It left me not caring if either character changed or got better....the things the guy does is beyond sexual harassment btw!! I'm not even a feminist and I will never be ok with a man acting like this!! Honestly, I'm not a fan of this author's writing style at all and will not be reading anymore of her stuff. There is just way better things to read without wasting your time on this.
October 23, 2022
Podría parecerme cute pero es que las partes que no lo son me tienen cansada. NO es culpa de la autora, claro, pero hay clichés que ya me cuesta leer, y probablemente si hubiera sido el tercero te digo bueeeeno, está bien, pero es el mil y ya no está tan bien. El alcohol, los celos, el creer que tu puedes controlar lo que quiero o lo que no...
September 24, 2020
Asher Hawthorne, is the epitome of, "say whatever I must to get in her pants." His family is rich and he is basically a horrible, lying, egotistical man whore. Violet wanted nothing to do with him in college. But, Asher is not a quitter. He persisted mercilessly and Violet caves. She agrees to attend a party with him of well to do upper crest celebrities, writers, etc. Asher told her it would be fantastic for her future career if he could introduce her to these people. She met some influential people and then Asher invited her to get some air. He walked her out
to a gazebo and after chatting he started kissing her. He is extremely talented with his mouth and hands. But when his hands start roaming into forbidden places, Violet says, "No." and tries to push him off. He was very persistent, but eventually let go and stepped back. His demeanor immediately changed. He expressed to Violet he'd run in and get them food and drinks. When Asher didn't return in 20 minutes, Violet started to worry. But then she told herself he probably got caught up with someone and would be back in a minute. But then 45 minutes later and Violet is very cold and questioning herself and his disappearance. But, she'd give him the benefit of doubt. Violet decided to find him and she started asking guests if they'd seen him. When she finally found him, he was in an empty corridor with a woman and they were looking more than friendly. But before Violet could walk up to him she saw the valet bring up Asher's car and stood frozen to the spot as Asher assisted the woman into his car and left with her. He'd evidently found a woman that wouldn't say, "No." He'd left her there, humiliated, devastated, cold and in tears. She got an uber to take her home. She swore at that time she would never let herself be treated like that ever again. She hated Asher. Fast forward a few years and Asher is in an executive position in his father's company. He as well as his brothers. So when his older brother Ethan/CEO informed him he'd hired an extremely, highly recommended Controller and Asher would be her boss. He planned to greet her When she arrived. But when he meets Violet, she looks familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where or how he'd seen her. You see, what attracted Asher to Violet in college was not just the fact that she was a living, breathing female he wanted to have sex with. No, it was her beautiful blue eyes with that contrasting black hair. So, what happens when he finds out who she is? Will these two be able to work together? How does Violet think about him after the years had past? Was she still angry? Was it water under the bridge? Had Violet decided to shut that door of her life and use this opportunity to grow her career? This book is sooo good. Ashlee Price didn't know how to write a book that is simply phenomenal. Don't believe for one minute this is over. Such an incredible book, I hope you grab and read it soon. Remember if you want to read a book you can't put down, you have to pick it up first.
to a gazebo and after chatting he started kissing her. He is extremely talented with his mouth and hands. But when his hands start roaming into forbidden places, Violet says, "No." and tries to push him off. He was very persistent, but eventually let go and stepped back. His demeanor immediately changed. He expressed to Violet he'd run in and get them food and drinks. When Asher didn't return in 20 minutes, Violet started to worry. But then she told herself he probably got caught up with someone and would be back in a minute. But then 45 minutes later and Violet is very cold and questioning herself and his disappearance. But, she'd give him the benefit of doubt. Violet decided to find him and she started asking guests if they'd seen him. When she finally found him, he was in an empty corridor with a woman and they were looking more than friendly. But before Violet could walk up to him she saw the valet bring up Asher's car and stood frozen to the spot as Asher assisted the woman into his car and left with her. He'd evidently found a woman that wouldn't say, "No." He'd left her there, humiliated, devastated, cold and in tears. She got an uber to take her home. She swore at that time she would never let herself be treated like that ever again. She hated Asher. Fast forward a few years and Asher is in an executive position in his father's company. He as well as his brothers. So when his older brother Ethan/CEO informed him he'd hired an extremely, highly recommended Controller and Asher would be her boss. He planned to greet her When she arrived. But when he meets Violet, she looks familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where or how he'd seen her. You see, what attracted Asher to Violet in college was not just the fact that she was a living, breathing female he wanted to have sex with. No, it was her beautiful blue eyes with that contrasting black hair. So, what happens when he finds out who she is? Will these two be able to work together? How does Violet think about him after the years had past? Was she still angry? Was it water under the bridge? Had Violet decided to shut that door of her life and use this opportunity to grow her career? This book is sooo good. Ashlee Price didn't know how to write a book that is simply phenomenal. Don't believe for one minute this is over. Such an incredible book, I hope you grab and read it soon. Remember if you want to read a book you can't put down, you have to pick it up first.
January 21, 2021
2.5 Stars
I will say this... it was better than the first book. But it fell into the classic crime of conflict: lack of communication. It's just not very creative. On top of that, these two have the emotional intelligence of a teenager. Asher and Violet meet BRIEFLY (and yes I emphasize that because it was BRIEF) in college, shared an awkward date that makes no sense, Asher was a DICK because he didn't get to fuck her at a party, and then she basically pines after him and hates him at the same time. Years later he doesn't remember her name, nor recognizes her but somehow remembers in extreme detail her from college. What? Also annoying: Violet. She is so wildly insecure and after having a few nights with Asher is already pressuring him with the 'where do you see this going' talk. Honestly, you could not be more cliche.
Spoiler: wtf was with that rape accusation thing?! how does that play into him being reluctant to love? If anything wouldn't that make him more reluctant to have sex in the first place? Oh and also they both confess some of their most secret and damaging parts of their past so freely in college and then he goes home with another girl? Is he a psychopath?
Just felt very lazy. That said, it was better than the first book. And every time Ethan or Stella were in a scene I was rolling my eyes. Most boring couple ever.
And yes I am reading the next book because the premise sounds interesting and yes I know I said that about this book too. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment. Or maybe there is something just that addicting about these books.
❤️ : 2/5
🔥 : 3.5/5
I will say this... it was better than the first book. But it fell into the classic crime of conflict: lack of communication. It's just not very creative. On top of that, these two have the emotional intelligence of a teenager. Asher and Violet meet BRIEFLY (and yes I emphasize that because it was BRIEF) in college, shared an awkward date that makes no sense, Asher was a DICK because he didn't get to fuck her at a party, and then she basically pines after him and hates him at the same time. Years later he doesn't remember her name, nor recognizes her but somehow remembers in extreme detail her from college. What? Also annoying: Violet. She is so wildly insecure and after having a few nights with Asher is already pressuring him with the 'where do you see this going' talk. Honestly, you could not be more cliche.
Spoiler: wtf was with that rape accusation thing?! how does that play into him being reluctant to love? If anything wouldn't that make him more reluctant to have sex in the first place? Oh and also they both confess some of their most secret and damaging parts of their past so freely in college and then he goes home with another girl? Is he a psychopath?
Just felt very lazy. That said, it was better than the first book. And every time Ethan or Stella were in a scene I was rolling my eyes. Most boring couple ever.
And yes I am reading the next book because the premise sounds interesting and yes I know I said that about this book too. What can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment. Or maybe there is something just that addicting about these books.
❤️ : 2/5
🔥 : 3.5/5
September 25, 2020
A second chance for him and an ever after for her! This is about Asher and Violet. They met while in grad school and he caught her saying some awful things about him. Days later he approaches her and asks her to a party where she can network herself. She agrees but doesn’t classify it as a date, the problem is that he kisses her and she kisses him back while in his mind he is thinking they will go all the way, but to his surprise as he has never been rejected, she says NO. He ends up leaving her at this party to go with someone more willing and that is the end of it for them. Five years later, they meet again, when he and his brother are dealing to purchase a company in Switzerland. The problem is that he doesn’t recognize her as she is wearing colored contacts but is pulled to her like he was years ago. Once he realizes who she is it dawns on him that he has never forgotten her, but he was hurt while young and that is why he is the playboy that he has become.
The story starts off with the five years that have passed, and she is landing in Chicago for her new job with the company that acquired where she last worked at in Switzerland. Again, Asher wants to get her into his bed. The scenes between these two are crazy, as their love/hate relationship has them both acting crazy. Well as always Ashlee does not disappoint, and the ending is what is expected. Now who is Ryker leaving the bar with – could this be his best friend’s little sister?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story starts off with the five years that have passed, and she is landing in Chicago for her new job with the company that acquired where she last worked at in Switzerland. Again, Asher wants to get her into his bed. The scenes between these two are crazy, as their love/hate relationship has them both acting crazy. Well as always Ashlee does not disappoint, and the ending is what is expected. Now who is Ryker leaving the bar with – could this be his best friend’s little sister?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 12, 2020
A Hero you will definitely Hate before you Love!
This was a great hate to lovers story. It keeps you turning the pages from the very beginning of the book, and there is definitely some animosity between Violet and Asher, stemming from something that happened when they were in college.
Violet has never forgotten Asher and the the way he treated her in college. So needless to say tempers run high between them after she's recruited to start working for his Dad's company that he's now the CFO of. Problem is, Asher doesn't recognize Violet from their college days, and he can't figure out why Violet has such an attitude toward him, and doesn't want anything to do with him. He always gets what he wants... including women.
But the fun begins as soon as Violet removes her contacts so Asher can see her deep blue eye color that was hiding under those brown contact lenses! And though he apologizes for what happened between them when they were in college, that pain is still with Violet, and it's not that easy for her to just forgive and forget after the way he made her feel. And so begins the war between them. If Violet wants to have an attitude toward him, he'll just make her work life a living hell until she quits.
You'll definitely hate Asher at first, he does some pretty despicable things to Violet at work. And although Violet is very headstrong, even she has a hard time dealing with it all. Eventually things start to calm down, and they do get their HEA, but it doesn't come fast or easy. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series!
This was a great hate to lovers story. It keeps you turning the pages from the very beginning of the book, and there is definitely some animosity between Violet and Asher, stemming from something that happened when they were in college.
Violet has never forgotten Asher and the the way he treated her in college. So needless to say tempers run high between them after she's recruited to start working for his Dad's company that he's now the CFO of. Problem is, Asher doesn't recognize Violet from their college days, and he can't figure out why Violet has such an attitude toward him, and doesn't want anything to do with him. He always gets what he wants... including women.
But the fun begins as soon as Violet removes her contacts so Asher can see her deep blue eye color that was hiding under those brown contact lenses! And though he apologizes for what happened between them when they were in college, that pain is still with Violet, and it's not that easy for her to just forgive and forget after the way he made her feel. And so begins the war between them. If Violet wants to have an attitude toward him, he'll just make her work life a living hell until she quits.
You'll definitely hate Asher at first, he does some pretty despicable things to Violet at work. And although Violet is very headstrong, even she has a hard time dealing with it all. Eventually things start to calm down, and they do get their HEA, but it doesn't come fast or easy. I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series!
September 25, 2020
This is Book 2 of the Hawthorne Brothers
This is the story of Asher & Violet. Asher is in college, and so is Violet. She is getting her MBA, but so is he. He asks her to a party to meet the elite of the business world. She doesn't like Asher, but she concedes to go with him to meet the business elite. His father is rich and from the business world, too. She sees him leave the party with another girl. Now, we jump to five years later. They meet again. He thinks she looks familiar as a girl he dated once, but he doesn't remember that girl's name. They will be working together as of the next day. He is highly attracted to her. Violet has her guard up with him because he left her at the party five years ago. She has her fun on her first day of work. She takes out her contacts and he realizes it's the girl from five years ago. I've never seen a character that does so much over-thinking. Asher over-thinks things, too, because of his first girlfriend, but not as bad as Violet. This is such a back and forth romance, it's almost too much, but of course, it's not. It keeps you going, that's for sure. It's definitely an enemy to love romance. It's full of steam, anger, emotion, revenge and love. It's definitely a good read. Looking forward to the Book 3.
This is the story of Asher & Violet. Asher is in college, and so is Violet. She is getting her MBA, but so is he. He asks her to a party to meet the elite of the business world. She doesn't like Asher, but she concedes to go with him to meet the business elite. His father is rich and from the business world, too. She sees him leave the party with another girl. Now, we jump to five years later. They meet again. He thinks she looks familiar as a girl he dated once, but he doesn't remember that girl's name. They will be working together as of the next day. He is highly attracted to her. Violet has her guard up with him because he left her at the party five years ago. She has her fun on her first day of work. She takes out her contacts and he realizes it's the girl from five years ago. I've never seen a character that does so much over-thinking. Asher over-thinks things, too, because of his first girlfriend, but not as bad as Violet. This is such a back and forth romance, it's almost too much, but of course, it's not. It keeps you going, that's for sure. It's definitely an enemy to love romance. It's full of steam, anger, emotion, revenge and love. It's definitely a good read. Looking forward to the Book 3.
September 22, 2020
4.5 stars
Anguish? Check.
Painful? Check
Romance? Check
Sex? Way too much
Cheating? Depends on how you see it... Asher and Violet aren’t ‘together’ together but he is thrown out his intentions to Violet and just meaningless sex or move out of her dream apartment and find somewhere else to work, but for this section with the other women he wanted her out of their apartment building. Violet wasn’t budging so He brought home women every night and sexed them rough to get them screaming so loud so Violet would hear them and be missable so she would leave. But once them started their no string sex, he stayed true to her.
Violet and Asher are both stubborn and so alike it’s always a battle of wills with them. But he did leave her behind in college at a party where she did stop him from going any further and he ditched her for an easy swimmer he was at the party. 5 years later she still hasn’t really forgave him and at first he didn’t even realize the girl he ditched is the same one he picking up at the airport to start at his brothers company. Over 60% is their challenging each other of their stubbornness.
Anguish? Check.
Painful? Check
Romance? Check
Sex? Way too much
Cheating? Depends on how you see it... Asher and Violet aren’t ‘together’ together but he is thrown out his intentions to Violet and just meaningless sex or move out of her dream apartment and find somewhere else to work, but for this section with the other women he wanted her out of their apartment building. Violet wasn’t budging so He brought home women every night and sexed them rough to get them screaming so loud so Violet would hear them and be missable so she would leave. But once them started their no string sex, he stayed true to her.
Violet and Asher are both stubborn and so alike it’s always a battle of wills with them. But he did leave her behind in college at a party where she did stop him from going any further and he ditched her for an easy swimmer he was at the party. 5 years later she still hasn’t really forgave him and at first he didn’t even realize the girl he ditched is the same one he picking up at the airport to start at his brothers company. Over 60% is their challenging each other of their stubbornness.
September 25, 2020
Asher and Violet have a history... too bad he doesn't remember. After he ditched her at a party (leaving with another woman) in college, she writes him off and wants nothing to do with him ever again. Unfortunately for her, that decision is taken away when the company where she works is purchased by the company where Asher is the CFO. She remembers him, but he has no recollection of them ever having met. He can't udnerstand why she is so cold to him. Their "relationship" is quite the roller coaster ride as the truth is revealed and they battle the attraction they had from so many years ago. Will she be able to forgive the decision of college-age guy and have a chance at a future with him? Can he acknowledge why he's made the choices he's made and really be sorry for what he's done? Plenty of drama mixed with some sexy times in this story... there were definitely times when I didn't think they'd have any chance at HEA...Will be interesting to see what comes next for the Hawthorne Brothers.
October 19, 2020
Asher Hawthorne is your typical playboy. He is interested in Violet when they are both in college however when she doesn't given in to him like other girls he leaves her waiting for him to come back for her at a party. However after waiting whats seems like a long time she goes looking only to watch him leave the party with someone else. Now years later they meet again through work when she comes to work for Asher and his brothers' company. Violet makes it plain to him that she plans to work for his job. When she refuses to accept his apology Asher decides to make it hard for her at work. Things heat up between them when he learns that Violet is his new neighbor. Will they be able to see that don't really hate each other? Can they be together after everything they've been through together?
This is a great story that will captivate you from beginning to end. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a great story that will captivate you from beginning to end. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 25, 2020
This book brings us Asher Hawthorne and Violet, who is hired after their trip to Zurich in the previous book. Violet and Asher have a past - and not a good one. Asher left her feeling used and betrayed. However, when they meet again, Asher doesn't recognize her. When he finally does, and she tells him how he made her feel, he feels bad, but doesn't say the right words to ease her pain. Asher tries many different tactics to either get her to forgive him or quit. These are two people who have put up walls as they have been hurt in the past. The more they try to ignore each other the harder it gets, until Violet decides to give into her feelings. Asher goes through women like candy, but not with Violet, yet he refuses to believe there is a connection between both of them. This is such a great read - in fact, I re-read it after first reading it. It is one of my top 10 for 2020. I HIGHLY recommend it. I did receive an arc for an honest review.
September 26, 2020
Asher invited Violet to a party, intending that he will get lucky with her as he has with every other female he has ever met. When she said no, he left her out in the cold outdoors while he went inside and found another more willing female. She returned to the party just in time to see him lead the woman to his car and drive away, leaving her to figure it out and provide her own way home.
Five years later, Violet takes a job at Hawthorne Holdings and Asher is her boss. He also turns out to be her neighbor as well. So the games continue. By this time, I dislike Asher so much that I don’t want to see him win Violet over (or wear her down). Does he get the girl this time around? Grab your copy and follow his “adventures” as he may one day wise up and realize what is really important in life. The book was well written. I just didn’t like the characters’ motives most of the time.
Five years later, Violet takes a job at Hawthorne Holdings and Asher is her boss. He also turns out to be her neighbor as well. So the games continue. By this time, I dislike Asher so much that I don’t want to see him win Violet over (or wear her down). Does he get the girl this time around? Grab your copy and follow his “adventures” as he may one day wise up and realize what is really important in life. The book was well written. I just didn’t like the characters’ motives most of the time.
October 1, 2020
Hotter Than Hot!
Is it just me or is this the hottest novel my eyes have ever read?!!!! This is how I felt when I started reading this novel. I started reading at night & Violet says it perfectly, "I can't sleep. I can't focus."
Here's a story which captures your attention & if you're thinking, "I'll read one more chapter" & expect to be able to put it down, you're fooling yourself! I couldn't put this book down & I had to finish it. This is a phenomenal book! Amazingly hotter than hot! The banter & fighting Violet & Asher go through kept me guessing & wanting to keep reading so I could find out another surprise happened!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Is it just me or is this the hottest novel my eyes have ever read?!!!! This is how I felt when I started reading this novel. I started reading at night & Violet says it perfectly, "I can't sleep. I can't focus."
Here's a story which captures your attention & if you're thinking, "I'll read one more chapter" & expect to be able to put it down, you're fooling yourself! I couldn't put this book down & I had to finish it. This is a phenomenal book! Amazingly hotter than hot! The banter & fighting Violet & Asher go through kept me guessing & wanting to keep reading so I could find out another surprise happened!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 23, 2021
Yeah, I just can’t really like it. I mean, it was okay, had a decent intro and story line but the way she went at it...so we all love to hate the hero who has screwed up in the past. Who was too young or too jaded or had something happen to him. And yes, we do find out what happened to Asher in the past. While it sucks (it’s completely atrocious actually) and I totally understand and accept why he became a manwh*#e, it doesn’t excuse the current for me. When they were “fighting” in the beginning, one-upping each other, the attraction and want was there. But what he did with all those other women that week, up against their shared wall in the apartments...yeah that pushed it too far for me. I finished it but still, I couldn’t get into it. It lacked self-respect to me. Just my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2022
We were introduced to Asher in book 1 of this series. Initially, I thought he would be funny and likeable but honestly I came close to not finishing this book but I pushed through it because I want to read the whole series. Violet has reason to not like Asher but her behavior is ridiculous since he's her boss. It makes it hard to believe she's an executive level employee. Asher too with his "gift" sexual harrassment, wouldn't fly in the real world. Overall, both main characters especially Violet are very immature and unlikeable which was very disappointing as I had high hopes for this book and was looking forward to Asher's story. Still worth reading if you want to read all the brothers stories but so far my least favorite.
September 22, 2020
For me this book was just OK. This is an author I usually enjoy but this book was just not for me. I liked the steam and I enjoyed the tension. However, there was a I felt Asher's behavior was truly reprehensible and for me personally his actions were a huge turnoff. I felt this guy would have been a better lead character in a bully or dark romance not an enemies-to-lovers, romantic suspense. I do not want to give spoilers but I feel like there was a technicality in play here and that this is simply one of those books that will either work for you or not and for me it didn't. This is my candid, volitional review.
September 21, 2020
What an emotional rollercoaster! There were so many moments that I wanted to throw my tablet because these 2 took enemies to lovers to a whole new level. Asher and Violet met back in college but it did not go well. He is horrible at remembering names so when they meet again, he does not realize it's her. The animosity she has for him causes some major tension and frustrating reading. Lol. Their story is highly entertaining with their I-hate-you-but-still-want-you encounters, the snarkiness, humor, and a great HEA.
September 21, 2020
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book.
This is the second book in the Hawthorne Brothers series, it can be read as a standalone story.
This is well-written story with a fast-paced storyline, Violet and Asher went on one extremely disastrous date in college and Violet vows to never let herself feel like that again, now they meet again and wow, the tension between is heavy and their emotions are all over the show. An entertaining enemy to lovers romance, the characters are well developed and definitely have minds of their own.
This is the second book in the Hawthorne Brothers series, it can be read as a standalone story.
This is well-written story with a fast-paced storyline, Violet and Asher went on one extremely disastrous date in college and Violet vows to never let herself feel like that again, now they meet again and wow, the tension between is heavy and their emotions are all over the show. An entertaining enemy to lovers romance, the characters are well developed and definitely have minds of their own.
November 18, 2020
Terrible Hero and Overthinking Heroine
For me, an avid romance reader for decades, I have to at least like the hero and fall for him along with the heroine for the story to feel satisfying. That is so off from my experience with this book. The hero is absolutely reprehensible throughout the entire book. Not only did he treat the heroine poorly in the past—which can sometimes work in a book if the author handles it right—but he treats her terribly throughout the entire book. He is constantly trying to “get it on” with her as if his only motivations in life stem from his gonads, she keeps pushing back against that (though sometimes succumbing a little before backing off), and he punishes her at work as his family owns the business they both work at. Does the company have no sexual harassment training and guidelines? He's an emotional abuser, sexually aggressive, and has no concept of how to treat a woman. The heroine seems to overthink everything and comes across as weak, and I just could not see how she could have any interest in him by the end of the book. The author made the hero unredeemable... never a good plan! I ended up just disgusted by this hero and the story; I do not recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
For me, an avid romance reader for decades, I have to at least like the hero and fall for him along with the heroine for the story to feel satisfying. That is so off from my experience with this book. The hero is absolutely reprehensible throughout the entire book. Not only did he treat the heroine poorly in the past—which can sometimes work in a book if the author handles it right—but he treats her terribly throughout the entire book. He is constantly trying to “get it on” with her as if his only motivations in life stem from his gonads, she keeps pushing back against that (though sometimes succumbing a little before backing off), and he punishes her at work as his family owns the business they both work at. Does the company have no sexual harassment training and guidelines? He's an emotional abuser, sexually aggressive, and has no concept of how to treat a woman. The heroine seems to overthink everything and comes across as weak, and I just could not see how she could have any interest in him by the end of the book. The author made the hero unredeemable... never a good plan! I ended up just disgusted by this hero and the story; I do not recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
September 24, 2020
This was my first book by Ashlee and I like it. This was a great story with everything in it.
Asher and Violet met in college but their encounter wasn’t that positive. Five years later they meet again, he’s her boss and her neighbor. It sure makes their banter exciting and their “ I hate you but I love too“ vibes complete.
Can’t wait to read Ryker’s story!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Asher and Violet met in college but their encounter wasn’t that positive. Five years later they meet again, he’s her boss and her neighbor. It sure makes their banter exciting and their “ I hate you but I love too“ vibes complete.
Can’t wait to read Ryker’s story!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 26, 2020
The author has given us characters we can connect with. Violet agrees to go to a party with Asher but it ends with him leaving with another woman and her being stranded. Five years later she is hired by his company and he does not recognize her. She hates him/he hates her and yet they want each other. What will it take for them to realize that they belong together?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 26, 2020
I really like this Hawthorne Brothers series as they have been so entertaining so far. We finally find out why Violet doesn’t fall for Asher right away and totally understand her reason. However, they do compliment each other so well, and their banter makes me laugh. Their chemistry is ultra white hot and steamy. This book was very enjoyable and I can’t wait until the next book is out!
I received a free advanced review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a fair and honest review.
I received a free advanced review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a fair and honest review.
September 28, 2020
Violet and Asher didn’t have a great start to the unconventional relationship. They were competitive, passionate, quick to jump to the wrong conclusion but they proved they loved hard. Even their proposal wasn’t very traditional...at all. Seems like these two have plenty of fun and fiery adventures ahead. Lord bless any kids that are in their future!!! Great read!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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