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Give in to Me
Whitney Ainsworth has had a very tough year. First up was the very public divorce from an A-list actress, and then the third book in her popular suspense series bombed. She’s got a chronic case of writer’s block and feels like a fraud getting paid to give speeches about achieving success. After a particularly disastrous event, Whitney’s manager suggests a romantic distraction might be in order.
Gabriela Talbot never expected to hear back when she requested an interview with her favorite author—certainly not after the scathing review she’d given Whitney’s latest book. She’s thrilled when the opportunity arises.
What happens next isn’t what either expected, and although passions flare, Whitney is furious when she learns she’s slept with the enemy. Their already rocky road to friendship—or something more—is complicated by a pair of Hollywood handlers who don’t particularly care what’s best for either of them. Will they find their way to love or will insecurities and outsiders prove too much to overcome?
Gabriela Talbot never expected to hear back when she requested an interview with her favorite author—certainly not after the scathing review she’d given Whitney’s latest book. She’s thrilled when the opportunity arises.
What happens next isn’t what either expected, and although passions flare, Whitney is furious when she learns she’s slept with the enemy. Their already rocky road to friendship—or something more—is complicated by a pair of Hollywood handlers who don’t particularly care what’s best for either of them. Will they find their way to love or will insecurities and outsiders prove too much to overcome?
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2021
18 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Elle Spencer
11 books511 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
April 28, 2021
Content warnings: suicide jokes, rape joke, incest jokes, graphic sex, gun, past infidelity
I am conflicted about Give In to Me. On one hand, I cannot deny that it was entertaining and I appreciate that one of the main characters is a book blogger; on the other though, some conflict resolutions fell short for me and I also couldn’t overlook many of the inappropriate jokes throughout, namely, a handful of suicide jokes, one rape joke, and two incest jokes.
Novelist Whitney Ainsworth (late-30s, lesbian) hasn’t had sex way too long since her divorce with her famous ex-wife, Reece, so when the chance arises, she spontaneously has a one-night stand with a stranger who turns out to be the book blogger, Gabriela “Brie” Talbot (30), that wrote a cruel review of her newest book, book three of the Piper Kane series. As they navigate their awkward dynamic post-sex, Whitney and Gabriela also have to deal with the drama that comes with the new Piper Kane movie, starring Reece.
The official blurb is slightly misleading. I went into the book thinking the whole story would center around Whitney and Gabriela getting past their differences and author-blogger conflict, but it was resolved fairly early. Instead, it is more about living under the scrutiny of the public eye due to the filming of the Piper Kane movie.
Give In to Me felt a bit like two novellas where the first part is about the main characters making up and the second about Hollywood drama. I thought having their relationship built upon a one-night stand would be fun to read about, since it is one of the few situations where I don’t mind instalust. But when lust becomes the solution to most problems, it left me confused and unsatisfied. I also couldn’t quite understand that if Whitney is Gabriela’s favorite author, why would she write such a mean review? Maybe it wasn’t mean. Then why would Whitney be so angry about it?
Yet I am glad to see them get together because it was fun to watch them getting sucked into the bigger drama involving Reece, the ex-wife who cheated on Whitney. If you told me I’d end up liking Reece when I started the book, I wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, I just might like Reece a bit more than I like the mains, but the best character award goes to Brie’s mother.
Now about the jokes. Spencer writes some of the funniest dialogues and there were indeed a lot of hilarious moments in Give In to Me. A lot of them were sex jokes, which were fun. But a lot of the others were suicide jokes and one semi–rape joke. Those left a sour taste in my mouth.
Also, being someone who unconsciously keeps careful track of time and locations of objects and people while reading, there were several scenes that made me unsure how we are suddenly there. And the filming of the Piper Kane movie seems to be way less than three months. Try one. The crew is incredibly efficient.
I enjoyed Spencer’s The Holiday Treatment (my review) and loved her Waiting for You (my review), but I guess I am not the target audience for Give In to Me.
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I am conflicted about Give In to Me. On one hand, I cannot deny that it was entertaining and I appreciate that one of the main characters is a book blogger; on the other though, some conflict resolutions fell short for me and I also couldn’t overlook many of the inappropriate jokes throughout, namely, a handful of suicide jokes, one rape joke, and two incest jokes.
Novelist Whitney Ainsworth (late-30s, lesbian) hasn’t had sex way too long since her divorce with her famous ex-wife, Reece, so when the chance arises, she spontaneously has a one-night stand with a stranger who turns out to be the book blogger, Gabriela “Brie” Talbot (30), that wrote a cruel review of her newest book, book three of the Piper Kane series. As they navigate their awkward dynamic post-sex, Whitney and Gabriela also have to deal with the drama that comes with the new Piper Kane movie, starring Reece.
The official blurb is slightly misleading. I went into the book thinking the whole story would center around Whitney and Gabriela getting past their differences and author-blogger conflict, but it was resolved fairly early. Instead, it is more about living under the scrutiny of the public eye due to the filming of the Piper Kane movie.
Give In to Me felt a bit like two novellas where the first part is about the main characters making up and the second about Hollywood drama. I thought having their relationship built upon a one-night stand would be fun to read about, since it is one of the few situations where I don’t mind instalust. But when lust becomes the solution to most problems, it left me confused and unsatisfied. I also couldn’t quite understand that if Whitney is Gabriela’s favorite author, why would she write such a mean review? Maybe it wasn’t mean. Then why would Whitney be so angry about it?
Yet I am glad to see them get together because it was fun to watch them getting sucked into the bigger drama involving Reece, the ex-wife who cheated on Whitney. If you told me I’d end up liking Reece when I started the book, I wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, I just might like Reece a bit more than I like the mains, but the best character award goes to Brie’s mother.
Now about the jokes. Spencer writes some of the funniest dialogues and there were indeed a lot of hilarious moments in Give In to Me. A lot of them were sex jokes, which were fun. But a lot of the others were suicide jokes and one semi–rape joke. Those left a sour taste in my mouth.
Also, being someone who unconsciously keeps careful track of time and locations of objects and people while reading, there were several scenes that made me unsure how we are suddenly there. And the filming of the Piper Kane movie seems to be way less than three months. Try one. The crew is incredibly efficient.
I enjoyed Spencer’s The Holiday Treatment (my review) and loved her Waiting for You (my review), but I guess I am not the target audience for Give In to Me.
I received a digital review copy from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
June 12, 2021
3 Stars
So, I’m a little conflicted about “Give in to Me” by Elle Spencer. Spencer is usually an automatic buy for me. I love her writing and always enjoy whatever she puts out whether its angsty or rom-com.
“Give in to Me” is a funny romance with some high drama mixed in. Whitney Ainsworth is a popular writer who has gone through a very public divorce with her actress wife, Reece. She meets Gabriela Talbot (Brie) one night out and they have a passionate encounter. Afterwards, Whitney learns Brie is the author of a negative review that went viral and helped with the bombing of her latest book.
While I loved the beginning as it starts like previous Spencer books, this one ended up taking a bit of a turn. What started out fun with witty dialogue and funny encounters turned into a bit of a cluster. I felt like Spencer might’ve been trying to do too much and nothing really felt too deep. All of the emotions and chemistry felt surface level and it was a letdown especially because I know Spencer can do the more emotional connections.
The first third or so really centered around Whitney and Brie and the start of their relationship. My issue with their relationship is that it felt more like Brie was more starstruck than anything else. I think she was monologuing about being in love after their second encounter and I found no reason for it. The two have hot sex but they don’t talk and get to know one another in any capacity outside the bedroom. To me, their relationship really never goes much further either. Anytime the two are together the end up getting interrupted by either Reece, or Brie’s family or Whitney’s agent. And all think it’s just fine to just show up whenever and as often as they please.
As they begin to date, Whitney’s books are being made into a movie that of course stars her ex-wife. But in this portion of the book, everything gets muddied. There’s drama between Whitney and Reece, drama with Brie’s family and drama with the movie being made. On top of that, Whitney is about to start her next book and to do that, she needs complete isolation in her cabin in the mountains which brings on even more drama. All of this is happening at the same time while the two mains are trying to get to know one another and it was just too much.
Even though there really was just too much going on and a lot of drama happening, there were parts I enjoyed a great deal. Spencer writes a fun book even if it doesn’t hit the romance marks I prefer. I would recommend this if you want a beach read or something light and fun with crazy, over the top drama.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
So, I’m a little conflicted about “Give in to Me” by Elle Spencer. Spencer is usually an automatic buy for me. I love her writing and always enjoy whatever she puts out whether its angsty or rom-com.
“Give in to Me” is a funny romance with some high drama mixed in. Whitney Ainsworth is a popular writer who has gone through a very public divorce with her actress wife, Reece. She meets Gabriela Talbot (Brie) one night out and they have a passionate encounter. Afterwards, Whitney learns Brie is the author of a negative review that went viral and helped with the bombing of her latest book.
While I loved the beginning as it starts like previous Spencer books, this one ended up taking a bit of a turn. What started out fun with witty dialogue and funny encounters turned into a bit of a cluster. I felt like Spencer might’ve been trying to do too much and nothing really felt too deep. All of the emotions and chemistry felt surface level and it was a letdown especially because I know Spencer can do the more emotional connections.
The first third or so really centered around Whitney and Brie and the start of their relationship. My issue with their relationship is that it felt more like Brie was more starstruck than anything else. I think she was monologuing about being in love after their second encounter and I found no reason for it. The two have hot sex but they don’t talk and get to know one another in any capacity outside the bedroom. To me, their relationship really never goes much further either. Anytime the two are together the end up getting interrupted by either Reece, or Brie’s family or Whitney’s agent. And all think it’s just fine to just show up whenever and as often as they please.
As they begin to date, Whitney’s books are being made into a movie that of course stars her ex-wife. But in this portion of the book, everything gets muddied. There’s drama between Whitney and Reece, drama with Brie’s family and drama with the movie being made. On top of that, Whitney is about to start her next book and to do that, she needs complete isolation in her cabin in the mountains which brings on even more drama. All of this is happening at the same time while the two mains are trying to get to know one another and it was just too much.
Even though there really was just too much going on and a lot of drama happening, there were parts I enjoyed a great deal. Spencer writes a fun book even if it doesn’t hit the romance marks I prefer. I would recommend this if you want a beach read or something light and fun with crazy, over the top drama.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2021
4 stars, I liked this book. It was a very casual read and I do recommend it.
Whitney is an author who’s going through a divorce from the famous Reece. One night at a bar she meets Brie. When a small misunderstanding leads to them having sex both of their lives are about to change- more so Brie’s than Whitney’s.
My only complaint is there was a big part in the middle of this book where Whitney and Brie didn’t have any build. The chemistry between them stops and the plot solely focuses on Brie, which makes sense and does add to the story but I do think some more scenes between them could’ve made the story even better as there is a lack of buildup. They sleep together, have a small misunderstanding and then suddenly they like each other after two more meetings. Then soon after Brie suddenly decides she loves her which to me felt very lack luster.
The later part of the book where conflict does arrive between the two did somewhat help but not fully.
Again I still do recommend as the book was very easy to read and had a nice flow.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review.
Whitney is an author who’s going through a divorce from the famous Reece. One night at a bar she meets Brie. When a small misunderstanding leads to them having sex both of their lives are about to change- more so Brie’s than Whitney’s.
My only complaint is there was a big part in the middle of this book where Whitney and Brie didn’t have any build. The chemistry between them stops and the plot solely focuses on Brie, which makes sense and does add to the story but I do think some more scenes between them could’ve made the story even better as there is a lack of buildup. They sleep together, have a small misunderstanding and then suddenly they like each other after two more meetings. Then soon after Brie suddenly decides she loves her which to me felt very lack luster.
The later part of the book where conflict does arrive between the two did somewhat help but not fully.
Again I still do recommend as the book was very easy to read and had a nice flow.
Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for an honest review.
May 8, 2021
A namesake character who is also a book reviewer and blogger? Well, I couldn’t say no to this novel even if Elle Spencer wasn’t one of my go-to authors. Gabriela has a book blog and wears Joe Malone perfume, but that’s where the similarities with this humble reviewer stop, and I’m glad for it or it would have been a creepy story instead.
Whitney Ainsworth is a renowned author who has gone through a high-profile divorce from her actress ex-wife. To make things worse, her latest book bombed after a particularly harsh review went viral and now she’s suffering from writer’s block. After a case of mistaken identity, Whit gets involved with the attractive and captivating Gabriela Talbot to later discover that she’s her nemesis. Going any further with Gabriela is out of the question for Whit, if only she could forget her…
This was another entertaining book by Elle Spencer with an original premise of a romance between a book blogger and an author. Of course, this plot has the great potential to be an enemies to lovers story though the author obviously exaggerated the amount of power that a single reviewer can have over the success or failure of a book. However, Ms. Spencer makes the enemies to lovers trope work well in the context of this story.
I have said it before in my review of Casting Lacey and I’m going to repeat myself here. In my opinion, Ms. Spencer thrives when writing humourous parts. Having watched this author interacting with her peers in a Bold Strokes Books panel recently, I get why. Ms. Spencer is funny and charismatic and she should consider a career as a stand-up comedian. It’s no wonder that this book is full of hilarious one-liners, witty comments and full-on banter. Some parts made me laugh out loud.
Having said that, I admit that the relationship drama parts didn’t engage me as much. I warn you that I’m not a fan of drama so take my criticism with a pinch of salt. I found that this story had a lot of twists and turns that kept the drama going but not my interest in it. At least not as much as the funny parts did. The secondary characters were more engaging in those funny moments while in the middle of the drama they were sometimes downright unlikeable.
The main characters are good in the chemistry department, their meet cute was very promising though the sex scenes could have done with a bit more spice. But again, this is my personal taste and I’m sure that Ms. Spencer’s fans are gonna be happy with her new book. If you like your romance served with a lot of drama and some funny moments, then this is for you. 4 stars.
Whitney Ainsworth is a renowned author who has gone through a high-profile divorce from her actress ex-wife. To make things worse, her latest book bombed after a particularly harsh review went viral and now she’s suffering from writer’s block. After a case of mistaken identity, Whit gets involved with the attractive and captivating Gabriela Talbot to later discover that she’s her nemesis. Going any further with Gabriela is out of the question for Whit, if only she could forget her…
This was another entertaining book by Elle Spencer with an original premise of a romance between a book blogger and an author. Of course, this plot has the great potential to be an enemies to lovers story though the author obviously exaggerated the amount of power that a single reviewer can have over the success or failure of a book. However, Ms. Spencer makes the enemies to lovers trope work well in the context of this story.
I have said it before in my review of Casting Lacey and I’m going to repeat myself here. In my opinion, Ms. Spencer thrives when writing humourous parts. Having watched this author interacting with her peers in a Bold Strokes Books panel recently, I get why. Ms. Spencer is funny and charismatic and she should consider a career as a stand-up comedian. It’s no wonder that this book is full of hilarious one-liners, witty comments and full-on banter. Some parts made me laugh out loud.
Having said that, I admit that the relationship drama parts didn’t engage me as much. I warn you that I’m not a fan of drama so take my criticism with a pinch of salt. I found that this story had a lot of twists and turns that kept the drama going but not my interest in it. At least not as much as the funny parts did. The secondary characters were more engaging in those funny moments while in the middle of the drama they were sometimes downright unlikeable.
The main characters are good in the chemistry department, their meet cute was very promising though the sex scenes could have done with a bit more spice. But again, this is my personal taste and I’m sure that Ms. Spencer’s fans are gonna be happy with her new book. If you like your romance served with a lot of drama and some funny moments, then this is for you. 4 stars.
May 17, 2021
ARC received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was somewhat of a mixed bag. The main characters are interesting, there’s Whitney, a popular author who has just spilt from her Hollywood superstar wife and now has writer’s block, and Brie, who has a book review blog and gave a bad review to Whit’s last book. They meet at a conference where Whit is speaking and hook up through a ridiculous contrivance. Whit doesn’t know who Brie is til later, and this then blows up. Brie then takes to essentially stalking Whit and they eventually spend time together as ‘friends’ and then sexy time friends.
Whit’s ex wife Reece also features heavily as she’s the lead actress in a movie being made of Whit’s books and though I assumed she’d be a git, she’s actually one of the best characters. Other characters include Brie’s family, complete with a way overly protective mother, ok dad and awesome brother. Whit also has an agent/BFF who honestly was just really hard to take (Brie’s mother wasn’t far behind). The main relationship evolves over time, but a lot of the scenarios were too over the top, including the major dramatic section towards the end and the eventual reunion.
Most of the dialogue is fun, but there were quite a few ‘jokes’ that missed the mark and just made me cringe. I did like that Reece wasn’t the usual awful ex, she was good to both Whit and Brie, and I liked the friendship between her and Brie so much that I did actually wonder if a poly relationship might occur and I wouldn’t have minded. To be honest I actually liked her better than Whit and would have preferred her and Brie together.
The end gets tied into a big HEA bow to round everything out, but overall I found the book too uneven to really sink into it. 3 stars.
This was somewhat of a mixed bag. The main characters are interesting, there’s Whitney, a popular author who has just spilt from her Hollywood superstar wife and now has writer’s block, and Brie, who has a book review blog and gave a bad review to Whit’s last book. They meet at a conference where Whit is speaking and hook up through a ridiculous contrivance. Whit doesn’t know who Brie is til later, and this then blows up. Brie then takes to essentially stalking Whit and they eventually spend time together as ‘friends’ and then sexy time friends.
Whit’s ex wife Reece also features heavily as she’s the lead actress in a movie being made of Whit’s books and though I assumed she’d be a git, she’s actually one of the best characters. Other characters include Brie’s family, complete with a way overly protective mother, ok dad and awesome brother. Whit also has an agent/BFF who honestly was just really hard to take (Brie’s mother wasn’t far behind). The main relationship evolves over time, but a lot of the scenarios were too over the top, including the major dramatic section towards the end and the eventual reunion.
Most of the dialogue is fun, but there were quite a few ‘jokes’ that missed the mark and just made me cringe. I did like that Reece wasn’t the usual awful ex, she was good to both Whit and Brie, and I liked the friendship between her and Brie so much that I did actually wonder if a poly relationship might occur and I wouldn’t have minded. To be honest I actually liked her better than Whit and would have preferred her and Brie together.
The end gets tied into a big HEA bow to round everything out, but overall I found the book too uneven to really sink into it. 3 stars.
May 10, 2021
Elle Spencer has created another winner of a love story with Give In to Me. This is an enchanting tale with lots of romance, beautiful characters, and a touch of the author’s wicked sense of humor.
Whitney Ainsworth, a celebrated author, is almost ten years older than Gabriela (Brie) Talbot, the reviewer who is also a fan of Whitney’s. Whitney ends up having a one night stand with Brie, and finds out the next day that she was “sleeping with the enemy” since Brie had trashed Whitney’s latest novel in a review. Both the age-gap and enemies-to-lovers tropes work well together, and gives the author plenty of chances to add tension and angst to the tale, and Ms. Spencer takes full advantage of that.
The characters, both main and secondary, are multi-layered and realistic. The settings are deftly drawn and fit the tale and the people in it. The story is well-paced and keeps the reader entertained through the whole book. What I love most, though, is the banter in the dialogue between the characters…all of them. Some of Brie’s interactions with her brother and parents had me laughing out loud. The same happened with Whitney and her BFF Liz, and also with Whitney and Brie’s family. This really made the novel stand out for me.
Give In to Me is a great book to read if you like your love stories with a little tension, comedic banter, and a lot of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think you will as well.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
Whitney Ainsworth, a celebrated author, is almost ten years older than Gabriela (Brie) Talbot, the reviewer who is also a fan of Whitney’s. Whitney ends up having a one night stand with Brie, and finds out the next day that she was “sleeping with the enemy” since Brie had trashed Whitney’s latest novel in a review. Both the age-gap and enemies-to-lovers tropes work well together, and gives the author plenty of chances to add tension and angst to the tale, and Ms. Spencer takes full advantage of that.
The characters, both main and secondary, are multi-layered and realistic. The settings are deftly drawn and fit the tale and the people in it. The story is well-paced and keeps the reader entertained through the whole book. What I love most, though, is the banter in the dialogue between the characters…all of them. Some of Brie’s interactions with her brother and parents had me laughing out loud. The same happened with Whitney and her BFF Liz, and also with Whitney and Brie’s family. This really made the novel stand out for me.
Give In to Me is a great book to read if you like your love stories with a little tension, comedic banter, and a lot of romance. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think you will as well.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an honest review.
November 29, 2021
What a colossal mistake, lol!
I left it for far too long before leaving a review for this ARC so apologies to the author and publisher. I love the premise a lot, particularly about an author and a reviewer falling in love and ended up chuckling when I figured out it wasn't any reviewer but one that left a really bad reviewer on the author's book. What's more hilarious is how much of a colossal mistake Whitney and Gabriela's first encounter was. I loved the first half of the book. It was fun to watch them move past their initial encounter and the awkwardness of their relationship towards a budding friendship and romance. I like both characters. But the second part of the book felt like Spencer flipped a switch and it went towards a different direction. I didn't like it as much and I could feel my heart sinking.
But overall I'd still give this a decent rating because it's worth the read and it's pretty enjoyable.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I left it for far too long before leaving a review for this ARC so apologies to the author and publisher. I love the premise a lot, particularly about an author and a reviewer falling in love and ended up chuckling when I figured out it wasn't any reviewer but one that left a really bad reviewer on the author's book. What's more hilarious is how much of a colossal mistake Whitney and Gabriela's first encounter was. I loved the first half of the book. It was fun to watch them move past their initial encounter and the awkwardness of their relationship towards a budding friendship and romance. I like both characters. But the second part of the book felt like Spencer flipped a switch and it went towards a different direction. I didn't like it as much and I could feel my heart sinking.
But overall I'd still give this a decent rating because it's worth the read and it's pretty enjoyable.
I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 31, 2021
Whitney is the author of a popular suspense series. Unfortunately, the last book fell flat because it was likely impacted by the divorce she went through with a well known actress. Now she is doing public speaking engagements and hoping to get her mojo back. She gets unexpected room service when Gabriela, the beautiful woman she was ogling from the hotel bar, pays her a visit
I love reading Elle Spencer's books. They are so fun. The situations she puts her characters in are usually unrealistic yet super entertaining.
The mishap between Whitney and Gabriela was a great way to kickstart this book. Had me hooked and engaged right from the beginning. However, after this cataclysmic event happened, I felt like Whitney was too mean and Gabriela was too stalker-ish. They were both so extra in their own ways that they felt like characters instead of real people, if that makes any sense. It took me a bit to warm up to these two after that initial meeting because of these weird actions/reactions with each other.
Once Gabriela wears Whitney down, we get to experience a friendship where the line blurs for both of them.
I liked all the situations and characters. The drama mostly stems from the ex wife, but as I said, it is entertaining.
I completely did not get the major conflict toward the end of the book, though. Did not understand it at all. Not sure how you would treat someone you love in such a manner regardless of what the book tried to convey about Whitney's past. And then resolution came too quickly for me. Probably because I was pretty disgusted with the situation to the point of maybe not caring what happened.
Overall, this was a cute and drama filled story. Gabriela is worth reading it for.
I recommend this to people who like to read about romance, celebrities, bloggers, authors, enemies to lovers, casual sex, movie making, and overbearing mothers.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I love reading Elle Spencer's books. They are so fun. The situations she puts her characters in are usually unrealistic yet super entertaining.
The mishap between Whitney and Gabriela was a great way to kickstart this book. Had me hooked and engaged right from the beginning. However, after this cataclysmic event happened, I felt like Whitney was too mean and Gabriela was too stalker-ish. They were both so extra in their own ways that they felt like characters instead of real people, if that makes any sense. It took me a bit to warm up to these two after that initial meeting because of these weird actions/reactions with each other.
Once Gabriela wears Whitney down, we get to experience a friendship where the line blurs for both of them.
I liked all the situations and characters. The drama mostly stems from the ex wife, but as I said, it is entertaining.
I completely did not get the major conflict toward the end of the book, though. Did not understand it at all. Not sure how you would treat someone you love in such a manner regardless of what the book tried to convey about Whitney's past. And then resolution came too quickly for me. Probably because I was pretty disgusted with the situation to the point of maybe not caring what happened.
Overall, this was a cute and drama filled story. Gabriela is worth reading it for.
I recommend this to people who like to read about romance, celebrities, bloggers, authors, enemies to lovers, casual sex, movie making, and overbearing mothers.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2021
I like Elle Spencer’s writing, there is a casualness to it that is just nice. I moved this book up my ARC list because I saw some other reviewers that had remarks about inappropriate jokes, I had no issue with them. I was actually waiting for these jokes, I wanted to see if they were really that bad, but in all honesty they aren’t. Are they edgy and maybe walking that fine line between funny and inappropriate? Definitely. But so are 90% of my jokes so I am ok with it.
One night in a bar Brie is ogling her favourite author, Whitney, when Whit’s agent sends Brie up to her room she thinks she is getting an interview for her blog. She isn’t, she gets a night of sexiness. Only in the morning Whitney finds out Brie actually wrote the most horrible review of her latest book that just put some more nails in the coffin that her ex-wife left her in. (Figure of speech her, not literally of course). Brie is understandably kicked out of the room and resorts to minor stalking of Whit to apologise. This doesn’t go to plan, but they do end up in each other’s orbit.
This is a ones-night-stand-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-forever romance and it’s fun and light reading. Just the middle of the book is just so I’d say a bit plain, leaning towards boring. Nothing much happens, some jokes and banter, but relationship wise or even story wise it’s just a state of nothingness. I didn’t really mind as it is comfortable reading, and I was in the mood for something light, which is what I got.
I get that the jokes, the way these characters are with each other, from the mains to the secondary characters, won’t work for everyone. You need a slightly edgy/ dark sense of humour, as with most of Spencer’s writing I think. I am a reader who enjoys this, because as I said, it’s the type of humour I use as well. One remark, Brie’s brother is referred to her as metrosexual, multiple times, it’s all said as a joke in my opinion but that word feels so out of place and outdated or something. Come to think of it the metrosexual thing is repeated a couple times, so are some other things that didn’t need any repeating, it’s something that stands out, not super annoying, but could be better. And a good looking guy who takes care of himself is just that right, just as it would be with a woman, we don’t need to give them any other labels...
I enjoyed myself, it’s a fun light read, don’t go in expecting and amazing emotional story with loads of character developments. Just enjoyed it for what it is, a nice story with wicked jokes and fun characters.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
One night in a bar Brie is ogling her favourite author, Whitney, when Whit’s agent sends Brie up to her room she thinks she is getting an interview for her blog. She isn’t, she gets a night of sexiness. Only in the morning Whitney finds out Brie actually wrote the most horrible review of her latest book that just put some more nails in the coffin that her ex-wife left her in. (Figure of speech her, not literally of course). Brie is understandably kicked out of the room and resorts to minor stalking of Whit to apologise. This doesn’t go to plan, but they do end up in each other’s orbit.
This is a ones-night-stand-to-enemies-to-lovers-to-forever romance and it’s fun and light reading. Just the middle of the book is just so I’d say a bit plain, leaning towards boring. Nothing much happens, some jokes and banter, but relationship wise or even story wise it’s just a state of nothingness. I didn’t really mind as it is comfortable reading, and I was in the mood for something light, which is what I got.
I get that the jokes, the way these characters are with each other, from the mains to the secondary characters, won’t work for everyone. You need a slightly edgy/ dark sense of humour, as with most of Spencer’s writing I think. I am a reader who enjoys this, because as I said, it’s the type of humour I use as well. One remark, Brie’s brother is referred to her as metrosexual, multiple times, it’s all said as a joke in my opinion but that word feels so out of place and outdated or something. Come to think of it the metrosexual thing is repeated a couple times, so are some other things that didn’t need any repeating, it’s something that stands out, not super annoying, but could be better. And a good looking guy who takes care of himself is just that right, just as it would be with a woman, we don’t need to give them any other labels...
I enjoyed myself, it’s a fun light read, don’t go in expecting and amazing emotional story with loads of character developments. Just enjoyed it for what it is, a nice story with wicked jokes and fun characters.
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
May 9, 2021
Whitney Ainsworth is a celebrated author and creator of the Piper Kane book series. All goes upside down after her wife and actress, Reese Ainsworth, cheats on her and triggers a massive writer’s block. To make things worse, Gabriela (Brie) Talbot gave the last Piper Kane book a stern review on her blog that ended up going viral and making Whitney’s life even more miserable. Now, after the divorce is complete and Whitney is on a speaking tour, Brie ends up having an unplanned one night stand with her favorite author. Everything is perfect until Whit realizes who Brie is and kicks her out of her room. Can they find a way to each other after that?
I usually like Ms Spencer’s books. In fact, started jotting notes while reading and the first one was ‘I simply enjoy Ms Spencer’s wit.’ Unfortunately, that was the only thing I ended up writing. Even writing the above summary got wordy and couldn’t bother with it. Skimming is never a good thing. The initial meet was good but then it became a bit bizarre and honestly, dull. Reese shows up and the three of them become best of friends. All seems great until Whit decides to write another book and in order to do so, requires total solitude, leaving Brie behind. The grand love feature falls flat and managed to get me annoyed with both characters. The conflict was resolved quickly and it was barely a thing. And goodness, we know Spencer can write angst! I love it when she does!
The chemistry was there but not developed enough. Brie was sweet and funny and Whit had her moments but their intimacy got lost with their triangle with Reese and the endless list of people parading through the beach house. Whit’s agent and friend was abrasive I could have used with less of her. Reese was a surprise, and a totally enjoyable character. And I enjoyed the blogger author premise, although the resolution to that conflict happened early on.
I will definitely be reading Ms Spencer in the future as I connect with her wit, but this one was a miss for me. 2 stars
ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I usually like Ms Spencer’s books. In fact, started jotting notes while reading and the first one was ‘I simply enjoy Ms Spencer’s wit.’ Unfortunately, that was the only thing I ended up writing. Even writing the above summary got wordy and couldn’t bother with it. Skimming is never a good thing. The initial meet was good but then it became a bit bizarre and honestly, dull. Reese shows up and the three of them become best of friends. All seems great until Whit decides to write another book and in order to do so, requires total solitude, leaving Brie behind. The grand love feature falls flat and managed to get me annoyed with both characters. The conflict was resolved quickly and it was barely a thing. And goodness, we know Spencer can write angst! I love it when she does!
The chemistry was there but not developed enough. Brie was sweet and funny and Whit had her moments but their intimacy got lost with their triangle with Reese and the endless list of people parading through the beach house. Whit’s agent and friend was abrasive I could have used with less of her. Reese was a surprise, and a totally enjoyable character. And I enjoyed the blogger author premise, although the resolution to that conflict happened early on.
I will definitely be reading Ms Spencer in the future as I connect with her wit, but this one was a miss for me. 2 stars
ARC generously provided to me by BSB via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2021
This book is a good example of my overall relationship with Elle Spencer books. It's always a rollercoaster experience and I never know what to expect. With Spencer's past works I've really loved both Casting Lacey, and The Holiday Treatmentt, while The Road to Madison and Waiting for You fell more flat to me. "Give In To Me" leans more in the later category, but different times reading this book felt like totally different reading.
This book follows the author Whitney Ainsworth, who is reeling after going through a very public divorce, and the flopping of her last book. And after she hooks up with Gabriela "Brie" Talbot, she is surprised to find that Brie is the reviewer who panned her last book and was just expecting an interview until Whitney started kissing her. And it goes on from there.
I was expecting a book with it's blurb to be a sort of enemies-to-lovers one night stand to relationship slow progressing book. But that's not really what this is. This book had elements of both, but I wouldn't say you can classify this strictly as either.
I had an interesting time reading this, as I mentioned it was a rollercoaster. The beginning was interesting, but shortly after the events of the blurb, I had trouble paying attention to the book as it wasn't grabbing me at all. But I decided to keep going and the book picked back up around the 45% mark, and I was actually was liking it a lot from there, but it all came crashing down and I felt the resolution towards the end was really rushed.
So with that it's hard to write all of my thoughts in a more concise spoiler free way for a review. I did like the relationship between Whitney and Brie as it grew and they began to trust each other. After their rocky start I really did enjoy seeing them learn to rely on each other and use each other for support in their lives. But I have to say, the star of this book to me is Reese, Whitney's ex-wife. I wasn't expecting to like her as much as I did, but she REALLY grew on me especially as her friendship with Brie developed. It is a very lesbian experience to have your exes in your life. I know I do. Reese is definitely my favorite part of this book for good and bad reasons.
Also there are the jokes to mention. Like a lot of this book, they are really hit or miss to me. A lot of this book was sincerely funny and I was smiling a lot! But also, there are references to suicide jokes, rape jokes, and an incest joke. Other reviewers have discussed them in a little more depth, and I'll default to those. Also the numerous references to Brie's brother Adam being "metrosexual". Metrosexual is such a ridiculous concept- it's not that weird for a straight man to be well dressed and groomed in 2021. Can we just like drop that as a descriptor? It's not needed.
Anyway. This book has a lot going for it, but also just as much going against it. I would say I did overall enjoy the book, but it's not my favorite among Spencer's catalogue. 3/5
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
This book follows the author Whitney Ainsworth, who is reeling after going through a very public divorce, and the flopping of her last book. And after she hooks up with Gabriela "Brie" Talbot, she is surprised to find that Brie is the reviewer who panned her last book and was just expecting an interview until Whitney started kissing her. And it goes on from there.
I was expecting a book with it's blurb to be a sort of enemies-to-lovers one night stand to relationship slow progressing book. But that's not really what this is. This book had elements of both, but I wouldn't say you can classify this strictly as either.
I had an interesting time reading this, as I mentioned it was a rollercoaster. The beginning was interesting, but shortly after the events of the blurb, I had trouble paying attention to the book as it wasn't grabbing me at all. But I decided to keep going and the book picked back up around the 45% mark, and I was actually was liking it a lot from there, but it all came crashing down and I felt the resolution towards the end was really rushed.
So with that it's hard to write all of my thoughts in a more concise spoiler free way for a review. I did like the relationship between Whitney and Brie as it grew and they began to trust each other. After their rocky start I really did enjoy seeing them learn to rely on each other and use each other for support in their lives. But I have to say, the star of this book to me is Reese, Whitney's ex-wife. I wasn't expecting to like her as much as I did, but she REALLY grew on me especially as her friendship with Brie developed. It is a very lesbian experience to have your exes in your life. I know I do. Reese is definitely my favorite part of this book for good and bad reasons.
Also there are the jokes to mention. Like a lot of this book, they are really hit or miss to me. A lot of this book was sincerely funny and I was smiling a lot! But also, there are references to suicide jokes, rape jokes, and an incest joke. Other reviewers have discussed them in a little more depth, and I'll default to those. Also the numerous references to Brie's brother Adam being "metrosexual". Metrosexual is such a ridiculous concept- it's not that weird for a straight man to be well dressed and groomed in 2021. Can we just like drop that as a descriptor? It's not needed.
Anyway. This book has a lot going for it, but also just as much going against it. I would say I did overall enjoy the book, but it's not my favorite among Spencer's catalogue. 3/5
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review
June 4, 2021
I really liked this but it's the first Spencer book that I didn't connect with. I enjoyed Brie's character a lot, her witty banter with everyone around her and the jokes were amusing.
I have one question though, who had baby Kane? Was it a deposit from Adam? Or did they stick with Brie having bubba? I'm so curious to know!
I have one question though, who had baby Kane? Was it a deposit from Adam? Or did they stick with Brie having bubba? I'm so curious to know!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 11, 2021
Well crap. I let this go a week or so before reviewing and I know I've lost details. Which is a bit of a shame, but I'll do my best to dig out what I thought.
I liked both protagonists well-enough. There's a lot of wish fulfillment in both backgrounds, though not overwhelmingly so. Still, I'm not sure that any author, even with movie options on the line, is as rich as Whitney. At least, not solely from their writing. Gabriela as a trust-fund kid made more sense, and I love, more than a little, the support she has from her family. And I like how serious she is about her avocation and that she takes it seriously but is still able to be charmed by people she admires and respects.
Actually, Whitney bothered me a bit, though not so much her background as it was the actions excused by it. She's incredibly mean to Brie (Gabriela's most common nickname) on multiple occasions and there was a time or two where I wanted Brie to go find someone else to admire and attach to. And the worst one was after their first time together and it was devastatingly bad. Even if Brie had been the sort of person she suspected, that was way over the top.
Anyway, the plot holds together well-enough. I liked their collaboration on the movie set and I particularly liked how Brie found herself with an updated avocation and a new direction she wanted to explore. It was great seeing her blossom into more than she had let herself be and take on all the doubters, even those who loved and supported her in the past in her family. But then we have a dark moment and I lost the last of my respect for Whitney. And I'm not sure the eventual resolution works, either. I mean, the end rests on assuming that a lot of bad actions came from pure motives and I don't see how they can have.
Anyway, I'm going with 3½ stars that I'll round up on how much I fell for Brie. She's was charming and strong and I loved how she grew into herself in the end.
A note about Steamy: Among the details I lost are how many explicit sex scenes there were. I'm pretty sure it was the middle of my steam tolerance and that they fit the narrative through-line pretty well. Which is one reason that initial betrayal post first-time hurt so bad. As it should have...
I liked both protagonists well-enough. There's a lot of wish fulfillment in both backgrounds, though not overwhelmingly so. Still, I'm not sure that any author, even with movie options on the line, is as rich as Whitney. At least, not solely from their writing. Gabriela as a trust-fund kid made more sense, and I love, more than a little, the support she has from her family. And I like how serious she is about her avocation and that she takes it seriously but is still able to be charmed by people she admires and respects.
Actually, Whitney bothered me a bit, though not so much her background as it was the actions excused by it. She's incredibly mean to Brie (Gabriela's most common nickname) on multiple occasions and there was a time or two where I wanted Brie to go find someone else to admire and attach to. And the worst one was after their first time together and it was devastatingly bad. Even if Brie had been the sort of person she suspected, that was way over the top.
Anyway, the plot holds together well-enough. I liked their collaboration on the movie set and I particularly liked how Brie found herself with an updated avocation and a new direction she wanted to explore. It was great seeing her blossom into more than she had let herself be and take on all the doubters, even those who loved and supported her in the past in her family. But then we have a dark moment and I lost the last of my respect for Whitney. And I'm not sure the eventual resolution works, either. I mean, the end rests on assuming that a lot of bad actions came from pure motives and I don't see how they can have.
Anyway, I'm going with 3½ stars that I'll round up on how much I fell for Brie. She's was charming and strong and I loved how she grew into herself in the end.
A note about Steamy: Among the details I lost are how many explicit sex scenes there were. I'm pretty sure it was the middle of my steam tolerance and that they fit the narrative through-line pretty well. Which is one reason that initial betrayal post first-time hurt so bad. As it should have...
May 7, 2021
SO Good!
Whitney is not having the best of years. She’s had a VERY public divorce from her A List, cheating wife, her newest book has not only bombed but a blogger made that only too clear to all who would listen and now she has a massive case of writers block. None of this makes her job giving speeches about being successful any easier. When her manager decides to play wing woman when the pair spot a beautiful woman she decides the distraction could be nice. Gabriela is a fan of Whitney’s but when her latest book is so bad, she has no choice but to say so in her blog. She is hoping to interview the author and is pleasantly surprised when her manager sends her up to Whitney’s room…. Talking isn’t what follows… Now Whitney is mad she slept with the enemy so to speak but their encounter isn’t over. They need to work together while fighting their attraction to each other, an ex-wife who doesn’t want to be and interference from others who just won’t let them be. Can they survive the chaos and give what’s in their hearts a chance or is there just too much grief from outside forces for them to make it work?
I totally adored this book! I love Ms Spencer’s work and this is my favourite of them all. There are lovely sexy scenes, tons of conflict and drama galore. There are lots of feels, smiles and even a laugh or two. Whitney is WAY too easy to love and care about, I connected to her right away and loved Gabriela for her partner. I wanted to strangle Whitney’s manager a time or three and there were others that got in the way but that only made the good times all the sweeter. This is one of my favourite books of the year so far and since I’ve read 148 books to date, that says something. Give this one a try, you won’t be sorry!!!
Whitney is not having the best of years. She’s had a VERY public divorce from her A List, cheating wife, her newest book has not only bombed but a blogger made that only too clear to all who would listen and now she has a massive case of writers block. None of this makes her job giving speeches about being successful any easier. When her manager decides to play wing woman when the pair spot a beautiful woman she decides the distraction could be nice. Gabriela is a fan of Whitney’s but when her latest book is so bad, she has no choice but to say so in her blog. She is hoping to interview the author and is pleasantly surprised when her manager sends her up to Whitney’s room…. Talking isn’t what follows… Now Whitney is mad she slept with the enemy so to speak but their encounter isn’t over. They need to work together while fighting their attraction to each other, an ex-wife who doesn’t want to be and interference from others who just won’t let them be. Can they survive the chaos and give what’s in their hearts a chance or is there just too much grief from outside forces for them to make it work?
I totally adored this book! I love Ms Spencer’s work and this is my favourite of them all. There are lovely sexy scenes, tons of conflict and drama galore. There are lots of feels, smiles and even a laugh or two. Whitney is WAY too easy to love and care about, I connected to her right away and loved Gabriela for her partner. I wanted to strangle Whitney’s manager a time or three and there were others that got in the way but that only made the good times all the sweeter. This is one of my favourite books of the year so far and since I’ve read 148 books to date, that says something. Give this one a try, you won’t be sorry!!!
April 16, 2021
I really enjoyed this one, the premise was great. I think the aspect that I liked most about this was that none of the characters were terrible people, all were likeable. I was happy to see that the dreaded ex wasn't out to ruin things for the MCs
From the start the chemistry between Brie and Whitney was evident. The communication! Oh the communication between them. For the most part they were open about how they were each feeling and dealing with the situation. There was also a lot of humor which I appreciate, mainly in the way of one-liners.
I'm a big fan of Elle Spencer and this one just adds to her appeal as an author.
*An ARC was given to me for an honest review*
From the start the chemistry between Brie and Whitney was evident. The communication! Oh the communication between them. For the most part they were open about how they were each feeling and dealing with the situation. There was also a lot of humor which I appreciate, mainly in the way of one-liners.
I'm a big fan of Elle Spencer and this one just adds to her appeal as an author.
*An ARC was given to me for an honest review*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2022
In my first foray into the world of lesfic years back, Casting Lacey, was one of the few which got me hooked again on reading, after going on a hiatus for years (decade maybe) cos… you know, Life happens. So of course I have to Give In To Me a go/read given that it’s from the same author. But alas, I’m not sure where I stood with GITM - basically it’s a mixed read for me. There is some aspect of the book that I enjoyed and some not so much.
Reece was surprisingly my favorite character. Yes, she committed the cardinal sin. But I get why it happened. I’m not condoning it but I get it, especially since I got to read how Whitney can be when she’s on a hiatus, writing and researching for her book. There wasn't any bad bone in Reece other than the reason for the divorce - she was supportive of the relationship between Brie and Whit and wasn't the bitch whom I thought she would be. So if there’s gonna be a book on Reece, I would raise my hand and fork up some $$ for it. Brie was sweet and wears her heart on the sleeve while Whitney is just Whitney, she's a mix of cruel and good...a character which needs getting used to, for me at least. There were banters going on (Liz and Whit, Brie and Whit, etc.) and while some were hilarious and had me chuckling… there were some that just missed the mark. Maybe just one too many banters? 🤔
Overall, it was just ok. 3+ ⭐️ read for me 😊
Reece was surprisingly my favorite character. Yes, she committed the cardinal sin. But I get why it happened. I’m not condoning it but I get it, especially since I got to read how Whitney can be when she’s on a hiatus, writing and researching for her book. There wasn't any bad bone in Reece other than the reason for the divorce - she was supportive of the relationship between Brie and Whit and wasn't the bitch whom I thought she would be. So if there’s gonna be a book on Reece, I would raise my hand and fork up some $$ for it. Brie was sweet and wears her heart on the sleeve while Whitney is just Whitney, she's a mix of cruel and good...a character which needs getting used to, for me at least. There were banters going on (Liz and Whit, Brie and Whit, etc.) and while some were hilarious and had me chuckling… there were some that just missed the mark. Maybe just one too many banters? 🤔
Overall, it was just ok. 3+ ⭐️ read for me 😊
April 21, 2021
4.25 - 4.5
If you’re in the mood for a madcap rom-com with a nice bit of sizzle, this might be the book for you. I’ve been a fan of Ms. Spencer’s books for the last couple of years. I’m always eager to pick up her newest offering as I’m pretty much guaranteed to have a smile on my face while I read it. And once again, Ms. Spencer delivers.
Still reeling from a very public divorce from her A-list actress wife and a viral review that made her question her career choice, best-selling author Whitney Ainsworth hasn’t written a word for over a year and is now making the rounds as a motivational speaker at conventions and other events. When her caustic and cougar-esque agent sets her up for a one-night stand to get her “back in the saddle”, Whit vacillates until she opens the door and finds the gorgeous and slightly bewildered woman who had been checking her out at the hotel bar. Segue to the next day when, to Whit’s horror, she finds out that the Gabriella Talbot who kept her up to all hours morning, is also Brie on Books, the blogger who trashed her last novel and had come to the room for an interview. Mortified and jumping to all the wrong conclusions, she throws Brie out without a chance to get much of a word in edgewise. Despite the ignominious end to what seemed to be a pretty good night, both Whit and Brie’s paths continue to intersect (in the least-stalkery stalkering way) and the obvious chemistry and attraction grows.
Ms Spencer has a talent for writing sharp, fast-paced, humorous rom-coms that border (in a good way) on an all out farce. The situations she sets up for her characters are premised on coincidences that pile on each other in such a way that they lead to actions, reactions and miscommunications that will make you laugh out loud. As exaggerated as some of the situations or the massive leaps when characters jump to the wrong conclusion, there’s enough foundation in the way that the events have been lined up and the way that the characters have been developed, that it works without making you roll your eyes. Her stories are clever, silly, fun, steamy and thoroughly enjoyable.
The characters, both lead and secondary, are smart-asses who excel in banter and come-backs, but are tempered with vulnerability and self-doubt so they don’t come across as complete asses – not an easy balance. Thanks to Brie rocking her world (and not just in the bedroom), Whit makes an unscripted decision to embrace the mess of her life in her speaking tour and starts pulling herself out of the spiral she had been in. For Brie, Whit shakes her own sense of complacency and pushes her to make some changes. Told from both Whitney’s and Brie’s point of view, the reader is treated to some hilarious mental gymnastics on top of their interactions with each other, friends and family.
Although the books starts off with a night to remember, the action happens off the page so the initial spark of chemistry really starts with the back and forth of dialogue – giving the relationship a bit of depth. Don’t get me wrong – the physical chemistry is there, but there’s as much charge between the two when trading barbs while fully clothed as when they hit the sheets.
Give In To Me is a light hearted read that is sure to make you laugh.
Definitely Recommended
If you’re in the mood for a madcap rom-com with a nice bit of sizzle, this might be the book for you. I’ve been a fan of Ms. Spencer’s books for the last couple of years. I’m always eager to pick up her newest offering as I’m pretty much guaranteed to have a smile on my face while I read it. And once again, Ms. Spencer delivers.
Still reeling from a very public divorce from her A-list actress wife and a viral review that made her question her career choice, best-selling author Whitney Ainsworth hasn’t written a word for over a year and is now making the rounds as a motivational speaker at conventions and other events. When her caustic and cougar-esque agent sets her up for a one-night stand to get her “back in the saddle”, Whit vacillates until she opens the door and finds the gorgeous and slightly bewildered woman who had been checking her out at the hotel bar. Segue to the next day when, to Whit’s horror, she finds out that the Gabriella Talbot who kept her up to all hours morning, is also Brie on Books, the blogger who trashed her last novel and had come to the room for an interview. Mortified and jumping to all the wrong conclusions, she throws Brie out without a chance to get much of a word in edgewise. Despite the ignominious end to what seemed to be a pretty good night, both Whit and Brie’s paths continue to intersect (in the least-stalkery stalkering way) and the obvious chemistry and attraction grows.
Ms Spencer has a talent for writing sharp, fast-paced, humorous rom-coms that border (in a good way) on an all out farce. The situations she sets up for her characters are premised on coincidences that pile on each other in such a way that they lead to actions, reactions and miscommunications that will make you laugh out loud. As exaggerated as some of the situations or the massive leaps when characters jump to the wrong conclusion, there’s enough foundation in the way that the events have been lined up and the way that the characters have been developed, that it works without making you roll your eyes. Her stories are clever, silly, fun, steamy and thoroughly enjoyable.
The characters, both lead and secondary, are smart-asses who excel in banter and come-backs, but are tempered with vulnerability and self-doubt so they don’t come across as complete asses – not an easy balance. Thanks to Brie rocking her world (and not just in the bedroom), Whit makes an unscripted decision to embrace the mess of her life in her speaking tour and starts pulling herself out of the spiral she had been in. For Brie, Whit shakes her own sense of complacency and pushes her to make some changes. Told from both Whitney’s and Brie’s point of view, the reader is treated to some hilarious mental gymnastics on top of their interactions with each other, friends and family.
Although the books starts off with a night to remember, the action happens off the page so the initial spark of chemistry really starts with the back and forth of dialogue – giving the relationship a bit of depth. Don’t get me wrong – the physical chemistry is there, but there’s as much charge between the two when trading barbs while fully clothed as when they hit the sheets.
Give In To Me is a light hearted read that is sure to make you laugh.
Definitely Recommended
October 6, 2021
Fun read with interesting characters. Gabriela Talbot, blogger, up and coming author, and not necessarily looking for a relationship. Whitney Ainsworth, successful author, bummed about the latest review of her third book in a popular series, recovering from her very public divorce, and definitely not looking for a relationship. Really like Gabriela's parents.
April 18, 2021
From the first page I knew I was in for a treat. Reading this book felt similar to when I read Casting Lacey for the first time, which I consider to be one of my favorite books, because it was a such a charming story with characters that were so likable that I wanted to meet and get to know them in real life.
The story flows well, I was never bored and always needed to know what came next.
This book had me laughing out loud many times, I loved the story, and I didn’t want it to end. For me that’s a sign of a great book, when I don’t want the story to end because I don’t want to leave these characters. This is one of those cases.
I’m sure you won’t be disappointed if you read this one.
The story flows well, I was never bored and always needed to know what came next.
This book had me laughing out loud many times, I loved the story, and I didn’t want it to end. For me that’s a sign of a great book, when I don’t want the story to end because I don’t want to leave these characters. This is one of those cases.
I’m sure you won’t be disappointed if you read this one.
April 28, 2021
2.5 stars. This was an interesting read for me. The concept is absolutely genius – book reviewer writes a bad review of her favorite author’s book, only to end up in a tumultuous relationship with said author – but I can’t say I loved the execution of that concept. Whitney and Gabriela (“Brie”) are both likable enough, but I didn’t understand either of them very well. And while I sometimes found this book hilarious and fun (I did laugh out loud a few times in the beginning), at other times I just wasn’t a fan of the humor.
Overall, I liked and related to Brie: her reviewer/blogger status, her love of Whitney’s book series, and her wishes that the movie adaptations be just right. She’s sassy one moment and sweet the next, which I love to see in a character. However, in the beginning of the book she follows Whitney to (publicly known) conferences, in one case flying to Cincinnati to try to speak with Whitney. I can’t decide if this is weird or not, but Whitney does call Brie out on stalkerish behavior, so there’s that. Brie’s actions and fangirl status made her “love” for Whitney a bit hard to believe, as there’s not much to hint at her being anything other than starstruck. And as for Whitney, she went from hating Brie’s guts to instantly forgiving Brie because…Brie is sexy? I felt like Whitney was a fleshed-out character before she forgave Brie, but after she forgave Brie, she felt distant and like a different person. I never felt like the MC’s got to know each other fully, and I would have liked a lot more depth to the romance.
There’s no doubt that Elle Spencer is talented at writing entertaining narratives. The sequence of events is utterly berserk, and the relationship development is often spurred by meddling side characters. There is an ex in the picture – Whitney’s ex-wife, Reece – which I know some readers won’t be happy about. While I didn’t like Reece at first, by the end of the book she became one of my favorite characters. There’s also Whitney’s agent and BFF, Liz, who has an alarming amount of free time on her hands and uses it to wreak havoc on people’s lives (I can’t say I was a fan of this).
I didn’t really vibe with the humor for a lot of this book. There are a lot of sex jokes – so much so that I began to wonder if the main theme of the book was sex and not author/reviewer romance – but of course that’s not a bad thing; that’s just not my style. I did have problems with the frequent suicide jokes, the rape joke, the actors-don’t-eat joke, and the weird…incest-esque jokes, though.
Even though this one didn’t totally work for me, I do like Spencer’s writing and I will probably read more of her books in the future.
content warnings: alcohol (recreational), graphic sex, infidelity (side character), stalking(?), suicide joke, rape joke, (starvation joke?), incest jokes
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Hsinju! Check out their review here.
Overall, I liked and related to Brie: her reviewer/blogger status, her love of Whitney’s book series, and her wishes that the movie adaptations be just right. She’s sassy one moment and sweet the next, which I love to see in a character. However, in the beginning of the book she follows Whitney to (publicly known) conferences, in one case flying to Cincinnati to try to speak with Whitney. I can’t decide if this is weird or not, but Whitney does call Brie out on stalkerish behavior, so there’s that. Brie’s actions and fangirl status made her “love” for Whitney a bit hard to believe, as there’s not much to hint at her being anything other than starstruck. And as for Whitney, she went from hating Brie’s guts to instantly forgiving Brie because…Brie is sexy? I felt like Whitney was a fleshed-out character before she forgave Brie, but after she forgave Brie, she felt distant and like a different person. I never felt like the MC’s got to know each other fully, and I would have liked a lot more depth to the romance.
There’s no doubt that Elle Spencer is talented at writing entertaining narratives. The sequence of events is utterly berserk, and the relationship development is often spurred by meddling side characters. There is an ex in the picture – Whitney’s ex-wife, Reece – which I know some readers won’t be happy about. While I didn’t like Reece at first, by the end of the book she became one of my favorite characters. There’s also Whitney’s agent and BFF, Liz, who has an alarming amount of free time on her hands and uses it to wreak havoc on people’s lives (I can’t say I was a fan of this).
I didn’t really vibe with the humor for a lot of this book. There are a lot of sex jokes – so much so that I began to wonder if the main theme of the book was sex and not author/reviewer romance – but of course that’s not a bad thing; that’s just not my style. I did have problems with the frequent suicide jokes, the rape joke, the actors-don’t-eat joke, and the weird…incest-esque jokes, though.
Even though this one didn’t totally work for me, I do like Spencer’s writing and I will probably read more of her books in the future.
content warnings: alcohol (recreational), graphic sex, infidelity (side character), stalking(?), suicide joke, rape joke, (starvation joke?), incest jokes
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Buddy read with Hsinju! Check out their review here.
January 4, 2022
Last book of 2021 was a hit! Review to come......
Ok had to process this one for abit. I am sticking with 3.75 stars solely for the first 80% of the book. I really enjoyed Ms. Spencer's writing in this, the story was fun and fairly unique, the dialogue laugh out loud hilarious. I enjoyed the two MCs, how they hooked up, the "stalking," the banter, even "BFF" overbearing ridiculous agent, Liz.
But after Brie started working on the movie, it all seemed to go downhill. It became convoluted and dramatic for no reason. The surreptitious "photo" that was sneakily taken and what they decided to do with it was nauseating. The strange relationship with the ex, Reece, I didn't find this ok at all. And as others mentioned, Whitney's behaviour at the cabin was absolutely atrocious. It almost felt like another author stepped in, or another story started to take off. Had this stopped at page 180, it would have been a full 5 star delight. The the epilogue, as it happens way too much, felt rushed.
So, disappointed ending to say the least. I shall try to fondly remember only the first part.
Ok had to process this one for abit. I am sticking with 3.75 stars solely for the first 80% of the book. I really enjoyed Ms. Spencer's writing in this, the story was fun and fairly unique, the dialogue laugh out loud hilarious. I enjoyed the two MCs, how they hooked up, the "stalking," the banter, even "BFF" overbearing ridiculous agent, Liz.
But after Brie started working on the movie, it all seemed to go downhill. It became convoluted and dramatic for no reason. The surreptitious "photo" that was sneakily taken and what they decided to do with it was nauseating. The strange relationship with the ex, Reece, I didn't find this ok at all. And as others mentioned, Whitney's behaviour at the cabin was absolutely atrocious. It almost felt like another author stepped in, or another story started to take off. Had this stopped at page 180, it would have been a full 5 star delight. The the epilogue, as it happens way too much, felt rushed.
So, disappointed ending to say the least. I shall try to fondly remember only the first part.
April 19, 2021
This is a light and sometimes silly romance. Perfect for a beach read or lounging by a pool. Whitney Ainsworth is a writer whose latest book in her popular series didn't do well. Then there is the divorce from Reece a major actress who left her for someone else after seven years of marriage. Speaking at conventions is getting her by while trying to get back writing. Her manager Liz sends someone to her hotel room that ends in a fabulous night together, only to find there was a big miscommunication. Brie Talbot, not wanting to give up on what was the best night of her life, wants to reconnect with Whitney. She hopes their attraction can be the start of something new.
First off this is a very funny book. Elle Spencer has a gift of humor, especially one liners. Humor flows through out in dialog whether it is talking to a convention, loving bickering with a sibling, dealing with an agent, parents walking in at inappropriate times or appearing on a late night talk show. The story ebbs and flows. Spencer took turns I wasn't expecting and makes it work. The best thing is no one is a villain, especially the ex-wife. I felt some storylines got forgotten and instead the plot jumps to the next funny moment. A big deal was made with Whitney, Reece and Brie appearing together at film premiere. It wasn't clear to me if Brie was there for the publicity of their being a threesome or as a credited screen writer. Did Liz help get Bries screen play get seen for the second book?
Side characters were solid and added much to the story. Brie's family interactions were wonderful in supporting her. Her parents and brother each had their own relationship with her adding depth. Whitney has her agent Liz and Reece but there's not much else about her background. Was she successful before marrying? Does she have other books besides her popular series? I understand Whitney didn't feel she was in a position to move forward in a relationship but that lets the romance dangle for awhile and not develop. My heart broke for Brie after the cabin incident. And the resolution of that felt quick for such a big moment.
I definitely would recommend this book to friends who enjoy fun sapphic romances. It isn't a perfect 5 stars but I'm rounding up because it is better than a lot of books I've given 4s. (4.5 stars). Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
First off this is a very funny book. Elle Spencer has a gift of humor, especially one liners. Humor flows through out in dialog whether it is talking to a convention, loving bickering with a sibling, dealing with an agent, parents walking in at inappropriate times or appearing on a late night talk show. The story ebbs and flows. Spencer took turns I wasn't expecting and makes it work. The best thing is no one is a villain, especially the ex-wife. I felt some storylines got forgotten and instead the plot jumps to the next funny moment. A big deal was made with Whitney, Reece and Brie appearing together at film premiere. It wasn't clear to me if Brie was there for the publicity of their being a threesome or as a credited screen writer. Did Liz help get Bries screen play get seen for the second book?
Side characters were solid and added much to the story. Brie's family interactions were wonderful in supporting her. Her parents and brother each had their own relationship with her adding depth. Whitney has her agent Liz and Reece but there's not much else about her background. Was she successful before marrying? Does she have other books besides her popular series? I understand Whitney didn't feel she was in a position to move forward in a relationship but that lets the romance dangle for awhile and not develop. My heart broke for Brie after the cabin incident. And the resolution of that felt quick for such a big moment.
I definitely would recommend this book to friends who enjoy fun sapphic romances. It isn't a perfect 5 stars but I'm rounding up because it is better than a lot of books I've given 4s. (4.5 stars). Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2022
This was perfectly enjoyable, but it was a bit too quick/instalove for my personal tastes. That said, I enjoyed the characters and it was a fun light read!
April 28, 2021
My knee jerk reaction to this book was that I need to start reading more Elle Spencer books.
I knew within the first couple of pages I was going to love this one. I really enjoy her writing style; clever, slightly awkward and all out funny. She is just a talented writer and this book is a good example of that. Her style is clear and concise, and executed with the best sense of humor.
I had a hard time putting this book down. The plot wasn’t unique necessarily. Brie and Whitney meet on uncomfortable terms. After waking up from what they thought was a one night stand Whitney realizes Brie is someone she has classified as the enemy. Brie won’t accept dismissal that easily as she chases Whitney both physically and emotionally throughout the book. Whitney is going through a complicated time in her life, but soon comes to the conclusion that her priority has turned out to be Brie.
I enjoyed everything about this book. It was uncomplicated and had me both laughing and crying. It was the perfect read for the perfect day. Now the burning questions I still need answered... What does the new logo look like? Did Brie ever get her dress back?
I knew within the first couple of pages I was going to love this one. I really enjoy her writing style; clever, slightly awkward and all out funny. She is just a talented writer and this book is a good example of that. Her style is clear and concise, and executed with the best sense of humor.
I had a hard time putting this book down. The plot wasn’t unique necessarily. Brie and Whitney meet on uncomfortable terms. After waking up from what they thought was a one night stand Whitney realizes Brie is someone she has classified as the enemy. Brie won’t accept dismissal that easily as she chases Whitney both physically and emotionally throughout the book. Whitney is going through a complicated time in her life, but soon comes to the conclusion that her priority has turned out to be Brie.
I enjoyed everything about this book. It was uncomplicated and had me both laughing and crying. It was the perfect read for the perfect day. Now the burning questions I still need answered... What does the new logo look like? Did Brie ever get her dress back?
April 21, 2024
4 Stars
Elle Spencer knows her angst and is the main reason I want to read her entire works. She knows how and when to push and pull the readers’ emotions and I so love that about her. It’s funny because I just finished a one night stand turned to forever night stand book just before this. I also adore that the exes here are not spiteful and immature about having to work with each other. It’s all very grownup .
Elle Spencer knows her angst and is the main reason I want to read her entire works. She knows how and when to push and pull the readers’ emotions and I so love that about her. It’s funny because I just finished a one night stand turned to forever night stand book just before this. I also adore that the exes here are not spiteful and immature about having to work with each other. It’s all very grownup .
September 7, 2021
I thought that this book was good
August 27, 2021
Ah, what an awesome, funny book.
I have to say it took me all but whole day to read this one. It was almost as I did not wanted to do anything until this book is finished.
The characters made everything better. There was so much humor I laughed with them.
Sometimes, it is good to come out of your usual setting and try something new. In this case I would say both characters did just that.
They did tried to do their usual thing, but stepping out and making something that is out of their character was what brought them together and also made them stay together.
Mostly I loved the beach setting. Water and Privacy makes it all better.
I have to say it took me all but whole day to read this one. It was almost as I did not wanted to do anything until this book is finished.
The characters made everything better. There was so much humor I laughed with them.
Sometimes, it is good to come out of your usual setting and try something new. In this case I would say both characters did just that.
They did tried to do their usual thing, but stepping out and making something that is out of their character was what brought them together and also made them stay together.
Mostly I loved the beach setting. Water and Privacy makes it all better.
June 3, 2021
2 stars
Well, this was kind of weak. Not necessarily bad, but weak. I expected more. It was kind of meh and sometimes confusing as hell. Mostly the characters. How many personality transplants can these women get over the course of one book...?
All of that would put it at around 3 stars.
But the rape/suicide/incest jokes? Nope. That lowered the score.
Constantly describing Adam as metrosexual lost points as well. Dressing well is normal.
Being a straight man doesn't mean one has to smells and be unkempt. Hell, I know numerous straight guys who spend more time and money on their beards than I do on my hair and wardrobe combined. Live and let live.
Well, this was kind of weak. Not necessarily bad, but weak. I expected more. It was kind of meh and sometimes confusing as hell. Mostly the characters. How many personality transplants can these women get over the course of one book...?
All of that would put it at around 3 stars.
But the rape/suicide/incest jokes? Nope. That lowered the score.
Constantly describing Adam as metrosexual lost points as well. Dressing well is normal.
Being a straight man doesn't mean one has to smells and be unkempt. Hell, I know numerous straight guys who spend more time and money on their beards than I do on my hair and wardrobe combined. Live and let live.
April 28, 2021
3 stars. Novelist Whitney Ainsworth is now divorced from her actress wife. She is doing speaking engagements since she has not been able to write since the divorce. She also received bad reviews on her last book, one of which is from a blog where the review went viral. Gabriela Talbot is the blogger who gave Whitney a bad review. After Whitney's manager sends Brie to Whitney's room and they wind up sleeping together, Whitney can't get her night with Brie out of her mind, until she discovers Brie is the blogger with the review that went viral. Brie and Whitney need to overcome to really be together.
I enjoyed this novel. I thought it was pretty good and enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and even the interactions with Whitney's ex wife. I did enjoy Brie chasing after Whitney to try and get her attention. The only thing I did not like was the drama towards the end of the book, it seemed a little much and I wish it was a little better. This book was not a memorable one, which is why I only gave it three stars instead of four. I read it about a week before posting the review and I already forgot some of the little details of the book. It was a good quick read but not a book I would necessarily re-read.
I enjoyed this novel. I thought it was pretty good and enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and even the interactions with Whitney's ex wife. I did enjoy Brie chasing after Whitney to try and get her attention. The only thing I did not like was the drama towards the end of the book, it seemed a little much and I wish it was a little better. This book was not a memorable one, which is why I only gave it three stars instead of four. I read it about a week before posting the review and I already forgot some of the little details of the book. It was a good quick read but not a book I would necessarily re-read.
November 24, 2021
Oh! I don't know, read first half then suddenly was bored, the ending was inevitable. Not up to Elle's best, but she writes well.
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