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The first time I met him, he spanked me.
The second time, he kissed me.
Now, he’s warning me to stay away.

I thought I left the pricks behind when I went to college. Then, like a rash I can’t get rid of, Chase Mathers shows up. He thinks he’s bad, rolling down the street on his Harley with his little gang in tow, but he has no idea what bad is.

So bring it on fuckface, because bitch isn’t a state of mind. It’s a way of life.

Naomi Prescot was nothing, but a spoiled little rich girl that thought the world revolved around her.
I taught her a lesson once and sent her back home with her tail between her legs. Now, she thinks she can come in my city and bark orders at me? I’m not like the boys back home, Princess. If you want to play with me, you best put your big girl panties on.

This time you won’t be bent over my counter, calling me daddy.
You’ll be on your fucking knees, serving your master.

232 pages, ebook

First published July 29, 2021

162 people are currently reading
452 people want to read

About the author

T.L. Hodel

35 books775 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
Profile Image for Liz [reads books].
1,314 reviews63 followers
August 12, 2021
So...I feel like I spent this whole book wondering what the hell...I just don't know... Full review to come... I'm confused and honestly I think 3 stars is generous
Profile Image for Abstract ♥ Books.
1,281 reviews1,766 followers
August 2, 2021


ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS

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Star Rating : 4/5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : Yes

Hero : Chase

Heroine : Naomi

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 6/10

Triggers Involved : Dark MC , Kidnapping , Past Trauma

Plot Summary :
The first time Chase saw Naomi, her behavior made him put the sassy spoiled blonde over his knee. The next time he saw her, he kissed her and after seeing her now, nothing has changed.

Chase hides the deepest pain inside him. Losing his wife and baby boy has never healed him and Naomi is the one person who makes him feel this anger and lust again and he hates her for it. Not to mention her behavior is completely rude and he just doesn’t even know what to do with her. But it doesn’t take him light to know that the bratty girl is broken beneath. She has been hiding things from him and he won’t rest until he knows why she is the way she is.

From the outside it looks like Naomi has everything but it couldn't be further from the truth. She has been broken many times but the one time was when she met with the worst monster. That night charged her forever and now the only thing she can do to hide her pain is to drown in booze and men. Chase is the one person who always contradicts her. He acts like he hates her but then he is the only one who sees her in the first place. And now he has his sights set on her. He has captured her and there is nowhere for her to run. This time Chse is going to break her and she is going to enjoy every minute of it.

Overall Opinion :
OMG. Ever since the author gave us a hint that Chase and Naomi might be a couple , I have been going crazy about their book! After so long , we finally had it and it was so amazing. The cliffhanger threw me off a bit but that's even better because now I am crazy about these two!

Naomi and Chase are two very different people but the one thing they both have in common is the pai in their souls. Chase has been hurt so many times and a lot of parts of him have never recovered . Now he has the princess under his hand and he is going to enjoy every minute of breaking her, Naomi has been troubling him since the moment these two met and it’s time they learned the consequences of provoking the beast.

I will highly recommend this dark MC romance to all the dark romance loving people out there! It’s just downright crazy and it will drive you crazy!

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Profile Image for Valentina.
1,180 reviews411 followers
August 22, 2021
3.5 stars

An entertaining read, an age-gap featuring two equally fierce yet broken characters in a mature motorcycle club-new adult setting creates an angst-filled love story. However, as typical of Hodel's books, there is lots humor. This story follows the revival of Chase's MC Lost Souls amid power struggles with a rival.

Chase, who made appearances in The Order series, returns to an almost defunct motorcycle club to resume his lead position. He is sexy, muscular, tatted, and dominating, but watch out, he has met his match in Naomi, beautiful, cold, rich, sardonic daddy's girl. Their repartee and run ins sparked the embers of sexual tension, and there was something to be behold in Chase's handling (dominating) Naomi. Chemistry was definitely tangible, but not as steamy I've come to expect in a Hodel book which can usually wield the fieriest of sexy times.

I generally enjoyed the storyline though at times this slow burn left me adrift, in some ways overly wordy with only incremental progress. I also found there were too many characters to keep up with, and though a standalone, I had to dig into my memory of former characters' influence to make sense of events. In some respects, I would have liked the story to have concentrated on a key set of characters.

Still, overall an entertaining, intricate story with likable characters. I was happy to read a more mature romance and am intrigued to read the next book in the series.
Profile Image for freyleyce.
441 reviews254 followers
March 9, 2022
well i enjoyed this much more than i thought i would!
✨CORRECT READING ORDER✨

book 📕 1: Adversaries (The Lost Souls MC prequel, #.5)

book 📕 2: Adversaries (The Lost Souls MC book 1)

book 📕 3: Frenemies (The Lost Souls MC book 2)

just thought i’d clear that up and save y’all so much time

📚Adversaries📚 is the first, or technically second, book in TL Hodels “Lost Souls MC” trilogy.

i do recommend reading the prequel, it gives you a nice background and is literally a 20 minute read.


in dual POV, this follows Naomi and Chase. Naomi is a college student, and a complete b!tch. i loved her! she’s super stuck up and only expects only the best, i really loved how Chase did not put out with her BS, but also helped her become nicer. Chase is still emotionally recovering from losing his wife and child at the hands of his brother. he only sees destruction and revenge, but then suddenly Naomi intercepts his plans. they instantly dislike each other because she’s a stuck up b!tch and he doesn’t take it and it adds so much tension to their relationship!


let’s talk tropes 👇

✅ age gap (of what i’m assuming is 15ish years? it wasn’t confirmed)
✅dislike to love
✅incredibly sassy and mouthy heroine
✅”tortured” hero
✅MC involvement (not too heavy, but still prominent)
✅college setting
✅tons of tension but not tons of spice (YET!)

my thoughts👇

i came across this when reading Dylan Page’s Bleeding Hearts series, which i highly recommend by the way. the third book, Ashes, was super confusing but it referenced characters here (mainly Micah, Riley, Shelby and Logan, who are main characters in her other series) so i thought i would give this a go and make more sense of the Bleeding Hearts series. i totally didn’t expect to love it as much as i did! i love, and i mean love a dynamic of a stuck up b!itchy heroine with an alpha male who brings her back down to earth and helps her become a better human. this gave me all of that! there is also a part to Naomi that i can see really affected her but we don’t know what is it quite yet. i love Chase, i felt his emotions deeply and my heart broke for him!

the plot

the plot was good. it was a little confusing with all the motorcycle clubs and gangs, but it made a lot more sense towards the end and i’m intrigues to see where it goes.

my fav quotes ✨

“someone up there decided to send me an angel. she may not be the harp playing, kind cherub that people expected, but she was the angel i needed.”

“relax it’s just s*x, it’s not that big of a deal”

“Like f*ck it isn’t Naomi” Chase roared, shocking us both. “I swear to you, if you touch another man, i’ll break his d*mn neck”

My brow rose while my heart fluttered. “You’re not going to start that mine crap now, are you?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna start that mine crap.” His angry glare locked with mine.” You got a fucking problem with that?”

“Look, Riley, Naomi is…” He stopped and looked back at me for a second before continuing, “Well, she’s Naomi.”

Gee thanks.

that about summed Naomi up, yeah

overall, i was surprised by how much i enjoyed this! i really didn’t want to like it, mainly coz of that cover man. i probably wouldn’t have picked it up if i didn’t think it would help me better understand the plot of Ashes/The Bleeding Hearts series. i’m totally continuing onto Frenemies and very excited to go into it right now! i don’t think i’ll be reading her other series with the opp characters, it seems a little too high school for me.
4/5⭐️
3.5/5🔥

Profile Image for Amanda Quarles.
2,169 reviews39 followers
June 20, 2023
Adversaries

Chase and Naomi

Ok, so I came to read this after finishing Malice and Surrender, Lost Souls MC. This is the second interconnecting series I've read with these authors, and let me say they've done an amazing job. I love Naomi's feistiness in this book. It was great getting to know and understand her. If you've read the books I've mentioned, then you'll understand why I say that, lol. There are ton of great characters that I'd love to have their own books as well. Like probably all of them, lol. Can't wait to read Frenemies.
Profile Image for Anna Rae.
29 reviews5 followers
July 30, 2021
I don’t think this should be marketed as a standalone series. Many characters (not just two or three) come from another series and play important roles, and situations from those books are included in this one, and we’re just supposed to follow along.
I only realized I was missing something when I mentioned how lost I was to a friend, and she told me that it might be best to read The Order of the Ravens and Wolves first (though there is no warning for this book).
Profile Image for ashima.
203 reviews1 follower
September 7, 2022
cant lie, this was a lot better than the first part of this series. like this spin off is a lot better and the characters and their personalities are a lot more relatable. i love tanner, he's so cute. AND AVA !!! obsessed with her.
Profile Image for Book Nook Kitten.
688 reviews14 followers
April 6, 2023
Only a handful of scenes of the hero and heroine actually interacting in the entire book and each are so short they are literally only minutes worth of reading, if that. It makes this is a complete waste of time. The author has clearly done that to split one very thin story out over what she has the nerve to call two books. A book should finish the characters story, start, middle and end, that's a book, not this pointless waste of time.

This was much shorter than the only other book I've read by the author, book 1 in her Order of Wolves and Ravens. It was over 400 pages, compared to this 200. I've happily bought triologies before, but they're mostly scifi or fantasy, with lots of world building, making it understandable they fill two or three books. MC stories do not usually warrent two books, although I did like Beast and Beauty's two books by Jordan Marie they were packed with story and the characters talking or fighting or anything, this was not, it had nothing to it.

This is also not a standalone for another reason, having read book 1 in the author's Order series I knew who everyone here was, even Preston, a rich eighteen year old who shows up in his expensive sports car randomly with a snipers riffle. But anyone just reading this would probably be lost, and think the characters are too random and weird because the author gave none of their history. Just having Niaomi thinking one line, that Ava waa brutalised by one of Order men would have expllained why she and her brother are seemingly strange.

The fact I've only read book 1 in her Order series and didn't continue to the next probably tells you enough about what I thought of it. The only thing I liked in it was the interactions between the characters, and the same goes for this. I liked the crazy bitches stuff, surprisingly, with Ava and Niaomi, and the scenes between Chase and Niaomi, but they were too few. I just don't get it, did the author actually read this and think there were enough scenes between Chase and Niaomi? I don't see how that's possible.

There are a lot of typos and missing words, seeing to be prove she just chopped the story in two to money grab, and didn't read this so didn't see she had barely any scenes between the H and h. I'm not into the Master / Sub on her knees theme, but it diesn't even matter if potential readers aren't either, because just like she did with many, many, Many themes she threw into her Order book, she just throws the Dominance theme in here but doesn't actually give scenes to read for it.

And just to note it, I get the author is trying to make out that Niaomi can't orgasm with men and hinting it's because of whatever was done to her and Ava, it's never said, she leaves the reader to fill it in, but just like many things in her Order book didn't make sense, it doesn't make sense that Niaomi was with Logan and Micha yet sge claims they never cared to make her orgasm. Realy? They care about her, especially Logan, and the scene of Logan with the heroine in that book with one flick of his finger did it for her, It made me not like them that they didn't make sure she got hers, they just used her.

I will say this author does write first person pov well, there are so many who don't, and she gives her characters such good spit and grit, this should have been a such a good gritty MC book because of it. But she destroyed it by splitting it, by having too few scenes between them and no build up betwen them. I really hate that I'm having to give this less stars that her Order book, because I liked Chase and Niaomi, and I love an MC story, so should have liked this much more than the Order's secret society, awful highschool bully romance plot, but this wasn't good.

Even if I had kindle unlimited I wouldn't bother reading the next installment for free, that says how lacking this was, that after reading this I had no interest in continuing Chase and Niaomi's story because it was so lacking their interactions and so boring. Whether the author split this very thin story over two "books" to grab money, or because she just didn't care that she had made this so lacking with so few scenes between the H and h, I don't know, but the fact is, this really is not good because of it. So disappointed!
1,038 reviews22 followers
June 1, 2025
The first time Naomi Prescot met Chase Mathers, he had the gall to spake her.
The second time Naomi met Chase, he thought it a good idea to kiss her.
Now, Chase is telling, no warning her, to stay away.

When Naomi went to college she thought she'd left all the pricks behind. Suddenly Chase Mathers shows up, like a bad cold that won't go away. He rolls into town with his little gang in tow, thinking he's all that, the bad of the bad. But, he has no clue what bad really is.

Naomi thinks to bring it all on, b^tch istn't a state of mind, it's her way of life.

To Chase Mathers, Naomi Prescot was just some spoiled little rich girl who thinks the world revolves around her.

Chase had taught her a lesson years ago, then he'd sent her back home, tears streaming down that pretty little face. Now, here she is once again, back in my city and she thinks she can start barking orders at me? Little girl, I'm not like the boys your used to back home. If you're going to play with me Princess, you'd best put your big girl panties on and be prepared.

This time princess, I'm going to see you bent over my counter, and I'll be hearing you call me daddy.
Then you'll be on your knees, serving me, your master.

T.L. Hodel really knows what tropes to use to pull you into her book: age gap (I'm guessing 15 years-ish? It's never really confirmed), dislike to love, an incredibly sassy and very mouthy heroine, “tortured” hero, MC involvement (not too heavy, but still prominent), college setting, tons of tension but not tons of spice (yet!).

YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and understand all the triggers before you read this novel. Your mental health is the most important thing. This book is dark. Please heed the author's warnings before you jump into this book.

The thing that makes this most compelling is the way that the author has the skill to write interesting characters that are interesting and have an unexpected complexity. Chase is the biker and Naomi is the sorority girl but they are each so much more than that. They both have complicated pasts that influence the decisions they each make in the present day of the story. Chase is living on the edge of his sanity, and he has no issue rolling over that edge with no intervention. I felt like he needed an intervention at times. But his family took care of that thankfully. And once he gets his head out of his behind, he's really not all that bad, but I think he was a bit off his rocker as he was into Naomi, the girl who is the very definition of “high maintenance”.

I have to be honest, Naomi was exhausting and very often tiresome. But, I'll be honest and say that she has the attitude and really she is a lot tougher than I thought she was at first. Slowly over the book, I did warm up to her. At least enough that I didn't want to throttle her.

Ava is the one character that I really liked. I really connected with her. The way she looks at the world is not only simple but also sophisticated. Ava is such an authority in this book. I love her and I hope we get to see more of her.

Beast and Tanner are lesser secondary characters. Beast is Chase's rock, the one that is always there for Chase. Chase knows that Beast always has his back no matter what. Tanner on the other hand is more fluid, he kind of comes and goes and yet Chase knows that like Beast Tanner will always have his back no matter what. Chase, Tanner, and Beast are like brothers to each other and they are all solid and have each other's backs no matter what they are going through.

I feel like the ending was a bit mashed and the cliffhanger was a bit forced for the sake of a duet but it was still a great book and I can't wait to read the next book. I am looking forward to reading the next part of this duet and finding out what happens next and where our characters go from here.
Profile Image for Grinning Cat.
3,689 reviews120 followers
May 28, 2025
Adversaries

I am generally against stories split into a duet in principle. And nothing that I’ve read here has made me change my mind about this. The story could have been edited down into a single 350-375 page book without sacrificing anything of significance. But it wasn’t, so it didn’t, and that’s that, on to discussing this volume.
At first glance, this book could be taken as a simple age gap, opposites attract, enemies to lovers tale, albeit one with triggers. Heavy triggers: this book is dark. Heed the author’s warning.
But what makes this book more compelling than the sum of its tropes is the author’s skill at writing characters of interest and unexpected complexity. Chase and Naomi are more than a biker and a sorority girl. They each have a complicated past that informs the decisions they make in the present day of the story. Chase lives on the edge of sanity, and he tends to roll over that edge without intervention. My thought was someone needed to have a little Come to Jesus Meeting with him, but I shouldn’t have worried. His framily certainly took care of it so he could finally get his cranium removed from his posterior. He’s not half bad once that happens, although he obviously sustained some brain damage at some point because he’s into Naomi, whose picture is in the dictionary next to “high maintenance”. I find her exhausting, and occasionally tiresome, but she has attitude and is a lot tougher than she looks, so I did warm up to her. Or at least decided I didn’t want to give her a lobotomy with one of her own stiletto heels.
Ava is ma soeur, ma sememble. It is her whom I like best, and with her whom I most strongly identify. She has a distinct worldview that is both very simple and very intricate. Ava is a Presence in this book.
Beast and Tanner are less obvious characters. Beast is the rock that Chase can lean on, while Tanner has a more fluid role. These men are like brothers to Chase, and solid.
I found the ending to this book unsatisfactory because I felt like things got better, and then suddenly they were b*ggered up again for the sake of having a cliffhanger. Because of this, I felt this couldn’t be a five-star book.
Profile Image for Natasha           diary_of_a_sarcastic_bookworm.
340 reviews14 followers
November 19, 2021
How is it possible that I have never read anything by this author before?! *hides in cone of shame*

Adversaries is the mc romance featuring club president Chase and little stuck up rich girl Naomi.

Chase is a walking, talking, all form of the word alpha! He has a tortured past where he lost not only his woman but his child too. losing them would have been hard enough however when it’s someone he trusted that took them away.. that leads to destruction.
He is a broken man who thinks he has nothing to live for other than to get his revenge.

Naomi is a beautiful, no crap taking spoiled rich girl. You will either love her or hate her, I couldn’t help but go with love! Her attitude although sometimes all mighty, she takes no nonsense from anyone, thinks she deserves the best, loyal to her friends even if she doesn’t always show it. She has a haunted past - that I am DYING to know about! Give me the dirty deeds, I can handle it!! 😆

These two are COMPLETE opposites, in no world would you even think they collide but there they are always bumping into each other one way or the other.
It all started with a mouthy comment and spank neither of them have been able to forget.
They say love and hate are basically the same.. so maybe just maybe 🤔

I can’t even be mad that this book ended on a cliffhanger , as there is still so much unknown and I GOTS TO KNOW!! I’ll take more now please 🙏🏻😂 I may die from anticipation.. so someone best send me down below with a copy haha!

Hot, dangerous, different, emotional, and oh so much more.

I will say even if you hate Naomi at the start keep going, you may still hate her unlike me who loved her😆 but the reason is well worth it!
3 reviews
August 2, 2021
*ARC Review:*

I loved Chase and Naomi’s dynamic, but for me… Ava stole the show! I cannot wait to see more and more of her character. Really hope she gets her own book, because I loved her! She’s insane but totally endearing at the same time.

Anyways… back to Naomi and Chase.

I really liked how T.L Hodel dove straight into both of these characters that we’d already come to know and love from the other books. It gave an insight into the world, minds and history that we didn’t get to see before.

I’m really hoping that we can see more and more of Naomi’s backstory, and that her relationship with Chase grow. Chase… sometimes I seriously dislike him, and others I just want to cry from all the pain he’s in. These two constantly clash but … when there’s a spark there’s a fire.

The only disappointment I had and reason I couldn’t give it five stars, is that there does feel to be a lot of repetition with a certain aspect/character, that occurs within all of the Order of ravens and wolves books. And now it’s been incorporated within this series. (I don’t want to give any spoilers - but if you read this book you’ll certainly know what I’m talking about).

I was hoping this series would move away from that slightly- in my opinion - overly used backstory/situation/character.


But other than that, I’m excited to see how this series progresses!!
Profile Image for Lilith  *EUPHORIA_READS_*.
565 reviews198 followers
August 5, 2021
𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊: ADVERSARIES.
𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄: DARK CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE.
𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄: BOOK #1
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: TL HODEL.
𝐏𝐎𝐕: FIRST-PERSON: DUAL PERSPECTIVE.
𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓:🤠🤠🤠🤠
𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆:🌏🌏🌏🌏
𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑:🦋🦋🦋🦋

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄:
Daddy Chase is hear to steal your heart and I am just going to give it to him willingly....Naomi, you lucky girl!!!

When you mix the order of wolves and Raven to a MC world...you know it's going to a chaos.
I have loved every bit of glimpse we have gotten in the previous books but nothing compared to the full package.

Naomi is a spoiled as always and who better to discipline than Chase himself. I felt like there was so much to Naomi then it seems...that bratty, bit*chy behavior was just an act but I enjoyed her getting spanked for it 🤣🔥.

Age gap in a Romance book is my number 1 weakness and I got this here in bundles.  Chase has that broken damaged hero persona that was an emotional add to the story. There is a very valid reason to how he is and its not pretty.

And who can top author Hodel for suspense., she really kills me with all her plot twists then I just want to turn to the end page but a little control gets me to read the whole book.
I will definitely recommend this one here age gap Romance with very kinky hot steamy scenes...its really hot!
Profile Image for Charlene Alana  Henderson .
1,196 reviews34 followers
May 26, 2025
"The first time I met him, he spanked me. The second time, he kissed me. Now, he’s warning me to stay away."

This is the prequel to the lost souls MC series and it has me jumping at the bit for more. It's a quick read but still packs a little punch, getting you in the mood for there full story. It's my first time meeting these characters and I instantly loved them. I know you get to meet them more in the hodels order of ravens and wolves series ( which I need to go back and read).

Naomi is a queen bitch, she's rich and spoiled but don't let that fool you, she's one tough cookie and she will let you know it.

Chase is a hot ruthless biker and he knows what he wants and takes what he wants maybe you can say.

They both hate each other, but they are on each other like no ones business, they can't stay away. Their chemistry is hot and undeniable. But you know what they say love and hate have a thin line.

The characters, storyline and side characters are funny, great and very interesting, wonderfully written aswell. I couldn't put it down once I started and steam rolled into the next book right after this one. I couldn't wait to get more of their story. Highly recommend!!!!!!
Profile Image for Katelynn.
968 reviews30 followers
July 29, 2021
Adversaries is the mc romance featuring club president Chase and his feisty rich snob Naomi. Chase is after revenge for his family that was cruelly murdered 8 years prior by his own brother. Broken and struggling to move on, Chase hangs on by a thread. No one else realizes that someone else may also be broken and that is the snobby Naomi who hides any vulnerability she may have. These two play a game of push and pull where they both hate each other but still have undeniable chemistry. I loved the introduction of many of the sorority sisters and I smell some potential love matches with their biker counterparts. This series is easily going to be just as addictive as the other. I love how opposite these two characters are but how fundamentally their broken souls call to and genuinely need the other. I won't spoil anything but will say this does end in a cliffhanger and to be honest this book felt like it needed more than one book to tell Chase and Naomi's story. They have too much potential and heat left to call their story complete. So as much as it kills me I will be impatiently waiting for their next book!
Profile Image for Patti.
1,365 reviews19 followers
August 17, 2021
Definitely a slower pace than The Order of Ravens and Wolves series. I thought of DNF this book countless times and took several breaks from it.
Because I couldn't stand the fmc. She was rude, bitchy, and stuck-up. As Chase would say she was a cunt. I couldn't find anything nice or redeeming about her (except her protecting/helping her roommate who was roofied.) Also for some reason it annoyed when Naomi would talk about sleeping with Micha and Logan (in her chapters). Probably because I liked their characters and who they ended up with. Where as I couldn't stand Naomi in The Order of Ravens and Wolves books. Regardless of what she went through in the past, I still really didn't like her character. There were no details, but Ryker was involved so you can just imagine I guess. Ugh and all the nut grabbing...
But Chase I loved he's character. And probably the same reason why I didn't like Naomi. Because I liked him the the The Order of Ravens and Wolves books and the relationship he had with Riley.
Chapter 19 😢 when Tanner told Naomi what happened to Sam & Maddox.

Hope Preston, Tanner, and Mannix get their own books!
Profile Image for Stacey W.
129 reviews5 followers
April 9, 2025
Going into this book I wasn't real sure how I would like it. I had read Torent and Ashes by Dylan Page and then this and the second book Frenemies was recommended for me to read BEFORE I read Mercy in The Bleeding Hearts series. I absolutely LOVED this book. I laughed at the banter, loved both Naomi and Chase. I was sucked into his back story and wanting to know more of what occurred in her background. I hope Frenemies will explain that. I am totally rooting for them to get a happy ending since I feel they would make an excellent match. I was sad when the book called for it, a little worried at times as to what may have or was going to happen, but overall I just truly enjoyed this book. There is some spice, but that is not what the book was dedicated to and the storyline was not overshadowed by it. Please be aware of Trigger Warnings BEFORE you read this book. If you choose to read it, then don't blame the author for something you don't like after knowing what content you weren't going to like to begin with.
Profile Image for Deborah Peach.
697 reviews25 followers
October 2, 2025
Whooooeeee! Chase and Naomi strike sparks off each other every time they are in each other's vicinity. Talk about true enemies. These two couldn't say a nice thing to or about each other if you paid them a million dollars. The tension is off the charts—both physically and emotionally—and their chemistry leaps off the page. Witty banter follows them everywhere and through each encounter, no matter who is in the room with them: family, friends, or foes. I'm loving their characters. Passionate with a side of in-your-face anger. If they don't end one another, they're going to set the sheets on fire. Enemies come out of the woodwork when you're in an MC, so Chase expects the hostility, but not from the bombshell he's falling for despite everything he does to avoid her. Chase has a tragic background, and Naomi comes from a privileged social class. These two couldn't be any more opposite. Two economic backgrounds clash in the loudest of ways in Adversaries, proving you never know where your soulmate will come from.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,157 reviews4 followers
August 22, 2023
2.5 - 3 Stars

After reading Brooklyn Cross’s Malice and Surrender books I was excited to see Chase had a duet as well. I was skeptical about a different author writing the story. The storyline was good. I actually didn’t dislike Naomi the more I got to know her. She was not a favorite in Snake’s books. There is definitely more to her. I also liked Chase and was glad to get some background on him.
There were two things that led to my low stars. 1. Way, way too many typos, wrong words used, missing words, etc. It made it really hard to read the book at times. 2. Way too many name drops without any explanation as to who these people were. I am still unsure who Riley belongs to or all the other people mentioned around the Order, College and past events. I eventually got to the point of just pushing through instead of trying to figure out who was who. I am hoping book 2 is better.
Profile Image for Carmen.
732 reviews
September 23, 2021
I need more of T.L. Hodel!!!!

I'm not even mad that this book ended in a cliffhanger because there is so much unfinished with Chase story and Naomi story.... I can't wait to find out what she knows that they don't want him to find out.... I want Naomi deep dark Secrets.... The thing that annoys my is this author is so good, I can't get enough of her writing.... I want more of this story but at the same time I want more of The Order of Ravens and Wolves.... Again I really want Preston, more then anything.... But this book made me want Ava book just as bad but I don't think Tanner is a good fit for her, she needs someone that can handle her and it just seems like she will walk all over him.... She needs someone like Snake or Wilder.... Don't get me wrong I want Tanner's book too.... I want all this author can give me, I can't get enough....
Profile Image for Rachel.
789 reviews14 followers
June 2, 2023
𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 by T.L. Hodel⁣

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𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Chase and Naomi’s paths keep crossing even though they run in different circles. When Naomi ends up at the clubhouse against her will, things heat up. ⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ⁣I want to start by saying I read this book solely because it’s suggested to read prior to finishing the Bleeding Hearts series by Dylan Page. That said, it wasn’t for me. The prologue was great and I had some hope that I’d enjoy it after that, but 20% into the book and I felt confused and as though I was missing key information still. Also, the MCs are almost never together so it was weird when they were together and it just immediately went into spicy scenes. Preston, Tanner, and Ava are my favorites. They’re funny as all get out. I know my reading comprehension and memory are crap, but I truly don’t have much to say because this book has a lot going on while at the same time having nothing going on. It was a very quick read, at least!⁣
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#romancereader #teacherswhoread #bookreviews #happilyeverafter #bookrecommendations #bookreview #selfcare #reading
Profile Image for Kerrie Goodman.
389 reviews10 followers
July 28, 2021
Well chase is a pain in the backside!! you can just tell how much fun T.L Hodel had getting his story out of him!!


God I loved this book. Chase is soooo my kinda guy, dark and with a deliciously dirty side. But he's oh so very broken, almost at the very bottom.

Naomi is a bitch, but its the kind that's born out of a need to protect herself. Even if she doesn't realise it. When these two clash the sparks are gonna start an inferno!

Fans of the order of ravens and wolves will love the little bits that add to that story and the appearance of other characters. We also see more of Ava and god I love that girl!!

I've been deliberately vague because I don't want to spoil anything but this is a must read!
Profile Image for Kathyjacks.
Author 0 books145 followers
July 30, 2021
I have no idea what I just read

Unfortunately I had to dnf this at about 20%. I had no idea what was happening and it didn’t make sense to me . I got that Chase worked in a tattoo parlor , was possibly the owner , and had lost a woman and a kid. Naomi was the mayor’s spoiled rich daughter who treated people like they were the scum off of her shoes . I couldn’t tolerate her at all . Then there were a bunch of odd characters thrown in . Frat boys , sorority girls , a guy named Preston who was nuts , drove a sports car , and carried a sniper rifle with him . I wish I could have made sense of it because this author writes really good ott j/p heroes which are my jam . I just couldn’t . I may try her again later.
Profile Image for Tori Kleine .
260 reviews5 followers
February 21, 2022
She grows on you like a fungus

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶🌶🌶♟♟

When I was first introduced to Naomi in Aftereffect, she barely registered as more than "that bitch" on my radar. She grew on me like a fungus in Scartissue, but I never expected to actually like her. I totally cheered Chase on the first time he bent her over and royally spanked her. But in Adversaries, somehow. T.L. Hodel managed to turn it around. I don't know if it was the peek into Naomi's pain, her clear love for Ava (who, for the record, I absolutely and utterly adore) or the surprising compassion that she show Chase, but she turned into a helluva woman.

Chase was always hot, and I respected the hell out of him for his relationship with Riley. I really hope that we'll see his happy ever after soon. That man deserves it.
Profile Image for TheReadingDumby.
1,585 reviews
March 19, 2023
i really liked this one. it was good enough to have me interested in where the rest of the series will go, so i think i will probably check out hte next book at soem point in the future. i really loved the charcaters in this one, and even though they ddi some really questionable and fucked up stuff, i foudn it super fun and entertaining. ever sicne i read after effect i was really interested in seeing where chase and naomi's relationship would go, becuase that oen scene with the two of them was hot as hell. this did not disapoint. give it a read if you like lowkey taboo or forbidden books that have a bunch of kinks and smuttiness woven in. loved these two a lot, and i would one hundred percent read them again!
Profile Image for Lenka Laštincová.
95 reviews4 followers
July 30, 2021
Without shame, I can write that this was one of the best books I have read this year. Waiting for her was really worth it. But please continue as soon as possible. I wasn't ready for that end. Naomi is the type of heroine who is a real bitch but in such an amazing way. It has audacity, elegance, flair. He belongs to the people I want to hug, kill, slap at one time. And Chase? God, my broken man. I love its dominance. What's possessive .... And I can't forget ... I hope Ava and Tanner are the next couple and get a book. Because damn Ava is a psycho but I love her too. I need a trip with a tandem motorcycle.

Really hat down in front of the author. Her anti-heroes are the best.
Profile Image for ashtag_reads.
434 reviews38 followers
August 3, 2021
Amazing MC Romance!

I’ve been so excited for this book I’m so glad it is finally here! Age gap MC romance and so so good!

Naomi, you either love her or hate her. Her character was so amusing - there was literally never a dull moment with her around. She’s so strong and fierce it makes you wonder what she’s been through. Loved seeing her character develop!

Chase, I wish I could just hug this man. He’s been through hell and back and now it’s getting worse. He’s not what you would expect, but he is so well written. I love his thought processes. ((Doesn’t hurt that he is HOT))

Loved the story here and can’t wait to see where it goes!
Profile Image for Kelly Gregory.
1,835 reviews27 followers
August 3, 2021
Loved this!!

Oh this was so good!! This was a story full of action, heart break, danger and friendship! I didn't want it to end! I loved how the author can take a quite serious or dangerous scene and still manage to add some humour into it. Ava and Tanner supplying some of those laugh out loud moments!! I also loved having Micah and Riley pop up in certain scenes as well.
Chase was everything I was hoping for and more but I wasn't expecting his story to be so emotional or for him to be so conflicted....I literally cannot wait for the next book to see what happens with him and Naomi!!
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