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Otherwise Engaged
THAYER
I thought inventing a boyfriend would help get me out of trouble, but it landed me in more.
My little white lie put me in the crosshairs of Bennett Bradford. Satan in a suit. He might be easy on the eyes, but he's rough on the heart. I learned that one the hard way.
Suddenly, there's a gigantic rock on my left ring finger that's as fake as our relationship—but our chemistry is all too real.
At least there's no risk of me falling for him... right?
BENNETT
Thayer Montgomery sold me out back in high school, so I cut her out and never looked back.
Now my business is in peril, and I'll do whatever it takes to save it. Even if that means faking an engagement for a couple of months to repair my so-called reputation.
Luckily, I know the perfect pretend fiancée. Thayer would pass anyone's background check anywhere, any time. And getting revenge? Well, that’s just a bonus.
She might not want to play along with the charade, but I have leverage—and she won’t have a choice.
*
Author's Note: Otherwise Engaged is a high-heat, enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement standalone novel with a HEA and no cliffhanger.
I thought inventing a boyfriend would help get me out of trouble, but it landed me in more.
My little white lie put me in the crosshairs of Bennett Bradford. Satan in a suit. He might be easy on the eyes, but he's rough on the heart. I learned that one the hard way.
Suddenly, there's a gigantic rock on my left ring finger that's as fake as our relationship—but our chemistry is all too real.
At least there's no risk of me falling for him... right?
BENNETT
Thayer Montgomery sold me out back in high school, so I cut her out and never looked back.
Now my business is in peril, and I'll do whatever it takes to save it. Even if that means faking an engagement for a couple of months to repair my so-called reputation.
Luckily, I know the perfect pretend fiancée. Thayer would pass anyone's background check anywhere, any time. And getting revenge? Well, that’s just a bonus.
She might not want to play along with the charade, but I have leverage—and she won’t have a choice.
*
Author's Note: Otherwise Engaged is a high-heat, enemies-to-lovers, fake engagement standalone novel with a HEA and no cliffhanger.
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 2, 2021
717 people are currently reading
6203 people want to read
About the author
Avery Keelan
16 books4,985 followersAvery Keelan is a sports romance & adult contemporary romance author who writes hot hockey heroes you'll swoon for.
Her stories contain happily ever afters with lovable characters, snarky banter, and enough steam to fog up a mirror. Plus, of course, a hefty dose of drama and angst along the way.
When not writing, she's spending time with her family, watching hockey (obviously), or enjoying the great Canadian outdoors.
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Her stories contain happily ever afters with lovable characters, snarky banter, and enough steam to fog up a mirror. Plus, of course, a hefty dose of drama and angst along the way.
When not writing, she's spending time with her family, watching hockey (obviously), or enjoying the great Canadian outdoors.
Follow on Social Media to receive teasers, updates, sales and more:
Amazon Author Page
TikTok
BookBub
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 406 reviews
December 3, 2023
3.75 stars
Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers is a super rare trope, and whenever I get my hands on a book with this trope, I just become giddy! I love it so much 🥺 This trope brings so much angst with it. This book was a typical engagement of convenience book, but I enjoyed it.
➤ Thayer and Bennett are really hot together. I loved how they got into the beneficial contract even after not talking for 10 years, and it wasn't filled with hate or verbal bullying. It definitely had banter and a lot of misunderstandings, but nothing toxic. They were super cute together! 🤭
The smut is really hot, and I enjoyed how their rs slowly developed. Guessing the timeline, it was barely a month for them, but it felt like MONTHS. Bennett went from being a womanizer to being completely obsessed with her, and Thayer went from being ice-cold and heartbreaker to being smitten with him.
The only problem is info dumps. There are too many info dumps that, if I wasn't interested in their relationship, I would've stopped reading. The first chapters are supposed to be interesting, but here, it was filled with random conversation with a backstabbing bitch Millie. It has mentions of OW/OM but no cheating. Adam—Bennett's rival and Quinn's fiance—was such a piece of shit. I already hated Millie, and it turned out she was dating him. Quinn—Thayer's twin—was seriously so whiny and high-maintenance, and I didn't like how she wasn't even considering her sister's feelings. Even though she didn't do anything wrong by helping Adam because she was doing the same thing Thayer's been doing for Bennett, and it was out of love. Sadly for her, Adam was a bitchh.
There are a lot of errors in this story too. It should be edited and reduced🚶♀️
Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers is a super rare trope, and whenever I get my hands on a book with this trope, I just become giddy! I love it so much 🥺 This trope brings so much angst with it. This book was a typical engagement of convenience book, but I enjoyed it.
➤ Thayer and Bennett are really hot together. I loved how they got into the beneficial contract even after not talking for 10 years, and it wasn't filled with hate or verbal bullying. It definitely had banter and a lot of misunderstandings, but nothing toxic. They were super cute together! 🤭
The smut is really hot, and I enjoyed how their rs slowly developed. Guessing the timeline, it was barely a month for them, but it felt like MONTHS. Bennett went from being a womanizer to being completely obsessed with her, and Thayer went from being ice-cold and heartbreaker to being smitten with him.
The only problem is info dumps. There are too many info dumps that, if I wasn't interested in their relationship, I would've stopped reading. The first chapters are supposed to be interesting, but here, it was filled with random conversation with a backstabbing bitch Millie. It has mentions of OW/OM but no cheating. Adam—Bennett's rival and Quinn's fiance—was such a piece of shit. I already hated Millie, and it turned out she was dating him. Quinn—Thayer's twin—was seriously so whiny and high-maintenance, and I didn't like how she wasn't even considering her sister's feelings. Even though she didn't do anything wrong by helping Adam because she was doing the same thing Thayer's been doing for Bennett, and it was out of love. Sadly for her, Adam was a bitchh.
There are a lot of errors in this story too. It should be edited and reduced🚶♀️
May 27, 2023
3.75 stars
typical fake engagement story, but it was actually good & worth reading.
theres a bit of a misunderstanding. the H & h used to be childhood friends & (unknowingly) each others crush. something happened, and they become estranged/enemies.
theres a bit of an ex/OM drama. the H’s business rival was the h’s ex whos currently engaged to her sister, which later causes a strife between the two sisters.
i know #COMPLICATED. despite that, i never felt like it got to a point where it became messy & annoying. i liked how the conflict was resolved easily & effectively at the end.
the H & h just did it for me. i couldnt put it down, and their romance did me a solid.
(read as an audiobook)
typical fake engagement story, but it was actually good & worth reading.
theres a bit of a misunderstanding. the H & h used to be childhood friends & (unknowingly) each others crush. something happened, and they become estranged/enemies.
theres a bit of an ex/OM drama. the H’s business rival was the h’s ex whos currently engaged to her sister, which later causes a strife between the two sisters.
i know #COMPLICATED. despite that, i never felt like it got to a point where it became messy & annoying. i liked how the conflict was resolved easily & effectively at the end.
the H & h just did it for me. i couldnt put it down, and their romance did me a solid.
(read as an audiobook)
December 3, 2021
I loved Otherwise Engaged. From the very first page Thayer and Bennet’s story held me captive. The childhood friends to enemies to fake dating to real lovers was perfect. Otherwise Engaged is now in my top favorites.
Thayer and Bennet were two characters I could not help but relate to in many ways. I saw myself in Thayer, if that makes sense and Bennet was the perfect book boyfriend. The tension, the drama, the chemistry, the realistic portrayal of these characters and their relationship was *chef’s kiss*.
My words are failing to accurately describe how much I loved Thayer and Bennet’s story. I could not put down this book, but I also didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend this book. It’s a phenomenal debut and one I will most definitely reread.
Rating: ALL THE STARS!!!!
Thayer and Bennet were two characters I could not help but relate to in many ways. I saw myself in Thayer, if that makes sense and Bennet was the perfect book boyfriend. The tension, the drama, the chemistry, the realistic portrayal of these characters and their relationship was *chef’s kiss*.
My words are failing to accurately describe how much I loved Thayer and Bennet’s story. I could not put down this book, but I also didn’t want it to end. I highly recommend this book. It’s a phenomenal debut and one I will most definitely reread.
Rating: ALL THE STARS!!!!
October 1, 2022
For the most part it was the same old marriage of convenience with
A LOT
of drama between rich people, but the fact that it was between former childhood best friends who always had a crush on each other but were too shy to act on it, to strangers/hate to lovers made it ✨special✨ to me... It's just about giving the right feeling you know?
November 30, 2021
4.0 ⭐
Childhood friends to kind of enemies to fake dating to lovers. Literally the best trope ever. One of my new favorite books. It was filled with tension and the perfect amount of drama. Like that plot twist at the end had me speechless. This is one of those books you read in a day since you can't put it down. I found myself forcing myself to stop reading since I didn't want the book to end. Otherwise Engaged is one of Avery Keelan's best works. It's engaging and fun since the very start.
The entire relationship was perfect. The flashback moments were my favorite actually. Seeing little moments that they shared years back added to the present plot and added more tension to the romance. And don't get me started on Bennet. Avery never fails to create the perfect book boyfriend.
Childhood friends to kind of enemies to fake dating to lovers. Literally the best trope ever. One of my new favorite books. It was filled with tension and the perfect amount of drama. Like that plot twist at the end had me speechless. This is one of those books you read in a day since you can't put it down. I found myself forcing myself to stop reading since I didn't want the book to end. Otherwise Engaged is one of Avery Keelan's best works. It's engaging and fun since the very start.
The entire relationship was perfect. The flashback moments were my favorite actually. Seeing little moments that they shared years back added to the present plot and added more tension to the romance. And don't get me started on Bennet. Avery never fails to create the perfect book boyfriend.
July 18, 2023
Otherwise Engaged is a contemporary, fake engagement romance. This one caught my eye because, 1. I love this author’s hockey romances, and 2. this is a friends to enemies to lovers setup!
“But our first kiss was a fake kiss.”
“Was it? Because the only person I've been lying to is myself.”
The story opens with Thayer at a party and being hounded by her family and their friends about her being single and if she will bring a date to her sister’s upcoming wedding. Not only is her twin sister getting married, but she’s engaged to Thayer’s college ex-boyfriend. So Thayer ends up telling everyone she’s already been seeing someone and her (fake) boyfriend will be her dare to the wedding. Bennett ends up finding out and has a feeling Thayer is faking the boyfriend, so he offers up a fake relationship idea with him. He wants to get close to her sister’s fiancé as he is Bennett’s business rival too. There is the added layer of Bennett and Thayer being friends in the past, they all went to high school/prep school together and were close at one point before they fell apart and started to hate one another (miscommunication).
This one was just an okay fake engagement romance for me. The new cover is pretty and I do know this author can really work for me, I love her hockey romances I’ve read. But this one just fell kind of flat for me and I wasn’t sold on these characters or them as a couple sadly.
“But our first kiss was a fake kiss.”
“Was it? Because the only person I've been lying to is myself.”
The story opens with Thayer at a party and being hounded by her family and their friends about her being single and if she will bring a date to her sister’s upcoming wedding. Not only is her twin sister getting married, but she’s engaged to Thayer’s college ex-boyfriend. So Thayer ends up telling everyone she’s already been seeing someone and her (fake) boyfriend will be her dare to the wedding. Bennett ends up finding out and has a feeling Thayer is faking the boyfriend, so he offers up a fake relationship idea with him. He wants to get close to her sister’s fiancé as he is Bennett’s business rival too. There is the added layer of Bennett and Thayer being friends in the past, they all went to high school/prep school together and were close at one point before they fell apart and started to hate one another (miscommunication).
This one was just an okay fake engagement romance for me. The new cover is pretty and I do know this author can really work for me, I love her hockey romances I’ve read. But this one just fell kind of flat for me and I wasn’t sold on these characters or them as a couple sadly.
November 18, 2024
4⭐️
3🌶️
I think I found one of my new favorite tropes, friends-enemies- to lovers. It was fantastic and I think that the author did it beautifully. I will for sure be reading more of her stuff. I could not get enough. The only reason it’s 4 instead of 5 ⭐️’s is because the ending did leave me feeling much of anything.
However, I loved diving into the story of uptight Thayer and Mr. Party man Bennett. Their relationship started off fake of course, but I think it turned into something quite beautiful. What I would like to see though, is a third act break scene not caused by either miscommunication or no communication. I need something new something fresh that breaks them up.
I gotta say I did not like Thayer at first. She just came off as so uptight and uh I don’t know a nice word for it at the top of my head. She just was not my cup of tea, but the further I got into the story the more I grew to love her. She really is just a big softie on the inside well at least for one man and I can get behind that.
Other than that I thought it was a beautiful story and I think it’s totally underrated and more people should definitely be talking about it.
3🌶️
I think I found one of my new favorite tropes, friends-enemies- to lovers. It was fantastic and I think that the author did it beautifully. I will for sure be reading more of her stuff. I could not get enough. The only reason it’s 4 instead of 5 ⭐️’s is because the ending did leave me feeling much of anything.
However, I loved diving into the story of uptight Thayer and Mr. Party man Bennett. Their relationship started off fake of course, but I think it turned into something quite beautiful. What I would like to see though, is a third act break scene not caused by either miscommunication or no communication. I need something new something fresh that breaks them up.
I gotta say I did not like Thayer at first. She just came off as so uptight and uh I don’t know a nice word for it at the top of my head. She just was not my cup of tea, but the further I got into the story the more I grew to love her. She really is just a big softie on the inside well at least for one man and I can get behind that.
Other than that I thought it was a beautiful story and I think it’s totally underrated and more people should definitely be talking about it.
August 27, 2021
so, I’m waiting for this to be published, but 1. Avery is the best and it’s going to be 5 stars regardless. 2. The chapters I read on wattpad were so freaking good.
I’m obsessed with Bennett and Thayer.
I’m obsessed with Bennett and Thayer.
March 22, 2023
This book has three of my favourite tropes...fake dating, enemies to lovers and childhood friends.
I was so excited to get the chance to read an ARC copy of otherwise engaged, I read the start of it on Wattpad when it was up and I was so dying to read the rest of it.
Bennet and Thayer's romantic connection throughout the book had me in my enemies to lovers feels. It built up lots of great tension and of course that led to sex scenes. Avery's writing as always is amazing and their common enemy in the book easily became your common enemy too (cough cough Adam).
Thayer is such a strong willed character, which I love, she is very independent and I can relate to her a lot. However, she also has her vulnerabilities like we all do and i love how she shows them around Bennet. Bennet is another book boyfriend I wish was real, even when they were enemies his attention to Thayer, even just remembering she has panic attacks, was endearing. It was nice to see the dual POV in the book, getting a glimpse into both main characters thoughts and feelings.
I love how the book played out and I loved how in this enemies to lovers book there was a comedy aspect between the characters when they hated each other.
I was so excited to get the chance to read an ARC copy of otherwise engaged, I read the start of it on Wattpad when it was up and I was so dying to read the rest of it.
Bennet and Thayer's romantic connection throughout the book had me in my enemies to lovers feels. It built up lots of great tension and of course that led to sex scenes. Avery's writing as always is amazing and their common enemy in the book easily became your common enemy too (cough cough Adam).
Thayer is such a strong willed character, which I love, she is very independent and I can relate to her a lot. However, she also has her vulnerabilities like we all do and i love how she shows them around Bennet. Bennet is another book boyfriend I wish was real, even when they were enemies his attention to Thayer, even just remembering she has panic attacks, was endearing. It was nice to see the dual POV in the book, getting a glimpse into both main characters thoughts and feelings.
I love how the book played out and I loved how in this enemies to lovers book there was a comedy aspect between the characters when they hated each other.
March 19, 2023
This book had mixed reviews, so I wasn’t much sure about it. But I’m glad I picked it up. Lately I haven’t been having good luck with my ‘reads’ not much has been hitting, but okay-ish books are better than the ones I would end up trashing.
Anyway, it was nice enough to pastime. However, at times I felt it was dragging a little. But, the perfectionist, grumpy heroine made it a little okay. However, I wanted more from the epilogue
Anyway, it was nice enough to pastime. However, at times I felt it was dragging a little. But, the perfectionist, grumpy heroine made it a little okay. However, I wanted more from the epilogue
August 6, 2022
Honestly feeling lucky to have been picked as an ARC reader for this gem of a book. This book has been on my tbr ever since it was first put up on wattpad. I started reading this story with a lot of high expectations since I was familiar with Avery's writing style, and also having read several of her books including my all time fave Offside. I'm glad to say that miss maam did not disappoint. I loved loved loved the banter and sexual tension between Thayer and Bennett. Not to mention the fact that I am a complete *hoe* for the fake relationship trope + one bed trope. I knew right from the beginning that this would be one of those books that would live in my head rent free till the end of time - and boy, wasn't I right! The smut and chemistry was obv off the charts and I adored the way Bennett was soft for only and only Thay. The ending of the book was definitely satisfactory and made my heart melt with the scene in the epilogue. I cannot wait for this baby to be released and I would highly highly recommend you guys to buy this book - you won't regret it, I promise besties ;)
April 3, 2023
One of my favorite books this year for many reasons and one including how much I ADORE AND FREAKING LOVE BENNET. When he asked if she was about to have a panic attack to when he stood up for her because of Adam. Definitely read this I love the romance and drama.
My fav quotes:
-“We hate each other, remember?” His expression sobered, and he tilted my chin up to face him. “I never said I hated you. Not once.”
-“This definitely violates the agreement,” I murmured. “Fuck the agreement.”
My fav quotes:
-“We hate each other, remember?” His expression sobered, and he tilted my chin up to face him. “I never said I hated you. Not once.”
-“This definitely violates the agreement,” I murmured. “Fuck the agreement.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2023
Fake dating always hits the spot
July 20, 2025
4 stars
Childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers + fake engagement for rich people reasons? Sign me up!
I really liked the chemistry between Thayer and Bennett, which was basically irritation (at first) and also extreme attraction. 😅 No OTT animosity towards each other.
This was soapy, fun, and not that deep — exactly what I was in the mood for.
Childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers + fake engagement for rich people reasons? Sign me up!
I really liked the chemistry between Thayer and Bennett, which was basically irritation (at first) and also extreme attraction. 😅 No OTT animosity towards each other.
This was soapy, fun, and not that deep — exactly what I was in the mood for.
January 13, 2023
so li coded <3
February 4, 2023
it hurts me to give this book 3 stars bc i loved the characters and the plot line, there were just too many inconsistencies for me to lie and say it was well written, along with an alarming amount of typos. idk what the policy on kindle unlimited books is but i would think they’d be edited?? idk, inconsistencies and typos aside, i really enjoyed this book by the end of it.
March 7, 2024
4.5 for sureeeee. I loved this. Love avery keelan.
January 15, 2024
What did I just read?..... The scene where the MMC fantasies about the FMC's legs on his shoulders is so creepy. I didn't like anything about this book.
June 20, 2023
Nice I expected much more
January 1, 2022
I first read Offside by this author on Wattpad and I loved her writing style so when I got to know that she's publishing on Amazon, I dived into this book. The fake dating/ engagement trope is my absolute favourite and this book had everything I expected from it! Thayer & Bennett were highschool friends but a big misunderstanding lead to Bennett cutting off contact with Thayer without any explanation, fast-forward years later, they still run in the same friend's circle and Thayer's twin sister is getting married to Bennett's cousin brother. Thayer's dating life has been pretty dry but one accidental lie to her friends and family, and now she has to find a fake boyfriend to take as her date to her sister's wedding. Coincidentally, Bennet is facing a problem with an investor and he needs a girlfriend to prove that his life has some stability and correct his playboy image. Helping each other seems like the perfect solution for Thayer & Bennett but what will happen when the lines start to blur and they start breaking all their rules? You have to read the book to find out!
August 5, 2023
4.5
This one is the first book I've read about this author and I LOVED it. If you liked "My Dark Romeo" and are looking for something similar (banter, tension, fake dating between enemies), this one is for you!
The banter between Bennett and Thayer is exceptional and because of that the spicy scenes are so much better.
I would have liked it to be a series and not a standalone because I was curious about Quinn and Holden's story.
SPICE LEVEL: 2 🌶️
ON KU: yes
OW/OM drama: yes
HEA: yes
--
Tropes:
- childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
- fake dating
- drama and gossip girl vibes
This one is the first book I've read about this author and I LOVED it. If you liked "My Dark Romeo" and are looking for something similar (banter, tension, fake dating between enemies), this one is for you!
The banter between Bennett and Thayer is exceptional and because of that the spicy scenes are so much better.
I would have liked it to be a series and not a standalone because I was curious about Quinn and Holden's story.
SPICE LEVEL: 2 🌶️
ON KU: yes
OW/OM drama: yes
HEA: yes
--
Tropes:
- childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
- fake dating
- drama and gossip girl vibes
December 1, 2021
“It was like drowning while breathing, flying while falling, a blessing and a curse.”* Our leading lady, Thayer, may have used these words to describe something else entirely, but no words could better capture the experience that was reading Avery Keelan’s ‘Otherwise Engaged’ for the first time.
From the onset, Keelan demonstrates a keen awareness of what makes the perfect romance sizzle and pop. Both Thayer and Bennett are strong, relatable characters with an undeniable chemistry that singes upon each page. Not to mention the build up of angst, drama, and sex appeal that’ll leave you otherwise flustered. Every word, each whisper of a touch, and every possibility between Thayer and Bennett was executed perfectly and I found myself cheering them on through every obstacle and miscommunication that sought to rob them of their well deserved happily ever after - it was a true (and balanced) masterpiece of sugar, spice, and everything nice 💕
With a flair for dramatic realism, and a natural, well-defined voice - not to mention the skill behind one of the best first person dual POV’s and use of flashbacks that I’ve read - Keelan’s storytelling leaves much to be admired.
A vivid narrative laced with sexual tension, and a marriage of hope, history, and a natural chemistry culminate perfectly in this friends turned somewhat enemies turned fake to real lovers. This beautiful tale has got something for everyone - the cover and the chapter graphics are quite the lookers too!
I received an ARC copy of Otherwise Engaged in exchange for my honest review. 5⭐️
** A curse in the sense that time didn’t stand still, and that, simultaneously, their story was over all too quickly.
From the onset, Keelan demonstrates a keen awareness of what makes the perfect romance sizzle and pop. Both Thayer and Bennett are strong, relatable characters with an undeniable chemistry that singes upon each page. Not to mention the build up of angst, drama, and sex appeal that’ll leave you otherwise flustered. Every word, each whisper of a touch, and every possibility between Thayer and Bennett was executed perfectly and I found myself cheering them on through every obstacle and miscommunication that sought to rob them of their well deserved happily ever after - it was a true (and balanced) masterpiece of sugar, spice, and everything nice 💕
With a flair for dramatic realism, and a natural, well-defined voice - not to mention the skill behind one of the best first person dual POV’s and use of flashbacks that I’ve read - Keelan’s storytelling leaves much to be admired.
A vivid narrative laced with sexual tension, and a marriage of hope, history, and a natural chemistry culminate perfectly in this friends turned somewhat enemies turned fake to real lovers. This beautiful tale has got something for everyone - the cover and the chapter graphics are quite the lookers too!
I received an ARC copy of Otherwise Engaged in exchange for my honest review. 5⭐️
** A curse in the sense that time didn’t stand still, and that, simultaneously, their story was over all too quickly.
August 10, 2021
It’s not even finished yet and I love it. That’s it…that’s the review. But in all seriousness, whoever reads this you will love Thayer and will dislike Bennett for no reason, just because she hates him-makes sense with them being enemies- then grow to love him and you will definitely hate her ex with a passion. The tension in this book is palpable, I don’t think I’ve wanted two people to kiss more than them.
December 26, 2024
loved this book!! v cute and funny moments and the plot was pretty fun! i hate when the sibling to the mc is naive and rude to the MC when the MC is trying to help them out smh
December 2024 reread: I stand by my first review 🙌 LOVE! you don’t usually see a friends to enemies to lovers! The forced proximity and tension is JUST too good.
Tropes: billionaire/high society (kinda), friends to enemies to lovers, fake dating/marriage of convenience, one bed
December 2024 reread: I stand by my first review 🙌 LOVE! you don’t usually see a friends to enemies to lovers! The forced proximity and tension is JUST too good.
Tropes: billionaire/high society (kinda), friends to enemies to lovers, fake dating/marriage of convenience, one bed
March 25, 2025
Bennett, Bennett, Bennett 😮💨
Also, this whole thing just really hits the spot for me and I’m so happy I read this in the beginning of my reading era and got set on the right track 🤭
Avery Keelan, I hope we’ll get to read more of you soon, you are without a doubt one of my favorite authors! ❤️
Also, this whole thing just really hits the spot for me and I’m so happy I read this in the beginning of my reading era and got set on the right track 🤭
Avery Keelan, I hope we’ll get to read more of you soon, you are without a doubt one of my favorite authors! ❤️
January 1, 2022
Trope:
Friends to enemies to lovers:)
*Absolutely loved this book*
Friends to enemies to lovers:)
*Absolutely loved this book*
May 9, 2024
very nice read
August 12, 2025
Why did they have to get engaged?
It made no sense!
This book had a very strong start.
Mostly because of Thayer.
She wasn’t what I was expecting at all, but I honestly straight up loved her. And I kept loving her throughout the entire book.
I loved her personality, and I loved how she knew her worth and wasn’t scared to shoot down anyone who tried to bring her down.
She was also really good to Bennet without throwing herself all over him.
I liked how he was actually the one to pursue her more than she pursued him.
Cause he was the one in the wrong all those years ago!
I didn’t really understand all the corporate talk. So maybe Bennet had made all the right choices he could make when dealing with the trouble in his company.
But all I read was that he had used money he didn’t really have and almost drove his business to the ground.
It wasn’t all that flattering.
And it felt like he was lusting after her more than he was in love with her.
It just didn’t touch my heart you know?
It drove me a little crazy not knowing what this betrayal he believed Thayer had made was.
We discovered it soo late.
And it was so lame when I learned what it was.
Like, if he had just talked to her and asked her if she had talked about it, then everything would have been fine immediately.
Instead they went ten years hating each other. And he abandoned her when she actually needed him too.
There were so many ways people could find out about what had happened to Bennet’d father anyway. Not to mention how the news would have spread eventually.
I wanted to love Quinn because she seemed like a genuinely nice person when she was away from Millie. And I did like the vulnerable moments she had around Thayer.
But every time Thayer asked her anything of importance, Quinn would lie or evade, or make light of something. Then the conversation dropped or they got interrupted.
It was just annoying.
And when they finally had a conversation about everything, Quinn didn’t listen to a single word Thayer said.
It was even more annoying.
Apparently Bennet had trash talked Thayer to his brother, Holden. And Holden mentioned he even hated Thayer because of that trash talk.
We never saw Holden learn the truth. Or even the two of them interacting.
Like, Bennet owed Thayer a HUGE apology for basically spreading rumours about her to people in his life, to the point where they disliked her.
Agh.
They found out Millie was behind leaking the information about his father, and the affair with Adam. Yet she didn’t appear in the book again.
She was literally always there though the rest of the book, with her nose in everyone’s business, like and annoying gnat, and we don’t even get a confrontation?
Like I mentioned: There was no reason for them to get engaged.
Millie made up that she had heard rumours about Bennet and Thayer getting engaged. After they had told people they had been serious about each other for a month.
A month!
And Bennet responded saying they had been thinking about it. Which somehow translated to needing to buy a ring cause now everyone was talking about it.
They could have easily said they wanted to wait until after Quinn and Adam’s wedding. Or that they want to do it in the future.
Or, I don’t know, a million other things that make a lot more sense than being in a relationship for a month, and conveniently getting engaged when Bennet needs a business associate to sign over a bunch of money, but he values family, and Bennet is a playboy.
Christ.
Overall this was not a bad book, and it had potential.
But I was also just so aware of how far along on the page I was, and just wanted to skip to the next one.
Because it felt like so much unnecessary inner monologue, and descriptions.
Like, maybe they would look at something and start describing what that thing looked like when they were in the middle of a conversation.
Or they would sit down in the middle of the conversation and describe how the material felt or if the chair was soft and so on.
You get the memo?
Eventually it felt faster paced, but that was just because I didn’t read all the paragraphs where nothing happened.
And I didn’t miss anything by doing that.
It made no sense!
This book had a very strong start.
Mostly because of Thayer.
She wasn’t what I was expecting at all, but I honestly straight up loved her. And I kept loving her throughout the entire book.
I loved her personality, and I loved how she knew her worth and wasn’t scared to shoot down anyone who tried to bring her down.
She was also really good to Bennet without throwing herself all over him.
I liked how he was actually the one to pursue her more than she pursued him.
Cause he was the one in the wrong all those years ago!
I didn’t really understand all the corporate talk. So maybe Bennet had made all the right choices he could make when dealing with the trouble in his company.
But all I read was that he had used money he didn’t really have and almost drove his business to the ground.
It wasn’t all that flattering.
And it felt like he was lusting after her more than he was in love with her.
It just didn’t touch my heart you know?
It drove me a little crazy not knowing what this betrayal he believed Thayer had made was.
We discovered it soo late.
And it was so lame when I learned what it was.
Like, if he had just talked to her and asked her if she had talked about it, then everything would have been fine immediately.
Instead they went ten years hating each other. And he abandoned her when she actually needed him too.
There were so many ways people could find out about what had happened to Bennet’d father anyway. Not to mention how the news would have spread eventually.
I wanted to love Quinn because she seemed like a genuinely nice person when she was away from Millie. And I did like the vulnerable moments she had around Thayer.
But every time Thayer asked her anything of importance, Quinn would lie or evade, or make light of something. Then the conversation dropped or they got interrupted.
It was just annoying.
And when they finally had a conversation about everything, Quinn didn’t listen to a single word Thayer said.
It was even more annoying.
Apparently Bennet had trash talked Thayer to his brother, Holden. And Holden mentioned he even hated Thayer because of that trash talk.
We never saw Holden learn the truth. Or even the two of them interacting.
Like, Bennet owed Thayer a HUGE apology for basically spreading rumours about her to people in his life, to the point where they disliked her.
Agh.
They found out Millie was behind leaking the information about his father, and the affair with Adam. Yet she didn’t appear in the book again.
She was literally always there though the rest of the book, with her nose in everyone’s business, like and annoying gnat, and we don’t even get a confrontation?
Like I mentioned: There was no reason for them to get engaged.
Millie made up that she had heard rumours about Bennet and Thayer getting engaged. After they had told people they had been serious about each other for a month.
A month!
And Bennet responded saying they had been thinking about it. Which somehow translated to needing to buy a ring cause now everyone was talking about it.
They could have easily said they wanted to wait until after Quinn and Adam’s wedding. Or that they want to do it in the future.
Or, I don’t know, a million other things that make a lot more sense than being in a relationship for a month, and conveniently getting engaged when Bennet needs a business associate to sign over a bunch of money, but he values family, and Bennet is a playboy.
Christ.
Overall this was not a bad book, and it had potential.
But I was also just so aware of how far along on the page I was, and just wanted to skip to the next one.
Because it felt like so much unnecessary inner monologue, and descriptions.
Like, maybe they would look at something and start describing what that thing looked like when they were in the middle of a conversation.
Or they would sit down in the middle of the conversation and describe how the material felt or if the chair was soft and so on.
You get the memo?
Eventually it felt faster paced, but that was just because I didn’t read all the paragraphs where nothing happened.
And I didn’t miss anything by doing that.
November 26, 2021
Wow! This was a really realistically written romance which I enjoyed a lot.
Thayer and Bennet's entire relationship was a rollercoaster of unexpressed love, steam, sexual tension and laughter. I loved the energy these two had while roasting each other. It was epic. XD
Thayer as a character was absolutely notable! She was strong enough to stand up for herself and not take shit from people while also having a reasonable soft spot for her sister even though I really wanted her to give Quinn an earful.
Believe me, I was this close to getting inside the book and ripping out Quinn's heart every time she stepped over Thayer.
Bennet...oh my Bennet!! This dude was so adorable and I couldn't help but feel sympathetic to him. The way he was struggling with his company and the way he couldn't trust anyone around him was so relatable. I felt so sorry every time things messed up for him. Towards the end, I was more focused on him getting his money back than his romance with Thayer. Poor guy went through hell but his sense of humor was intact.
Cases on point:
Now, apart from the humor, the tension between the characters was so well-done. I had my heart beating in my throat at the slow burn intensity between these two. And when the entire story finally came out about why their relationship went downhill in highschool, I felt so sad for both of them. Thayer and Bennet's emotional moments were the highlights definitely.
Overall, this was a pretty entertaining story but I wish it had little less monologues and more scenes between the main couple. There were a couple of chapters were Bennet's financial problems where so overly detailed that I lost track of the real story.
Apart from that, this is a sweet debut novel for Avery Keelan. I can't wait to read more of her works!
Many thanks to the author for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thayer and Bennet's entire relationship was a rollercoaster of unexpressed love, steam, sexual tension and laughter. I loved the energy these two had while roasting each other. It was epic. XD
Thayer as a character was absolutely notable! She was strong enough to stand up for herself and not take shit from people while also having a reasonable soft spot for her sister even though I really wanted her to give Quinn an earful.
Believe me, I was this close to getting inside the book and ripping out Quinn's heart every time she stepped over Thayer.
Bennet...oh my Bennet!! This dude was so adorable and I couldn't help but feel sympathetic to him. The way he was struggling with his company and the way he couldn't trust anyone around him was so relatable. I felt so sorry every time things messed up for him. Towards the end, I was more focused on him getting his money back than his romance with Thayer. Poor guy went through hell but his sense of humor was intact.
Cases on point:
“Beg you for it?” She barked with a laugh. “Hate to break it to you, but you're not my type either.”
“Because I actually exist?”
There were at least dozen women in my contacts list who would volunteer for this job. Problem is, they'd want a permanent position with a promotion to wife in the future, and I wasn't hiring.
Now, apart from the humor, the tension between the characters was so well-done. I had my heart beating in my throat at the slow burn intensity between these two. And when the entire story finally came out about why their relationship went downhill in highschool, I felt so sad for both of them. Thayer and Bennet's emotional moments were the highlights definitely.
Overall, this was a pretty entertaining story but I wish it had little less monologues and more scenes between the main couple. There were a couple of chapters were Bennet's financial problems where so overly detailed that I lost track of the real story.
Apart from that, this is a sweet debut novel for Avery Keelan. I can't wait to read more of her works!
Many thanks to the author for giving me an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2021
Rating: 4.5/5
Smut: 3/5
I loved this book!
Going into the book, I knew what I was going to experience in terms of writing and writing style. this isn't my first read of the author and so going into it I knew I would like the writing. and she did not disappoint. The pace and writing style was perfect in my opinion. I really loved the glimpses we got into the past chapters. I did find 2-3 grammatical/spelling errors.
The story was a typical enemies to lovers. I loved the the chemistry and back and fourth between Bennett and Thayer. Their duelling witty bordering hate and love banter was hilarious.
While I know this book is a Wattpad story turned published, it was my first time read. And I have to say the drama storyline I wasn't expecting but I truly loved it. I was captivated from start to end.
I feel like Thayer was a really relatable character for me, in terms of family dynamic issues, self confidence etc, which I really liked.
The ending was very satisfying, because who doesn't love a strong arming face-off?! I mean, that scene in the office with team Bennett vs dickward I mean Adam was my favourite.
What I did find frustrating was this whole misunderstanding where both Bennett and Thayer liked each other as kids. But due to misunderstanding, lack of communication and bitch manipulation they both thought that one didn't like the other. I just wanted to shake them and make them talk it out. but that is part of the story I guess.
Overall, a thoroughly well written and captivating drama filled story I would highly recommend.
ARC provided for an honest review.
Smut: 3/5
I loved this book!
Going into the book, I knew what I was going to experience in terms of writing and writing style. this isn't my first read of the author and so going into it I knew I would like the writing. and she did not disappoint. The pace and writing style was perfect in my opinion. I really loved the glimpses we got into the past chapters. I did find 2-3 grammatical/spelling errors.
The story was a typical enemies to lovers. I loved the the chemistry and back and fourth between Bennett and Thayer. Their duelling witty bordering hate and love banter was hilarious.
While I know this book is a Wattpad story turned published, it was my first time read. And I have to say the drama storyline I wasn't expecting but I truly loved it. I was captivated from start to end.
I feel like Thayer was a really relatable character for me, in terms of family dynamic issues, self confidence etc, which I really liked.
The ending was very satisfying, because who doesn't love a strong arming face-off?! I mean, that scene in the office with team Bennett vs dickward I mean Adam was my favourite.
What I did find frustrating was this whole misunderstanding where both Bennett and Thayer liked each other as kids. But due to misunderstanding, lack of communication and bitch manipulation they both thought that one didn't like the other. I just wanted to shake them and make them talk it out. but that is part of the story I guess.
Overall, a thoroughly well written and captivating drama filled story I would highly recommend.
ARC provided for an honest review.
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