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Exception Duet #1
Exception
I'm Ali Hayes, a world-famous singer and actress with everything I could ever want...except maybe them.
Years of enviable friendship with the most eligible bachelors of New York? Check.
Strange growing possessiveness from my guys and blurring lines? Check.
Stirring feelings while I’m desperately holding on for fear of losing our friendship? Oh, absolutely.
When I’ve barely had more than one serious, disastrous relationship, how could I handle my growing attraction to all of them? And the guys are acting strange as well. Playboys abandoning their lifestyle, hot and cold kisses, smouldering glances…
Things start kicking into high gear when a secret stalker reveals themselves and my security team scrambles to guarantee my safety. Suddenly my guys are overwhelmingly protective. Alpha. Dominant. And everything starts to change.
SAFETY SQUAD: This is a New Adult reverse harem book, meaning there are multiple love interests for our heroine and she doesn't have to choose. Medium burn, guaranteed HEA by the end of the duet, and absolutely no cheating (and no OW drama, woo!). Just gorgeous men with eyes only for their woman.
Years of enviable friendship with the most eligible bachelors of New York? Check.
Strange growing possessiveness from my guys and blurring lines? Check.
Stirring feelings while I’m desperately holding on for fear of losing our friendship? Oh, absolutely.
When I’ve barely had more than one serious, disastrous relationship, how could I handle my growing attraction to all of them? And the guys are acting strange as well. Playboys abandoning their lifestyle, hot and cold kisses, smouldering glances…
Things start kicking into high gear when a secret stalker reveals themselves and my security team scrambles to guarantee my safety. Suddenly my guys are overwhelmingly protective. Alpha. Dominant. And everything starts to change.
SAFETY SQUAD: This is a New Adult reverse harem book, meaning there are multiple love interests for our heroine and she doesn't have to choose. Medium burn, guaranteed HEA by the end of the duet, and absolutely no cheating (and no OW drama, woo!). Just gorgeous men with eyes only for their woman.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2021
106 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
L. Miles
5 books23 followersI write reverse harem romance. My men will never cheat, are possessive and protective, and love our heroine until the last of their days.
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Facebook and Amazon notifications can be wonky. I recommend signing up for my newsletter to get timely updates!
lmilesauthor.substack.com
Otherwise, I have a Facebook group and page. Thank you for taking the time to consider my books and happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 24, 2022
Dnf 42%. The love interests blurred together, the MC was so willfully oblivious it bordered on TSTL, and we had tons of time skips between chapters without any warning. All of that combined to make this book hard dor me to engage with.
not-interested
December 2, 2021Not safe. Friends to lovers and she sees the men dating other women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2022
3.5 ⭐️ Good but I’m confused
I enjoyed Ali’s story and the fact they all were friends first and foremost. They had a good group dynamics and I like each character’s personality. I also appreciate that they are taking their time transitioning from friends to lovers in a believable way. I even liked the mystery of Pendulum and Hannah/Adam in the storyline.
Where I’m a bit more on the fence is in the writing style and the timeline. I felt like I was missing some of the backstories and connections between the characters when it was presented like I should already know about it (like maybe this is a spin-off but I didn’t see any warning of that). So I spent some time going back trying to see if I missed the info or something. It was a bit distracting.
I’m also completely lost on the timeline here. I feel like it’s somewhere between 1 month and 1 year. A bit more clarity would’ve been nice.
And finally I have no idea how old they all are which strikes me as weird regarding some of the contents. And it’s really bugging me (ahh the small things the mind can obsess over).
All in all a good story and I’m interested in the second part of the duet so I’ll keep an eye out for it.
I enjoyed Ali’s story and the fact they all were friends first and foremost. They had a good group dynamics and I like each character’s personality. I also appreciate that they are taking their time transitioning from friends to lovers in a believable way. I even liked the mystery of Pendulum and Hannah/Adam in the storyline.
Where I’m a bit more on the fence is in the writing style and the timeline. I felt like I was missing some of the backstories and connections between the characters when it was presented like I should already know about it (like maybe this is a spin-off but I didn’t see any warning of that). So I spent some time going back trying to see if I missed the info or something. It was a bit distracting.
I’m also completely lost on the timeline here. I feel like it’s somewhere between 1 month and 1 year. A bit more clarity would’ve been nice.
And finally I have no idea how old they all are which strikes me as weird regarding some of the contents. And it’s really bugging me (ahh the small things the mind can obsess over).
All in all a good story and I’m interested in the second part of the duet so I’ll keep an eye out for it.
December 1, 2021
I wrote this one.
My first book, I'm still reeling from it. There's a long road ahead, but I'm excited to write more.
Thank you for taking the time to read Exception, regardless of whether or not you enjoyed it. All the best to you, may you have a fantastic holiday season! 🎄
(Unless you're reading this from far in the future, then I hope you have a great day!) 🥳
My first book, I'm still reeling from it. There's a long road ahead, but I'm excited to write more.
Thank you for taking the time to read Exception, regardless of whether or not you enjoyed it. All the best to you, may you have a fantastic holiday season! 🎄
(Unless you're reading this from far in the future, then I hope you have a great day!) 🥳
January 31, 2022
This book felt very disjointed and choppy. I loved the premise -- Ali (the FMC) has been close friends with all the guys for some years and now some of the men are waking up and have decided to stake a claim. Friends to lovers is always lovely because they already have an established relationship and know each other well. And when you know each other that well, you see the truest facets of the other person, so why wouldn't you fall for them?
But the writing doesn't do a very good job of connecting scenes and events. It felt like we were constantly jumping from one thing to another. The choppy writing made it difficult for me to understand and see the developing relationships between Ali and the guys.
One of the things I wanted to know was why have some of them decided to go after Ali? Why now? There was no catalyst to make them suddenly decide, after years of friendship, that this was the time. I also couldn't understand why Luca didn't just come right out and tell Ali what he wanted, like Wesley and Finn did. There's all this dancing around the bush and hinting of deep secrets and he never presses Ali to explain? Really?
Another inconsistency: at the beginning, Ali says that "words are our thing" between her and Wesley, that they try to trip each other up by using uncommon words in their conversations. Yet we see nothing of that throughout the book. It never happens again.
The author tried to create conflict by hinting at something in Ali's past and also by creating a stalker/serial killer scenario. Yet the attempts to build up the tension fell a bit flat. There's a lot of talking about the stalker and talking about the serial murders that have taken place, talking about increasing security, but so much talking... very much tell and no show, which means we don't get to feel any sort of fear or worry from Ali or the guys.
I think that's a big issue with this book. Too much talking and not enough showing or action. I didn't see enough escalation in the stalker scenario to take it seriously or to really believe that Ali was in danger. Theo, one of the guys, keeps hinting that things have been happening or that he has some kind of information, but he doesn't share it, so we can't figure out what there is to worry about.
I didn't feel emotions between the guys and Ali, either. The impression I'm getting is that Ali is aloof and closed up, since it appears that she hasn't told them anything about her past. So how can they be such close friends? What is the friendship built on? What do they talk about?Text messages fly around and she randomly drops in at their offices to see them whenever she feels like it, so there is an implied closeness but we don't know what the basis of it is. How did Ali even meet the guys? How did their unlikely friendship form? There's zero backstory; I didn't see any of them refer to the way they met or how they got to be so close. How did the guys themselves meet? Were they already a unit when they met Ali, or did she pull them together somehow? Nothing, nada. I have no idea.
I never like it when the guys have been manwhores prior to meeting their girl, and it's even worse when they have been manwhores while knowing her. I mean, even though they weren't in a relationship and she didn't have those kinds of feelings for them at that point, Ali did see how Finn and Theo went through women and it stands to reason that she'd be doubtful about their ability to remain faithful, as well as feel insecure that she could be "enough" for them.
There are also way too many people mentioned in this book, a lot of superfluous characters that you try to remember because you think they might be important later, but they aren't. Simone, a close friend who also happens to be Luca's sister, is mentioned twice but is dead weight and doesn't do anything in the book. There is Ali's PA, Ryan, her private investigator, Lincoln, her head of security, Xander, her security guards, Bryson, Mona, Cas, and Lillian, someone named Saige, Wesley's brother Preston, and... yes, just way too many people who weren't important and didn't play any part in the story. Even Finn's two bodyguards are named, and for what? Just because they escort Ali up to Finn's apartment?
I'm sad that once again, a great premise has resulted in a disappointing story due to poor execution.
But the writing doesn't do a very good job of connecting scenes and events. It felt like we were constantly jumping from one thing to another. The choppy writing made it difficult for me to understand and see the developing relationships between Ali and the guys.
One of the things I wanted to know was why have some of them decided to go after Ali? Why now? There was no catalyst to make them suddenly decide, after years of friendship, that this was the time. I also couldn't understand why Luca didn't just come right out and tell Ali what he wanted, like Wesley and Finn did. There's all this dancing around the bush and hinting of deep secrets and he never presses Ali to explain? Really?
Another inconsistency: at the beginning, Ali says that "words are our thing" between her and Wesley, that they try to trip each other up by using uncommon words in their conversations. Yet we see nothing of that throughout the book. It never happens again.
The author tried to create conflict by hinting at something in Ali's past and also by creating a stalker/serial killer scenario. Yet the attempts to build up the tension fell a bit flat. There's a lot of talking about the stalker and talking about the serial murders that have taken place, talking about increasing security, but so much talking... very much tell and no show, which means we don't get to feel any sort of fear or worry from Ali or the guys.
I think that's a big issue with this book. Too much talking and not enough showing or action. I didn't see enough escalation in the stalker scenario to take it seriously or to really believe that Ali was in danger. Theo, one of the guys, keeps hinting that things have been happening or that he has some kind of information, but he doesn't share it, so we can't figure out what there is to worry about.
I didn't feel emotions between the guys and Ali, either. The impression I'm getting is that Ali is aloof and closed up, since it appears that she hasn't told them anything about her past. So how can they be such close friends? What is the friendship built on? What do they talk about?Text messages fly around and she randomly drops in at their offices to see them whenever she feels like it, so there is an implied closeness but we don't know what the basis of it is. How did Ali even meet the guys? How did their unlikely friendship form? There's zero backstory; I didn't see any of them refer to the way they met or how they got to be so close. How did the guys themselves meet? Were they already a unit when they met Ali, or did she pull them together somehow? Nothing, nada. I have no idea.
I never like it when the guys have been manwhores prior to meeting their girl, and it's even worse when they have been manwhores while knowing her. I mean, even though they weren't in a relationship and she didn't have those kinds of feelings for them at that point, Ali did see how Finn and Theo went through women and it stands to reason that she'd be doubtful about their ability to remain faithful, as well as feel insecure that she could be "enough" for them.
There are also way too many people mentioned in this book, a lot of superfluous characters that you try to remember because you think they might be important later, but they aren't. Simone, a close friend who also happens to be Luca's sister, is mentioned twice but is dead weight and doesn't do anything in the book. There is Ali's PA, Ryan, her private investigator, Lincoln, her head of security, Xander, her security guards, Bryson, Mona, Cas, and Lillian, someone named Saige, Wesley's brother Preston, and... yes, just way too many people who weren't important and didn't play any part in the story. Even Finn's two bodyguards are named, and for what? Just because they escort Ali up to Finn's apartment?
I'm sad that once again, a great premise has resulted in a disappointing story due to poor execution.
August 30, 2022
**Please note: I always try not to spoiler, but I can never guarantee it, that there is none. So, be aware and read with cautious.**
I found this book in one of my groups, where someone asks for recommendations for best friends to lovers theme. I like this setting too, so I wanted to read it. Though, I normally read more paranormal books than contemporary ones. Or contemporary mixed with paranormal elements.
But every to often, I like to read contemporary, as you see. So, back to topic. This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfect either. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect perfect. And it is impossible for every author to write something, that makes everyone happy. That's naturally the reason the opinions in reviews differ regularly.
The book was interesting enough, that I kept going. Though, I had moments where I thought about quitting. Mostly because of the FMC, because I just hate it, when characters don't acknowledge the truth and act like “when I don't look at it, it isn't there”. Which is simply stupid. Sure, I get the mentality behind it. It's not, that she is dumb or anything. She had obviously some traumatic events in her life, and isn't fully recovered. And so it's easier for her to run away from the issues, than facing them. But that can only working for so long, before it crashes. Like it did. But still, I'm not a fan of reading about that.
The other issues, I had with this book, are the time jumps between chapters and that there isn't a lot about the background of the characters. So, I never truly know about the timeline and how much time passes between each chapter. Furthermore, the story doesn't feel really fluently sometimes, because it's just a string of different visits/events and a lot of information is left out. So, you keep guessing a lot during the read, even though it sounds like you should know it already.
And really I just like to have the entire picture. Including the backgrounds and how characters have met.
That were my main issues. The only slightly negative point were for me the mass of characters, who are added to the story. I'm one of those readers, who makes a list during the read, so that I can't forget the information about each character. But it really is a lot, and most of the characters don't have an active role or are never mentioned again. I can imagine for readers, who don't keep lists, it is confusing.
But okay. I still like the plot and the mystery behind it. I like the friendship/dynamics between Ali and the guys. And how possessive and protective they are of her. Though, I still don't understand why they want her and what changed their view. Like I said: Missing background. And Pendulum was a good plot twist, too.
So, that's it for now. I would rate it between 3.5 to 4 stars. Though, because I can't give half stars, I round it up to 4.
I found this book in one of my groups, where someone asks for recommendations for best friends to lovers theme. I like this setting too, so I wanted to read it. Though, I normally read more paranormal books than contemporary ones. Or contemporary mixed with paranormal elements.
But every to often, I like to read contemporary, as you see. So, back to topic. This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't perfect either. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect perfect. And it is impossible for every author to write something, that makes everyone happy. That's naturally the reason the opinions in reviews differ regularly.
The book was interesting enough, that I kept going. Though, I had moments where I thought about quitting. Mostly because of the FMC, because I just hate it, when characters don't acknowledge the truth and act like “when I don't look at it, it isn't there”. Which is simply stupid. Sure, I get the mentality behind it. It's not, that she is dumb or anything. She had obviously some traumatic events in her life, and isn't fully recovered. And so it's easier for her to run away from the issues, than facing them. But that can only working for so long, before it crashes. Like it did. But still, I'm not a fan of reading about that.
The other issues, I had with this book, are the time jumps between chapters and that there isn't a lot about the background of the characters. So, I never truly know about the timeline and how much time passes between each chapter. Furthermore, the story doesn't feel really fluently sometimes, because it's just a string of different visits/events and a lot of information is left out. So, you keep guessing a lot during the read, even though it sounds like you should know it already.
And really I just like to have the entire picture. Including the backgrounds and how characters have met.
That were my main issues. The only slightly negative point were for me the mass of characters, who are added to the story. I'm one of those readers, who makes a list during the read, so that I can't forget the information about each character. But it really is a lot, and most of the characters don't have an active role or are never mentioned again. I can imagine for readers, who don't keep lists, it is confusing.
But okay. I still like the plot and the mystery behind it. I like the friendship/dynamics between Ali and the guys. And how possessive and protective they are of her. Though, I still don't understand why they want her and what changed their view. Like I said: Missing background. And Pendulum was a good plot twist, too.
So, that's it for now. I would rate it between 3.5 to 4 stars. Though, because I can't give half stars, I round it up to 4.
February 1, 2023
Not my usually type of read, and yet, I could barely put it down!
As I put in the headline, this is somehow not like my usual reads. As the reader, you're kept in the dark almost the entire time about what's going on with Ali (the main female character) and the security risk that clearly seems to be going on that no one is telling her about. You're ALSO kept in the dark about a mystery guy who is brought up by Ali a bunch of times, but CLEARLY was important to her somehow, and is getting in her way of her friendship - and possibly more than friendship - with her friend, Luca. We get more and more clues as the book goes on, along with the characters involved. It's really cool how it's set up, almost like a murder mystery! Only the author, the killer, and in this case, also her head of security and a couple of her guy friends, know who it is.
Again, I've never read a book like it before. It APPEARS like it should be slow going, plot wise, and yet, I don't get that feeling at all. I'm really enjoying it!
I encourage you to give it a go! It's different in so many ways, unique, and you may just enjoy it! :)
Also: The "About the author" at the end is freaking hilarious. She sounds like my kind of person!
As I put in the headline, this is somehow not like my usual reads. As the reader, you're kept in the dark almost the entire time about what's going on with Ali (the main female character) and the security risk that clearly seems to be going on that no one is telling her about. You're ALSO kept in the dark about a mystery guy who is brought up by Ali a bunch of times, but CLEARLY was important to her somehow, and is getting in her way of her friendship - and possibly more than friendship - with her friend, Luca. We get more and more clues as the book goes on, along with the characters involved. It's really cool how it's set up, almost like a murder mystery! Only the author, the killer, and in this case, also her head of security and a couple of her guy friends, know who it is.
Again, I've never read a book like it before. It APPEARS like it should be slow going, plot wise, and yet, I don't get that feeling at all. I'm really enjoying it!
I encourage you to give it a go! It's different in so many ways, unique, and you may just enjoy it! :)
Also: The "About the author" at the end is freaking hilarious. She sounds like my kind of person!
January 1, 2022
Loved the story
Loved so much of this but there were some things that made me wanna yell at my tablet. Most of my issues though stem from it feel like chapters were missing or just parts not connecting right. Like one moment they're talking about their relationship, then they're ducking then somehow they're living together.... There wasn't a lot of the follow up and sometimes that's great since some authors get caught up in their descriptions of everything. I don't think this author did that but had the right amount of description just needed more content. Just a little
discombobulating with the small disconnects. I'm stoked to see what happens next though and hopefully the strings of things will become clearer in the next book. 😍
Loved so much of this but there were some things that made me wanna yell at my tablet. Most of my issues though stem from it feel like chapters were missing or just parts not connecting right. Like one moment they're talking about their relationship, then they're ducking then somehow they're living together.... There wasn't a lot of the follow up and sometimes that's great since some authors get caught up in their descriptions of everything. I don't think this author did that but had the right amount of description just needed more content. Just a little
discombobulating with the small disconnects. I'm stoked to see what happens next though and hopefully the strings of things will become clearer in the next book. 😍
March 10, 2022
Well written and compelling
I'm surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. I usually prefer more action oriented tales, and this one was more character and relationship driven. There was something, and I'm still not sure how to articulate it, but there was something compelling about these five individuals and the ties that bind them together. I read it the first time soon after it was released, and the cliffhanger left me ... well, hanging. Rereading it, I enjoyed it even more than the first time, and I'm eager to dive into book 2.
I'm surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. I usually prefer more action oriented tales, and this one was more character and relationship driven. There was something, and I'm still not sure how to articulate it, but there was something compelling about these five individuals and the ties that bind them together. I read it the first time soon after it was released, and the cliffhanger left me ... well, hanging. Rereading it, I enjoyed it even more than the first time, and I'm eager to dive into book 2.
September 6, 2024
I enjoyed this book and loved the characters. The development of their relationships was done really well and made for a cute story. I was very lost with the timeline jumps between chapters. While I appreciated being told where each chapter was taking place, a time jump indication would be nice, too. There were places during the story that I felt lost, like I missed a prequel, which made it quite confusing at times. Overall, the book was written really well, and I enjoyed it!
December 4, 2021
Hooked all the way
I was so enthralled by this book from the start. Each of the characters had so so many layers to them and it just felt like such a deep story because of it. It's very very common in RH novels for the guys to have no personality beyond the surface and L. Miles did a fantastic job of actually developing them. I'm super excited for the next one!
I was so enthralled by this book from the start. Each of the characters had so so many layers to them and it just felt like such a deep story because of it. It's very very common in RH novels for the guys to have no personality beyond the surface and L. Miles did a fantastic job of actually developing them. I'm super excited for the next one!
December 5, 2021
interesting
This book definitely has a lot of time jumps of days and weeks at a time. It makes it feel like you should be missing a bunch. But when you think of real relationships it’s probably pretty accurate. I want more character development, it felt hard to get to know everyone.
This book definitely has a lot of time jumps of days and weeks at a time. It makes it feel like you should be missing a bunch. But when you think of real relationships it’s probably pretty accurate. I want more character development, it felt hard to get to know everyone.
January 19, 2022
This book was deliciously addictive. I binged it in one sitting and am desperate for the next! The men are alpha, sexy and downright mouthwatering. I loved that the book has depth to it past the relationships and am excited for all of the pieces to fall together. Great read if you are looking for something that is filled with suspense, steam and 4 devotedly possessive men.
March 28, 2024
This book was so confusing. It skips time often without any explanation and the characters feel half developed and awkward. I never quite knew where we were or what was happening. The storyline while moving felt stilted and very choppy. Won’t be reading the second one
December 5, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good read.. love Ali and her guys.. I can't wait for book 2.. waiting not so patiently to be released. Great book!
Good read.. love Ali and her guys.. I can't wait for book 2.. waiting not so patiently to be released. Great book!
December 6, 2021
Exception is the first book in a brand new duet by L. Miles. I loved the concept, and the cover and the blurb are intriguing. Just one-click this baby!!
December 8, 2021
Good book
I really like this book all the characters are well written I enjoy the storyline and can't wait for the next book
I really like this book all the characters are well written I enjoy the storyline and can't wait for the next book
November 4, 2022
Oh wow!
Loved this book! I bit more into all their backgrounds would have been great, however, the story is still good.
What a cliff hanger!!! Can’t wait to start book 2!
Loved this book! I bit more into all their backgrounds would have been great, however, the story is still good.
What a cliff hanger!!! Can’t wait to start book 2!
November 12, 2022
***4.5 stars***
April 14, 2024
Dnf @ 30% the writing is everywhere. Nothing flows together, and the plot is very wishywashy. I want to find out what happens but I can’t bare it anymore.
April 28, 2024
2.75⭐️ Nothing really happened in this book, kinda boring. The writing was all over the place. But I’m gonna read book 2 because i want to know what happens to Luca. Hopefully it will be better 🤞
March 17, 2023
1.25 stars:
This was incredibly boring. Nothing really happened and the attempt at a plot was just confusing and dull. There were barely any scenes where the characters interacted with each other, especially not all five on them - and I’m not even talking about being intimate. Although in that regard this book disappointed as well, epically. The only character I liked was Wesley and tbh he didn’t do much.
This was incredibly boring. Nothing really happened and the attempt at a plot was just confusing and dull. There were barely any scenes where the characters interacted with each other, especially not all five on them - and I’m not even talking about being intimate. Although in that regard this book disappointed as well, epically. The only character I liked was Wesley and tbh he didn’t do much.
June 2, 2022
OMG I NEED BOOK 2 RIGHT NOW.
This is so good. LIKE TOP-TIER WRITING.
And guys, I've read a lot. And the characters effortlessly made a mark on me.
I ranted too much on my IG stories about this, but REALLY THIS IS A MUST READ.
So gripping, and the plot development, the characters' development, SO GOOD!!!!
This is so good. LIKE TOP-TIER WRITING.
And guys, I've read a lot. And the characters effortlessly made a mark on me.
I ranted too much on my IG stories about this, but REALLY THIS IS A MUST READ.
So gripping, and the plot development, the characters' development, SO GOOD!!!!
December 4, 2023
enjoyed
Wow this is such a great read. I loved it and I’m excited and looking for to book two In This duet.
Wow this is such a great read. I loved it and I’m excited and looking for to book two In This duet.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews