Formula for Lust

Excelling @ Love #2

by Amelia Simone

Can the poster boy for irresponsibility and his strait-laced department rival find common ground, or are lust and loathing all they can hope for in Las Vegas?

Sidney Culver:
What happens when the bad boy of academia challenges you to a duel of wits and cunning? You win. You win BIG. Victory comes with a trip to DEF CON, full of hackers and sheep galore. Where you are most definitely out of your league. Does Nate’s black hat hide a heart too big to keep their rivalry going in the face of a hacker army, or is trying to seduce you all part of his plan to best you in your ongoing competition for department favorite?

Nate Cummings:
How do you tell the woman who hates you that she’s the best thing in your life? You don’t. Instead, you plot. You plot BIG. You scheme so she wins a free trip to DEF CON. Where you will most definitely pull out every hacker trick to get into her heart. Also, her pants. But mostly her heart. You hope. Because if she truly hates you, all you have left is hope.

Alternately steamy, nerdy, and sweet, the Excelling @ Love Series follows a group of strong women as they find love in their small college town. Filled with feel-good romance, found family, and flirty banter, the Excelling @ Love books are happy hour for the soul.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 22, 2022

About the author

Upcoming Release
Hidden Harbor, the first book in an all-new series set in the San Juan Islands, launched 6/26/25. Happy reading!

Latest Release
Melting Point, a novella in the Campfire Council Series, is out now and available in Kindle Unlimited!

Sign up for Amelia's Newsletter
Amelia's Amazon Page
About Amelia
Amelia Simone is the author of flirty, fun romances set in the Pacific Northwest, including Hidden Harbor (Book 1 of the Evergreen Rescue Series), Mister Romance (Book 1 of the Self-Made Series), Formula for Love (Book 1 of the Excelling @ Love Series), and Forbidden Flame (Book 1 of the Campfire Council Series.)

On sunny days, you can find her lounging on her deck, sipping coffee and working on her latest book. She specializes in writing lighthearted, hopeful romances that feature relatable, everyday characters who are looking for love. She’s a firm believer in writing dessert books with plenty of sweet, flirty banter, teasing, and spice. Her goal is to deliver stories that give you a serotonin boost and leave you with a smile.

When she’s not writing, she’s wrangling her kiddos, indulging in food and wine adventures with her better half, or out back trying to revive her garden. (Hey, sometimes things die, it’s fine.)

Reviews

[Magali · Rating 4 out of 5]

An endless fight
It's a good, tender romance, but for the hero, it's a fire that it contains for a long time. In this story, Nate made me pity him for his difficulties in demonstrating to Sid, a colleague, that he is a good person, strongly attracted to her, while she takes him for a handsome but immature man, centered on him, with also a bad boy image. He's the exact opposite, but even trying to get her to see who he is is complicated and he has to manipulate her to have a chance of showing her that.
Their story is hot, tender, a bit slow to start, but I liked the second part in the hacker congress (part which could have perhaps been developed a little more to create reversals because of the people who surround them at that time).
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Crys Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. How could I not enjoy it? Nate for one, is my main reason for loving this book. He was that mysterious bad boy that everyone made/had assumptions of his past. However, once you get to know his character, you also find out how lovin, caring, and family oriented he is.

It was interesting reading about Sid. In the first book, I had pictured her differently then how she is portrayed in this book. And I liked book #2 Sid, probably because we learn her background on why she is the way she is, serious and professional. Although she was a bit reserved, I like how her personality opened up to Nate and also how she is with her group of friends.

There is a glimpse of the DEF CON event that is held in Las Vegas. It sounded amazing and very interesting. It is also where our characters really reveal their true feelings for each other and somewhat don’t really hold back. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? Maybe, or maybe not…

Besides that, this is book #2 of the Excelling @ Love series. It’s a standalone book, but I liked reading the first because you see a glimpse of these characters and also there are cameos in this book.

I received an ARC and I am writing a review voluntarily.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sid is frustrated by her workplace nemesis with his pranks and sexy smirk. She has done everything possible to put herself in position to be the next department chair when her boss retires in the next few years. Nate ruffles her feathers while getting her lady bits all worked up.

Nate is more than the bad boy of academia, he gave up a job he loved in the big city to move back to his hometown to raise his 12 year old sister. He has been acting like a little boy yanking on the hair of the girl he likes on the playground. His attraction to Sid has had him say and do some really stupid things, but he can’t seem to control himself around her.

I loved the story being told from dual POVs because Nate and Sid have entirely different impressions of what’s going on and it’s hilarious to see each of them try to corral the other into what they want. Spending more time with Nate gives Sid a better understanding of who he is versus her inaccurate assumptions in the beginning. I loved how Nate makes such an effort for Sid. Arranging a visit for Sid with Peaches the kitten for snuggle time was adorable and so sweet!

I really enjoyed this book and found the characters engaging and entertaining.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Book Nerdy 2020 · Rating 4 out of 5]

FORMULA FOR LUST By Amelia Simone

Sydney and Nate are constantly trying to up eachother at their workplace. Sydney then wins a free trip to DEF CON in Las Vegas. Nate being a frequent visitor in DEF CON follows.

😊What i liked -

✔ Workplace Romance/Enemies to Lover's.
✔ I liked the hints of mystery surrounding Nate's past life/employment.
✔ Though this is the 2nd book in the series I did not feel lost.
✔ I absolutely loved the nerdy, charming, cheekiness in Nate.
✔ I loved the chemistry between the two.
✔ It's an easy read. You tend to just breeze through the book.

🤔What could have been better -

✔ Though I loved the writing, I still felt Sydney's character to be a little too serious and flat in comparison to Nate.


📚Who Should read :
👶 beginner's
💞 Enemies to Lover's
💘 Workplace Romance


📈My Rating : 4/5

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Qotd - What do you like in a workplace romance book?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sidney wants to advance in her career and for the latest and most irresponsible addition to her department to stay out of her way. Really. Because she doesn't enjoy competing against him at all. Nate, however, has other ideas. Ideas that involve manoeuvring her into his world via a trip to Las Vegas and hoping against hope that her apparent hatred for him is all a front.
I really enjoyed this. The chemistry between Sid and Nate absolutely sizzled, and they were both rounded, layered characters - I particularly liked the way Sid had to re-evaluate her assumptions about Nate and also push herself out of her comfort zone. The story skipped along really nicely, with no drag, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys enemies-to-lovers, romance with a nerdy edge, or both!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Steph Beaudoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formula for Lust was a great read! Sid had been cultivating a very specific academic image as a respectable smart professor and hopefully department chair. Nate is the bad boy of academia, not conforming to dress code, has tattoos, and playing pranks.

As they get to know each other beyond the surface, we find Sid is passionate and Nate is doing his best as the guardian of his 12 year old sister.

They complement each other. They bring out the best in each other. I love books where a family is found, is made from those around you.

I absolutely love the women in IT representation!!!! We exist and we are awesome!

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ann Tosti · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's hints of tension between the two main characters of this book in the previous one, but we didn't really get to see who Nate is. And he is a great character. It isn't easy for Sid to let go and enjoy a relationship with him, but it is wonderful to see her realize what's important to her and what's she's willing to do for it. This was a wonderful read. It can be read as a standalone, but it's also wonderful to add on to the previous story, getting to know characters more and even new ones that lead to the next book.

*I am leaving an honest and voluntary review after receiving this book as an ARC.

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney Culver and Nate Cummings work together teaching different computer subjects. She’s prim and proper and he’s laid back and a prankster. She thinks he needs to get serious and he thinks she hates him. When Syd discovers why Nate is there she discovers there’s more to him than she thought. Nate tries everything he can think of to get Syd as his girlfriend. I loved their banter. I loved Nate’s younger sister, Savannah. The interactions between Syd and Nate sizzled. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alina de Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I´ve read two of this author´s novels, first the Formula for Love and now the Formula for Lust. I found both of them just ok, although I did enjoy the Formula for Lust more. There is nothing bad about the book, it is well written and it flows easily but I just found it kind of bland. I felt like the characters thoughts and actions were disconnected at time. So it was an enjoyable read but certainly not memorable.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cheyenne Oleson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book it is well written and it flows easily, We get hints at the two main characters in the first book, but we really deep dive into the characters back story in this book and find out the all the stuff said about Nate is just an assumption, and with Sid we learn why she is the way she is. This book really is a great read, bonus is that it can be read as a stand alone, and not miss anything. Love a nerdy romance!!


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in Simone's Excelling @ Love series and can be read as a standalone. Sydney Culver and Nate Cummings are our main characters, and we got a taste of their characters from book 1 but here we see their work dynamic and how they constantly try to one up each other. I love their dynamic and the growth as the storyline progresses. Fun and sweet, this romance was delightful to read! So glad to have had the opportunity to read and review and I can't wait for more!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate and Sid appear to be work rivals at face value. When they’re paired together for a project they find they don’t know anything about each other and like what they’re learning.

This was a sweet romance that reads really fast. The characters are well developed and the dialogue is realistic. I didn’t find it to be too steamy and could have done with a little more heat.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Miri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sid and Nate are coworkers who can’t stand each other. A little competition between coworkers and a trip to Vegas turns interesting. When they can’t fight their chemistry anymore, will it be a Vegas fling for Sid and Nate or will it continue after?

I enjoyed reading this fun and flirty book as part 2 of the series. I would read book 1 but it’s not necessary despite the characters being connected.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christina Bowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nate and Sid were a really cute couple, and I absolutely loved following their story. Both characters were likable from the start and they had the perfect chemistry together. The plot flowed nicely, and I stayed up all night finishing the book because I couldn't put it down. I was very happy with their HEA and thought that it was cute.

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun to read! The story is captivating, the book is very well written, the characters are interesting, well-developed, lovable and relatable. If you're looking for a fun nerdy read - this is it! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mindy]

Fun read

He calls her Princess Perfect, she calls Peter Pan. She's totally professional and he's the definition of fun but when the curtain is pulled back his true self is seen. Two opposites, quirky friends and chemistry make the an entertaining read.
Volunteer KU based review

[Kirsty McCracken · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

I feel about this the way I felt about the first one - it's good, but I didn't looove the characters (except for Savvy and Peaches. Them I loved)

[Quinn Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounded up

[Sara Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sidney and Nate were fellow hackers and he liked her so he won her a trip to Der Con in Vegas. They worked out their differences and came out ok.