yeriwithaj_'s review against another edition
4.0
Really, really liked it
This was so beautiful. It was light, fun, sweet, steamy and just a touch spicy, and humorous.
I loved Zora and enjoyed Cyrus.
This was so beautiful. It was light, fun, sweet, steamy and just a touch spicy, and humorous.
I loved Zora and enjoyed Cyrus.
hannas_heas47's review against another edition
3.0
Love the cover! Hello hawt-ness! Thanks so much to the publisher for a copy to read so I could give an opinion.
What did I like? As far as unique goes this would have been amazing but the book just dragged. It’s one thing but the secondary characters got better reviews than the main ones. Zora felt like a good character but too much red tape between the two to really feel the chemistry.
Would I recommend or buy? My first by this author but definitely a fence book. I didn’t hate it but the enjoyment was low. Work on getting your mains to pop! Three stars.
What did I like? As far as unique goes this would have been amazing but the book just dragged. It’s one thing but the secondary characters got better reviews than the main ones. Zora felt like a good character but too much red tape between the two to really feel the chemistry.
Would I recommend or buy? My first by this author but definitely a fence book. I didn’t hate it but the enjoyment was low. Work on getting your mains to pop! Three stars.
neriahmitchener's review against another edition
4.0
Curvy woman of color to represent what most books I’ve read do not. Fake dating, building intimacy, smut. All the things I love!
ilssemaxwell's review
4.0
An ARC read from NetGalley and Montlake publisher in exchange for a review! I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was witty, entertaining, funny, and an easy read. I loved the dual POV between the two main characters. I thought the premise of this book — a professional relationship break-up service — was entirely unique and new.
This book contains the following tropes: fake-relationship, working with family, unexpected love, interracial relationship
Zora is a professional relationship unmatchmaker: getting paid to break up for her clients. One of her targets for breaking up is Cyrus, described as a Greek god of a man and an entertainment attorney. The two meet and find instant chemistry, despite the unfortunate first introduction. They cannot stay away from each other and begin a fake-relationship to help Cyrus look good in front of his firm. However, Zora’s profession is hidden from Cyrus and she dreads telling him the truth. Can their fake-relationship-turned-real survive her betrayal?
I really liked this book but I found the book to be rushed. I would have preferred more details in certain scenes, and provided a deeper story to the main characters’ union. I loved the interracial relationship and how it served as a communication starter between the characters. I loved the inter-connectedness of the siblings and how Zora feels protective of them. Overall, I thought this book was good. Would recommend.
This book contains the following tropes: fake-relationship, working with family, unexpected love, interracial relationship
Zora is a professional relationship unmatchmaker: getting paid to break up for her clients. One of her targets for breaking up is Cyrus, described as a Greek god of a man and an entertainment attorney. The two meet and find instant chemistry, despite the unfortunate first introduction. They cannot stay away from each other and begin a fake-relationship to help Cyrus look good in front of his firm. However, Zora’s profession is hidden from Cyrus and she dreads telling him the truth. Can their fake-relationship-turned-real survive her betrayal?
I really liked this book but I found the book to be rushed. I would have preferred more details in certain scenes, and provided a deeper story to the main characters’ union. I loved the interracial relationship and how it served as a communication starter between the characters. I loved the inter-connectedness of the siblings and how Zora feels protective of them. Overall, I thought this book was good. Would recommend.
krayreads's review
4.0
the writing was superb! i loved the metaphors, simile’s, and how detailed the descriptions were. i could imagine everything vividly in my mind, the images, the scenes, the feelings, the emotions. the mouth this man, cyrus, had on him - jesus h. christ!!! and the way he made zora feel beautiful and defended her to anyone who had a negative word to say!!!!! even when he found out the truth of her lie he still defended her
iggyebab's review
5.0
**Received a copy for review.**
This book..... As a plus size, former peacemaker/fixer in my family, this book made me feel so seen. Man it sucks that these things follow us into adult hood and we don't recognize it easily. We may understand the role we play in the family but we aren't able to see all the ramifications.
Both of these characters are so well written.
Zora is a peacemaker/protector. Her parents are extremely dysfunctional and she takes the brunt of that dysfunction to protect her siblings. Even as an adult, she is in the middle.
Cyrus is a self made man who lost his parents young and spent the rest of his youth as a foster child. He has a plan for how his life is going to go and he's determined to follow that plan to the letter.
The introduction is more of a meet cringe than a meet cute. Zora has a business where someone will break up with a partner for a client so they don't have to. She is sent by a woman to break up with Cyrus and he is blindsided.
There is a fake relationship and some seriously amazing conversation. Even when he is leveraging his advantage, they go toe to toe. I love her crazy ass sister and his friend Jordan. Levi is interesting too.
The power dynamic in this book is HOT. The moment he keys into her desires was fire. The level of sexual tension is off the charts.
I have read a lot of Naima's work and I have to say this is the best I've read.
This book..... As a plus size, former peacemaker/fixer in my family, this book made me feel so seen. Man it sucks that these things follow us into adult hood and we don't recognize it easily. We may understand the role we play in the family but we aren't able to see all the ramifications.
Both of these characters are so well written.
Zora is a peacemaker/protector. Her parents are extremely dysfunctional and she takes the brunt of that dysfunction to protect her siblings. Even as an adult, she is in the middle.
Cyrus is a self made man who lost his parents young and spent the rest of his youth as a foster child. He has a plan for how his life is going to go and he's determined to follow that plan to the letter.
The introduction is more of a meet cringe than a meet cute. Zora has a business where someone will break up with a partner for a client so they don't have to. She is sent by a woman to break up with Cyrus and he is blindsided.
There is a fake relationship and some seriously amazing conversation. Even when he is leveraging his advantage, they go toe to toe. I love her crazy ass sister and his friend Jordan. Levi is interesting too.
The power dynamic in this book is HOT. The moment he keys into her desires was fire. The level of sexual tension is off the charts.
I have read a lot of Naima's work and I have to say this is the best I've read.
mags_louise's review
3.0
3.5⭐
Heated is book one in Naima Simone's new Burned, Inc. Series and introduces readers to three siblings twins Zora and Levi and younger sister Miriam. Who all co-own a business that will deliver break up messages to your boyfriend or girlfriend for you.
And this particular story focuses on Zora who's asked by client Valerie to deliver a break up letter to her boyfriend Cyrus a workaholic entertainment attorney.
This then leads Cyrus and Zora to fake a relationship for three months on the condition that they don't share certain details with each other including and especially what Zora does for a living.
And with a likable cast of characters who are dealing with both realistic and relatable life situations including parental issues and low self-esteem. This was a pleasant read.
However, I struggled to become fully engaged due in part to the storyline but mainly because of the monologues and lack of chemistry between Zora and Cyrus.
Yet, it's a fun, easy and relatively angst free interracial romance that I'm sure fans of the fake relationship trope will enjoy it just didn't really do it for me, which is a shame as I'm a huge Naima Simone fan.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Heated is book one in Naima Simone's new Burned, Inc. Series and introduces readers to three siblings twins Zora and Levi and younger sister Miriam. Who all co-own a business that will deliver break up messages to your boyfriend or girlfriend for you.
And this particular story focuses on Zora who's asked by client Valerie to deliver a break up letter to her boyfriend Cyrus a workaholic entertainment attorney.
This then leads Cyrus and Zora to fake a relationship for three months on the condition that they don't share certain details with each other including and especially what Zora does for a living.
And with a likable cast of characters who are dealing with both realistic and relatable life situations including parental issues and low self-esteem. This was a pleasant read.
However, I struggled to become fully engaged due in part to the storyline but mainly because of the monologues and lack of chemistry between Zora and Cyrus.
Yet, it's a fun, easy and relatively angst free interracial romance that I'm sure fans of the fake relationship trope will enjoy it just didn't really do it for me, which is a shame as I'm a huge Naima Simone fan.
**I was kindly provided with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
glillian99's review against another edition
2.0
I can't decide whether I want to give this book 1 star or two. I didn't really enjoy the writing style at all. The story really wasn't gripping and I got bored easily. I honestly started to skim read the last half so I could be finished. I feel like the characters were not relatable at all and there was no character building, they were just awkwardly super attracted to each other right off that bat. Just not really my cup of tea.
elegantfantasy_blogs's review
3.0
3.25/5 stars!
This is my first time reading a book by this author and while I love fake dating romances, this one didn't have anything special that made it stand out. Yes, there were some great side characters, interracial relationship rep and both Zora & Cyrus were self-made. I liked their dynamic and they were both pretty clear about what they wanted from life. I could connect with Zora because of her insecurities, her struggles to deal with judgemental high society people and trying to make her parents see that her buisness is significant and salient to her and her siblings. Though I think I had built up high expectations seeing the faking dating trope because most of the time Cyrus & Zora were in each other's company and when the time came to actually pretend in front of his colleagues, everything went downhill and I couldn't properly enjoy the situation. Also, the book didn't have an epilogue and because of that, the ending felt quite lackluster. Just, nothing much was happening in the story, albeit it had some diversity and humour, it was a cute and easy read but nothing different or astounding tbh.
Thank you Montlake & Netgalley for the ARC
This is my first time reading a book by this author and while I love fake dating romances, this one didn't have anything special that made it stand out. Yes, there were some great side characters, interracial relationship rep and both Zora & Cyrus were self-made. I liked their dynamic and they were both pretty clear about what they wanted from life. I could connect with Zora because of her insecurities, her struggles to deal with judgemental high society people and trying to make her parents see that her buisness is significant and salient to her and her siblings. Though I think I had built up high expectations seeing the faking dating trope because most of the time Cyrus & Zora were in each other's company and when the time came to actually pretend in front of his colleagues, everything went downhill and I couldn't properly enjoy the situation. Also, the book didn't have an epilogue and because of that, the ending felt quite lackluster. Just, nothing much was happening in the story, albeit it had some diversity and humour, it was a cute and easy read but nothing different or astounding tbh.
Thank you Montlake & Netgalley for the ARC
shannanh's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a fun read. Zora and her siblings are the owners of burned Inc, a company that helps you (or does it for you) break off a relationship with someone. Zora is tasked with breaking up their client with Cyrus, an attorney on the verge of getting a promotion assuming he can prove he's a family man. After Zora breaks them up, Cyrus comes up with the idea of them fake dating for his job's sake, at least until he can see if he gets the promotion.
I really enjoyed the start to this series, and I can't wait for the next books in the series. I especially loved Zora, as well as her sister Miriam. I did not want to put this book down once I started it. I love her writing style, and the flow of this story. And the side characters were so great and enjoyable, with some comical moments.
I received a copy of the book via HonMag PR and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.
I really enjoyed the start to this series, and I can't wait for the next books in the series. I especially loved Zora, as well as her sister Miriam. I did not want to put this book down once I started it. I love her writing style, and the flow of this story. And the side characters were so great and enjoyable, with some comical moments.
I received a copy of the book via HonMag PR and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.