Lola Osborne is on a mission to find and destroy the person responsible for her sister's death. Her research leads to the Agnes Noble, owner of the House of Agnes, an elite escort agency. Her aggressive approach often lands her in trouble, but eventually gets her in the position that she wants.

What she didn't anticipate is the tangled web of that surrounds the House of Agnes, or her growing attraction to it's owner.

I enjoyed every minute of this story, and the plot twist still has me in shock. Author @fionazehas delivered another one!

This book is awesome! While it’s my first book by Fiona Zedde, it certainly won’t be my last.

Agnes Noble (36) is the aloof, powerful head of an escort organization. No one knows anything about her personal life, and she prefers to let her notoriety do the talking. Lola Osbourne (23), an up-and-coming reporter, has deduced that Agnes is responsible for her sister Zoe’s disappearance and death. She’s on a mission for vengeance and is intent on charming her way into Agnes’ close quarters. Lola knows Agnes is despicable, and Agnes is convinced Lola is up to something. So why can’t the two seem to get enough of each other?

The effortless flow of Fiona Zedde’s writing hooked me from the start. The writing is also laugh-out-loud funny at times, injecting humor into an often dark, gritty story. Agnes is the kind of ice queen character that always grabs me: strong and formidable but with an abundance of emotion hidden within. I also loved Lola: her tenacity, her impressive ability to play a woman so unlike herself, and her oftentimes startling vulnerability. Agnes and Lola are an unlikely match due to their differences in age and power, but they’re both such strong, brave women and their chemistry is off the charts! There are also lots of lovable side characters, for example: Lola’s BFF Jamika, a prodigious police officer who sees the flaws in her own industry, and Agnes’s bodyguard Whit, who’s tough, terrifying, and surprisingly glamorous.

The mystery in this book is as important and well-written as the romance. Clues as to what’s going on are dropped throughout the book, but it’s shocking when truths are finally revealed! I’ll admit that I didn’t see any of the twists coming. Also, there’s another twist (unrelated to the mystery) that’s a hugely pleasant surprise!

With a cover like that, you’re probably expecting that this book is sexy, and it certainly is! While I don’t usually get into sex scenes in general, even I can admit that the ones in this book delivered. The scenes are dangerous and fun, and the provocative undercurrent throughout the book will make you wait with bated breath for our MCs to come together in that way.

One minor complaint is that I’m surprised Agnes walks around so often without protection. Throughout the book, it’s obvious that hidden enemies are intent on harming Agnes, so it didn’t feel right that she’d walk around outside with no more of a disguise than a regular person. Agnes is so cautious and calculating most of the time, so this just felt out of character.

Overall, I think this book is supremely well-done and Fiona Zedde has found a new fan in me. I think this book has potential to be a series because of a potential sapphic love connection between two of the side characters! I’d be really happy if we did eventually get that story.

content warnings: alcohol (recreational), death threats, graphic sex, gun violence, homophobia/d-slur, loss of a loved one, manipulation, mentions of childhood sexual grooming, prostitution

I received an ARC from Ylva Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars✨

I have never read anything by Fiona Zedde before this. I did not expect that this was going to be an intrigue and mystery storyline in this book and that is one of my favorite genres, so this made it a pleasant surprise.

We have Agnes Noble who is private, mysterious, and untouchable. She rules House of Agnes, the most exclusive escort agency on the East Coast, with a diamond fist. Crossing her is a mistake no one makes twice. We then have Investigative reporter Lola Osbourne who is not afraid. She’s gunning for the House and its so-called queen. She’ll make sure no other innocent gets dragged into Agnes’s alluring web, to be used and discarded the way Lola’s sister was. From the moment she lays eyes on Lola, Agnes knows she’s hiding something but she also knows she won’t be able to resist Lola.

I really liked the way this story was told. I enjoyed Lola’s determination and her ability to change her mind. I also liked that it was an age-gape romance, as those are one of my favorites. The atmosphere is also fantastic. I will admit that there were some plot holes and a couple of convenient timings that made me roll my eyes. But I still enjoyed it. The steamy sex scenes were definitely my favorite part.

However, I did have some issues. First, there were sometimes where I was really confused. I like that they spent some time together, talking and getting to know each other, but I don't think that one night of flirtation and dinner together was enough for them to fall in love. I felt that the reveal was a letdown. I just was expecting more. The writing isn't bad, but it didn't wow me, and there were a few repetitive things that were annoying.

Overall, I did enjoy this. If you're looking for a sapphic romance with some mystery in it, I do recommend this. Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting novel. The charactes were likeable enough. I didn't get why Agnes is called ice-queen, she doesn't act like one.
I loved the steamy parts of the story but I think that the mystery parts had some issues. There were some moments I found a little unrealistic.
Still, I liked the mystery side of the story better than the romance.

Overall, 3.5/5.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for providing me a copy of this novel.

The mystery of this story held me, I wanted to know what happened to Lolas sister. As for the prostitution in the book it’s really not my thing, even though the realism of it is there.

NetGalley ARC Educator 550074

Ms. Zedde has done it again. A fiery romance between unlikely characters, Lola and Agnes. In between the romance, there are a couple of mysteries that will keep you engaged. This is a WLW and older woman/younger woman romance.

I love OW/YW romances so please keep the coming.

DNF @ 40%

This was mainly a me problem. I can objectively see how this is a good enough novel so far, it just wasn't for me. I also noticed how romanticized prostitution is in this book? I don't know, just couldn't find myself enjoying this.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was probably the hottest book with the most unsexy first names ever! I apologize to all the Agnes & Delores's out there but yikes! I couldn't help but think of them as 30 years older than they are, and with really heavy New York accents. Could be just me but I can't help but comment on it.

To the actual story - it was pretty well done. There are some definite weird moments and the end goes a little too unrealistic, but it's centered in the underground sex world so I guess it can go into a little crazy and still hold merit. Agnes and "Lola" seemed to hit it off pretty quickly, and their chemistry was hot, but I would have liked to see them settled down a little more at the end. Since Lola basically is pretending to be someone else for a majority of the story, I really wanted to see the real connection between them.

Overall, interesting storyline but a little too far fetched in some places.

4 Stars

“House of Agnes” is an enemies-to-lovers romance with a side of mystery/intrigue that will keep you guessing. Some may call it a mystery/intrigue with a side of romance. I think it’ll depend on the reader for which they like better. I really enjoyed this for the most part. There were some places where I had to suspend my belief for a bit, but otherwise it was an entertaining read.

Lola is an investigative reporter who is trying to take down the madam of a high-end escort service, Agnes. Her sister was killed years ago and she blames Agnes for her death. Agnes rules her empire with an iron fist and the only way for Lola to do what she needs to do is from the inside.

I enjoyed Lola and Agnes together, but the romance wasn’t my favorite part. They had nice chemistry and I liked that they could be themselves (to a point) with each other. Neither one trusts the other for different reasons but they can’t stay away from each other either. They both lie and manipulate to get what they want but at the end of the day, they want each other. Their romance doesn’t get very deep and I wish I could’ve seen them together more when they finally started being honest with each other.

As for the mystery side, this is what kept me reading. There were a couple of different things going on and while I did guess a few of them; there were a few twists that I didn’t see coming and kept my attention until the end. I will admit there were some plot holes and a couple of convenient timing things that made me roll my eyes a little. But I still enjoyed it for what it was.

Like I said, I really enjoyed this. However, I did have my issues. I’ll try to describe them without giving out too many details because I don’t want to spoil it. First of all, I found it hard to believe that Agnes would make some of the decisions she makes. She’s smart, rich, and powerful and she knows there are people trying to take her down. Despite all that, she still walks around the city without her security or puts herself in a position where she is easily accessible to outsiders? Adding to that, I found it extremely unlikely that Lola would be able to have all the access she seemingly has. It was amazing how she was able to get in to places she should’ve never had access to because honestly, she really didn’t seem all that great at her job. Lastly, I don’t know if I’ve ever come across a mask that completely hid the identity of someone I have feelings for…

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Ylva Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I'll start with the mystery side to this novel. For me, this was the driving force of the novel and a big factor to why I enjoyed it. It took me a little bit of time to get into the story but once I was invested in this mystery storyline, I was hooked. I love trying to guess what happens next in a novel, but with this one there were a few aspects that I did not see coming.

In regard to characters and chemistry, I felt it initially and then it fizzled out a little for me. I really liked Agnes as a character, especially the way she compartmentalises herself and her actions. She's cold but there is also a lot of passion and loyalty to her, making her a very intriguing character that I enjoyed getting to know. Lola, on the other hand, was hard to like in this novel, as a lot of her actions came from dishonesty and vindictiveness. It didn't sit right for me to enjoy the relationship between Lola and Agnes. In saying that though, I liked the strong femme/femme energy in this, as well as the POC and body positivity featured as well.

All in all, a great read featuring intriguing characters and an engaging mystery.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars. An intriguing and sexy read. I have not read any books by Zedde before, but I know she is well versed in writing pretty steamy novels, so I was expecting a sexy book and I was not disappointed. What I did not expect was the intrigue and mystery storyline in this book and mystery is one of my favorite genres, so this was a pleasant surprise.

The setting of this book is a very luxurious escort service, run by madam Agnes, the ruthless queen of House Agnes. Then we have Lola, a reporter who’s determined to bring House Agnes, and especially Agnes herself, down. Lola is driven by her job as an investigative reporter, but she also has personal reasons for revenge. When they meet, there is no doubt about it, both Agnes and Lola do not trust each other one bit, but there is some sizzling physical attraction between them.

The atmosphere that is created is dark and sensual, but I appreciated that the sex industry is not overly romanticized. Obviously, there is romanization with all the beautiful human specimens running around in a crazy rich environment using their seductive powers to get what they want, but the obvious downsides are touched upon as well. The romance between Agnes and Lola was the best part of the book for me. It’s no sweet romance, it’s largely driven by lust and a strong undercurrent of distrust and fear, and I found the constant power play, provoking and teasing each other very intriguing, but at moments you also get a glimpse of their softer sides.

As I mentioned there is also a mystery/intrigue storyline and this is where the story gets shaky. I can’t go into detail without giving spoilers, but when you have read some crime books you immediately recognize that this story is just not very believable. Ow, and I also could not believe the passage where a person is not recognized because they wear a mask (you’ll get what I mean if you read it). Anyway, in the last part of the book the plot unravels quickly. There were some fun twists that I did not see coming, but there were also some clear plot holes and procedural mistakes. Sometimes I can get really annoyed by these kinds of things, but for some reason I was able to overlook them in this book and just go with the flow and have fun.

All in all, I had a good time reading this book. If you don’t mind that it’s not too realistic, I can definitely recommend this dark and seductive read with some interesting twists.

2.5 stars. I really liked the first book I read by this author earlier this year, but sadly, this one just didn't land as well as that one did for me. I thought I'd have a pretty good chance of loving this; black women, age gap, intrigue and suspense within a world of high-end escorts and investigative journalism. And I did like a few things about it; the setup, some of the issues discussed, the steaminess. But the concept ended up being way better than the execution.

I guess the most disappointing thing was that I was never completely sold on the characters. I LIKED them a lot for sure, and I liked what they were supposed to be, but I was never convinced of Agnes as a hyper-competent, savvy ice-queen of a business woman, or of Lola as a plucky investigative reporter. They both constantly made decisions that I just couldn't reconcile with their motivations and the personalities that the author tried to sell us on. The insta-lust was a little disappointing; even in a book like this, I'd have liked to have seen that get drawn out a bit more. They did had really good chemistry; it's something that Zedde excels at writing. And I did find their romance sweet, if not amazingly-rendered. The writing isn't bad, but it never wowed me, and there were a few repetitive things that were annoying. The overarching plot was serviceable, but shaky. I just kept waiting to fall in love, and while there's nothing about this book that I dislike, it simply didn't click for me.

I will say, I had thought that I had figured out everything about the plot/trajectory pretty early on, and while I did see a few things coming, there were some things that I did NOT, and that made the later act a bit more exciting and enjoyable. But otherwise... I don't know. Mileages will definitely vary, and I'd recommend you check this out if you're in the mood for sapphic romance with a taste of intrigue and suspense. It just wasn't really for me. I'll still happily look out for other works by this author.

Content warnings: discussion/mentions of rape, forced prostitution, domestic abuse, child abuse, drug use.

This is a book that readers will not want to put down. It is an intriguing story of Agnes Noble, who inherited an escort service and turned it into an enormously profitable enterprise, and Lola Osbourne, a freelance reporter who is determined to destroy Agnes Noble’s enterprise because she believes Agnes killed her sister. Lola finds a way to meet Agnes and over the course of time finds that Agnes isn’t what she believed her to be and, in fact, is quite the opposite.

Zedde’s writing is stunning and both her characters and her storyline are multifaceted, intelligent, and complex. Readers may well find themselves turning pages into the wee hours of the morning just to see what happens next.

If you like characters to be well-drawn, a plot that is more than the usual fare of LesFic, and writing that is nuanced, fast paced, and has you highlighting sentences, then this book is for you and it should be put at the top of your to-be-read list.

Many thanks to Ylva and NetGalley for an eARC.
#ownvoicereviewed

Agnes Noble runs a high class escort agency. Running the business after taking over from her father who was brutal and ruthless, Agnes's morals are polar opposite, she looks after her escorts and rescues escorts from other agencies who are in trouble.  Lola Osbourne is determined to revenge the death of her sister by taking Agnes down, with her detective flatmate they scheme to infiltrate the House of Agnes but what Lola finds in Agnes is nothing like she expected.
Loved this book. Great characters and Agnes was superb as the ice queen. There was loads of chemistry, lots of angst even after their first raunchy sex romp. All the sex scenes sizzled. I always judge a book by how much I want to pick it up again after I have put it down and this book kept me from my chores. Great read.

Lola Osburne is on a revenge mission to upend the House of Agnes and to bring down its Queen. Getting close to the elusive Queen Agnes was difficult but attempting to break Agnes’s hold on her proved harder when she had trouble remembering what made her go near in the first place.

Agnes Noble, the Queen of House of Agnes draws a distinct line between business and pleasure. She may have inherited her father’s legacy but is determined to run it the way she deems fit; even with its dangers and risks. She has a business to keep and people to protect. She does not let her guard down for what’s at stake yet she cant help but keep Lola close; even when she knows it will cost her.

4.5 stars. Agnes is beautiful, powerful and polished. Lola is rough around the edges, deceptive yet alluring with a hidden charm. At the heart of intrigue and mystery, roles are reversed where the predator becomes prey. When push came to pull, Lola found her self-imposed immunity to the Queen crumbling even without knowledge that she was the only one who managed to turn the Queen’s head. This is an age gap, rich/poor book that was a pleasure to read. There were plenty of angsts, twists and combustion of nerves that kept me going. There is so much more to the character of Agnes and wish that the author delved a little more into her background. Also, love the cover, it’s gorgeous.

I just reviewed House of Agnes by Fiona Zedde. Thank you NetGalley and Ylva Publishing the ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A plot heavy lesbian romance with just enough twists to keep you on your toes. This was my first time reading anything by Fiona Zedde (although I’ve been meaning to) and I really enjoyed this book. I laughed, I cried a little, and I was able to feel the sexual tension through the screen.

I really liked Gretchen and the innocence that she represented. She was like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise dark story.

Although there were the few times where Lola and Agnes bonded over food and games, seeing more of them actually falling for each other would have been nice. Additionally, I will say that I do think the ending was a bit rushed and it could have used an epilogue. I would have liked to see more of Agnes and Lola being a couple. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and would definitely read a spin off with some of the side characters like Whit, Clare, and/or Jamika.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Big thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an advance copy of this hilarious book.

A rollercoaster of a read, get ready to suspend your belief and get your sexy pants on. Everyone is beautiful, slim but curvaceous, dresses in the best clothes and has the best sex. Agnes is the corporate madam, but really she rescues women from that life. Lola is a journalist, that might be stretching it slightly, she seems to work for the worst and nastiest of tabloids, lets call her a Murdoch Maven instead. When they meet, all sorts of shenanigans go down. Decent read, lots of sexy sex, and some adventure.

This book was definitely an entertaining read.

Lola thinks the House of Agnes, a escort service, had something to do with her sister’s death. Hurt and angered she worms her way in to the House and accidentally the heart of its queen.

Okay so first things first here’s how I felt about the characters- firstly Lola. So I’ve seen some reviews picking apart the fact that she was manipulative or unreasonable maybe unrealistic but that’s the point.

That is the point of her character. I think if people go into books expecting every character to be perfect, flawless and morally correct, then they’re not gonna enjoy many books.

My interpretation of Lola was more along the lines of her being clumsy and clueless but that follows more of a plot hole type critique.

There’s a moment where she follows Agnes to Vegas- god knows why Agnes didn’t suspect anything. Then there’s also the fact that she’s a previously mentioned reporter yet Agnes didn’t manage to pull that up on her search. Then there’s the fact that she couldn’t recognize Agnes or her voice behind a mask. Just very questionable plot details

Now that being said I liked Lola’s character and I think the contrast between hers’ and Agnes provided an undeniably hot chemistry. Not to mention the hotness of the sex scenes.

Agnes is a very powerful woman and I find myself absolutely enjoying the way she’s able to reject Lola’s sex appeal. She holds herself high as kind of an ice queen and from her very first appearance in the book I found myself loving her.

She did however give Lola too many chances for my taste. She’s described to be careful and hardcore yet even when Lola was a stranger she had none of that.

Lola was blatantly suspicious during most of their interactions as the author describe yet apparently not enough for Agnes to be suspicious of her. This felt a bit like lazy writing. Could’ve been fixed if Lola pulled something to gain that sudden trust

I found my self greatly impressed by the way the author was able to create an immediate tension between these two characters with no build up.

I felt like there was potential for a more complex plot. The book did ride the line of being unrealistic for a moment but to be honest it wasn’t bothersome. The plot is in truth more complex that most action movies they make these days. There’s something about the direction of this book that just seemed too easy though. I will admit that there was a plot twist that I enjoyed!

This book as I said was a very entertaining read and I highly recommend it!

I feel as though a disclaimer at the beginning would be very appreciated as this book does also deal with some real life issues that may be triggering for some people such as; discussion of sex trafficking, abuse in prostitution, sex auctioning.

I will admit that initially the thought of reading about such a topic had me worried that the author would cross the line of glamorizing it in sort of a new world attempt of supporting sex workers but I think they did a good job and staying within the societally acceptable fictional line.

4.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in return for a honest review.

3.5 rounded up!

I'll start with what I liked/admired:

- STRONG FEMALE MAIN LEADS! Yes! I love reading books like that. It's so inspirational to me. I suppose that's when I am motivated to pick up a dumbbell and try to get some gains like Whit or Jamika! If not, I could just work on my scowls, I suppose that would do too!

- Ms. Zedde's writing style. It was... poetry and prose and every beautiful thing that one can think of when describing superb imagery and style. Do you want an example?! Don't worry, I got it covered.

<blockquote> Sudden anxiety fizzed in her chest, like an untimely burp waiting to burst free. </blockquote>

What? I read that (of course there were a lot of examples throughout the book but this stood out more.) and was like, y'know. She's so damn right. It's obvious yet creates a beautiful picture to capture me into Lola's world and experiencing the thundering of her heart.

- Not abusing sex. It's refreshing. I know the story's setting does stir every conversation in that direction, but I loved how the author was able to create a balance.

- Gretchen. I don't have to say anything more. That little girl was adorable.

- I admired the author for using her book as a medium to get the message of BLM across.

<blockquote> Like everyone else in America, Lola saw the videos of cops killing unarmed Black people and other ethnic folks in the streets, in their cars, in police stations, on social media, and she hated the system that allowed things like that to happen almost every day with no consequences for the killers. </blockquote>

What could've been better?

- The chemistry between Lola and Agnes. Agnes was suspicious of Lola throughout but their "relationship" confused me.

- The end. Too fast-paced and the author made it seem like she was tying all the loose ends together. The ending sort of ruined it for me. I wish it was better.

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for the complimentary ARC. All thoughts are of my own.

House of Agnes is a sensual, romantic thriller following Agnes Noble, the owner of an incredibly exclusive escort agency, and Lola, an investigative reporter with a mission to bring Agnes down. Lola’s sister Zoe died under mysterious circumstances, and Lola’s only clues lead her to Agnes’s door. But Agnes isn’t as easy to reach as it appears and things get all the more complicated when physical attraction starts to blur the lines of duty…

This novel was fast paced and super hot. I adored the layers from each of the characters, especially in Agnes. Agnes isn’t just a madame, she’s a girl from a troubled past who never wants vulnerable people to be exploited again. She’s gathered wealth and power to do so, and because of that she is constantly under threat from all sides. But she still hungers for glimpses at a normal life and this is her weak point - one that allows Lola to move in close.

What had me gripped the most were the several plot twists, all of which had me going “what the hell is going on??” for the last third of the book. The pacing did feel a little bumpy at times, speeding up for thrills and then slowing down for romance, before speeding up again, but I was still very enthralled by the story. Of course, we also get the steamy, hot sex we’re promised from all the sizzling attraction, so readers can definitely look forward to that.

I loved this tension-filled lesbian romance and will definitely be checking out more from Fiona Zedde in the future!

CW: Sexual Content & Slurs

*Thank you Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC*