I was intrigued by the premise, and was caught in by the heavy emotions and super sexy scenes, but ultimately the heavy sexual assualt/rape #metoo news case that the heroine was pursuing for her journalism work wore me down.

I also wasn't sure of the rep for the Korean hero, who the heroine did not recognize as a huge star despite her best friend having his poster hanging up in her room, having seen some clips of his show. I ... it was hard to suspend my disbelief.

After 14 years, LA Times journalist Gigi runs into her childhood best friend’s older brother Alec during a stopover flight from London to LA. A reunion of sorts turns into a blissful one night stand, crap. Once they arrive in LA, Gigi finds out who Alec is—the charming actor every girl is obsessed with, Alexander Kim. This new information sets Gigi on a spiral. Between getting needed information for her latest story that Alec can help her with and falling hard for him in the process, what will happen when it’s time to part ways? Not to mention a scandal!

Ok y’all, this book was HOT and STEAMY and very insta-love. I would’ve wanted more build-up; the relationship between Alec and Gigi moved fast. Literally a mash up of Speedy Gonzalez and Energizer Bunny, two people caught up in straight up infatuation. I did like that they were from each other’s past, and duh, I love a good celebrity romance, but just thought their connection was teetering on the surface. Overall, I still enjoyed it and it made for a delightful binge!

This book reminded me of classic early to mid 2010s romance, especially Christina Lauren's early series. It had high heat and high stakes and I miss these kinds of romance in traditional publishing. The tension between the MC and LI kept me glued to the page way past my bedtime. This books deals with some heavy topics (CW for investigations into sexual assault) sensitively as well as the pressures that fame put on a relationship. Ivy Owens is a new auto-buy author for me!

I absolutely adored this book! Scandalized tells the story of Georgia, a journalist, and Alec, a superstar actor who happens to be her childhood best friend’s older brother. And, of course, she only recognizes him as the boy she had a crush on as a pre-teen and not the global superstar he is.

The word that first comes to mind when thinking of it is swoon. Ivy Owens so perfectly encapsulated the feeling of falling in love with this book that I know it is one that I’m going to return to again and again, likely for very particular scenes.

I love a secret identity and Ivy Owens really pulled this off perfectly. We were given nostalgia with childhood best friend’s brother and then the high stakes drama of a celebrity relationship. That combination worked so well and made if feel intimate and cozy, but with a kdrama/BBC historical drama superstar (which are honestly my two of favorite things).

Also, this book was super sexy, starting with a one night stand after their flight is cancelled, and keeps up that heat throughout, adding to and really benefiting the story and making their feelings for each other that much more palpable.

I started this book on the plane back to LA, and while I am far from an expert on the area, the book presented the same feel I had visiting there, which is always a delight. And, the hotel I stayed in was mentioned, and I got unreasonably excited!

My only real criticism is that I think the article Gigi is working on that the story hinges around is a very dark and difficult one. I wouldn’t say it should have been cut, as so much of the story revolves around it and I think it was overall handled one, but it sometimes brought me a bit too out of the story. Sexual assault of a woman of color is difficult to read about and so it just felt a bit jarring. I definitely recommend emphasizing content warnings.

I am calling it right now...Scandalized is going to be in the top books of 2022! If this isn't on your TBR for August, you need to put it there now. After a one-night stand between two childhood friends, investigative journalist Georgia Ross is shocked to find out the true identity of her crush from long ago. When Alec Kim holds a piece of the puzzle to her current story, Gigi decides to give him a chance, just for the two weeks he's in town. But what happens when their no strings attached fling develops feelings neither can ignore?

Scandalized is a super steamy, open door second chance romance. Gigi and Alec are a fantastic couple. Their chemistry is off the charts from the beginning and their relationship arc is incredibly believable, despite the short timeline of the book. The book is also incredibly emotional, so pay attention to the content warnings given by the author at the beginning of the book. I loved the added layer of investigative journalism, which had me invested in finding out the pieces to Gigi's story right alongside her. I absolutely adored Alec's character. He is humble, loyal and just an all-around good man. I loved how protective he was of not only Gigi, but also his sister, Sunny. Alec had me swooning from the beginning and the slight age gap was a wonderful addition to add tension and steam.

This book is nothing like I've read in awhile and my only regret is that I won't be able to read it again for the first time. I was invested from the beginning and simply could not put it down. Scandalized is a perfect read for fans of Tessa Bailey and Kennedy Ryan. Pre-order this book today!!!

This is unlike anything I've read in a long time. 🔥 romance, smart witty play no games characters, layer in some investigation journalism. Absolutely bombshell of a book.

Get this on your TBR right now

Fantastic book! Very well written take on the best friend's older brother/dating a star tropes. Great plot, witty banter - and just the right amount of steam ! Strongly recommend for any fans of Christina Lauren!

Woooooooooow. Insert churchladyfanning.gif. This book will make you blush! Definitely not PG-13. Gigi is a reporter for the LA Times chasing a story that is bound to have repercussions for many people. She runs into her childhood best friend’s older brother at the airport. They hook up and turns out he’s k drama star and making it big in Hollywood. I am not always a fan of falling for your friends older brother trope- but this one was not cringey (as you can tell, this factors into all of my reviews). If you love k-dramas, pop culture, the world of celebrities; you’ll like this. This is coming out August 23, 2022. Put it on your summer reading list!!!

What a steamy and intense romance between an investigative journalist and her childhood best friend's older brother! When they run into each other during a delayed flight, sparks fly and it just so happens he is a famous KDrama/BBC actor unbeknownst to her!!

Scandalized has great chemistry and tension, making it perfect for fans of romantic suspense. I kept thinking "how is this all going to work out, eeekkk?!?" and I am here to assure readers that Sacandlized ends in such a wonderful and swoony way.

Important to note - The story Gigi is investigating involves sexual assault, rape, and drugging of the victims. The descriptions while not graphic can be tough to read,

Thank you to the author, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy. Thoughts and reviews are all my own!

Love-love-loved this book! I wanted to go back to the beginning and start rereading it as soon as I finished it.

This is definitely for open door romance fans. It is so very steamy. The love scenes are so very well done, and the relationship could thaw even the coldest curmudgeon's icy heart.

I think I may have found my newest book boyfriend.

At a glance:
- Single POV
- Open door
- Alas, there is only one hotel room available
- And it's booked by her childhood best friend’s brother
- But they haven't seen each other in fourteen years
- And also, hey, he’s famous and she didn’t know
- Hmm... this was supposed to be a one-night-stand
- Well, maybe they should try a two-week-stand
- But it turns into something more

Please check the content warnings in the author's note at the beginning of the book.

Thank you to Ivy Owens, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! GUYS THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL!!! Ivy Owens is a new instant favorite of mine! Her writing? AMAZING! This book has everything I love in a book! The chemistry between the two main characters is 🔥 and our of this world! This was a book I couldn't put down! Trust me, you'll want to buy and read this book numerous times!

Hooked from page one!! Completely hooked.

Ivy Owens' debut was fierce and amazing. Family friends from the past become a friends with benefits situation and you gotta read it to believe it! Oh the steam. And the swoon! Add in a side of mystery and K Pop love. It was bliss!

You are sure to LOVE everything about this one.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced copy of this amazing story!

Thank you to @gallerybooks @netgalley for a copy of Scandalized. I don’t watch K-dramas but I envisioned this would be how the book is.

This was a great first crush romance. I liked that Gigi had no idea that her childhood best friend’s brother was a full fledge celebrity. Their connection was hot!! I am typically not a fan of Insta love and thought the author did a great job of making this not Insta love in the span of the 2 weeks.

All the characters were likeable and I was vested in seeing how Gigi and Alex make the relationship work despite living in different countries and Alex being so high profile. I can’t wait to read more books from Owens.

Georgia, better known as Gigi, is exhausted and tired after a delay in her flight from London to LA. Gigi was in London investigating a possible story that could make headlines. She wants nothing more than to get all the words floating around in her head down and move forward with her story. But the universe has other plans and Gigi is now stuck in London for a little while longer. Here's where she runs into a friend. Alec Kim was Gigi's best friends older brother growing up. Now he's all grown up and even more handsome than before.

Gigi and Alec reconnect over drinks and great conversation. They soon move their night to the bedroom and decide to act on their actions - both deciding on a no strings attached one night stand. But all isn't as it seems to be. Alec turns out to be a famous actor and keeps his life as private as possible. Soon Alec and Gigi are caught up in a scandal much larger than either of them thought. Will they keep their relationship surface level, while they book get more involved in the case and each other?

Scandalized was such a fun and fast paced read. I loved the way that Gigi and Alec reconnected. They had such a shared history and even though they hadn't seen each other in years. Ivy Owens can bring the heat and the chemistry between Gigi and Alec was explosive! One night stands and insta-love can be hit and miss for me. But it worked in this case, more so because Gigi and Alec shared a past and I loved their fond feelings for one another when they were younger.

The suspense plot of the book was fast paced and kept me on my toes. And while parts of the book could be quite heavy at times, I feel like the storyline was done well and still moved along quickly.

Overall, I really enjoyed Scandalized and am looking forward to reading more from Ivy Owens!

When journalist Georgia runs into her childhood crush in the Seattle sparks fly. This spicy book by Ivy Owens has a surprising amount of plot and heart. I loved the way the relationship developed between Gigi and Alec over the course of the book and how easy it was to connect with her. Who can’t relate to a workaholic nowadays? Gigi’s heartbreaks become your heartbreaks as she navigates her way into a relationship that might be everything she’s ever needed.

I loved every minute of this book and was not ready to leave it when I got to the last page. Ivy Owens will be on my auto-buy list from now on for sure.

Right from the beginning I was hooked by this story and these characters!

It has been 14 years since Georgia Ross and Alec Kim have seen one another, not since his family moved away to London. When they are both stuck at the airport after their flights are cancelled, they reconnect and spend a very steamy no-strings-attached night together... That is until Georgia, who has spent the majority of her time focused on a story that could launch her journalism career, realizes who Alec Kim really is now: a very famous actor and star.

Despite their agreed upon one-night-only, they can't stay away from each other and end up spending all their free time together while Alec is in town. But as Georgia continues to work on her big story, a connection between it and Alec's family emerges. Georgia must determine how best to proceed and hopefully avoid a major scandal!

This book was an enjoyable and easy read. It was a quick read with lots of steamy scenes that were well written. There were times however where I wanted more in depth conversations to occur between Georgia and Alec; it sometimes felt like a real connection was lacking lack and that their entire relationship was purely a physical one. I was also unimpressed with both of them towards the end due to their respective actions. Also, and this is minor, but I found that the epilogue was a little choppy and hard to read (I had trouble with the timeline of the epilogue since it seemed to jump quite a bit).

Thank you to author Ivy Owens, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was truly FUN. The MCs had incredible chemistry from the very beginning, seemed so genuinely connected, and all of their foibles made me love them even more. Their motivations and journey to being together together felt so understandable and relatable. Plus, it's HOT. Like really steamy in all the best ways!

This book took me some places. The amount of anxiety I felt during the the BIG CONFLICT was so real. Ivy Owens just tied me to these characters in a way that was so visceral. I was attached to Gigi and Alec and they are still with me after the completion of this book.

Ahh I loved EVERYTHING about this book!⁣
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Thé instant chemistry, the banter, the open communication, the desire- INCREDIBLE.⁣
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One exhausted journalist and one exhausted movie star fall full speed ahead in this one night stand, that leaves them head over heels in under 24 hours. ⁣
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Gigi has been traveling and writing an intense piece for the LA times to shed some light on a night club doing some pretty horrendous things in London.⁣
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Alec typically lives in London and is in LA for meetings and signings for the tv show he is on. ⁣
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The relationship these two create in such a short period of time is so honest, real and beautiful and filled with amazing chemistry and steam but also so much gentleness for each other. I binged this one and loved every second!⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you for the gifted ARC @gallerybooks for my honest review!

I was given this book on NetGalley. Scandalized by Ivy Owens was a lovely romance to read. As someone who has a difficult time with the more instant love trope, this one hooked me from the first page. The chemistry was there immediately from their first encounter and I truly felt their connection. The story was a unique one that I have not read before, and I really enjoyed the journalistic part of it. Georgia was such a strong character and felt very honest in her dialogue. Alec was sweet and caring in the way he treated Georgia and his sister. It definitely made me wish I had my own Alec Kim. I really enjoyed this read because it made me laugh and smile throughout. Also the steam/spice is definitely there and Ivy Owens is great at writing it. I cannot wait to buy this book when it comes out.