REVIEW: Scandalized by Ivy Owens 💫

I absolutely loved this book!!!! This steamy childhood best friend’s brother, chance meeting, famous/normal person debut is out today.

Everyone looking for another read perfect for the end of summer, go run and get this one!! I could not put it down!! I flew through it and just wanted more of Alec and Georgia.

The banter, spice, writing, chemistry was just so on point! I can’t wait to see what Ivy Owens writes next!!

I can’t even count how many of my friends recommended this book to me and kept waiting to start it because I knew I wouldn’t want it to end. I wasn’t wrong and I only put this book down because I had a fever but trust me when I say it wasn’t by choice!

Gigi and Alec find each other again through a chance encounter that leads to them falling into a STEAMY romance that also left me swooning. The premise is fun and fast-paced; reminding me of my favorite parts of celebrity romances.

Just trust me that you’re going to want to pick this one up and settle in for some spice!

CW: investigative reporting uncovering sexual assaults including drugging (in past & recounted but did not happen to MC), toxic relationship with partner (past)

Life will throw curve balls, and things won't always be this easy or straightforward, but this love --our love--is the rare wonder that comes along once in a lifetime.

𝙍𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬
Okay, wow! Talk about a wild (& steamy) beginning of this book!

Gigi is waiting to board a plane and keeps making eye contact with an attractive guy and keeps wondering how she knows him. Because Gigi is great with names, but terrible with faces. Who else can relate?

Then bam! She realizes it's her childhood friend's brother, Alec, who she happened to have the biggest crush on! Her friend (& her family) moved away years ago.

I really loved the meet-cute between Alec and Gigi. I'm normally not one for celebrity romances, but the fact that Alec and Gigi had previously known each other really made this so much more believable.

Not only is this book romantic, it's steamy, it's mysterious, and it touches on some darker content, which made for an addictive, well-rounded read.

I'm excited to see more from Ivy Owens!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
Childhood Crushes
Celebrity Romances
Romance Books w/ Darker Themes
Steamy Scenes

I loved this book! I read this in one day and could not put it down. I was so invested in Alec & GiGi's story and how everything would turn out for them!

I'm not a huge fan of the slow burn so the fact that the spice hit so early?? YES IVY!!

This book is steamy, sexy, and hands down one of the best ARCs I've ever read.

So I tried to start writing this review and my brain is just absolutely fried from how crazy hot this book is. Scorching. Alec Kim. Oh good lord.

I have to tell you, friends, I do not like instalove. It's one of my least favorite tropes, give me a slow burn any day. And yet. AND YET. This is now one of my favorite romance books ever?? Ivy Owens, what is this witchcraft?

The connection between Gigi and Alec is just developed so well and feels really believable even though it's fast. Their shared history, maturity, and communication are a huge part of this and balance out their incredible chemistry in the best way. Like yes, the steam is SO GOOD but also they're just really wonderful and lovely together and all you want is for everything to work out and for them to be happy. And the chemistry! Did I mention this book is hot?

If you are a romance lover DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS BOOK. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and swoony and sexy and a little angsty (messed up my own alliteration there but the angst has to be mentioned because it is *chef’s kiss*).

This book was magic, the perfect giddy burst of joy every time I thought about it (which was and still is all the time). I kept sneaking away from all the things I was supposed to be doing to read just one more chapter. I'm already plotting my next reread because I need alllll the serotonin this book provides.

I’m so glad I requested this from NetGalley! I loved this book so much!

Alec and Gigi just fit together. The chemistry between the two of them is off the charts and I was living for the spicy scenes! This book was fast paced, emotionally heartbreaking, and sinfully delicious all at once. I’m not usually one for a childhood friends brother trope, but if they’re all written this well, I might be changing my mind!

Scandalized was a fun, sweet, and hot read for those who are looking for an easy going story. Gigi bumps into her childhood best friend’s older brother and lives a whirlwind romance.

I enjoyed the connection and dynamic between Alec and Gigi, it was swoon worthy. All it took was one night with Gigi for Alec to fall in love and let’s be honest.. who doesn’t love a good boy obsessed trope?

I do wish the story had a bit more spark, and kind of hoped to see more sides to Alec but I had fun with this book. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for something quick, lighthearted, and a new book boyfriend.

Even though Scandalized, by Ivy Owen's was very cheesey I loved every shred, crumble, melt, and slice!

The writing showed great depth which surprised me since Gigi and Alec were pretty much insta love. There were only a few times I felt the conversation was a lttle too light and glossed over.

Oh my gosh the spice was turned up to the prefect amount!

Scandalized was exactly what I needed exactly when I needed it! It was fast paced, and steamy, and just a great romance. Alec and Gigi had such good chemistry and it played out so well with the seriousness of the story Gigi was writing about past sexual assaults in a nightclub. The book only takes place over a short period of time but it still felt believable. My only complaint was the epilogue, but I should now better than to read them because I generally hate them. But happy I added this to my TBR. It helped with a reading slump.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 rounded up to a 4)

I’m pretty sure I read this book in a fever dream. I started and finished it in a span of 24 hours. It was a short, sweet, and easy read. I can definitely see why so many people have been raving about it!

For me, while it was good and the sensitive topics discussed were handled delicately and with care, there were too many cringey moments to look past. I definitely rooted for Gigi and Alec the entire time and the ending gave me all the butterfly feelings I was hoping to have throughout!

Regardless, I definitely think you’ll want to add this one to your end of summer TBR. It was fast paced and while it was technically insta love it didn’t feel like insta love. And, as I said previously the author did an amazing job with the sensitive topic discussed - it was handled beautifully! It will 100% help you get out of a slump because of how addicting it was to read! Make sure to check trigger warnings prior to reading though.

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Read if you like:

💗 childhood best friend’s brother
🤩 celebrity romance
🛫 unexpected layovers
❤️‍🔥 insta love
🌊 beach days

I had a lot of high hopes for this book and for the most part it delivered on what it promised. If you like celebrity romance and childhood friends to more than this is absolutely a book you will enjoy. I'm not the biggest fan of the childhood friends to more trope but celebrity romance is a lot of fun when done well and I think this is a great example of that.

Right from the start Gigi and Alec have sparking chemistry and the sex scenes in this book are some of the hottest I've ever read. When they are together, those are the best moments of the book. I think because the book is structured so that it starts when they meet and takes place during the two or so week time that Alec is in the US that there is less tension than I personally like in my romance. The conflict comes from the fact that (well...besides the fact that Alec is a K-Drama star) there is an expiration date to their liaison because Alec eventually has to come back to London. I would have enjoyed more tension and will they/won't they but that's a personal preference and there is absolutely enough conflict here to justify an extremely engaging reading experience.

Overall, this was a really hot and lovely romance that I would definitely recommend.

(One other thing, Gigi is a reporter who is following a story involving sexual assault and this is a storyline that is very prominent in the book so please proceed with care. I will also mention that Gigi might be the worst investigative reporter in the world. It bothered me, personally, but I doubt others will mind as much).

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the arc for review.

I absolutely loved this. LOVED IT. It's a quick and easy read, and not only hits some of my personal favorite romance tropes, but also neatly avoids my least favorites, some of which would have been an easy route for the book to take.

After working on the biggest story of her career, journalist Georgia is on her way back to LA from London. In the middle of delay after delay, she sees someone who looks vaguely familiar at the airport and when she spots him waiting for a room at the same hotel, she finally places him - the older brother of her childhood best friend, whose family moved away when she was 13. They get to talking, end up sharing his hotel room, and then get to OTHER THINGS. The connection is big and real, and though they "plan" on just a one night stand, they can't deny the thing between them and decide to spend his whole two weeks in town together. Thing is, he's a famous kdrama actor, and that comes with complications.

Okay, let me tell you the things I liked:

- At first, when Georgia didn't recognize Alec, I worried this was going to be an "I'm too cold/mature/evolved to give a crap about this kind of thing" and she would act above his fame/like it didn't matter/it wasn't important, real "not like other girls" stuff, but that's not what happened at all. She just knows him from a different context. She's fully supportive of her roommate, who is a through-and-through fangirl, it's just not her own vibe.

- Similarly, neither of them demand priority for their own careers, or sublimate their own focus to prioritize the career of the other. They're both 100% supportive of what the other person has going on, and fully understanding, even when their careers bring up issues. LIKE ADULTS.

- Their connection to each other is fast, and maybe too much for true haters of "insta-love" in books, but it didn't feel like that to me. They have a history together, and the connection that sparks up between them feels believable. Additionally, they actually talk to each other about it all the way through - 100% reasonable communication and everyone on the same page, which to me, avoids imbalance that would have given me the ick coming from either side in a celebrity/regular person relationship.

- I'm not sure how to phrase this one, but the descriptions of how easy Alec and Georgia are around each other - I'm not saying it's not romantic, but it demonstrates something different from the usual all-consuming obsession of insta-love. They just fit, and Ivy Owens demonstrates it so well.

- There's a building tension, because you know SOMETHING is going to happen, in the form of a third act conflict, and I was very concerned as the book went on that I knew how that was going to go down, and I wasn't going to like it. No details here, but it DOESN'T happen the way I thought it would at all, and I was relieved. What DOES happen isn't the result of dumb refusal to communicate or selfish actions on the part of Alec or Georgia, but instead, just difficult outside circumstances. I very much enjoy adult couples in romances dealing with CIRCUMSTANCES, rather than the way they treat or mistakes they make against each other.

- I really, REALLY liked Ivy Owens's writing style. It's easy to read and casual, without ever veering NEAR that too casual, blunt, almost crude style that happens sometimes when authors correct TOO hard away from overly flowery prose. I don't like either extreme, and this one leans casual but with a breezy style that feels totally natural and unobtrusive. Plus, there are some absolutely brilliant lines and phrases - I'll be referring to myself as having "unsupervised eyebrows" until I DIE.

- Lastly, I fully appreciate the time taken to put a content warning in the beginning of the book. The story Georgia is working on deals with assault, and it factors heavily into the book. That said, there are no graphic descriptions, nothing egregious. The events are outlined well enough to communicate their gravity (and EVERYONE who appears on the page appreciates the seriousness, there is NO downplaying), but without any gratuitous detail. You get the idea, clearly, but nothing further.

THAT SAID, I do want to include one more very specific, vague content warning to a very small niche of people - the events Georgia is reporting on line up undeniably closely to Burning Sun, so if that's going to startle you/get you in your feels, now you know.

Again, I absolutely loved this. I like Georgia and Alec as people, I like the way they treat each other and the people around them, I like the choices the author made for the way the story went. I've already ordered a finished copy because I know this is going to be a reread for me. 100% recommend!

I’m absolutely blown away by this book!

I had no expectations going in, but know I love a celebrity trope, so I thought I’d try it.

BUT GUYS.

It was so good. I couldn’t stop flipping pages, I was so engrossed in the progression of the story for Alec and Gigi I thought about nothing else but finishing until it was 1:30 in the morning.

I think what I appreciated most about this one is that it is a celebrity trope romance with a twist. Gigi and Alec do have history as he’s her childhood friends brother and she knew him as Alec and not as a celebrity. This made it feel more understandable and any disbelief that exists with the typical celebrity trope wasn’t there with this added history.

Here I am desperately crossing my fingers for more from this author (Eden’s story? 👀👀)

5/5 stars, absolutely loved it and it is definitely one of my favorite romances of the year!

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy I’m exchange for an honest review.

Two childhood friends hook up, and what was supposed to be a one night stand turns into something more. The surprise…Gigi doesn’t realize Alec is now a celebrity AND she is a reporter working on her big story that she doesn’t realize involves Alec as well.

Woo this one was so steamy and SO good. I flew through it in one day because I was loving the story so much. There was a lot of room for drama, especially with their respective careers, but even with the setbacks, Gigi and Alec always cared so deeply for each other. They were so cute together and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Plus they had incredible chemistry and that made all the steam in this book even steamier. There was so much to love about this book. It was amazing!

Thanks to Gallery Books for the advance copy!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CELEB ROMANCE BOOKS I'VE EVER READ!! Ivy Owens is a freakin' force! This book is the perfect blend of celebrity romance, friends to lovers, brother's best friend, forced proximity, secret dating THAT I'VE EVER READ! I cannot deal.

The steam in this book is unmatched. It's beyond open door. Ivy waits all of 15 pages before turning up the heat and this could be my favourite thing about her. I was hooked from the first pages and legit could not put this one down.

Alec is my dream hero for all the right reasons. Gigi is the most badass strong heroine any romance book could ask for. The book deals with sexual assault in reference to an ongoing investigation so I would be weary of any trigger warnings... but seriously, do NOT skip out on this one. It gave me EVERY feel possibly. I'm still reeling. Biggest. Book. Hangover. Ever.

FIVE +++++ GLORIOUS STARS! I need more.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE! I read this book in 2 days. It was absolutely fantastic. It made me laugh out loud, gasp, cry, and everything else a good rom com should make you do. I absolutely ADORED Gigi and Alec. The electricity between them was so incredibly good. This book was so absolutely fantastic. Even the epilogue gave me everything I wanted. Also, super spicy book in case anyone isn’t looking for spicy. Personally, the spicy was fantastic. I’m going to be thinking about this book for weeks to come. So so so so so so good.

Thank you to #gifted Gallery Books for our copy of Scandalized by Ivy Owens. This books publishes on August 23, 2022.

Rating: 3.5 to 4 star
Genre: Romance

This book was 🔥 🔥 🔥! Holy steam! If you like a hot, steamy romance, you might like this one. Honestly, the premise and early reviews I saw intrigued me; however, this book wasn't 5 star for me like it was for many others. I did really appreciate the author's note on trigger warnings (sexual assault off the pages of the book).

Read this if:
-You like STEAMY romance.
-You like romance novels with a celebrity main character.
-You like romance books with heavier themes.

My favorite thing is when a romance can give me butterflies and make me swoon. Scandalized absolutely came through! It’s one of those romances that I think is best enjoyed with little info ahead of time but check content warnings if needed.

I loved this read and these characters and am only sad that it’s finished. Can’t wait for more from the author! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy.

Let me start by saying I LOVED THIS BOOK.

From the first paged I was HOOKED. I had to slow myself down to try to draw out the enjoyment.

Alec and Gigi are childhood friends who run into each other at the airport after they both have canceled flights. A few drinks later they have a supposed one-night stand that turns into a whirlwind romance.

What I really loved about this was that the plot moved quickly but it didn't feel rushed. And that even though the romance was the central part of the story, there was enough side drama to keep us interested and entertained.

Long story short, if you are looking for the "perfect" rom-com, READ THIS.

I rarely give five stars so believe me when I say this book is awesome!

And the spice...let's just say the pages are steaming. LOL.

Thank you to NetGalley for the Arc of this book. All my opinions are my own.

RATING:
5++++/5 🌟
4/5 🌶

This freaking book omg 🔥 Ivy Owens, just wow. Right from the beginning I was already hooked. The first chapter in and I knew it was going to be amazing. So so good. Single POV, fast paced, insta love, childhood crush, celebrity romance, one night stand, scorching chemistry with some intense steam - it was everything I wanted in a book and I completely devoured it.

Alec and Gigi are childhood friends and by chance, run into each other at the airport after a cancelled flight. A couple drinks and a one night stand later, their whirlwind of a romance begins. The plot was great and I loved the fact that the drama was outside of their romance. I’m not typically a fan of insta love, I find myself losing interest as the story progresses, BUT this was so well executed, I was sold on their romance and it quickly became one of my favorite books. Their connection was fantastic and I adored their shared past. I flew through this book and tried to savior it all at once. I ended up rereading my favorite parts over and over. I can’t wait to buy the physical copy of this book when it comes out.

CW: sexual assault (off page)

Thank you Ivy Owens, NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity of reading this ARC in exchange for my honest review.