That Dangerous Energy opens on an intriguing snippet of family history. Morgan's great-grandmother escaped Spain and her husband in the dead of night, the only option available to her since women couldn't seek a divorce. And then with a hard pivot, we're dropped right into the middle of another escape. Morgan's on the move with ~something~ in her pocket. Two security guards are tailing her until she gets wise and drops her million-dollar engagement ring on the subway tracks. The what and why of it all aren't clear to us. We're just along for the ride. Then we jump back two months.

This book has such a strong beginning, from the interwoven snippets about the women in Morgan's family to the first hint of whirlwind romance when Morgan and Kevin connect as strangers stranded in St. Louis on a flight delay. The family history shows us the resilience of the women in Morgan's family even as it captures the impact of racism and sexism on their lives throughout the 20th century. None had a storybook happily ever after. Men did them wrong, and society did its worst. These flashbacks are balanced out by the promise of Morgan's potential love story. It's cute, banter-y, and feather-light-- just a connection that could become something.

Amid these moving parts, we also learn about Morgan's hustle, something that prevents her from acting on her interest in Kevin-- a billionaire who her friend is training her to snag. As a struggling fashion designer who really wants to focus on the quilts that are her life's passion, Morgan can't afford to turn away a golden opportunity to focus on her art. And so her best friend Dashawna, an experienced sugar baby, guides her through the process of keeping an oil mogul's attention once she's caught it.

The story draws a clear through line between climate change and racial violence. Here, Morgan's boyfriend Sebastian sits on his piles of money while greenwashing the family business to his benefit. It's only once Morgan catches wind of some of Sebastian's lies that she decides to take what she knows to The Movement, aka Kevin, who it turns out is an activist. Morgan's tip isn't enough, so she agrees to spy on him and get evidence that could make a difference. The tension of spying, keeping up with her art, and having to perform for Sebastian takes a toll on Morgan, and that comes through on the page. Her trials are many. She's starting to see the cracks in her relationship, even if she never mistook it for love, and she's fully disenchanted with Sebastian's lies about taking his father's company in a more responsible direction.

As Morgan agrees to spy and gets fully invested in climate activism, the story completely fell apart for me on multiple fronts. I was shocked and disappointed given my enjoyment of one of de Leon's other books and how well things were going so far with this one. So let me explain where things went wrong.

My first problem is that this book is billed as not only a thriller but a romance, and I was increasingly uncomfy that Kevin sees Morgan as a means to an end for the movement, and her safety is something he largely worries about in relation to his own interest in her. At one point, he suggests she use her "feminine wiles" to get invited to an event where she needs to spy, ignoring the daily trauma of what she's already putting herself through to keep up the ruse. The physical intimacy that was once a chore is now something worse-- something she has to survive for the cause, no matter her loathing. The good news is we do get to see Morgan call him on all this, which was VERY satisfying. The bad news is how Morgan reacts to this falling out... and also how Kevin is still endgame. If things had escalated between them naturally from their first meeting, which was so cute, I think it could have been this wonderful love story. But the spy situation complicates it-- especially because Kevin's hatred of Sebastian first extends to Morgan and then becomes something that clouds his judgment and his feelings for her.

On Morgan's end, she doesn't lose sight of the end goal, but she does lose sight of who Sebastian is in light of her fight with Kevin, and it's a frustrating pivot. Just when it seems the spying is rapping up and Morgan can go free, we receive the unwelcome gift of a love triangle where we already know the ending because of the opening scene. While Morgan lounges on the beach with Sebastian and starts to build a connection with him, we see her entertain the alluring mind game it's so easy to play: maybe I CAN have it all without breaking my moral compass. And that's the fairy tale she has a hard time letting go of-- more than any romantic one. It's a powerful message, and I only wish it weren't tainted by all the last-minute romantic shenanigans tying up the latter half of the book.

We get one more round of thriller vibes when we reconnect with the opening scene in the timeline. And then the end is kind of a court drama? Which I was on board with as far as finding solutions to the problems at hand. But it was a hard swerve tone-wise and recapped the story in detail at some points, further slowing down what was once a snappy, focused story. Worse, Morgan reconnects with Kevin after he apologizes for his behavior, but I wasn't ready to be on his team again as they ride off into the sunset. In its final moments, the book also manages to solve climate change, so wow. It was a lot.

It's so hard to know what to feel about this whole thing. Because I like a book that dares to envision a better future for us, but everything else is a bit of a jumble. So many kernels of strong story elements are ultimately awkward or annoying in execution. The romantic elements, I've covered. There's also this weird moment of attempted trans solidarity where Morgan notices a woman's big biceps and wonders if she's trans and is basically like "If so... cool." The sentiment? Nice. The whole scene? Awkward to the point of defeating its purpose. In terms of the broader message, I became increasingly bothered that the book portrays "The Movement" as if it's a flattened, unilateral beast instead of a multifaceted, not always harmonious hydra of a thing. So while Morgan's actions serve the greater good and an oil tycoon is an obvious target for all kinds of activists, Kevin and increasingly Morgan start seeing things in a moral black and white that keeps them motivated but feels kind of naive. Since I was on board with their politics (see: climate, racism, wealth disparity), it created this weird dissonance that I wasn't as enthusiastic about their clarity around a messy situation. It smacks of fanaticism. And maybe that level of dedication is necessary to get the results they did? So you see, I'm conflicted.

This book kicked off with brisk writing, an intriguing premise, and multiple layers. But once it shed the story of Morgan as an artist, as a daughter, and as someone struggling to get by in favor of the story of Morgan The Activist, it left space for an unnecessary love triangle and other questionable romantic decisions, traumas left unaddressed, and somehow, the nitty-gritty of a legal battle. And that's just a taste of the whiplash I felt reading it. So here I am, struggling to explain why this book wasn't what I needed it to be in the end.

I picked up That Dangerous Energy by Aya de Leon based on my enjoyment of one of her previous books, A Spy in the Struggle. Like that previous reading experience, this more recent release is a genre bender, blending social commentary in a romantic thriller format. Unfortunately unlike the previous book I found this one extremely heavy-handed with all the subtlety of a chainsaw.
Morgan Faraday is grabbing every opportunity she can to pull herself up out of a family legacy of abusive partners, young single motherhood, and poverty. If that means figuring out ways to keep her Oil Tycoon Billionaire Boyfriend happy (OK, his name is Sebastian Reid), by God she'll do it. She's been getting good advice from her BFF who is working her way towards early retirement by being a Sugar Baby, and Sebastian seems hooked. Then she meets Kevin Templeton, who from here on out I will call Crunchy Granola Climate Change Activist.

Crunchy Granola Climate Change Activist and Morgan spark right away, but she dismisses the attraction because she's hoping to keep her hooks into Oil Tycoon Billionaire Boyfriend. Then Crunchy Granola finds out that Morgan is dating Oil Tycoon, gets all butthurt and tells her her hoped-to-be-future hubby is EEEEEEEVVVVVIIIIIIIILLLLLLL!

So what makes Oil Tycoon Billionaire Boyfriend evil exactly? Well...

He inherited and is running his father's oil company
Greenwashing (I guess? His investments in wind and solar are legit so....)
Lobbying
Wow. So evil. Also, not illegal.

Eventually some slapdash racketeering charges are thrown in to give readers some ultra-cheesy and laughably bad courtroom drama at the end, but up until the 90% mark I just wasn't seeing it. As far as thriller villains go this guy doesn't even make the Time 100.

Because a hot man has come into her life, and at his urging (so gross), the heroine decides to spy on Oil Tycoon Billionaire Boyfriend because golly, she believes in the cause! Power to the people y'all! That is until she has a fight with Oil Tycoon Billionaire Boyfriend, he leaks out some tears and she inexplicably has a change of heart and thinks she can "change him." Like, WUT?! He holds all the power in your relationship and you can change him? Sure Jan.

Look, I knew what I was getting when I picked up this book. The author infuses her books with current social commentary (Climate Change, Black Lives Matter, etc. etc.) but a feminist manifesto this most certainly is not. What we have here is a heroine whose sole identity is wrapped up around men - whether it's bagging the Oil Tycoon Billionaire Boyfriend to escape the poverty cycle or Crunchy Granola Climate Change Activist because he sure is dreamy and she hits the land speed record for believing in his cause. On top of this? The social commentary is akin to an Acme anvil falling from the sky and drilling Wile E. Coyote into the desert sand. It's a bunch of buzzwords and slogans with no real meat behind them. It's all Fossil Fuels Bad, Climate Change Bad. There's no depth. There's no nuance. It's like getting beat upside the head with a baseball bat for nearly 300 pages.

Then, predictably, the author comes for the romance genre and I officially lost the last of my f*cks. Hand to God, as we're barreling towards the conclusion Crunchy Granola Climate Change Activist's lawyer takes a jab at romance novels for romanticizing billionaires and whitewashing how terrible real-life billionaires are. Look, does the romance genre romanticize billionaires? Yes. Do I know a single romance reader who confuses Bezos, Musk or Facebook Boy for romance novel heroes? Absolutely not. Maybe give women a little credit for having the ability to separate fantasy from reality. Although I've already established how decidedly unfeminist this book is so....

(Seriously, I'll read a billionaire romance hero all day long but am just as likely to punch one in the face if the opportunity ever presents itself. I contain multitudes.)

Other than chuckling a couple of times at some truth bombs there was nothing here that worked for me. I walked into this book knowing I was going to get political commentary and that said commentary would lean fairly far to the left. That's not my problem (at all) with this book. It's the lack of nuance. It's the lack of depth. It's a heroine who I frankly don't like all that much because she lacks an identity outside of the men in her life. The author tries to combat this by including flashbacks to her family's history and including the heroine's artistic passion for textile art (quilting). Spoiler Alert: It's nowhere near enough.

Final Grade = D-

Morgan is a talented fabric artist who dreams of living in NYC, but she's stuck in a small town. She gets a chance to date Sebastian, a wealthy and charming energy tycoon who claims he's working on clean energy solutions. But he's actually involved in a shady deal with a corrupt politician who wants to keep polluting the world. Morgan meets a hot activist who exposes Sebastian's lies and makes her feel things she never felt before. She has to decide whether to follow her heart or her conscience. THAT DANGEROUS ENERGY is a summary of a romance novel with a political and environmental twist.

Baby, let me tell you, I did not want to put this book down.  Right from the very beginning, the storyline had me hooked and did not let go.  Not even at the end.  It was a faced paced and exciting read.  The development of the characters was mindblowing.  These characters will stay embed in my mind for a long time.  Books like this is why this author will be in my always support/buy pile.  If you love suspence stories with a fast pace, then you need to check this book out.  Be sure to check it out


I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and Kensington Books and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions

I loved this one!
Aya’d novels are always entertaining and have covered several topics in current events and given them spotlight while entertaining the reader.
Morgan thinks she wants the lavish life but at what cost? When she meets Kevin a protester, he shows her that the life she may be walking into could be a dangerous one. Morgan spies on her billionaire energy mogul boyfriend and begins unraveling all the secrets and wrong doings of his company. I think this was my favorite of the last three novels but I love how they all work together and hope there is another in this unofficial series

This is the first time I have read anything by Aya de Leon, but it won't be the last. I really enjoyed this book, it has a very satisfying ending. This book is a romantic thriller that focuses on fossil fuels, energy consumption, and climate change. Aya de Leon does a great job of balancing information and action, especially when it came to the textile arts. Yes I know this book is a corporate climate change thriller but a nice chunk of it describes what Morgan does as an artist. Morgan designs her own clothes and went to fashion school, but her passion is quilting. The scenes describing how she created a quilt to enter a contest is very interesting for someone who knows almost nothing about quilting. I love how quilting is a form of art and a practical way to not only tell stories but also a way to reuse fabric instead of discarding it. Quilting fits in well with the theme of the book that time is running out to affect climate change.
The pacing of the book is wonderful, and I appreciated that the characters are nuanced and have depth, there is no knight in shining armor or a perfect badass hero--which makes everyone in the story more relatable.

And as an aside, the color scheme on the cover and the artwork of it is gorgeous!

Five Stars for this romantic thriller it was a great ride!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC! #ThatDangerousEnergy

Morgan Faraday came to New York City from her small Pennsylvania town looking for glamor and, perhaps more importantly, a chance to make a name for herself in the art world. A talented fabric artist, she finds it difficult to land a job that will actually support her in her chosen field once she graduates from college, given the high-end garment industry’s fondness for low paying entry level jobs and internships that poor people simply cannot live on. Even sleeping on her best friend Dashawna’s couch doesn’t help with her budget for living in a notoriously expensive city, not without family money to provide a foundation.

So when she meets Sebastian Reid, she thinks she’s finally found the answer to her prayers. Sebastian is rich and good-looking, but she knows she’ll have to carefully craft her image and behavior in order to get him to commit to her. Even several months into their relationship, when he flies her to St Louis to spend time with him while he’s at a conference, she has to keep up her facade:

QUOTE
“Are you hungry?” he would ask.

“Starving,” she would say. “I never get airport food.” Like it was beneath her, not unaffordable.

Everything about Morgan’s exterior screamed money. The designer shoes, jacket, and luggage. The stylish clothes. Fashion forward. Not like anything people had seen. Were they right off the runway? Who was she wearing? There were no designer labels because she had sewn the clothes herself. The outside of her wardrobe said couture, but the inside said homespun. Just like the outside of her body said glam, but the inside of her stomach said airline snacks.
END QUOTE

Morgan’s plan to lock down Sebastian so she can spend the rest of her life working on her art instead of worrying about money hits an enormous snag when she realizes the truth of who he is and what he does for a living. The Reid Corporation is an energy company that is a notorious global polluter. Since Sebastian took over following his father’s death however, ReidCorp has begun pivoting to more environmentally-friendly solutions. Their critics accuse them of greenwashing, but Sebastian claims that it takes time to change the focus of a company of its size without also incurring tremendous layoffs.

Even as Morgan learns more about climate change, she’s hesitant to believe the worst about her boyfriend, despite the skepticism of the hot activist with whom she accidentally forms a connection. But when Morgan catches Sebastian in a huge lie to the media and watchdog groups about his relationship with a prominent government official, she’s torn as to what to do. It wouldn’t be enough for her to testify that he lied, as it would just be her word against his. She has to get proof, a nerve-wracking proposition for a woman who only wants the financial freedom to pursue her art:

QUOTE
But then she recalled one of the climate books she’d been reading. Any time in history when a nonviolent movement got 3.5 percent of the population active in demanding change, it had succeeded. They just needed to get the climate movement in the US to 3.5 percent. That seemed doable. But it also meant that her getting this evidence could be a huge tipping point. And now Sebastian was mad at her. Would she be able to pull this off? The pressure felt like a stone on her chest.
END QUOTE

Morgan’s political awakening is only one of the many gripping aspects of this romantic thriller, as our heroine is torn between doing what’s right and what’s easy, and trying to be a force for good even as it threatens to destroy all her dreams. She’s a sympathetic character who must grapple not only with her part in the climate crisis, but also with her own life and background as a poor Black woman – albeit one who can pass as white – and artist in a capitalist society. It’s absorbing leftist reading that will strike a chord with anyone who’s existed in upwardly mobile urban poverty and with activists alike. And, as with any romance worth its salt, That Dangerous Energy also provides readers with hopes of a happily ever after, if good people work together for a just future for all.

Morgan Faraday is flying cross-country with $7 in her wallet when her flight is cancelled. The kindness of a stranger allows her to sleep in a hotel after a good dinner. She tries to ignore her attraction to him; she is, after all, dating a billionaire who could enable her to pursue her art without worrying about paying for lodging and food. But as she begins to realize that Sebastian's money comes from fossil fuel and the exploitation of the planet, Morgan realizes she can make a difference--by revealing Sebastian's duplicity.

As Morgan transitions from kept woman to spy, she spends more time with the hot environmental activist, who is none other than the kind stranger who paid for her hotel room. This book is a page-turning suspense novel that raises discussions about the environment, corporate responsibility, and the pursuit of wealth at all costs. Morgan's family's backstory is not completely relevant, other than to establish she didn't come from wealth. #ThatDangerousEnergy #NetGalley

This book has good ideas, but the execution is a mess. I like the idea of feminism and environmental activism, for example. But this just did not deliver as the thriller it was promised, being more like a messy contemporary romance.

That Dangerous Energy by Ava de León is a good mystery thriller that brings together a story of romance, spying, environmental activism, and more!

The pace was quite fast. I would have loved to see more development in the story to the hot/cold behavior of Sebastian in this rich guy trope.

The story also gave me insight on why activists do what they do when it comes to our environment. I knew global warming was an impactful topic, but I didn't really Know Know ( you know what I mean?). It reopened my eyes!

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Aya de León delivers a wonderful page turning thriller! I couldn’t put this book down, I was so concerned about the characters. León tells an engaging thriller wrapped in the reality of climate change, race, and the danger of billionaires. She weaves an entire family history into this novel that was touching and true.

Morgan Faraday is a struggling textile artist who is angling her way to becoming a billionaire’s live-in girlfriend. Sebastian Reid is the CEO and heir of an oil company, who could change Morgan’s life with the space and time to work on her art. But when Morgan’s eyes are opened to the damage Sebastian’s company does to the environment she’s forced to choose between the life she imagined and the work she could do for climate change activists.

The book opens with Morgan running away from the life she’s made with Sebastian and jumps back in time to explain how she got there. The storytelling is great, interweaving Morgan’s family over several generations. The characters are great and I couldn’t wait to find out how everything turned out.

This book reads like a fast-paced action movie.

Morgan is fabulous. Smart, quick, resilient, artistic. Talented. I couldn't put the story down. In fact, I read the whole thing straight through.

If Hollywood was smart, they'd pick up this amazing story right away. What a wild ride! The perfect spy thriller, plus historical nods, and a mom you definitely need to meet.

"Morgan talked her mother into taking the day off. The two of them talked late into the night. They told story after story."

Add this to your list. You won't be disappointed.

The Dangerous Energy by Aya de Leon is about Morgan Faraday who has a rough upbringing. She takes every opportunity in life to change her life path. She has meet the perfect guy to do so Sebastian Reid. He has it all he charming and most important rich. Morgan sees the chance she has been looking for a stable relationship and a stable life. Sebastian isn't as perfect as Morgan was hoping he has secrets and lies that Morgan is slowly starting to uncover. Its a tale for the ages. It has mystery,scandal and betrayal . I did enjoy the modern spin on greenhouse gas and the effect it has not the environment. I was happy to see modern issues put in a book.

When I think of mystery, I think of books just like this one, that gives all the thrills. This is a perfect book to snuggle up with on any day.