Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge by Lilian Monroe is a romantic suspense. After six months of trying, Ellie wants her beloved dog Louie back from her cheating ex Jason’s house. Ellie continues to scheme ways to accomplish this, which includes an attempt to sneak into Jason’s backyard to steal him back. Yet, Ellie experiences frustration and failure at every attempt. Love for her pet and wanting to help her parents after learning about some immortal actions by her ex towards her family in the name of acquiring their beachfront property leads her on an adventure of a lifetime. Nothing is as it appears to be on the surface. Jason is not only a cheating ex-boyfriend but stops at nothing to ruin Ellie’s career as an event planner, as well as her reputation on the island they both reside on. Ellie sees a man who appears to be breaking into an older man’s window when she comes out of nowhere and hits him on the head with a pair of old bolt cutters. The stranger is Hugh, a nephew of Lionel, the homeowner. This random event changes Hugh’s and Ellie’s lives forever as she finds him willing to participate in her plans to steal back her dog. Hugh is hiding secrets from everyone on the island. Family drama abounds from Hugh’s cheating dad, giving him a legacy of trust and commitment issues. Ellie’s rebellious family of women leaves their imprint on her life. The digging and looking for dirt on Jason led Ellie and Hugh to a mystery with far-reaching consequences. The clues and facts unfold, and the romance between Ellie and Hugh heats up as the pages get turned. Lilian Monroe lives up to her stellar reputation as an exceptional writer in her latest book, Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge.

This is one of my first novels from Lilian Monroe and it definitely won't be my last. I can't tell you how quickly I burned through the pages of this book! Filled with suspense, revenge, (found) family love and the side dash of banter - it made for such a funny read with a intricate woven plot.

Ellie has not have a great few months, with her conniving ex-fiance cheating on her, spreading malicious rumours and making her out as the "crazy" one. She desperately wants to leave the island and start somewhere fresh, but with her dog, Louie, being held hostage at her ex-fiance's (Jason) house, she decides to hatch a plan to get Louie back.

Hugh has come to Fernley Island to visit the plot of land left by his estranged father in a will. However, Hugh finds out the plot of land lies in a key location, in which Jason has mercenary motives to acquire the land off Hugh.

When Ellie makes an astonishing discovery that Jason is planning to build a luxury spa and resort to front some very shady business, she teams up to Hugh to expose Jason for the crimes he's committed.
Hugh, however, has a secret of his own regarding the plot of land he inherited. He decides to withhold this information to avoid jeopardising the budding relationship he has with Ellie.

Will she finally get her sweet revenge against Jason?.... And will she manage to find out the truth about why Hugh is at Fernley Island in the first place before she completely loses her heart to him?

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGallery, and I'm willingly leaving an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hugh and Ellie's story.
Whilst planning revenge on her ex-finance and trying to rescue her dog back, Ellie ends up clashing with a stranger trying to break into her friend Lionel's place. It turns out to be his nephew!
But Hugh was not very forthcoming and truthful regarding his reasons for being on the island!
Wonderful storyline, superb characters, and loved the HEA.

Reviews posted on Goodreads, Bookbub and Amazon too

"It feels like I was stumbling around in the dark and you turned on the lights.”

Four Steps To The Perfect Revenge was an enjoyable read with fun characters and an engaging storyline that was both entertaining and heartwarming. Ellie and Hugh were an adorable pair and their interactions were so much fun.

“She no longer felt alone—hadn’t felt alone since Hugh showed up in her life.”

Ellie was so feisty and quick-tempered and determined to get revenge on her cheating ex. He had stolen her dog and humiliated her in front of the entire town so she wants to make him pay. When Hugh gets dragged into her schemes, he finds that he can’t resist her and she brings a sense of purpose and lightness to his life.

“Ellie had shown him the beauty in life. She’d cracked through the hard shell of his existence and dragged him out of the dark.”

Both Hugh and Ellie were searching for more in their lives and they found that in each other. I enjoyed their adventurous spirits and willingness to support one another. Full of humor and heart, Four Steps To the Perfect Revenge was a delightful read and full of heartwarming characters that will leave you with a smile on your face.

This is the first Lilian Monroe book I’ve read. The story started out intriguing set on a small island where everybody knows everybody. The characters were interesting, but I found this book dragged for me. I kept going back and forth with it for over a week. The miscommunication between the main characters was annoying and unnecessary as well. Poor Hugh.
Thank you @netgalley and @Montlake for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie Davis grew up on Fernley Island and knows everyone who lives there. When she needs a little help she jumps into the island's Oddjobs app, expecting the local mechanic to show up but instead gets a stranger... the same man she attacked last night when mistakenly thinking he was breaking in. Hugh Hartman is just on the Island for a few days to investigate an offer on his inheritance property. On the outside it sounds like a great deal, but as he spends more time with the locals, especially the troublesome but irresistible Ellie, he starts to see how terrible their resort plans would be for the island. At the center of it is Ellie's ex-fiance, Jason, and as Hugh helps Ellie with her revenge plot, he falls for her more and more. But if she learns the true reason he's in the Island, she may never speak to him again.
Ellie's wild personality and antics add so much humor to this story. I couldn't wait to see what she'd come up with next! Hugh had a steady and calming influence to tame some of her craziness but he loved that side of her and they make the perfect match. I loved this story with a little bit of everything-- comedy, romance, mystery, and a lot of revenge plots! I loved this author's Dirty Little Midlife series and I was so excited to get an early chance to read this standalone romcom.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hugh and Ellie.
Well I have a agree with a few people..this was a very slow go. I had a very hard time getting into it. I would have to keep coming back to it. I read more than a book a day and it took me 3 days to get through it.

Hugh, who saved the book, I really like him. He is crazy for liking Ellie but ok. He was visiting the island after inheriting land from his father. He planned on signing a deal, getting paid and leaving. After meeting Ellie, he feels something odd about the deal and holds off. He quickly realizes something is fishy and backs out the deal. He did the right thing. The more he hangs around Ellie the more intrigued he is.

I started to skim read and when things started to come together it got better. That being said, throughout the revenge section, Ellie was mad at Hugh and that whole section was ridic. Hugh did nothing wrong yet there was a huge part about Ellie feeling lied to. He inherited land..that’s it! He didn’t go through with anything so what is he guilty for? I did enjoy the revenge that Jason got; wish more would have been said or done about the p9lice department. Even after everything, Hugh was helping Ellie out with her office and she still didn’t believe people would want to hire her. I just can’t with her. Sorry.

This book sounded great. Unfortunately the pacing was a bit disjointed for me. It seemed to drag at first, then speed up, then drag...well you get the idea.

I usually read a book cover to cover and don't pick anything else up when I'm reading. I cheated on this book. I figured it would end well, and it did, but I also picked up another book at about the half-way point to 'clear my brain' so I'd be able to finish this one up!

I've never read this author before, so maybe I'm not the target audience. The premise was great as was the blurb, but for me it just didn't hit my hot buttons. Three stars from me and I admire anyone who puts pen to paper and then sends their book out for people to praise and/or criticize.

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC of Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge. The review is my own.

👥Good couple: What is her problem?!

Ellie and Hugo's romance starts out with an entertaining meet-cute and, in general, had a solid romantic comedy vibe, great characters and a good plot revolving around Ellie's need to bring down her evil, philandering ex-fiance Jason. Ellie's campaign almost always backfires but she refuses to give up. Hugo, who I loved, finds Ellie fascinating and soon becomes her main accomplice. There is a bit of heated intimacy but their quickly developing relationship is more sweet than steamy. Ellie's family and friends add some whimsy, especially Ellie's music afficionado father Claude, the local ladies who can't take their eyes off Hugo😉 and Ellie's smelly-sock-loving dog Louie.

The thing that did not thrill me was the way Ellie is so insecure that she takes Hugo not sharing everything with her from day one as a personal betrayal. The intensity of her reaction when she learns he never got around to explaining his full reason for coming to the island is so severe that it soured my sympathy for her. The way she treats Hugo thereafter is just mean after the way he has supported her. Even her dog Louie knows Hugo does not deserve it!

That said, I did like the book and would read more by the author.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

This book was an adventure from start to finish. It has a little bit of everything: mystery, intrigue, a villain, a swoony hero, and an adorable dog.

Ellie has been having the worst year of her life. Her ex-fiancé humiliated and black listed her and stole her dog. She is mad and out for revenge at all costs. She meets the mysterious Hugh when she mistakes him for breaking into his uncle’s cabin. Hugh keeps turning up all over the island and becomes her co-conspirator in revenge. Their stories are intertwined and Hugh opts not to tell her how.

Ellie is an impulsive firecracker who draws Hugh in like a moth to the flame. Everything her ex disparages Hugh adores. Hugh is grieving and conflicted and slowly starts to find his sense of belonging on the island, among the people and with Ellie and her family. As their revenge unfolds, Hugh’s secret does as well. His grand gesture and all the steps to get to that end point were really beautiful. This book was a page turner. I found myself on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. And Hugh’s quiet display of love for Ellie is a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the early review opportunity.

If you enjoy revenge this book is for you. The author knows how to write humor stinky socks and all! My one complaint is its a little to wordy for me. Overall a cute quick read. 3 stars. She needs to get revenge on her ex but the more she finds out the angrier she gets. He's there to support her even though they just met.


*********************I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opnion.*************************

Four Steps to the Perfect Revenge by Lilian Monroe is a fun and quick read.
Great characters and so many touching and truly hilarious moments I devoured this cute romance story.

Thank You NetGalley and Montlake for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

After Ellie Davis breaks up with her fiancé Jason Brownlow, she discovers that Jason has been trying to get hold of her parents’ property. It wasn’t enough that he cheated on her. Determined to get her revenge, she uses the OddJobs app to hire help. Yet when Hugh Hartford arrives, he finds himself roped into Ellie’s plans. However, Ellie doesn’t realise that Hugh is also investigating Jason.
There was plenty of hilarious moments in this book as well as plenty of romance. Set against a great backdrop of Fernley Island, this story captures the spirit of a small community. I also enjoyed seeing Ellie move on from her past hurts with Jason to explore a more rewarding relationship with Hugh.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

If you like a story that is predicated on one of the main characters omitting a very important detail to the other for the majority of the book, this novel will completely deliver on that microtrope. I will say that I am happy that the author does not leave readers in the dark, which is what saved this book for me.

This is a slower burn romance that involves two seemingly different humans who keep being thrown together, and then who team up to take a bad guy down. There’s lots of hilarity and hijinks to be found, and I wasn’t mad about any of it. The star of this story is really the island itself, and I appreciated the author’s attention to rooting this story in a particular place and time.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was very fast paced and fun. Ellie is a little bit crazy but I kind of love her. Hugh saw her banging his head and thought, that's the one for me. I do think the miscommunication was a bit unnecessary but I had a good time.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Lilian Monroe has given us a fun lighthearted romance with a easy comfortable flowing storyline with just a small twist to offset the humor and give the story depth with a quirky cast of likeable relatable characters each with their own unique personality this is a very tame heat level but highly entertaining from the first page until the last word .
I received a advance readers copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

I’ve read a lot of Lilian Monroe books so was really pleased when I saw this ARC, but I’m sorry to say I just couldn’t get in to this story. I found Ellie annoying to start and hoped she would grown on me but she didn’t. She was so set on revenge but her plans just didn’t work out. Hugh realises quite early on how Ellie would feel about his father’s plans, but still decides not to come clean, which I found frustrating. I did read about 60%and then jumped to the last couple of chapters. I’m definitely a mood reader and I may try again at another time as I do like this author.

As a first book by this author for me, I was pleasantly surprised during the reading. Sometimes an author can try too hard to make it light-hearted and funny the entire time. This was a super cute book with fun supporting characters and moments of real substance the the plot. One thing that was a definite pet peeve of mine was that the female lead referred to her parents by their first names— even in her own thoughts. It was very strange. But I overall enjoyed this story.

4/5 stars! this book had no business being as good as it was?? it took me a hot minute to get invested and the story did border on insta-love to me, but even though it was a short amount of time, it took place over the whole book so it didn’t feel terribly quick.

i have two main grievances with this book. first, the cover. so bad. i definitely judged it before reading it and i feel like that’s why it took me so long to read it after getting approved on netgalley. i don’t like the real people or the pose of them, it just really impacted me negatively. the second is the name hugh. it’s just so old. im so sorry but i couldnt picture anything but a man hunched over with a trench coat and a fedora the entire time! it just really threw me.

the author of this book showed up!! the eloquence, timeline, development, everything was so well done and overall the book was really well written in my opinion. i liked the storyline with louie, i liked the way she made you care about the characters. at first i didnt connect super well because it felt forced and quick and like i didnt have any basis or burning desire of any sort for the main characters to get together, but i feel like it does build well especially at the end of the book the author makes it feel very intentional that the love happened quickly and she then takes the time for the characters to get to know each other, she acknowledges that the FMC was being dramatic ab how long it was taking her to forgive him, but also made it make sense along with the idea of her trauma and fears. i realllyyy enjoyed this book and i wish we got one ab daphne! so sad. im glad i made myself finally read this, im begging, if nothing else, PLEASE change the cover bcs right now it is not doing it for what i feel like readers are currently drawn to.

This was a another fabulous book by Lilian Monroe! It is funny and heart-warming and heart-wrenching all at the same time. I experienced so many emotions throughout the pages of this book. The main character, Ellie Davis, tore at my heart strings when she described the humiliation of her breakup with her ex-fiancé, Jason Brownlow. Hugh Hartford has his own issues to work through before he and Ellie can attain their HEA. I highly recommend this book to everyone.