Quick read - spicy and entertaining, but not a stand out for me. I preferred the first book of the series.

Grayson is part creator/owner of Hooked, a successful dating app. Despite being a chronic playboy and not believing in monogamy, he is responsible for the marriage branch of the app. So when a video of him goes viral claiming to not believe in marriage, the app takes a hit and the pressure is on to change his public image. Jovana believes in true love and feels instant sparks when she meets Grayson. But a one night stand leaves her feeling hurt and bitter. When approached by Grayson with the prospect of a mutually beneficial marriage, she can't say no. He warns her to not fall in love with him, but she just can't stop herself. Can she convince him to give love a try or will she end up with a broken heart again?

I think Grayson was a little too much of an asshole in contrast to the insta-love from Jovana. I wondered why she even liked him at all lol. Maybe if there had been more angst or jealousy on his part it would have felt more satisfying. Jovana was much too lenient with his behaviour. Overall, minimal angst in this story and the "secret" reveal at the end felt like a blip in the story.

Tropes:
- grumpy vs. sunshine
- marriage of convenience
- reformed playboy

Marni Mann does it again. I loved her Dalton Family series, so when I received this eARC I was thrilled. I knew all of her books I'd previously read were fantastic so I had high hopes for Mr. Wicked, and let me just say, she delivered. Fake-dating, contract marriage, grumpy/ sunshine, with a dash of territorial (but not in a bad way) hero, this book checks so many of my trope boxes! Our sassy, spitfire of a heroine, Jovana, takes absolutely no crap from our grumptastically sexy hero, Grayson. The growth and character development that he goes through is as endearing as it is frustrating. There were several times where I wished I could grab Grayson and shake him while yelling to get his head out of his rear, but really, when don't we want to do that to most men? As always, Marni brought all the spice. The dedication alone told me that our delicious, Mr. Grayson would have a wicked tongue, in more ways than one. Marni flawlessly blends spice and plot together to give her readers the right dose of smut alongside a compelling love story. Jovana and Grayson are a perfect match for each other, whether he wants to admit it, or not. The witty banter, the sexy talk, the steamy kisses, all of it is just a seamless blend that leads to a great book. 4.5 stars to this sexy contemporary romance.

This is Grayson and Jovana’s story. A one-night-stand gone wrong that turns into a marriage of convenience.

There was a lot to like about this book. Forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine, jaded and cynical hero. I also really liked how strong-willed the Jovana was, not letting Grayson get away with how he was treating her (read: pushing her away because he was scared of his own feelings)

I will admit, I wasn’t sold on their banter and chemistry with their first meeting, and I found their dynamic a little too insta-lusty for my taste (this is on me, though and it’s why I don’t usually relish books that start with one-night-stands). As their relationship developed, however, I really liked seeing how their dynamic shifted.

This was my first book from Marni Mann, and I definitely plan to check out more from her.

Loved reading the mesmerizing and engaging romance story. When scandal affects Grayson's app Hooked, he has to have a fake marriage to save Hooked for him and his friends, but his fake wife, Jovana, is the woman he had a passionate one night affair. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting love story. Can't wait to read the next story by the amazing author, Marni Mann!

I honestly loved this book and highly recommend it and the book before it. I love gray and drake so much. I loved the tension and angst.

Marni Mann is killing it with the Hooked series. I loved Easton and Drake so much, so I was thoroughly looking forward to Grayson's story. This book was high angst and tension, constantly waiting for Grayson to revert back to his playboy ways. I did think his internal was struggle was almost too much for the story line, toeing the line of being believable that he would ever settle down. But Marni did a really great job with the plot twist at the end, solidifying their love story. The chemistry was off the charts, love me a good, reformed playboy! I cannot wait for book 3!

(arc review) Mr Wicked - Marni Mann
Rating: 2.5 stars

I really wanted to enjoy this book but it fell pretty flat. I think it had a collection of tropes that I really enjoy such as the marriage of convenience trope and side characters that seemed interesting.

However, the main thing that made this a lower star read for me was the two main characters. I couldn’t stand either of them. The main male character had an awful attitude and came across as very immature for someone who was meant to be 30 years old.

The main female character, I can be slightly more lenient towards as she is 22 but some of her behaviour was very questionable.

The end of the book picked up and featured one of my favourite tropes in romance books which redeemed it.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this specific book however I would check out some of Marni Mann’s other works as I don’t think one book is enough to judge this author.

I genuinely loved this book! The perfect amount of spice mixed with love that made me really root for them.

The only thing that bothered me was how Grayson was always “roaring” when it didn’t feel like he was actually talking loudly. For that I deduct a star.

But this was a fun little romp!

I really enjoyed this book. I love the simps Marni turns her heros into, and I love that Grayson was called out for it in this book. I also liked the way she had Grayson and Jovana come from opposite backgrounds. I thought that made the 'meet the parents' part of the marriage of convenience extra interesting to read.

I liked Grayson, I liked his backstory, I liked how he had to turn himself around and he fall hard and fast for Jovana. I didn't love Jovana, though. I felt her strength in many aspects of her personality throughout the book, but she seemed to fall at his feet a bit towards the middle. That didn't fit her personality to me.

My absolute favorite part, though, was the shift from 2nd to 3rd act. The story is moving along like you know what's going to happen, the BAM. And this moment was what hooked me. I loved the (plot- not spice) ending so much!! The spice got to be too much for me here, though, and it felt like filler instead of the juicy content we had been getting.

Overall, I love the pace and length of this book. I love how Marni is developing the male characters and their friend group, and I love the tropes she chose here. Even though I had a couple ick moments I felt like overall this was a good, fun read and I look forward to Holden's book!

This book definitely has all the grumpy, billionaire man you could ask for. Grayson is basically the epitome of that description. He is known for sleeping around and not having any girl around for breakfast. Once it's over, he never speaks to them again. There is past trauma for him that caused him to be this way but he is just the jerk (that's the nice word) who cares about no one other than himself. He also co-owns an app called Hooked that's made for hooking up.

Enter Jovana. She is what I would call a hopeless romantic but also a complete bad-ass on her own. She has grown up with her parents being so incredibly in love and aims to find love exactly like that.

They both meet at the bar that Jovana works at and they have a one night stand. Of course, Jovana tries to separate out her feelings but has a hard time and when Grayson basically ghosts her she gets all upset about it.

So many things happen for these two and it was so nice to see Jovana put Grayson in his place often and keep him on his toes. I love a book with a really strong FMC and I always love a grumpy man. This was a really nice and spicy romance with exactly what I needed in it.

Jovanna was truly likeable and had a heart of gold, I was definitely rooting for her to get what she wanted. However, in the beginning it was hard to believe she wanted Grayson because he was such a complete and utter selfish jerk. I had a hard time getting through the first few chapters because he was so over the top self-centered. Once he calmed down and actually treated Jovanna like a real person, the book was much more enjoyable for me. Cute story, felt a little rushed once he owned up to his feelings.

Oh so sexy and yet oh so cute. This was such a great read. Hot sex, business battles and a slow tipping into emotions and love. Under the tough exterior and crassness, we discover tenderness and a heart. The book is written i. An engaging style and clips along at a fair pace making this a perfect book to read curled up in pyjamas with a lovely glass of wine.

4⭐️
4/5🌶️

Mr Wicked, a fun grumpy/sunshine story.
It was an easy and well written story.
I rooted for Jovana to get her happily ever after, she is a very loveable person and I enjoyed the amount of faith she had but still wasn’t a compleet simp.

The story wasn’t super original, but I thoroughly enjoy it and highly suggest it for when your in the mood of a steamy romance with HEA

This was a great grumpy/sunshine with a HEA. I’ve never read anything by this author before but will definitely have to read more. Spicy and had great main and supporting characters.

Thanks to Net Galley and Montlake for the temporary ARC to review.

Grayson Tanner doesn't do relationships. Being one of the founder of Hooked and online dating app that matches you up with your perfect partner depending on what you're looking for -he definitely doesn't hook up with anyone using his own app. He's a known celebrity in and around Boston. So when he catches the eye of waitress Jovana and they have a one night stand - he doesn't expect to see her again.

Except a scandal surrounding Grayson surfaces and his company is in big trouble. No one believes that Grayson who is a proud bachelor would be willing to settle down - so how can people believe in the app that he created. His PR gives him an ultimatum - settle down and get married so that the media will see that Grayson does believe in his app and is willing to settle down. Grayson needs to find someone fast and that person just happens to be Jovana. The one night stand that Grayson hasn't moved on from. Being a social media influencer, Jovana could improve Grayson's image. So they start playing the long game - dating, getting engaged and eventually marrying. But what happens when they both start to catch feelings? Will their relationship end at the end of their contract - one year or will they try to make something real out of their relationship?

I have read Marni Mann's books in the past and enjoyed them! I did like the set up for Mr. Wicked and the banter between Grayson and Jovana was fun. I do feel like the romance was very insta-love which made their relationship not so believable. I wanted more angst between the two and the ending felt rushed. Overall, this was a quick read I'm looking forward to the other books in the series.

The second book in the Hooked series follows Greyson Tanner who has committed to a lifetime of bachelorhood. As one of the cofounders of the hottest new dating app, Hooked, he has no plans to settle down. Ever. He and his two best friends are riding high on the success of the international launch of Hooked. He takes a well-deserved vacation where a video of him toasting bachelorhood on a luxury yacht surrounded by six beautiful women goes viral. That wouldn’t be so bad if he hadn’t been the creator of the marriage arm of Hooked. The result is tanking membership numbers and damage to the company.

To combat the negative publicity, he must get married to prove that even the most committed bachelor can find ever lasting love on Hooked. Enter his one night stand that never really left his mind - Jovana Winters.

Will they find true love, or will they walk away from each other at the end of their 12 month contract?

This book takes you on a wonderful journey filled with humor, witty banter, and plenty of spice while also delicately handling the issues of abandonment and childhood trauma.

Grayson is supposed to be in charge of the hooked up app's marriage arm. Unfortunately, a viral video of him create lots of bad PR and affects the business. Grayson has to marry quick. Jovana, the former one-night stand and a true romantic that Grayson never over, is recruited to help. Will they fall in love?

I like Jovana and Grayson a lot. Such chemistry. Love their banter. A fun and steamy story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Such a good book! I would give this a 3.75 stars. It is a steamy romance following the point of views of Grayson Tanner and Jovana Winters. After Grayson rejected his one night stand things started going downhill. Grayson is the cofounder of a dating app and after causing chaos through a viral video online of him toasting to bachelorhood, his PR firm had decided he must get married. Jovana, a social media influencer, was Graysons one night stand. A complete opposite than Grayson. She believed in love and everything that comes with it but Grayson had decided he doesn't trust anybody after his heartbreak at 10 years old. Jovana's secret was a plot twist I wasn't ready for. It took me far by surprise.

Overall this was a good book. I definitely think there could've been more of a romantic journey between Jovana and Grayson but this was a great book #2 of the Hooked series and I can't wait for the next one.