4.5/5⭐
3.5/5🌶
ARC REVIEW!!! well helllooooo mr. grayson tanner aka mr. wicked! this book was seriously so good and i loved every second of it! you know how sometimes you're reading the same trope over and over again and all the books kind of get jumbled together, well not this one! marni did such an amazing job with making this book different than others when i comes to the fake dating trope. i won't say anything else on that because i don't want to spoil anything, but i just loved how different this book felt from others i've read!

grayson is probably one of the grumpiest men i've ever met, and i loved him. he was an a**hole at the beginning, but his character development was amazing and i loved the man he became with and because of jovana. that woman could get any grown man to grovel at her feet hahaha! she was amazing and i loved the way she always stood up for herself and knew her worth!

read if you like:
💋fake dating/marriage
💋slight age gap (30/22)
💋grumpy x sunshine
💋forced proximity
💋billionaire mmc
💋reformed playboy
💋one night stand

thank you marni mann and valentine pr for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

4/5 ⭐
3/5 🌶️
5/5 🎧

I was a little scared to start this one because Mr. Hook-up wasn't my favorite book, but I really loved the idea of this series and was hopeful. I'm really happy I continued because I really enjoyed this listen. I


I'm obsessed with fake dating and forced proximity so this story was right up my alley. While I don't loveeee the reformed playboy trope, I do like it when it's done right and I think Marni did a great job with Grayson. I thought Jovana was a really strong female lead and loved her sass and tenacity. She was the perfect match for Grayson.

This audio was sooo much better than the first book, I absolutely adore Andi Arndt and Ryan West and loved these two together as they brought these characters to life.

Mr. Wicked is book 2 in the Hooked series by Marni Mann and up next is Grayson. 4.5 stars

What happens when a video goes viral of you that’s been doctored and puts your whole company at risk. Your PR firm says you need to get married! Fake relationship, former one night stand, off the chemistry, secrets and more…

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book from Valentine PR and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Grayson is the stereo typical playboy who has no intention of growing up, despite the fact that he is 30. He treats women like disposal objects, and that screw up costs him more than his reputation.

Jovana is such a girls girl. She is energetic and strong-willed, and she knows her worth. After one night with Grayson, where he shows his true colors, she decides not to give him the time of day.

After losing money and members to his app, Grayson is confronted by his friends to fix his reputation and fast. He needs to get married. Jovana is the perfect fit to fix his problem. While things don't go smoothly for these two, what we do get is an entertaining love.


This is the second book in the series, and while Grayson is okay, Jovana is the star of this book. She takes no crap from Grayson, and she has no problem calling him out on his attitude and his behavior. We love a strong queen.

I'm afraid this one just wasn't for me.

I absolutely loved the premise. I love the tropes for reformed playboy and marriage of convenience etc, but I have to admit it was a struggle to get through it from the very beginning.

I understand it had to be established that he's a playboy with his own agenda but I just found him extremely unlikeable. I looked hard for redeeming qualities to give him a chance but there was nothing. I'm really not sure why the FMC was so enamored with him because I found him full of himself and cocky, but not in an attractive way. I fail to see how he was "charming" at all.

Just not for me this time.

Grayson is having PR troubles and starts fake dating Jovanna. They execute a contract for fake dating and the story goes from there. This is the second book in the Hooked series and very true to Marni’s style.

The queen of billionaire romance is back and with another jaw dropping hero!!!

This alpha hero/fake marriage has me on the edge of my seat! Like Grayson Tanner is becoming my everything

Grayson Tanner might be one of the founders of the hit sensation dating app Hooked, but Grayson does not do relationships + he doesn’t use his app for hookups . So when he catches the eye of the drop dead gorgeous waitress Jovana, he doesn’t think twice about having a one night stand with her because he knows he will never see her again . That is until a scandal breaks + his PR team gives him only one option .. get married to prove you have settled down + it’s just rumors . Luckily he knows a cute waitress, that also happens to be a social media star, that will make for the perfect wife + image clean up . Will the relationship end when their one year contract is up or will they decide the feelings have been real all along ?

I love this series from Marni ! They are such fun, quick, insta-love reads that always leave me with a smile on my face . Grayson + Jovana have such great banter between them which is always my favorite with fake dating/fake marriage ! The ending did feel a little rushed but I’m still excited to see where book 3 and the rest of the series has in store for us .

This is book two in the Hooked series + it can be read as a complete stand alone .

This book was given to me for honest review by Valentine PR + Literary Management .

4 stars

I keep going back and forth on this. Greyson and Jovana were for sure sweet, but in the beginning I was really frustrated with Jovana. She for sure went all in with Greyson and I really couldn't figure out why. Like, any man that treats you that way, regardless of the glimpses you get is really showing their true selves to you. I just kept thinking, "Girl, he's just not that into you." However, since this was a dual POV I knew that wasn't the case. IRL this is a situation where for sure it's better to cut and run for your mental and emotional well-being, but that's not how romance novels work.

Once I was able to suspend reality and get firmly into the romance novel world I really enjoyed this story. Jovana really is perfect for Greyson, and the growth that Greyson made was worth it in the end. They're freaking hot together and the book was steamy!

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

This is a book I had been waiting to read. Getting to read another of the Hooked creators fall in love was exciting to read. Grayson’s story was exciting and passionate through out the whole book. From his blatant flirting to his heart felt ending. This book was what falling in love is supposed to be, All at Once and with an explosion you didn’t see coming.
Jovana was th perfect person to tame our stubborn, permanent bachelor with a heart of gold. This book was an incredible read giving our Marni Mann another knotch in her amazing collection of books!

rating: 4⭐️
spice: 3🌶️

tropes:
- billionaire romance
- grumpy/sunshine
- fake relationship
- forced proximity
- age gap

thoughts:
book two in the hooked series! this follows “hooked” co-founder, grayson and his not so traditional relationship with jovana.

what i love about marni’s stories is we immediately get immersed in the chemistry and want that the characters have for one another in the first few pages (like immediate steam… yes please) and then BAM… something silly happens where they don’t get their immediate HEA 😝 but marni sure gives us an enjoyable ride to get these characters back on track. aka what happens with grayson and jovana! they are forced into a contractual relationship and with all forced proximity situations… we know how thats going to end 🤭😜

grayson and jovana are the definition of grumpy/sunshine. grayson is jaded by is past and puts up with no one. jovana has created a name for herself and enjoys connecting with her peers. sounds like a terrible pairing right?? WELL YOU’RE WRONG because mr wicked is perfection and jovana is exactly what he needs in his life. (yes, he shows us lots of ways he earns his “wicked” name)

if you enjoy a quick and steamy billionaire romance with an extra grumpy alpha-hole… this book is for you! It can be read as a standalone but i find it more enjoyable reading marni’s books in order!

thank you marni and montlake for providing me with this ARC!

The Hooked series has been my favorite Marni series I’ve read so far and has the perfect plot to spice ratio [always top tier spicy 🌶️]! I was so wrapped up in these characters and their developing feelings I didn’t see their conflict coming and got to experience the shock with them.

The billionaire playboy responsible for the marriage arm of their wildly successful dating app publicly declaring it wasn’t something he saw in his future? Not a good look for their company, so this was a perfect set up for a marriage of convenience PR stunt. I loved that Jovana was able to recognize Grayson’s hang ups and support him through it. Definitely recommend picking up Mr. Wicked!

You’ll Find —
Grumpy x Sunshine
Alpha Hero
Marriage of Convenience
Age Gap
Billionaire

Thankful for the opportunity to read early!

Marni Mann has done it again and Mr. Wicked kept me up all night laughing, sighing, and fanning myself. With a style that has a driving beat with just enough pauses to to build that subtle tension and offer a great point they of rest, Mann has again written a book I could not put it down.

Greyson and Jovana owned my heart and this book, which might just have edged out The Hook Up as my favorite. From their first meeting to the last page, this is a book that just consumed me because the banter, the connection, and romance are perfectly blended with misunderstanding, spice, and that frission of a connection that are the hallmarks of Mann's style. I have been waiting to see how Greyson's story would play out since I first met him in Book One, Mr. Hook-Up, where he stole every scene he was in. I knew this would be a fun read...and I knew Easton would return the favor because Mann does such a great job of creating a world for her characters to live in that it feels comfortable returning to these friends and the company.

This is a duet of interconnected standalones, so if you are new to this author or this series no worries. You can jump right in with this fun, spicy and totally relaxing romantic escape!

Rating: 4 stars ⭐️

Tropes:
forced proximity 🏠
fake dating ❤️
age gap 🔥
bad boy x good girl ✨
billionaire 💵

I really enjoyed this series so far and absolutely love the friend group! 🪝

Please give this author’s books a try because they are AMAZING! ⭐️

In the second book you follow Grayson Tanner, he and his friends have developed a dating app called 'Hooked' which has turned out to be a tremendous success.

Tanner has something to prove as he has gotten a bad reputation because of an article published about a supposedly wild trip. 🛥️

When his team searches for solutions they come up with nothing better than him entering a fake relationship with Jovana Winters, a server at his local diner with whom he has had a one-night stand.

Thank you to Valentine PR, Netgalley, and Marni Mann and the publisher for providing me with this copy. All opinions are my own.

Grayson definitely held up the title of Mr Wicked! He was wicked in both senses of the word; in the personality and bedroom department! Goddammnnn!!

Jovana may have seen a little inkling spark from their first meet, and seemed like she put him on a pedestal and was knocked off in quite a sharp manner! (Tut tut Grayson!!) But after a wild moment leading to their reunion, she definitely brought out her feistiness and sharpened her claws.

From first meeting Grayson in Mr Hook-up, I knew there was more to meets the eye with him, and there certainly was. He was such an attentive sweetie under his wicked ways.

With Grayson’s relationship beliefs, I could sense a third-act break-up trope, but in true Marni fashion, I was shocked at how it unravelled!

I really enjoyed seeing how they grew together and became such a sweet pair.

I tend to love all of the characters Marni creates and love to see them fall in love with each other. However for the majority of this book I HATED Grayson. I understand he had a lot of childhood trauma from his mother leaving him and his father, and finding out she cheated on his father throughout their entire relationship. That helped to give insight as to why he did not want a relationship, but it did not give me a good sense of why he was so mean to Jovana when she was a literal saint. My heart melted as soon as his did, and I fell for his charm and love for her. I wish it had not taken him so long to admit his feelings for Jovana, I kept wanting to shake him and tell him he could lose her if he did not open up. Jovana is one of my favorite characters. She is strong and has a ton of self worth. She knows what she wants from life and is not willing to take anything less. She is what I want to be when it comes to love and how she views herself. I am glad she did not take Grayson's crap and told him what he needed to hear. I normally don't like fake marriages and relationships made for social media, but when there is a instant connection between the main characters, I can see how the theme can work.

Mr. Wicked is the second in Marni Mann's hooked series and I enjoyed this one so much more than the first!

This is pure grumpy sunshine gold. I normally am not a fan of fake relationships but I think this was done right since the two of them met in the beginning and immediately had a mutual attraction.

Just like every other Marni book, this did not disappoint. The spice was GREAT and Jovana and Grayson had the best back and forth banter. Jovana is one of those sassy and strong FMC that I love to read about.

“𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙.”
“𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙚.”
“𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙚 𝙄 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙙𝙤.”

If there’s one thing in a book that’ll have me kicking my feet, giggling & having the best time, it’ll be when an mmc is ADAMANT about never settling down… and then settling down 🤭

I loved the way Grayson had to rely on Jovana’s help, especially after he had dismissed her the way he did in the beginning.

Every “outing” they had showed another side of Grayson that had you swoon.. and then he’d go and make you mad 😂

I was pleasantly surprised by the plot & had so much fun reading it.

𝙈𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚, 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Loved it!!! Such a grumpy/sunshine story with an epic plot twist that I must admit I didn’t see coming. The characters were fantastic and the plot was so fun! Grayson was such a grumpy Alphahole and his character arc from perpetual bachelor to married man was fantastic to read. And Jovana was such a strong, independent woman, especially for her age. She knew what she wanted and she went after it.

Great tie-ins with book 1 and setup for book 3!

Grayson and Jovana meet at (*you guessed it*) a bar. Classic Marni Mann meet cute. Jovana actually works there so you can cry about it another time. They flirt and hit it off. Grayson waits for her shift to be down to take her with him to his place (she lives further away). But once their smexy time is over he shuts down her invitations to breakfast AND dinner telling her that what they did was only a one time thing. Miss girl walked her broken heart out of there. As she should.

When Grayson is involved in a PR nightmare for Hooked and their users are leaving, his team comes up with a plan. Get married. While they consult at that same bar, their PR managment throws Jovana into the pool of potential candidates. Grayson is sure she'll turn them down and probably curse him out. Since Jovana is also a social media influencer, she can help in showing the world that Grayson does believe in the app and his company.

I loved the banter this book had and how their relationship continued to blossom. They did like each other from the beginning so there wasn't much change to that. Jovana was exactly the person he needed by his side. They grew a bit of a friendship before falling straight into love.

✨️𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬+𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔✨️
- billionaire/celebrity romance, man obsessed, broody mmc, dating app owner, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, forced marriage, forced proximity, frenemies to lovers, hate to love, mutual pining, one night stand, pr stunt/management