If you are a Tijan fan, you will probably like this book. This was my first by her in a long time and I wanted to read it because I love dark heroes, tortured pasts and anti-heroes. The minute Billie sees Brett, she is in love and the minute Brett sees Billie, he is instantly in protection mode. They both have a fierce draw to one another and while Brett is a little over the top at times (the interrupted dates.. ), it is endearing to see a big man all growly. There are multiple stories going on in the background and a bit of mystery and suspense. Billie is a serial killer survivor and wants to stay hidden, but a media appearance and subsequent relationship with a football star brings all the crazies out. Brett comes from a rough background and has his own demons. Will Billie's love be enough to not let him go back to his old ways? Will he be able to protect her from the threats that are out there?
I wanted to love this book. There were so many things I love about a book like, this but the insta love was so over the top that I struggled right from the get go. Billie was an odd character to try to warm up to as well, and Brett was just.. a lot. The ending was action packed and it was nice to see things all come full circle, but there were scenes that I felt were skipped over and I didn't really feel the affect I was hoping to feel.
Thanks to Valentine and Tijan for an early audio copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. 

🐓 Instant attraction 
🏈 Sports romance 
🐓 Tragic Past
🏈 Alpha hero

Phew, this one was a doozy. Billie is living a lowkey life after a very traumatic past and Brett is the football player determined to protect her.
These two are instantly attracted to one another after setting eyes on each other.
Once Brett leans about her past, he goes above and beyond to make sure she is safe. He's also dealing with his own issues within his family. 
This is definitely not a sweet romance. There are some difficult things discussed. Check your triggers!
I do feel like Billies' story was maybe enough drama on its own without adding the stuff with Bretts family. It made for a lot going on at once. 
I 100% didn't see the twist coming though!

I recently listened to the audiobook version of My Anti-Hero and found it to be a thrilling and engaging read. The story follows the complex relationship between the main character and her anti-hero love interest, and the plot is full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I particularly enjoyed the author's writing style, which was both descriptive and emotive, and the pacing of the story was just right. The characters were well-developed and had depth, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the book. While there were some moments where the plot felt a bit predictable, overall, I found My Anti-Hero to be a satisfying and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to fans of Tijan's other works or anyone who enjoys a good romance with a touch of danger and intrigue.

3⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Setting ~ Texas
Publication date ~ February 8, 2024
Est page Count ~ 456 (66 chapters + 3 e's)
Audio length ~ 14 hours 31 minutes
Narrators ~ Andi Arndt, Teddy Hamilton
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ sports ~ NFL, serial killer survivor, flashbacks, found family, insta~lust, some steamage

Billie & Brett had a meet cute when he saved her from tripping, but then we're suddenly in insta-lust territory.

I've read a few of this author's books and they're pretty much all the same in that the heroine has suffered a trauma and the hero swoops in and vows to protect her. That's fine because it's her thing, but this one was just okay for me.

Obviously you feel bad for what Billie went through when she was 12. Escaping a serial killer and then losing her mom and brother 2 days later. But I never really warmed up to her. She has an obsession with animals, especially chickens, even drooling at goat yoga because she was so excited, so weird.

While I do like a protective fella, Brett was a little too protective, boarding on possessive And if that's the case how in the heck did he allow the whole gas station scene to come about. As soon as she opens the door you know something bad is going to go down. Also, was not feeling Brett's reaction to the L word.

If you couldn't tell I was not a super big fan of these characters. I wasn't feeling their 'need' for each other at the most inopportune times and I absolutely could not stand the nickname he gave her, it turned my stomach hearing it. I did like Billie's found family and how super protective they were of her, even if the 'sister' was a little much at times

Overall, it was a bit predictable. As far as the whole serial killer reveal, eh it was fine. Also, liked how some of Tijan's other book characters make an appearance here.

Narration notes:
Andi is perfect as always. Teddy is mostly okay, except for her lady voices.

I don’t think I have read or listened to any of this author before and wow I didn’t know what I was missing!

I loved this story which is a curious, yet fantastic, thriller/romance/drama combo that just keeps going…

The romance is intense and very instalove with a high heat rating for sure. I adored how Brett fell so hard for Billie, and made himself so vulnerable for her. I also loved how she was the strongest of them when their relationship was under pressure.
The thriller element was twisty and dark, playing with serial killers and family secrets in a way that makes you want to bite your nails. The drama element was family based bit so heartwarming with small town and found family trope elements.

An overall extremely satisfying listen with brilliant performances by Teddy Hamilton and a new-to-me narrator Andi Arndt, both of whom brought so much passion and emotion to the elements of the story.

Highly enjoyable

This is a fast-paced suspense romance for fans of the Mindf*ck series! If you enjoy both romance and true crime, I think this is the book for you.

This book follows Billie, the lone survivor of a serial killer, now an adult living with her former foster family. She stumbles into Brett Broudou, a star football player, when both of them are separately slotted to appear on local television. After a meet-cute, they fall hard and fast, but must face both of their difficult pasts if they want to be together.

This book has a sweet hero utterly obsessed with the heroine. There’s the literal line “touch her and I’ll kill you.” The heroine is kind of dumb and annoying at times, but I suppose she needs to make dumb decisions sometimes to move the thriller/suspense plot forward?

Also know that this is a small-town feeling romance (even though it’s supposed to be in the suburbs of a city in Texas, the FMC lives on a farm and there are definite small town vibes. So if you enjoy small town romance and sports romance, this combines both!

I enjoyed this. Thanks so much to the publisher for the arc.

My Anti-Hero
By: Tijan
Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Teddy Hamilton

What makes this book so good? Well I will tell you! Tijan mixes the perfect amount of darkness, danger and romance to make this book fly by and leave me wanting more. This is a sports romance, a romantic suspense, and a beautiful love story. Billie is the only survivor of a serial killer. She escaped a the age of twelve and has been able to meld into the sidelines for years. Now she agrees to do an interview, and there she meets Brett, a football champion. Their chemistry is palpable, but his notoriety is the last thing Billie wants. But the draw is too much and the two begin a secret relationship until it's no longer secret. And now out in the open, the danger is lurking, way too close for comfort and unable to be detected all at the same time. Both of these flawed characters caught my attention from the start. Billie is quirky, having chickens as pets and able to recite stats of the most unusual things, even football players. Brett has a past he doesn't reveal easily. He does his best to keep his family safe from even themselves, but it's hard and his darkness comes to the top. Their feelings for each other are easy to feel, even when they are trying to hide. The fear is real, the love is strong and the suspense is high! I loved trying to figure out what was going to happen next and who it would involve. This is the perfect listen for me, my favorite tropes all rolled into one.

Teddy Hamilton and Andi Arndt tell this story with a phenomenal narration. Hamilton pulls out his gritty, dark side as Brett, bringing out all the fear and desperation he has and then in the next breath is passionate and totally in love. Arndt has an incredible array of emotions to portray as Billie. From her past to her present, she is filled with terror and strength as she knows what is coming and her love is felt all through it. Loved this story and their performance.

I received an ALC (Advanced Listener Copy) of this audiobook from NetGalley & Dreamscape Media.

4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

The cover is what got me wanting to listen. Then I saw the narrator was Teddy Hamilton, and I was like, YES, PLEASE!

Billie is a unique character, for sure. A serial killer survivor, what she survived is horrific. But it's also what she is still dealing with that surprised me.

Then we met Brett, and I was cheering for him this whole time because he just seemed like he needed her as much as she needed him. He has some things going on in his past that he didn't want to bring into her life because she had already gone through so much. Admirable, but come on, my dude, if she can deal with everything she already has and hasn't broken, your stuff is cake!

Overall, it was a great story. I was hooked; I was worried it would be predictable, and I can firmly say it wasn't. I loved it, and the ending was, well, dang.

Great narration; both narrators did a great job.

I struggled with this audiobook. I couldn’t connect with the characters at all. I am not a fan of insta love, which is what this book was. No romance, just lust.
Billie is the only survivor of a serial killer, the Midwest Butcher. Brett Broudou is an NFL player. Both have had tragic pasts so the insta love between them brought up instant red flags.

The narrators, Teddy Hamilton and AndI Arndt, were wonderful, though. They helped me to keep listening when I wanted to DNF.

I’ve read this author’s last few releases and this book just didn’t feel like her writing or tone.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Libro FM for the advanced listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ALC Review
My Anti-Hero by Tijan
Narrated by Andi Arndt & Teddy Hamilton

Grumpy/Sunshine
Sports
Romantic Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC!

Pub Date: 2/8/24

4/5 Stars

I went in blind with this book and truthfully, it caught me off guard! It was a lot darker than I anticipated from the blurb. Billie lives a reserved life after a tragic event in her childhood. She meets Brett while doing an interview on a talk show. Sparks fly and they are both instantly drawn to each other. There are a lot of hurdles for them to overcome. They both have dark pasts and are still struggling with how to cope in a healthy way from these events. Once I realized this was more of a romantic suspense and got that straight in my head, I was more invested in the story. The ending was really good and surprising to a certain extent. I didn’t have it all worked out by the end, so that was a plus for me. I don’t want to figure out the twists before they are revealed. Overall, I ended up liking this book. Can’t say much else without spoiling it. The narrators were awesome as always!

Ok the FMC is sooooo insufferable I had to DNF. Why does she act like she hasn’t been outside before it’s too hard to bare and maybe wouldn’t come off so annoying reading VS listening but having to listen to her is cringe. Also why is this 14 hours long. I’m not knocking anyone from trying but not for me.

I'm so happy to have Bret's story!! I felt so bad for him when he wanted Sam from Fallen Crest High so many books ago. He was such a good guy, just with the wrong crowd. I loved every bit of this book and I'm so happy he got his version of Sam. Not that Billie is anything like Sam...but in a way she is. She's strong, loyal, and loves with all her heart. This audiobook made me so happy and I almost wish there were more to tell for this couple. I would love to read more. However, the epilogues were also very satisfying. All around this gets my five heart emoji stars!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, I have only read a handful of Tijan’s books and I have really enjoyed each one of them. She’s an incredible storyteller and this book did not disappoint!

Billie has been through some dark things in her life, she survived being killed by a serial killer, and she was the only one who survived the Midwest Butcher. Her story isn’t an easy one, it’s full of emotion, heartache and pain with that comes her strength and resilience. She’s one of the strongest female main characters I have ever read and I think Tijan did an excellent job and wrote her story out beautifully. I felt so much for this girl!

Brett is someone Billie didn’t realise she needed in her life until they met at a TV station. They immediately connected and found they both had an attraction for each other. Brett is different from Billie. He has a very large personality that you can’t help but want to be around, but behind that personality is the trauma he’s gone through himself and somewhat is still trapped in a dark place but he’s doing everything he can to push himself to make a better life for himself and he has, but when his family is in danger, he will do anything to protect them.


This was a slow burn and I loved seeing the connection grow between these two as the story progressed. They had immediate attraction but it was more insta-lust, not insta-love so getting to read these two as they got to know each other and learn was such an amazing thing!

I’m not going to give too much of the story away, but I will say… expect the unexpected!

5 STARS!!

This might be a case of it’s me, not the book.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. The writing was great, the storyline and characters were well thought out, I just have such a hard time with insta-love.

I think this book would be perfect for sports romance fans who enjoy insta-love, and also romantic suspense. I’d recommend taking a look at the triggers before picking it up.

This book was Amazing!! I did not want it to end. The twist and turns is what kept me wanting more. I loved Brett he was my favorite.

By the end of chapter 1 i thought i was going to enjoy this on. It sounded like something i would enjoy and I wanted to like this but somethings just didnt sit right with me. I can't stand insta love/lust I'm someone who needs the build up so I was immediately put off when the main characters went down this path. I gave it a good shot but really couldn't get into it. I did however enjoy the narration. These are 2 of my fav narrators and I think they did a great job with there characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC.

Andi Arndt and Teddy Hamilton are spectacular narrators. I love them. They’re perfection.

This was my first Tijan novel. Definitely not my last.

I went into this book blind. I’m not a football fan and might not have requested if I’d read the description. The cover showed after the request was granted (thanks phone!). I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this story and how I kind of want chickens now!

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for a copy of this audiobook. This book had it all, a serial killer survivor, a NFL football player who has a cute meet cute but turns a bit. Billie is an awesome MC being such a bad ass with surviving such a horrific ordeal. I love how Brett wanted to take care of her. I wasn't expecting a romantic suspense and enjoyed how the story played out. Andi Arndt and Teddy Hamilton did a great job with pacing and bringing the story to life.

This was a decent story. I enjoyed the plot but sometimes the writing felt “simple” for lack of a better word. I’m not sure I would shout from the rooftops about it but I don’t regret reading it. The narrators were great.

4 1/2 stars

What's better than a sports romance? A sports romance with a serial killer survivor that's what.

This book had me in its grip from the beginning. I really enjoyed the romance between Billie and Brett. Their characters were both multi-faceted and well-written. The romance takes center stage here and there but this book primarily moves around the story of Billie who survived the Midwest Butcher. When a copycat starts targeting people near Billie again, her world starts to unravel. She's worked her entire life to stay in control and it's all slipping away from her. The only stable thing she has going on is Brett and he has baggage of his own that he's keeping from her.

The narration was wonderful and engaging. It kept me locked into the book the entire time.

Thank you to NetGalley for this early listening copy.