When Lydia Smith signs up to be on a reality TV show, she has no idea Tom Dereborn will also be a contestant. Lydia and Tom had a two-night one-night stand 11 months ago and it was one of the best experiences of her life! Unfortunately, it didn't end well when Tom practically rushed her out the following morning and never spoke to her again. She is shocked when she sees him at work, but unfortunately, things are still the same. Tom does not seem to want to talk to her, and whenever he does say something, he comes across annoyed by her presence. Now, they are paired together on a reality show called Fleeing For Your Life, with a prize of $100K. They both have to deal with each other and make it all the way to the end.

Being a fan of game show books and an enemy-to-lover trope, I thought I would easily love this one. Unfortunately, this book was a huge miss for me. The story felt very lacking and flat, I did not find it funny, and the spice, given the cover, was surprisingly not there. As far as the characters, Tom is extremely unlikable. He gets defensive and pissed off a lot, and as a result, he is often rude to Lydia, way more than she deserves. I understand possibly trying to incorporate a grumpy/ sunshine trope, however Tom was simply rude and disgusting. I was not a fan of him at all, and it made the story much harder to like. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Cassie Connor for this ARC!

This was a fun book, full of romance and heart pumping adrenaline. It was a new to me plot and concept and I had a good time reading it. There were so many funny moments and lots of horniness, lol!

The idea of the plot was very intriguing, but in my opinion, it was the only intriguing thing.

Lydia meets Tom on a work assignment but that was not the first time they'd met. The first time was a year before when they had a one night stand, in their words, the most wonderful night they had spent ever. Things finished abruptly and a bit rudely so that means they hate each other now.

I didn't particularly like Tom at first, he is entitled and acts superior. Lydia is okay I guess. The stories behind their pasts and their upbringing felt incredibly important to who they are now, but the author didn't spend much time in a "revelation" of sorts. The book goes on and on about how Lydia was brought up and when she told Tom one of his comments was "You're awesome". Wow

Also, I didn't understand some of the choices they made and I was expecting a lot more spice, as the cover suggests, but it's even less than average.

And last, it was very tiring reading Tom and Lydia saying "I love yous" in one chapter and in the next to go back to their usual behavior to shut people out. To go back to declaring their feelings again after two chapters.

good lord this was such a cutie!! i’m normally not a huge fan of game show romances, but this was so well done and hit every note for me. i need more from this author asap!

Lydia’s voice is really strong but so help me goodness I don’t want to spend the next few hours with her. “My phone starts vibrating like a Rabbit on maximum setting” is hilarious, as are some of the other quips and snips, but generally not my kind of humor/tone, so I stopped after chapter 1 (5%). I think this will be a 3-4 stars for the target audience. I actually could see this blowing up on TikTok (if it gets lucky and finds the right readers) due to the humor/voice and the accessibility.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and OneMoreChapter (Harper Collins) for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a bit of me!

Hot Pursuit follows Lydia and Tom as they embark on a ‘Hunted’ style television show where they must flee from hunters from the North to London in order to win the prize money. An excellent high stakes plot line with two very easy to read characters.

Both Lydia and Tom were well fleshed out and worked well in their Grumpy/Sunshine dynamic.

Cassie Connor’s writing really shined in this unique portrayal of well loved tropes. I couldn’t put it down!

Tropes:
Enemies to Lovers
Second Chance
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity

This book delivers a thrilling ride with dynamic characters and heart-pounding action. Despite its reality TV backdrop, it delves into deep emotional territory, exploring the characters' pasts and their journey towards healing and love. While the banter between the characters falls a bit short, the romance still manages to captivate, even amidst the challenges they face. Overall, a compelling read that keeps you engaged until the very end. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC!

This was a gripping read, I thought the characters were intriguing and I'm going to keep an eye out for more from this author.

A fun and emotional story of two broken people making each other whole. This one has a cute plot on the surface but manages to bring in very deep attributes about each character's upbringing which really gives them both depth.

Neither thinks they deserve love or can love for quiet opposite reasons due to their family history. A strong female character with real issues that she's overcome will always be a winner for me. This book was a steamy one but only moderately so in my opinion. Definitely "open door”


I'll be following this author for sure.
Thanks Netgally for the A R C!

I loved this book! Hot Pursuit follows our fmc and mmc as they embark on a reality TV show. The issue is that they've met twice before: once a week ago when he became her coworker and once almost a year ago on a two-night stand. Oops!

First of all, I was incredibly impressed by the attention that was put into the game part of it. Our main characters are on a mission to get to London with just the supplies in their backpack and expert hunters trying to eliminate them (from the game lol). So many moments made me feel like I was walking with them or frantically trying to find shelter.

The character development was so well done. Both of our main characters had personal issues to work through. There was the perfect blend of support from the love interest and individual development.

The romance was romancing! There was so much tension with these two throughout the entire book. I especially loved how the romance tied in with their character developments.

I recommend this to anyone that watches 'Survivor' and fans of dislike to love.

Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK + One More Chapter for an ARC of this book.

This book pleasantly surprised me. Didn't know much going in but I'm so glad I requested to read this. Such a well written and fast paced low-stakes book. Makes for a quick and cute read - great palate cleanser.

I really enjoyed the growth and development both main characters went through because it was all realistic and intentional - I can see why the characters did what they did and how they are. I especially admire the main female lead and how headstrong and confident she is. There were a many heartwarming moments but also quite a few where my heart literally ached for her. I wish I could see this book as a movie as well. Such a great book overall.

Would read again, as well as Cassie Connor's other works!

Overall rating: 4/5

Hot Pursuit by Cassie Connor
Rating: 3/5
Release Date: 7 June 2024

Lydia Smith, desperate for cash, eagerly joined a survivalist reality show promising a hefty payout. However, her enthusiasm wanes when she discovers her partner is none other than her one-night stand, Tom Dereborn.

Their passionate weekend together still lingers in Lydia's memory, but Tom's subsequent silence left her puzzled. Now, stranded with him and pursued by the show's relentless hunters, buried emotions resurface, and history threatens to repeat itself.

Despite its reality TV backdrop, this book transcends its genre, offering a compelling read for all audiences. With dynamic main characters and heart-pounding action sequences, it keeps readers guessing until the end.
However, while the premise holds promise, the banter between the characters falls short, and the romance lacks the expected intensity, leaving something to be desired despite the allure of the cover.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter, and the author, Cassie Connor, for providing me with an ARC copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Title: Hot Pursuit by Cassie Connor

Release Date: June, 7th, 2024

3.5 Stars

Lydia Smith reluctantly finds herself partnered with her one-night-stand, Tom Dereborn, on a survivalist reality show. Despite their shared passion from a year ago, Tom has been silent since then. Now, trapped together with the show's hunters chasing them, old emotions resurface, and Lydia must confront her feelings while racing against time to survive. As they navigate the challenges, Lydia realises that more than just money is on the line—her heart is at stake too.


This book, despite its reality TV setting, is worth reading even if you're not a fan of the genre. It's a quick read with engaging main characters and suspenseful on-the-run segments that keep you guessing.

However, the banter fell a bit short of expectations, and the romance lacks the expected spice, despite the promising cover.


Thank you to The Publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter ,The Author Cassie Connor & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Loved this! And if you're not a fan of "reality" tv, as I'm not, don't let that stop you from reading this. I admit I only wanted to read it because I really loved her debut novel. This one's a quick read. I liked both main characters. The on-the-run parts of the story will keep you guessing....will they make it, or will they be caught? Such an ingenious concept. My only complaint has to do with several mentions of Lydia's legal name - (a) does Tom ever find out what it is? and (b) why didn't she simply legally change it to Lydia? If it was supposed to be a plot point, it went nowhere and was completely unnecessary. Maybe that will change in the final publication? At any rate, highly recommend this one.

Lydia y Tom tuvieron una aventura corta hace uno casi un año la cual no terminó bien, él fue grosero.

Ambos trabajan en una aseguradora como ajustadores, ella es muy buena es su trabajo y él solo le hace porque es lo que sus padres esperan, pero quiere ser director de cine.
Once meses después de su fin de semana juntos se vuelven a ver, resulta que ahora trabajan en la misma aseguradora, pero él finge que no la conoce porque no hace la cosa de las relaciones y sentimientos.

La empresa tiene un reality que se graba cada año, entonces Lydia se inscribió y tendrá que pasar por un a serie de pruebas para ser seleccionada, quien gane recibirá un premio de $100,000. Obviamente él también se inscribe para poder dejar su trabajo y ella para arreglar la casa que le dejó su abuela.

El reality consiste en que son llevados con los ojos vendados a un lugar desierto y los participantes tienen que llegar cierto lugar, deben evitar ser atrapados por lo cazadores y tienen 5 días para llegar.


Los dos han tenido vidas difíciles, ella con unos padres alcohólicos y negligentes, él con padres que la apariencia lo es todo y la felicidad no existe en su vocabulario.

La razón de mi calificación es que como lector sabía porque Tom actuaba de esa manera, pero Lydia no y dejo que la tratara mal repetidamente.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lydia signs up for a survivialist reality show but finds that her partner is her one night stand Tom. She has lots of unresolved feelings for him....

Love the banter! It's snappy, fun and sassy. The chemistry between the characters is terrific. The hate-love relationship is done beautifully. A fun read.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This was not enjoyable at all. I hated the characters and the plot was just so....ugh. It had too many sub plots that I know came together at the end, but it just made they whole reading process unenjoyable.

This was an okay read, not one that I wanted to give up reading but not one that I overly enjoyed.

I thought for a long time that Tom was not going to be the hero. He was like an anti-hero. He was entitled and waspish and ungentlemanly and I hated him. I hated him for so long for the way that he kept talking to and treating Lydia, that when he started trying to be a hero, I didn't want to know.

The banter wasn't as snappy as I usually enjoy and the spice (considering it has chillies on the front cover) wasn't that spicy. It felt flat somehow. Maybe because I didn't like Tom. I don't know.

The plot was a great idea, and I liked the little subplots that the journey took the couple on.

I also couldn't understand some of the choices like, the whole build up of Lydia's name and then I don't remember Tom finding out about it? It felt like it was building to this huge moment where she would tell him because she finally trusted him and it was this huge sign that she.loved him. But it just died and went away? Unless I missed it.

The romance went from hatred to love a bit too instantly, the progression feeling like juddering stops up the hill instead of a smooth climb.

Yeah. It was an okay read. I think the idea of the plot was the best part.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, the premises look really promising. See you soon with the full review!

Very creative and full of fun banter. I liked this story and thought the writing was entertaining. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.