This was my first book by this author. The campaign fraud storyline was interesting- it’s not something I’d ever seen written about before and I rooted for Nadine as she tried to rebuild her life after one obstacle after another. Bella was such an amazing character, fierce and brave but vulnerable at the same time. The romance was a very slow burn but felt well paced and the connection between the two leads built naturally. A very engaging read.

I loved the concept of this book. I read it when it first came out then again just now and enjoyed it even more the second time around.

Does everyone deserve to be loved? Even a convicted felon? A story of fierce loyalty, dirty politics and allowing yourself to be loved.

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Nadine Bayani is despised by a whole country. After spending two years in prison she is finally out, but still a pariah. Being responsible for the downfall of the woman that should have been the democratic president of the US will do that to you. Even though the plan backfired and the worst president in decades actually took the reins, Nadine is left at rock bottom. Accepting the only job she can get as an ex-con, she ends up working at an awful discount store in bumfuck America. Her new boss hates her for her crimes and even customers come in just to degrade her and yell at the famous ex-lawyer. Stuck doing the shittiest jobs, only one colleague treats her like a person, the gorgeous Bella. When a friendship develops into more, Bella suspects there is more to the story than what the public believes. Who is the real Nadine Bayani? The felon or the woman that Bella sees?

Quinn Ivins writing just flows beautifully. She takes you through the story and makes you turn the pages at lightning speed. The story is told from both Nadine’s and Bella’s POV and that ensures you are engaged with both women. Bella’s kindness and authenticity serves as a refreshing shower for Nadine who’s lost every ounce of trust in people. I loved seeing her get back to herself and with Bella’s support finally find the strength to stand up for herself.

Bella is one of those people that hates the crime Nadine was convicted for, but she can’t find it in her to actually hate the person. The Nadine she gets to know is vastly different from the woman she thought she would be. Even though she can’t imagine Nadine falling for a failure like herself, stuck in a dead end retail job with no perspective, Bella falls hard.

It’s horrifying to read about all the ways people can be horrible to another human being based on assumptions. Nadine bears it all and is resigned to be hated by the entire human race forever. And then there is Bella. Sweet, fierce and loyal Bella. She stands up for Nadine more than once, even though she feels she doesn’t deserve it. And isn’t that what true love and connection should be? Does Nadine trust Bella enough to let herself be cared for like that?

I truly enjoyed this book, dirty politics and all. At the heart it is a romance story that will strengthen your believe that everyone is worthy of love.

There are so many differences in the two main characters you can’t help but root for them. Nadine Bayani takes the fall for a presidential candidate when illegal campaign contributions are discovered. Nadine goes from ivy league lawyer on her way to being future Chief of Staff to a felon serving two years in prison. Out on parole she gets a job at a discount retail store.

Bella Clarke has worked for the store for ten years. She recognizes Nadine instantly and wants to dislike her but doesn’t. Bella is won over by Nadine’s determination to keep the job and a new friendship is formed. Bella has nuances too. She is smart with people but struggles with math and organization. That led to her dropping out of college. The pair have class, cultural and economic disparities but they have similarities too.

The author came up with such an interesting premise that could play into real life politics. I wondered how she would pull off a HEA, and she did. Worthy of Love is definitely worthy of being read and enjoyed.

Worthy of Love was easily one of my favorite reads of 2021. This is the kind of book that makes me wish I could discuss it in a book club. There are so many things that need to be called out, but every reader deserves to discover them for herself. This is an opposites attract/age gap (without making it a big thing) story that features maybe the most compelling couple I can remember reading. Neither feels "worthy of love" due to past transgressions or personal failings, but Nadine and Bella are perfect for each other.

When I read The Love Factor in 2020, Quinn Ivins became an automatic read for me, so I didn't bother with the blurb (sorry, Lee Winter). I was surprised by the depth of the political intrigue storyline that totally separated this book from a standard romance for me. I can only imagine the amount of charting and graphing and sticky notes involved in laying out this plot, and as a reader I appreciate it so much.

This book is truly unforgettable and even with an epilogue, and desperately need more Nadine and Bella. Five super satisfying stars.

A different topic that your normal romances. Although I have no experiences to refer to, I think it’s does a great job in portraying the struggles of an offender and the thin line between being holier than and becoming an offender. Intertwined with ADHD and homophobia this book touches quite a lot of current day struggles. An excellent read.
Free ARC via NetGalley.

I loved this! I honestly was a little hesitant when I first started the book but I ended up really liking it. The concept was extremely unique and even brought awareness to the struggles of felons after release. I loved how the story was so realistic, you don't often have a main character who works retail! It is truly a story that I could see myself in and I think that everyone wants to see a little bit of themselves in a romance novel. Obsessed. Thank you!

First off: I absolutely hate this cover. So very much. I just had to get that out. Readers shouldn’t judge this novel by the cover.

This novel was a great read! There was a great balance between plotline and romance, and they addressed several important topics along the way (and did a good job!). The writing was well done, and I enjoyed myself the whole way through. I’m rounding up to 5-stars on this one because 4 is too low, but it’s a low-5-star lol.

Two things that I particularly appreciated about this novel is how they addressed topics regarding unfair treatment in society: that of ex-felons and people with undiagnosed mental health issues (also POC but not as in depth). There was extensive discussion and demonstration of how hard life can be for people once they leave prison and how it is a detriment to these individuals moving on with their lives, to the harm of the rest of society. A lot of people don’t really understand this dynamic, and I appreciate the insight this novel provided. It was particularly nice to see two characters (Jason and Bella) unintentionally commit felonies (while being judgmental of other’s crimes), which demonstrated how easily people can make mistakes with serious consequences. Bella’s unfortunate situation with her undiagnosed ADHD also showed how much more difficult her life was relative to how it could have been with proper support and understanding. Misunderstanding and missing the diagnosis of ADHD in women is particularly an issue so I appreciate the exposure. The difficulties in accessing the health care system in the US for a diagnosis and medication, especially for low-income people, is also an important hurdle to highlight.

The relationship in this novel was sweet and supportive and thoroughly enjoyable. Unfortunately, it was also strangely paced (the whole novel was, with random time jumps/progression that was poorly represented) and I didn’t feel like we saw sufficient relationship development for where they ended up. It seemed like the relationship had some big jumps forward when things got serious, and I didn’t see believable buildup.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free eBook in exchange for an honest review.

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

I requested this on a bit of a whim and honestly, it was so much better than I ever could have hoped. I am a huge fan of romances that deal with ex-felons and this one was a pretty good take on that premise.

I was a little bit wary about how the fact that Nadine was actually innocent might impact the broader message of how actual offenders are treated post-release. My concern being would all the shit Nadine has to go through be treated as bad and unfair because she was innocent and not because it's unfair treatment for any ex-felon to receive. However, I think this book did a pretty good job of avoiding that, and the book remains sympathetic to all those who struggle to survive post-prison. Though I will say, I think it would have been cool if - once Nadine's name was cleared and she got her job at the justice organisation - they made a point to acknowledge that a lot of reoffending is born from felons having a lack of support post-release, and if we ACTUALLY want people to turn a new leaf they need better support to guide them through that.

I also liked how we saw two other characters commit felonies in the story, Bella with her illegal ADHD meds and Jason with the cameras - because I think this really highlighted how a lot of people love to think they're amazing law-abiding citizens compared to 'scummy criminals' when in actual fact a LOT of everyday people knowingly or unknowingly break the law allll the time - but cause they never get caught they think they're so much better than people who did get caught for their crimes.

This book also had some good moments discussing privilege; such as the fact that Bella's life has been exponentially more difficult without an ADHD diagnosis and how unfair it is that she had to struggle so much all because she couldn't get access to diagnosis and treatment.

It also touched on the struggle of being a POC woman in America, and the additional complexities this demographic has post-prison release.

In terms of the romance, I think Ivins did a great job of building the co-worker, to friends, to lovers transition - the pair balanced each other well and while Nadine could seem abrupt sometimes she was actually so soft for Bella and always encouraging her.

I do think it would have been nice if we saw Nadine reconnect with the girls she lived with at the rehab house, just to get a broader look at life post-prison.

Thank you to Netgally and Ylva Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this comeback story of Nadine that was put in prison to cover for her lover. She gets a new chance thanks to the lovely and messy Bella. Of course they fall in love and can build a new better future together after a lot of hardship.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

a political scandal
prison
abuse

when Nadine Bayani was released from prison she knew it was going to be difficult, but how difficult she never realised trying to find a job and somewhere to live when you are the most hated person in America and one so widely recognised was proving to be most difficult but she had to keep trying as they were part of the conditions of her early release

Bella Clarke recognises nadine right away at her job in Overstock Oasis but bellas boss doesnt and when nadine finally gets her once chance for a job there isnt much bella can do about it but try to get on with it...

its not long before nadines secret is out and the abuse she receives from customers and the boss of overstock oasis is appalling and bella appalled at what she witnesses to the extent that she gets to know nadine a bit better and tries to help her in a way that isnt obvious to anyone

what a storyline i have to admit to being hooked into it straight away and kept right on reading right to the end very quickly, the abuse of power that everyone feels against one of the main characters is written in such a way that you can feel their hatred during the whole book and their feelings of superiority over her was shocking to read.. but again that seems to be a way of life for most people

will be keeping an eye out for more of this authors works

Romance is overshadowed by dark, difficult (but important) themes (3.5)
If you're one to judge a book solely by its cover, be aware that there is way more going on than a romance in Worthy of Love. Political corruption, harassment and abuse of power permeate the book so it's not what I'd consider to be escapist reading; it's more reminder reading of the reality many people live and experience now. There is xenophobia, sexism, racism as well, none of it sugarcoated so if any of those are triggers for you or if you're already oversaturated with political shenanigans in recent history you may want to skip this one or wait to read it when you're prepared to handle those themes. I felt the urge to stop reading several times and was tempted to not finish the book (something that rarely happens to me) because the abuse of power and harassment in particular was frustrating to read especially when it goes unchecked; the political figures feel very much ripped from the headlines and one has a clear real life counterpart who may be triggering to some readers for various reasons.
These themes are important and in a dark thriller, dystopian or mystery story encountering them would have felt less surprising (in this amount) than in a romance story. In addition to these heavy themes (there are more than mentioned here in this review) I was concerned about political slant initially in the story but that turned out to be a non-issue after getting a few chapters in. Some readers may be frustrated to be reminded of the sorry state of the criminal justice, prison and health care systems in the US while trying to root for an unlikely romance; for me the heavy themes eclipsed the lighter aspects of the story. I appreciated the Filipino food, culture and language being made part of the story as well as the brutally accurate depiction of what it's like to work in retail. The ending however was unusual and I had questions about some plot threads that I didn't see resolved in the course of the story; also there were moments in the book where it felt like suspension of disbelief had to be enacted even though other parts of the book were very realistic and presented unvarnished, warts and all. I've enjoyed other stories by this author more than I did this one and recommend them ahead of this one. It's unfortunate because there are important issues addressed in the book but as a reader you can't pick and choose which themes to turn a blind eye to or skip over while reading. I'd recommend Worthy of Love only if you're prepared for heavy content and large servings of it, mixed in with the romance.
(reviewed April 14, 2021)