“Because while the truth hurts, it’s like a Band-Aid when you rip it off. The pain goes away. It’s the lies and questioning that keep you aching for a long time.” - @vi_keeland

Okay, wait, I went into this book thinking it was one night stand turned FWB situation, but IT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. Hunter’s history slowly unfolding from his POV every few chapters was such beautiful storytelling. I don’t want to spoil anything, but just know this story is so layered. I’m also a sucker for a good step-parenting story and I absolutely loved Izzy and Nat’s relationship development. What a beautiful book. ☺️

Trigger warning: Illness

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Thank you @hambright_pr and @netgalley for this book in exchange for my honest review!

Also, FYI this was formerly published with the title Sex, Not Love which is what the audiobook is still called if you’re searching for it. 😉

.#bookstagram #romancebooks #bookrec

SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING YOU By Vi Keeland


My relationship with Hunter Delucia started backwards.
We met at a wedding—him sitting on the groom’s side, me sitting on the bride’s. Stealing glances at each other throughout the night, there was no denying an intense, mutual attraction.
He suggested we explore the chemistry sparking between us. His blunt, dirty mouth should’ve turned me off. But for some crazy reason, it had the opposite effect on me.
We ended up back in my hotel room. The next morning, I flew home leaving him behind in California with the wrong number.
I thought about him often, but after my last relationship, I’d sworn off of charming, cocky, gorgeous-as-sin men. A year later, Hunter and I met again. Our attraction hadn't dulled one bit. This time, he demanded a real phone number. So I left him with my mother’s. She could scare away any man with her talks of babies and marriage
But the following week he rang the bell at Mom’s house for Sunday night dinner. The crazy, gorgeous man had won over my mother and taken an eight-week assignment in my city. He proposed we spend that time screwing each other out of our systems.
Eight weeks of mind-blowing sex with no strings attached?
It was just sex, not love.
But you know what they say about the best laid plans…

😊What i liked -

✔ Friends To Lovers/No Strings Attached/Wedding Meet-Cute/Found Family.
✔ I liked Hunter and Natalia together but more as individuals.
✔ Hunter was mysterious and Natalia has a bit of a baggage.
✔ I liked Natalia step-daughter's character growth though.
✔ I liked the book overall.

🤔What could have been better-

✔ It felt incomplete and the back and forth of Hunter and Natalia's back and forth got a bit old after a bit.


📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
💝Romance Lover
💏Friends To Lovers Romance
💕Found Family Romance

📈My Rating : 3/5

Thank you, Vi Keeland and Hambright PR, for a copy.

A must read! Vi is my favorite author for a reason. She checks all the boxes with her characters and storyline.

This book is everything when it comes to angst, tension, and conversations filled with flirting and banter—all with the right amount of emotion! I absolutely loved the chemistry between Hunter and Nat. They were fated from the day they first met, but due to some sensitive reasons( I cried when I got to know the reason)Hunter can never commit. What an experience this book was—I genuinely loved it.

If you’ve read Vi Keeland before, you know her writing style. She crafts stories with the perfect balance of banter and emotional depth, and this book is no exception. I’ve enjoyed her previous works, and this one was such an easy and comforting read. I highly recommend picking it up when you’re in the mood for something good and a little different! Plus, it’s available on Kindle Unlimited!

Thank you to @hambright_pr and @vi_keeland for giving me the opportunity to read it.

Something Borrowed, Something You
Vi Keeland

⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 3/5

✔️Opposites Attract
✔️Friends to Lovers
✔️Second Chance Romance
✔️Single mom
✔️Found Family

"Life isn't about the news--it's about the first person you want to tell that news to."

Something Borrowed, Something You was previously published under Sex, Not Love.

Natalia & Hunter meet at the LA wedding of their best friends where instalust immediately appears between the two. Natalia however isn't very trusting as she recently got divorced after her husband got sent to jail for running a Ponzi scheme. Natalia is now left raising her 16 year old step daughter Isabella who seems to hate her. Hunter on the other hand is carrying his own secret that's making it impossible for him to commit.

Hunter finds himself sent to NYC for a job and the couple decide to be friends with benefits for the two months he's there. Hunter immediately connects with Isabella and I loved the part where Hunter included Isabella during a night out when she was upset.

The journey this couple took us on along with Hunter's heartbreaking secret was a pleasure to read. The pace of the story flowed well and all the character back stories held my interest.

The narrators Sebastian York & Andi Arndt were a pleasure to listen to and brought the story to life. If you want to listen to the audio you need to look for the original title Sex, Not Love.

Thank you Vi Keeland, Netgalley & Hambright PR for this ARC & ALC

This was an interesting story! I knew there was more to Hunter than what we saw but I had no idea just how much he was hiding!
Blah!! How do I do this without spoiling anything?! It’s insanely hard!

I love Nat, she’s been through so much and ended up as a single mom to her stepdaughter and well most of us know what it’s like being a teenage daughter, and well Izzy is definitely dealing with a lot but it’s obvious how much Nat loves her and vice versa!

Hunter fits in SO well with them, even gaining the approval of her mom before Nat even considers “sex not love” yet there was no stopping the feelings they both developed

But of course this is when Hunters past and everything comes back and he leaves though it does take him a while to pull his head out, he finally does and I just love their ending so much!!!

DNF @ 34%

Unfortunately this one was not for me. I'm enjoying the characters but I'm really struggling with the pacing of the story. There are multiple time jumps and flashbacks and there's not enough character interaction in present day for me to be invested. The minute a plot development happens the next chapter is a flashback which really slows down the pacing. However, I'm sure that others will not be bothered by this and will be able to enjoy the chemistry between the MCs.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75

Thank you to Hambright PR and Vi Keeland! This was my first book by this author, and from the start, I was hooked. I really enjoyed it at first, but as I read more, I found Hunter and Nat a bit frustrating at times. That said, their banter was cute, and the spicy scenes were definitely spicy! I especially enjoyed Hunter’s POV chapters, and Nat’s family dynamic—with their Sunday dinners—reminded me of my own. Overall, it was a fast and entertaining read!

Vi is always a favorite author. Her stories always draw me in from the first page to the last. She is a fantastic story teller and keeps you so engaged in the story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.25

Just like every Vi Keeland book I have ever read, this did not disappoint. Such a swoon worthy, romantic cacophony of a book that I was such a pile of mess on the floor afterwards even the promise of chocolate couldn't bring me out of haze I was in after finishing this book.

This is Natalia and Hunter's story. They meet when their best friends are getting married and Hunter overhears Natalia talking about hooking up with her wedding partner and he offers to take his place. They dance around things with some wrong numbers given, and months later, Hunter is showing up to Natalia's mom's house for their weekly dinner. After some major work, Hunter talks Natalia into a temporarily fling while he is in town since neither of them feel like a relationship is good for them at the moment. There is some past baggage they have to work through, some sweet and funny moments, and yes he leave her looking with a plasters radio. Job well done Hunter.

I need to listen to the audio of this book like yesterday because it is voiced my 2 of my favorite narrators, Andi Arndt and Sebastian York.

Vi can do no wrong.

I said what I said

So, let me just start by saying, WOW. This book had me hooked from the start! Hunter and Natalia’s story is everything you want in a romance – sizzling chemistry, banter that’ll make you laugh out loud, AND emotional depth that will seriously pull at your heartstrings.
The premise: A meet-cute at a wedding, a one-night stand that turns into something more, and two people trying to keep it casual while secretly falling for each other. Sounds like a dream, right?

Hunter, with his cocky charm, definitely makes his mark as “trouble” (and we love trouble). But what I really loved was how both Hunter and Natalia have so much more going on behind the scenes, and their pasts shape their complicated, yet beautiful, relationship. Their chemistry was off the charts, and the tension...GAH. It was everything!

Now the audiobook , can we talk about Sebastian York & Andi Arndt? They brought these characters to life like no one else could. I was LIVING for every moment of this book, thanks to their amazing narrations.

Natalia is a total queen, juggling life and responsibilities like a boss, but also keeping her emotions locked up. I adore her strength, and Hunter’s emotional journey was everything I didn’t expect.
Also loved all the flashbacks! Gave me all the feels.

The perfect romance, the perfect tension, and those TWO epilogues!!!!Chef’s kiss. I honestly can’t wait to read more from Vi Keeland!
PS: Check the trigger warnings before diving in!

Okay, so 'Something Borrowed, Something You' by Vi Keeland? I honestly don't know what kind of sorcery she used, but I was hooked. Like, completely and utterly obsessed. I finished it and was just... adrift. I had no idea what to do with myself! And here's the thing: I went in expecting something totally different. I thought it'd be a light, fluffy romance. But no. This book surprised me, big time. The plot had real depth, a genuine message, and the characters? They were just... perfectly imperfect.

Hunter Delucia, the male lead? Forget the playboy image. He had so many layers. He felt real. Like someone I could actually know. Everything he said and did for Natalia, the female lead, felt authentic. I was completely invested in their relationship. I was rooting for them hard.

Look, this book wasn't all sunshine and roses. There were some seriously heavy moments, some heartbreaking stuff. But like Hunter says, 'It's not an adventure without a little fear.' And those moments? That's what made the book stand out. That's why Hunter and Natalia's story is going to stick with me. For a long, long time.

The book is so sexy, light and humorous.
Natalia and Hunter is such a great couple! As usual what starts as purely physical soon becomes something real.
Characters dynamics is really good through this slow burn. Chemistry and banter are amazing.

Natalia has her past trauma after her ex but slowly with Hunter she recovers from it. Hunter has his own doubts but he also manages to overcome it.

This is a trust worthy book with a very high quality romance that you can be sure of and will deliver a perfect romcom! I’ve enjoyed it a lot.

Author Vi Keeland has become a favorite of mine. I can easily open any of her books, and from the first page, I know I’m in for a good time. With Something Borrowed, Something You Vi weaves Hunter’s story from his past to the present without breaking up the flow of the romance that is building between him and Nat. And she does this so smoothly that it connects where it needs to. Brilliant. Because I went through every emotion in this story.

Something Borrowed, Something You had me laughing one moment, palming my forehead the next, and then being so tearful. Hunter was persistent but backed off once Nat told him her history with men. But once she was ready, though—he didn’t hold back. Those were some steamy scenes. I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s a story I can see myself re-reading a few times.

While reading this story, I wasn't sure If I already read it, and yes I realized it was sex, not love.

i've read this amazing story a while back and loved it. I still love it today.

Opposites...

Steamy, slow burn. For Nat, its just sex, not love. That's the original title. Nat is a behavior specialist who helps people break bad habits. She's intent on breaking her bad habit, that would be the smokin' hot Hunter Delucia. They hook up at a wedding and then a year later, after she gives him the wrong number, he's back and when Nat, still intent on breaking her bad habits, gives Hunter her mother's phone number, but he surprises her and shows up, intent on hooking up to work each other out of their systems. Because its just sex, not love.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bramble and Ms. Keeland for the opportunity to read an ARC of this (rereleased) title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I saw this as a BIG fan of Ms. Keeland's: this was not my favorite of her books. But, as a BIG fan of Ms. Keeland's, it is still a Vi Keeland book, and therefore a cut above its contemporary romance fellows.

Natalia is a bridesmaid in her friend's wedding, and is determined to break out of her post-divorce rut by sleeping with an acquaintance at the wedding. She strikes sparks immediately with groomsman Hunter, who is determined to pursue her despite her *obvious* reluctance to give him the time of day.
Natalia is sassy, loudmouthed, and a little brassy in a way that rubbed me a bit the wrong way; Hunter is so determined in his pursuit he's almost smarmy. Nonetheless it's clear these two have definite chemistry.

She pushes him away and away and away until all the sudden it's him pushing her. Failure to communicate is a big irritant for me and their assumptions about each other were annoying. Honestly it cost the book its fourth full star. Have the freaking conversation, people!

But it's still Vi Keeland so I'm still happy to recommend it. If you like your romance with lots of drama (think dramatic drama, not angst drama) this is a good one for you. All Grown Up and Summer Proposal are still my favorite Keeland books but this is a solid 3 1/2 star read for me.

Natalia is recovering from a marriage steeped in lies, with a stepdaughter who wants nothing to do with her. She's looking for nothing more than a quick fling when she attends her best friends wedding and isn't expecting to meet a gorgeous, cocky man she has undeniable chemistry with. Despite him openly pursuing her, she's leery of anyone like her ex and pushes him away again and again. His persistence eventually pays off, but at what risk to her heart?

*****

This was my first book by this author, and although it took me a bit to get used to her voice, I genuinely enjoyed her writing style. Natalia was a lead that made sense. She was rightfully broken and untrusting after her ex had ruined not only her heart but also her finances. Her being careful to keep Hunter at a distance made sense, even if it was frustrating to see their chemistry be held back over and over again.

Hunter was a bit more of an enigma, and I liked how we were led one way with the flashbacks initially, before realizing the real reason why he kept his heart to himself. Seeing him and Natalia have such natural growth was fantastic, and their connection was obvious on page. There were a few times why I was curious why certain scenes were added in when they didn't seem to advance the storyline, but other than that, the pacing was solid.

I also loved how the big conclusion at the end was a bit convoluted in the lead up to it, as it had me constantly wondering where the author would go with it before they finally got their HEA. There's also definitely some heavy insta-lust, but thankfully not insta-love as both leads hold themselves back for quite a while. Overall, this was an engaging and interesting read, and is definitely something I would recommend!

*****

Thank you to Hambright PR and NetGalley for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't know what magic spell this book cast on me but I was addicted. And obsessed. And honestly didn't know what to do with myself now that I had finished savoring it. Much to my astonishment, this book was not what I had in mind AT ALL. The plot took me by surprise, especially with its depth and profound moral of the story, and the characters were just...perfectly flawed.

The male main character, Hunter Delucia, had so many layers to him than his dirty talk and playboy persona. For some reason, he was SO REAL that I felt like I knew him personally. All the things he did and said to Natalia, the female main character, were from the bottom of his heart and I seriously couldn't ship them enough.

Even though there were heartbreakingly heavy moments and incidents in this book, as Hunter said, "It's not an adventure without a little fear," I thought those were what made this book stand out and that was why Hunter and Natalia's story would stay with me for a very, very long time.

All in all, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND Something Borrowed, Something You! This book was previously published as Sex, Not Love back in 2017 (what?!!!) but would be re-released with a new title and revamped cover in May 2025. As much as I wish I could read this back when it was first published, I was glad that I finally gave Vi Keeland's books a shot and now I just can't wait to binge read more.

***Massive thanks to the author and Hambright PR for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

Natalia and Hunter's story begins at a wedding, where Hunter is instantly drawn to her and begins his pursuit. Having been hurt in her previous relationship, Natalia is hesitant to get involved. However, Hunter’s persistence eventually wears her down, and she agrees to a no strings attached arrangement. What starts as purely physical soon deepens into something more. Just as Natalia becomes ready to embrace a real relationship, Hunter’s hidden struggles threaten to stand in their way. Together, they must decide if their connection is strong enough to endure the challenges ahead.

The narration brings the characters to life perfectly, Andi Arndt captures Natalia’s blend of confidence and sweetness, while Sebastian York nails Hunter’s charming, flirty persona. It offers a heartfelt mix of emotional depth, playful banter, and sizzling chemistry, making it a must listen.