This was a surprise win for me! It is pure and excellent billionaire smut and I loved every second of it (I’m not ashamed!!).

That being said I hate when books repeat the title in the writing and they kept saying “he’s no Romeo” which drove me up the wall. Like it made me cringe.

Imagine the horror when you find out your groom was cheating with your friend on your wedding day. Only to escape into a comedy of errors in the form of the grooms biggest rival, who is also willing to manipulate you. Why does it feel to Evelyn like Ollie is saying one thing but his actions are a whole different bag of surprises??? Why is he allowing me to mess up his perfectly controlled life? Why is he selling a life that cannot be true?

The story 0f Oliver and Evelyn will have you laughing in hilarity, crying in sadness and hoping there is redemption in the form of big love! This is a giant love story that will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime.

Evie, a runaway bride escaping her cheating fiancé, finds herself literally in the arms of Oliver, a British billionaire with a penchant for revenge. Oliver is portrayed as the antithesis of a traditional romantic hero—arrogant, driven by his desire for vengeance against his nemesis, Evie's ex-fiancé. He is tall, dark, and handsome, and very charming when he wants to be. They have an instant undeniable chemistry and that tension is seen throughout the book and its 🔥

Despite Oliver's insistence that he's no hero, Evie begins to see beyond his tough exterior, uncovering a more vulnerable side to him that he struggles to conceal. Can they find genuine love when everything started with conflicting desires, fake dating, and half truths…

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and laughing throughout. It’s fast paced and I would definitely read it again. Plus Bo the dog stole the show!

🖤Dual pov
🖤Witty Banter
🖤Spicy
🖤Morally grey
🖤Fake Dating
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Grumpy/sunshine

Perfect for fans of TL Swan.

One of the first romance books I ever read was Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson. So I have a serious soft spot the runaway bride trope.

No Romeo begins with Evie running away from the altar as she is about to marry her cheating fiancé Mitchell after revealing his infidelity in front of everyone. She legs it out of the church and into a random passing car that turns out to be not so random after all.

Our hero Oliver is the billionaire rival of Evie’s ex who is in need of a wife and Evie as it happens is in need of a visa.

I loved Evie’s spirit so much. She wasn’t going to take any shit from her ex. Oliver had some secrets and I found him to be a bit more of a complex character but they had great chemistry together.

Overall a 3.5/5 star read

Loved all of the tropes present in this book; runaway bride, revenge, marriage of convenience. The chemistry between the MCs was undeniable and I loved that their relationship was kinda snarky kinda sweet. It was definitely a spicy read, but I did enjoy it nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review!

'Oliver? Go suck my lady dick.'
'I did. We both liked it.'

This was such an off the cuff arc selection for me tbh! I saw the title on Netgalley and as it had the same name as a book by Stevie J. Cole and L. P. Lovell which i love, I decided to just have a quick look at the blurb.

Ended up being intrigued, requesting the arc, and starting it that same evening. And I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed reading this!

Donna is a new author to me, but I liked her writing style from the first page. The characters in this had good individual humour, and had great banter between one another as well. It was definitely more British humour, (the book is set in London), which I much prefer because of the sarcastic wit.

'A toff, Evie... Where'd you pick' im up?'

Howling at this line because it couldn't have been a more accurate description of Oliver 😂 If you've heard the' I'm looking for a guy in finance' tiktok sound then that also fits him too. Oliver would 100% be a rich Tory prick who I hated irl. Yet, in this I couldn't help but be endeared to him, because it's so obvious he was whipped from the get go. Regardless of how much he tried to deny it!

'I want you to set up a call with her. Today.'
'I'll do my best.'
'Which is why the call will be today, Andrew.'

I also really liked Evie's character. She was a great mixture of wit and cuteness. She starts out strong with some very main character energy. Reading from her POV was just as fun as reading from Oliver's. In general, she hates what Oliver represents, but I I can't blame a sister for falling for him. Even after he coerces her into his revenge plan.

'Do you think Mandy would mind if I dashed up there so I could swan my way down? I have the dress for it.'

Definitely glad I picked this one up, and I'm assuming some of the other characters will also be getting books, so I'll be keeping an eye out for them! 4.25*

*ARC received for an honest review.

Oh what a great read. Had me laughing in places. When Eve finds out her fiancé is cheating on her with, gasp, her matron of honor, instead of speaking her wedding vows she reads him the text messages he’s been sending her now ex friend. She then runs landing in the arms of her fiancés arch enemy. In her wedding dress. Talking about jumping out of the pan into the fire!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own, Thank you for allowing me to review

Altar’d Destinies (ha…ha…)

With her own wedding bells still ringing in Evie’s ears, she rushes from the altar and into the lap of her very recent ex-fiance’s biggest rival, Oliver. TLDR at the bottom of this review!

Wedding Itinerary (AKA The Summary):
No Romeo is a enemies-to-lovers (kinda) storyline with a sprinkle of spice, rich-AF men and witty banter. Throughout the almost 500 pages we follow the storyline of what becomes of Evie and Oliver’s relationship (or lack thereof) after she fell into his lap on her wedding day. We get to see this story from both of their perspectives.

Evie is a down to earth veterinarian who does everything from the kindness of her heart. Oliver on the other hand is a prickly business tycoon who does everything for money and scarcely from the kindness of his heart (if he even has one). The book is also sprinkled with side characters such as Evie’s coworkers (and furry clients), Oliver’s business partners and more.

Spiciness was a solid jalapeno pepper (2.5/5). There weren’t as many as I thought there would be throughout a nearly 500 page book. The scenes themselves were decently graphic although nothing to make me shield what I was reading from passerbyers.

Things that made me want to say “I do” to this book (AKA the Pros):
The side characters. Fin, Nora, Yara, and Matt just to name a few were a breath of fresh air from Evie and Oliver’s constant scruples with each other. I found myself enjoying their scenes more often than Evie and Oliver’s.

Things that made me want to leave this book at the altar (AKA the cons):
- The sudden transition at turning points in the book. I understand what the author was going for with the build up of tension after a handful of chapters and for it all to lead to a momentous moment. But when it came to those moments I found myself asking “huh…how did they just completely do a 180???” instead of sighing with relief and being glad that a climax had finally come. I felt like with the book being as long as it was that I shouldn’t have been let down in these moments.
- Things felt too drawn out. I find myself saying this a lot in this review but I don’t think this book had to be as long as it was. Sometimes the witty banter between Evie and Oliver would go on for lines and lines and lines. Same with Oliver and his business partners. It was kind of like when people keep laughing at a joke but the joke becomes unfunny after that person has said it 50 times within the last hour. Going off my previous point, it felt like things were super drawn out and then all of a sudden it was a turning point but it just didn’t hit right.
- It felt hard to keep track of what dialogue belonged to who. I found myself constantly rereading dialogue between the character at times because I could not tell who was talking and then by the time i figured it out I had to reread that whole conversation.


The Send Off (AKA In Conclusion):
It was an OK read. I personally wouldn’t recommend this book to a friend but I don’t regret reading it either. I can tell that the author was going for a long build up and release at points, but it just didn’t hit the spot for me.

If you like the jist of this storyline, I would recommend reading the Miles High series by TL Swan. This book slightly reminded me of those books, and I absolutely loved those!

Thank you to Netgalley and Donna Alam and team for this ARC :)

This was an absolute fun read. Started out really funny with Evie running away from her no good cheating fiancé on the day of her wedding. Evie literally fell into Oliver’s lap. Oliver is very over bearing in a good way. The chemistry is there from the beginning. A few ups, downs and misunderstandings along the way but in the end love wins.

When you escape your own wedding, after outing you ex at the altar, life can only get better! Unfortunately the road isn't always the straightest as we discover in this story.

Donna Alan knows how to weave a story and this book was no disappointment - some spice, enemies to lovers, and a jerk who gets what he deserves!!

When thinking of your happily ever after on your wedding day you don’t think it will be achieved by running from the alter and into the arms of another man - but that’s exactly what Eve does.

After a whirlwind day and night we are then taken on a journey of bribery, temptation and that sweet mix of push/pull, love/hate.

I found this book to be a very slow burn. It was a grower. I wasn’t overly consumed by the story but I did enjoy following Eve and Oliver’s friendship and how it and they both grew together and individually.

I liked the different characters we were introduced to. Especially Oliver’s two friends and Mandy.

I do feel like there was a little oomph missing but that is down to my own personal taste and how I like a story to build.

Overall it was a nice, meet cute read and I would like to follow on the series as I feel there is a lot of potential for other characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC.

<b> No Romeo: A Riveting Runaway Bride Romance</b>
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
Heat Level: 🔥🔥
📚E-BOOK📚


"No Romeo" by Donna Alam is my first foray into her works, and it turned out to be a very good read. I received an ARC copy from NetGalley, and I'm glad I took the chance on this book.

The story follows a runaway bride who ends up in the arms of her almost-groom’s rival, Oliver Deubel. With her life in turmoil, she accepts his offer of a deal that seems too good to be true. The flow of the story is well done, and while it occasionally felt a bit lengthy, it never dragged excessively.

Alam's writing captures the perfect balance between scandal and sizzle, making it a delightful light read. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and the evolving dynamics keep you hooked. If you're looking for a romance that mixes humor, tension, and heartfelt moments, "No Romeo" is a great pick. I definitely recommend it for a fun escape.

I loved it! I loved every little bit of this, especially the banter between the two MC's. It was sweet, and funny , and sexy and just everything that I would expect from Donna Alam. I need to read her other books now, because if they are anything like this one they will be pure gold!

Witty, funny and spicy spicy spicy!!
When your small act of vengeance sends you running and your knight in shining armour is actually a morally grey millionaire with a score to settle.
It's grumpy/sunshine and forced proximity, this book has super hot scenes dispersed amoung great banter and sweet four legged friends in need.

Oliver and Eve are such a fun read. This runaway bride trope takes a new lens and creates a story that will keep you invested. The barbs, shenanigans, animals, and spice all combine to make this a great read.

Overall, this book was pretty ok/good. Like I had a good time, but it wasn’t great.

Basics of the plot, with my commentary thrown in:
Eve finds out her fiancé has been cheating on her the morning of her wedding after she receives some anonymous texts with the evidence of his and the other woman’s (Eve’s maid of honor even though they weren’t really friends??) affair. She reads the texts aloud at the wedding instead of her vows and then runs off and literally falls into the car/lap of her now-ex’s nemesis, Oliver Deubel (whose last name was a little on the nose, but I didn’t hate it).

Said nemesis takes advantage of the opportunity—and Eve’s threatened visa status—and blackmails her into faking a relationship to help with his real estate-based revenge while also paying her for her time, donating heavily to a animal shelter she volunteers with, adopting her favorite shelter dog, letting her live in his swanky hotel rent-free, and buying her anything she wants basically). There’s a viral video of the wedding and the consequences of that somewhere in there. And also of course they fall in love.


What I liked:
- The opening scene was so good. Who wouldn’t want to publicly humiliate a lying, cheating scumbag in front of all his family and friends (and also the internet, when the video goes viral). That opening scene got me into the book.
- The ongoing thread of the gossip rag was fun. It was important to the plot in some parts, like when Oliver got jealous of the photo of Eve and Fin. And also it was a helpful thread when the story sagged a bit in the middle.
- I liked the surrounding characters. Eve and Yara had fun banter. The boys (Oliver, Fin, and Matt) did as well. I lol’d several times.
- Eve’s parents were legit the worst, but believably so, and their scenes were important because it made Eve’s hatred of and generalizations about people with money (despite living a very privileged life herself) mildly more believable.
- Bo (the dog) was my favorite character. He was best boy.
- A safari park??? Get outta town that was so out of left field and kind of perfect.


What didn’t work for me:
- Eve seemed too open-minded to paint every person with money as “bad person.” I mean eat the rich (and she did, lol), but I didn’t buy it fully.
- Why was Riley even a character if we saw so little of him? Wasn’t he supposed to be her best friend?
- We get it. Oliver’s no Romeo. It’s the name of the book. It didn’t need to be repeated so. Many. Times.
- The book slowed down in the middle and made it feel extra long, and I think there were scenes that could have been cut entirely (like the thrift shop), which would’ve helped with pacing.
- The third act conflict didn’t hit for me, because the misunderstanding didn’t make sense, given the characters. Like he didn’t tell her about his sister, ok. And he had a surprise planned with the shelter, ok. But why hadn’t she asked him about the holding company when they were home together after she missed him at his office? Eve is practical and not afraid to speak her mind and she cares a lot about that shelter. It didn’t track for me.
- Why did Eve freak out and leave the country when she JUST GOT HER VISA which was her whole motivation for participating in Oliver’s plan?? Didn’t make sense, even if she was a runner.
- Some of the dialogue in the sex scenes felt a little cringe. But not all of it. It was hit or miss.

Loose end:
- Did we ever find out who sent the anonymous wedding texts? I expected them to be from Oliver, and I think that would have made sense and would’ve been interesting. That feels like a loose end, unless I just missed it.


Anyway, all that said, I liked No Romeo. Even though there were some things that didn’t work for me, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to fans of contemporary rom com revenge plots, fake dating, and billionaire romances. I will also probably read future books in this series, assuming Donna Alam chooses to write them.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. 🤍

I'm so thankful to NetGalley for letting me read this book early!

Right at the beginning, the story caught my interest with a great opening scene. It was clear that Donna Alam is a talented writer, just as I hoped from the book's description. It got me really excited to keep reading.

But as I got further into the book, the conversations between characters started to feel a bit dull, which made it tough to stay hooked. Still, for my first-time reading Donna Alam, I felt it was a good experience overall.

If you're looking for a book with funny back-and-forth talk and an interesting story, this one might be just what you need!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. This book gave me mixed emotions. On the one hand I really wanted to slap the male and tell him to get his act together. The female I wanted to tell her to read the room! Read between the lines and smell the coffee! But in the end, it all worked out for the best. It was cute.

No Romeo is the first book in a new series and let me tell you, Oliver is definitely not a hero! This man is so infuriating at the start of the book, but you can see little hints into the depths of his soul and see that he isn’t always the jerk he displays to everyone.

Oliver and Evie meet by chance and as it turns out they both need each other to achieve more than just revenge! Oliver is quickly attracted to Evie and vice versa. One hot night is all Evie needs but Oliver decides that wasn’t enough.

As Evie and Oliver start to get closer more and more secrets begin to be revealed and Evie has to decide is she can trust Oliver with her heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ARC!

I enjoyed this book-definitely hooked me from the beginning and started out with a bang (pun intended 🤣). The chemistry and banter between the FMC, Eve, and the MMC, Oliver was great. I laughed several times, Eve was so firery and funny! However; I think because the beginning was so fast paced it was hard for me to keep interest throughout the entire book. Overall though it was a quick read and I’d give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!