I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

Any book by JLA is a win to me. Amazing story and great characters to get lost in. Definitely a great duet by JLA

Andrea’s life might be spiraling out of control. She is frequently drinking to the point she gets drunk and often can’t remember details from the night before. She really likes Tanner but she believes he would never want to be with her. Tanner is currently working as a fireman but his goal is to become a cop. He worries about Andrea but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her in his life. When everything comes to a head, will they be pulled apart or will it bring them together?

It hurt to read Andrea’s story. She is a hot mess. She feels like a loser compared to her family and she believes that no good man will want her given her background. I won’t say what happens but there is a moment that one of her secrets gets revealed in from of Tanner and it made me hurt for her. The author did a good job selecting an issue that would be embarrassing and then placing it in a point in the book where it would have maximum impact. I like that the author had Andrea go from pre-med to teacher to unknown as potential careers. There’s a reason she’s undecided and it fits with her story. The way that Andrea starts to heal herself was a good addition to the story and another emotional aspect of the story. Tanner is a little more straightforward. He is understanding when Andrea gets drunk and patient when Andrea lashes out at him. At first I thought he was going to be another “perfect man” but the author gave Tanner a background and a focus on the future that made his patience understandable. I believe that Tanner loves her and wants to see her healthy. The story arc from their love/hate relationship to it just being love was well done.

This is a contemporary new adult story set in college and just beyond. Characters from the prior story play a pivotal role so I would recommend reading the stories in order. I will read more from this author in the future.

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
💞💞💞💞💞

Andrea struggles with anxiety and alcoholism and Tanner isn't afraid to let her know what her issues are. Bound by their best friends relationship and not their sexual tension, Andrea and Tanner explore if they could be more than "friends". I loved this enemy to lovers novel. Super spicy and fun to read. I enjoyed the banter and character growth.

Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout is a phenomenal story.
I loved everything about this book. It kept me up late, desperate to read more.
The characters sucked me in, the story was engaging and the writing was fantastic.

Scorched
by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout is an emotional, thought-provoking read that dives into heavy themes like alcoholism, anxiety, and self-discovery. Andrea and Tanner’s love/hate relationship evolves beautifully, with hilarious banter and undeniable chemistry. Their journey from enemies to lovers is packed with swoon-worthy moments and heartfelt challenges.
Andrea’s struggles with her demons are raw and realistic, making her growth throughout the story deeply satisfying. Tanner’s unwavering support and tough love bring a layer of compassion and hope to the narrative, though his character could have used more depth. The friendship between Andrea and Sydney is a highlight, showing the importance of having someone to lean on during tough times.
While some parts of the story felt rushed, the emotional journey and ultimate resolution were rewarding. Scorched is a powerful reminder to look beyond the surface, as someone’s actions may reflect inner struggles. A touching and worthwhile read!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley

Scorched was a good read that dealt with realistic problems. I will say that this story is not a light read but it does have moments that made me laugh out loud. The back-and-forth banter between Tanner and Andrea was hilarious at times. Their enemies to friends to lovers' relationship was one I enjoyed. The chemistry between them was undeniable and there were definitely some swoon worthy moments in this story. Although there were definitely some bumps in the road when it came to Andrea, I loved how caring, supportive, compassionate and understanding Tanner was about her problems and how he called her on them. Sometimes a little tough love is needed. I also loved the friendship between Andrea and Sydney, as everyone deserves a friend like that. Overall, this was a good read that dealt with realistic problems. It reminds us that someone around us may be going through things, and their actions may be a cry for help. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books from this author but maybe one with a light subject.

Things felt a little rushed at times, but what a journey this was! I really enjoyed Andrea’s story. I loved that she finally stood up for herself. I would totally recommend this book and the first one!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

Different than the series I'm familiar with from Jennifer. Still an enjoyable dramatic romance, but not a fantasy. Great character development that will leave you rooting for a happy ending.

I'd honestly say this one is 3/3.5 stars. I find I'm a bigger fan of JLA's fantasy books, and I love a good romance. This one just lacked some things for me. I wanted to root for Andrea as she struggles with alcoholism and anxiety. However, I didn't feel like I could root for her until the end of the book. I did like Tanner as a character, but he seemed kind of flat. I really got invested in the book from the actual trip to the end. Once I was hooked, I did breeze through the book and loved how everything worked out for both Andrea and Tanner.

I would like to start off with I found Jennifer L Armentrout this year and have burned through a good chunk of her books this year. She is one of my top 5 authors at the moment.

This was originally released in 2015. I got this book as an ARC for rerelease in Dec 2024. This book was a troubled romance between 2 people who started off as frenemies and fell in love.
Andrea although has some secrets that she doesn't want Tanner to know about and it ends up causing problems in their very short relationship.
This book deals with addiction and mental health issues so please read with caution.
It was very well written but I feel that the addiction and treatment could have been touched upon a little more. I do like that it was written with this as part of the plot. It's nice to see something a bit different. I plan on reading the first book now.

Reread 2024 Note: I read this back in 2016. Then, in 2024, I saw she was republishing a slightly updated version of it, and I wanted to reread it. I got an arc copy. (Though I also bought the physical copy of the book, too. So kind of a strange case.

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️.25

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author. (See note above as well.)

General Thoughts: Interestingly enough, I liked this book a lot more this go around than I did the first, maybe because of more life experience. My first read, I noted that this book dealt with some really hard topics, and it did. Alcoholism is not an easy topic to cover. Jennifer did such a good job with this one. You can see her psychology background on full display here. Because of the alcoholism, the FMC makes mistakes and isn't "always easy to like." But I thought that made her seem more real. I felt that the tension that came in this novel wasn't forced and flowed because from those weaknesses. I thought this was a very well-done read.

This book features heavier topics than many romantic reads. It's not a lighthearted romcom. And yet, I really enjoyed it. While not my favorite by the author (that still remains true), the hallmarks of why I love Jennifer L. Armentrout are all here. Fun, witty banter. Characters who are allowed to feel and process things.

I also appreciated that she took the time to edit and change some minor things in some places. I was looking at the original audio, at least, and the new deluxe version and noticed some differences. They were subtle but there. It helped freshen up the book. Glad I reread this and could give it a fuller rating.

Spice Meter: ❤️‍🔥 Spicy, not the most detailed or frequent, but definitely there.

Romantic Tropes (Other Notable Themes):
-dual POV
-dislike to like
-hate to love you
-mental health rep
-alcoholism
-close proximity

You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

Enemies to lovers with quite the rocky road, and you will root for them the entire way. Strong sub plots on alcoholism, self destructive behaviors, insecurity, self doubt, and untreated depression and anxiety - and the power of communication and love, self acceptance - all handled with care and sending a positive message. Some humor thrown in with the romance moves things along. A great read, more than the usual romance.

3.75 stars! I really enjoyed this book, and I read it in just a matter of hours! I was immediately rooting for Andrea and Tanner, and I was especially rooting for Andrea. Obviously this book has the common tropes - forced proximity, enemies to lovers, but that’s what makes it such a fun, engaging read! I was glad to see that Andrea’s problem with alcohol wasn’t minimized and there was a clear rock bottom point, and I liked the way her path to recovery was portrayed as it seemed realistic and relatable.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book and I now need to read frigid!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Angsty, enemies to lovers goodness! This was such an emotionally charged story with the angst pulling you in. You really feel with these characters and JLA handled the heavier topics with such grace. Such a beautiful read!

This author is an amazing and everything she writes is thoroughly entertaining. I did find the subject matter heavier than her usual books and I thought it sucked some of the joy out of her usually fun books. It was still well-done, but readers should expect more difficult content. If that's your jam, you will enjoy this one.

This is one of my fav books by jla. I do like the way she writes banter and chemistry between the main characters. The romance was realistic and the pull between them was palpable through the pages.
Definetely a great read

Two college students—a girl with a drinking problem and a reformed player trying to prove he can be the one to help her—fall in love in this angsty enemies-to-lovers novel.

This was as angsty and emotional as one would expect from a Jennifer L. Armentrout book. The romance in this was really heartwarming once you get to the heart of it, but it definitely had a much darker premise than I had initially expected. It covers topics of alcohol abuse, anxiety, and depression. I appreciated the realistic portrayal of Andrea's anxiety. The dual perspectives effectively highlighted the helplessness of both the person going through something they couldn't control and the bystander who wants to help but doesn't know how to.

I do feel that some aspects of the story could benefit from further clarification. For instance, the reason behind Andrea's hesitation to be with Tanner due to an incident involving him and her roommate two years prior remains unclear. Considering they hadn't known each other then, I could not fully understand the source of her resentment. Additionally, knowing that Andrea's anxiety is connected to the guilt and pressure imposed on her by her parents regarding her education, I felt like we never really got to see her work things out with them. It felt like we just skipped straight to the happy ending. I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first non fantasy I have read by Jennifer Armentrout, I do like her writing style and was interested to read a different genre by her. I did not read the first book in the series, but that is not essential to read this one. Andrea is kind of a meh character and Tanner was also a little boring. The description implied a more enemies to lovers and mmc is a player. Andrea does seem like a hot mess, but not one you root for. Overall, the book was very readable, just not my favorite.I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.