3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!
🌶, can't go any higher.
The characters didn't have too much depth to them, and neither did the storyline.
I will say this is a pretty original rom-com with its plot being about auctioneers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rooted Publishing LLC, and the author, Dawn Anderson for the ARC read 📚 💚

#netgalley #highestbidder

This book was amazing! The cover is so pretty and it definitely made me want to read this book! The banter and romance was so fun!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. For me it was a quick read, it made it pretty hard to put down. I was hooked from the very first couple of pages, all the way through to the end of the book. Once I finished the book, I was contemplating what was next……I didn’t want the story to end!

I originally fell in love with the cover before even reading the synopsis and then ended up falling in love with the characters ( I do feel that there could have been more character development with Myles).

I my own perfect world, I think there should be a book that comes before this one where we learn more of the characters back stories. The plot in this book was good, but it felt pretty rushed. I think for sure this would be a great YA story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dawn Anderson, and Rooted Publishing. For allowing me to read this before publication. I am excited to see what the author comes up with next!

Firstly, I did really enjoy the relationship dynamic with this one, however I did feel it moved pretty quickly, especially considering this is marketed as enemies to lovers

I feel like more could have been done with myles meeting her ex, with how much it was brought up what a bad guy he was and how much her mum wanted them back together I felt we were for sure building up to a bigger confrontation between the 2 men than we got

I did enjoy the third act conflict, I think it was well done and didn’t rely on “lazy” storytelling techniques, it felt natural rather than being there because the typical structure of a romance requires a breakup/another form of conflict

Some of the writing felt a little over explained and simple, it felt like the author didn’t trust the reader to infer certain things or remember

While I grew to love myles, I really didn’t like him at the start, the author couldn’t commit to his misjudgment of her (having him say multiple times both that she’ll probably be good because of learning from her father, but also that he expects her to fail and she only got the job because of her dad, he seems to assume that this is her first time ever auctioneering despite also assuming she learnt from her dad), I also didn’t appreciate that once he saw her in action and could see she was good, he was still annoyed that she got the job “because of her dad” even though she is clearly deserving of it no matter how she got it, his actions still come across like she’s terrible at the job

Finally, my last issue came with the descriptions of the auctioneering world, as someone who doesn’t know anything about it it was hard to understand what different peoples roles were, now I don’t expect a definition of each thing, but I would like a little more explanation so that someone with no clue can understand what’s going on, I have read plenty of books where the characters do something I have no idea about where it doesn’t have a boring explanation but I still don’t feel clueless about what’s happening

Thank you to NetGalley and rooted publishing for my eARC

I will also be sharing my review to instagram stories tomorrow
I gave this a 2.5 stars but that isn’t an option on here

"I finally understand what it feels like to be the highest bidder"

highest bidder by dawn anderson
rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
tropes: rivals to lovers, workplace romance, dual pov and he falls faster

the way I was kicking my feet, smiling and laughing instantly at the banter and tension between hunter and myles.

loved being able to learn about car auctions through these characters which made reading the book so much fun.

I genuinely had a great time reading this book because the tension between the characters jumped out at you while having great supporting characters.

10/10 would recommend anyone reading this book and so excited to continue supporting this author.

What a quick, cute rom com read!! And Myles!!! Ugh I love him so much! The amount of flirting in this book just had me kicking my feet and giggling so much, I loved it! I loved all the characters so much (except Simon ;)), I really hope there could be another book about JT and Jess! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!

A super cute and steamy quick read! Very good

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

It was a quick read and I truly love Myles, but don't feel like I got to know him super well. Like, why was Hunter the first girl that really caught his eye after all these years? He went from absolutely not being into anyone to being head over heels in love after just meeting her. I needed more back story. The plot was cute, but overall it felt very rushed. I think I would've eaten this up in high school. Would like to see a JT story though.

Thank you Dawn Anderson, NetGalley, Rooted Publishing LLC, and Victory Editing for this ARC. I've agreed to provide an honest review.

A quintessential, lovely rom com! A really interesting theme too, one I have not read before, with cute, likeable leads. That said, the plot is a bit shallow, but the dialogue picks up this slack.

I was very excited for this book and I was not at all disappointed.

To keep it short and sweet and of course spoiler free I just want to say how much the author put time and thought into the well written story and how hooked I was from start to finish. The cover is absolutely beautiful and I would recommend anyone to give this book a go.

I absolutely adored Highest Bidder by Dawn Anderson - it was sweet and sexy! Myles has been working at an auto auction for eight years and expects to get a promotion any day... until Hunter shows up. Her dad is a famous auctioneer, and he believes that Hunter has been handed a job that he earned. Hunter is amazing at auctioneering, though, and her move to town was actually a way to get rid of an abusive ex.

Enemies-to-lovers and Myles turned out to be such a golden retriever for her - I LOVED watching them grow.

The way this book had me in a choke hold lol, the MMC is hot. He is def hot, at leas in my head. The story line is good and it does make sense, that some of the character interaction seems a little rushed and in some cases superficial. I do like the realistic parts of the book for sure. . Overall I gave this book a solid 3 stars.

I ultimately DNFed (did not finish) this book, not because it was bad, but because it was not for me. I chose this book because the description and the book cover got my attention. It had all the right elements of an enemies to lovers but I was expecting more lead up to them meeting in the beginning or learning more about the characters separately first before the MMC decided to strongly dislike the FMC. I truly wanted to connect with this story but I unfortunately couldn’t.

This was just the cutest workplace romance ever! I could not, for the life of me, put this down once I started reading. I ate all of this up in 5 hours!

From the start, I already predicted this would be a 5-star read. I was hooked since the first chapter, and I was taken on a journey of hilarious banters and soft romance with Myles and Hunter. There was intense sexual tension from the start, and it was an instant attraction for both of them. But, of course, things happened, and it took a while for the two to get comfortable with each other. However, they obviously fit so well together, and that undeniable chemistry blossomed into something beautiful.

I thought this was a unique plot. I've never read of a romance set in a car auction workplace, let alone heard of an auctioneer and a ringman. I'm not sure we have that where I live, so I was really intrigued by the information I've learned in this book. Thankfully, there was enough details and descriptions added to make sure that even I, unknowing of this industry, understood what was happening.

More on the writing, I felt that this was more on the fast-paced side but not in a negative way. I think the pacing was just right, and the plot flowed really well all throughout the story. The structure and timing of events was well-thought-out, and it was smooth sailing all the way.

Overall, I loved the story, the characters, and the tropes in this book 💚


Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to share my honest thoughts on this amazing ARC read!

Nope, I can only say, (popping my P's).

Highest Bidder had a very interesting premise, set in the (supposedly) high-stakes world of auctioneering. The main characters were interesting, at least at first, but the enemies to loves was resolved too quickly, and the tension felt like we were being railroaded. There wasn't enough conflict to feel as if anything was overcome, the characters felt passive, and unrealistic. There was an entire secondary romance we didn't even get to experience, as the characters got together between the last chapter and the epilogue, that was genuinely more compelling than the main.

There's definitely talent there, but a lot of repetition (stop popping the P's) and lack of conflict made me feel as if it needed a lot more work and polish.

I enjoyed this cute, fun read. Overall, I feel it needs some extra polishing to be really great but I will definitely be keeping an eye on this author. I loved the characters and banter and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good little love story to pass the time with

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this novel through NetGalley in return for my honest review

ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Highest Bidder by Dawn Anderson is a heartfelt, slow-burn romance that captures the clash of ambition and unexpected connection. Myles Johnson is the kind of guy who values family, loyalty, and his steady job at the local auto auction. His long-awaited shot at becoming an auctioneer feels within reach, until it’s handed to newcomer Hunter Smith, a driven woman escaping a tough past to start fresh in Florida.

Initially, Myles can’t stand Hunter, convinced she’s taken his place thanks to family connections. But as they work together, Hunter’s hard work and resilience begin to change his perspective. Myles’s grudging respect for her turns into something more as he sees her strength and warmth. Their chemistry develops naturally, building from animosity to mutual admiration, even as career ambitions complicate things.

Dawn Anderson’s skillfully balances romance and personal growth, with Myles facing a choice between career dreams and newfound feelings. It’s perfect for readers who love an enemies-to-lovers arc with emotional depth, strong character growth, and a touch of Southern charm!

Tropes:
🛻 Work Romance
❤️ Enemies To Lovers
🛻 Banter
❤️ Open Door
🛻 Dual POV
❤️ He Falls First

Very very cute story! Myles and Hunters relationship felt a little awkward and clunky at first but it really ended up blossoming into a fantastic love story as time went on! I had hoped Myles was gonna punch Steve at the gala when he started to get lippy but even without that happening I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Net Gallery and Victoria Editing for this ARC.

Highest Bidder by Dawn Anderson is an easy read romance centering around our 2 MCs, Hunter and Myles.

The story is set in a car auction scene world, which I actually found quite interesting as it’s an unusual profession to read about. I would have actually preferred to read a bit more about it so I had better understanding.

Our MMC Myles expects to get the open role of Auctioneer but when Hunter, the daughter of a well known and extremely successful auctioneer, gets the job, he decides that he she’s been given it due to her dad and is disgruntled.

The book has quite a fast pace and the “enemies to lovers” story line disappears pretty fast. It gets a little repetitive and the plot kinda fizzles out but it was a nice easy read between bigger fantasy books I’ve been reading.

2.75/5 (my rating system is quite positive)

Review will be posted on Instagram, Fabel and Goodreads.

Thank you Dawn Anderson and NetGalley for the eARC for this book!

Myles is convinced that he's finally getting everything he has worked for, a promotion to Auctioneer. With his own lane to run, he will be all set to help out his Mama financially while working his dream job. That is until his position is given away to the new girl, Hunter. She is the daughter of cattle auction royalty, her personality is magnetic, she is absolutely gorgeous, and Myles can't seem to hate her even though he is trying very hard to.

Hunter is escaping a bad relationship with her ex, trying to make a name for herself in the auction world and starting over in a whole new state. She can't figure out why the guy everyone says is so nice and sweet is being such a jerk to her. But the ore she gets to know Myles, the more she is drawn to him in a way she never has been before.

This debut novel from Dawn Anderson is set in the fast-paced world of car (and cattle) auctions, and I found the setting super interesting and unique. It was fun learning about this world I had never even thought about before. The characters were loveable and relatable, and I enjoyed the found family aspects. The romance and plot are pretty low stakes, but it was tender and emotional, and Myles comes across as a sweetheart who loves his mama and really just wants to care for the people in his life. This is a super quick romance read with a little spice (1.5 chillis).

I've put a review on my Instagram page, on goodreads and Amazon. Link for Instagram review below.