Sweet, steamy, and so real I couldn't put it down!

I breezed through this book so quickly that I was so sad to see it end.

I appreciated how the author really showed a wide range of emotions for the characters and how they shifted from hating to loving.

The relationships in this book are also the right amount of complex to keep you reading.

I hope there is a second book!!!!

If you enjoy a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance with characters who challenge each other in all the best ways, Highest Bidder is a must-read!

I do love a nice rom com that’s filled with flirting and giggling. I knew I was going to enjoy this book from the first few pages!!

Highest Bidder by Dawn Anderson had me hooked from the very first page! I couldn’t put this book down, sneaking in pages whenever I could because Myles and Hunter’s chemistry was impossible to resist. Their story is full of tension, misunderstandings, and unexpected moments of vulnerability that had me turning pages late into the night.

Myles is the small-town guy with simple dreams, but his frustration is palpable when Hunter swoops in to take what he thought was rightfully his. Meanwhile, Hunter is fierce, determined, and escaping a troubled past, proving she’s much more than the privileged newcomer Myles assumes she is. The dynamic between them shifts beautifully as their initial resentment melts into reluctant attraction, and I loved watching them grow closer.

The emotional depth in this story, combined with the backdrop of competitive auctions and complicated family dynamics, kept me engaged from start to finish. While I would’ve loved just a little more resolution with some plot points, the character development and evolving romance made up for it. Anderson did a fantastic job weaving a story that’s heartfelt, emotional, and steamy.

This book is an enemies to lovers/ workplace romance. It is set around car auctions which is a whole new story setting for me. That was why I was excited to read this ARC. I liked that we got introduced to the auction world fairly easily, because I had no touching points with this line of work, which made reading about it interesting.

The romance in this story was fun, with all the bickering between the characters I did have to chuckle sometimes but I felt like the plot was non existent. Between work and the attraction the FMC and MMC had for eachother everything else was shallow. For me it was a short read, which I used as a pallet cleanser. So I think this book is for every reader who wants a quick rom com read set in a not so common workplace universe.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Great read, very interesting story to read about something I’ve never read before! I liked the originality of this story. Thank you for the advanced copy. I liked the style of Dawns writing, I think this is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I thought Highest Bidder was a super sweet story and I did enjoy reading it! I loved the uniqueness of the auctioneer gig. I have read my fair share of romance books this year and it is my first with this profession in the plot. Growing up I remember watching car auctions with my dad on TV often and later learned more about the used car auctions while working at a dealership in my 20s. So, I felt a neat little connection to that aspect and loved having some insight of that world.

I loved both the FMC Hunter & MMC Myles. Myles is a walking green flag and a swoon worthy book boyfriend- no questions asked. Hunter is a strong and independent woman looking to make in a male dominated profession. Her headstrong attitude is so much fun.
Their relationship was very well done, and the spice was so much fun! I'll definitely get flashbacks anytime I see a pool table! Yes SIR!

For me, personally, I felt that the timing was a little off along with a few plot holes. In my opinion I also wish the author would have dived a little deeper into the character growth.

Overall I believe this is Dawn Andersons debut novel? If so, her name is one I will look out for in the romance world.

I would describe this book as mid, as the kids would say. Not a lot of character development, relationship building, or compelling communication with the character. Honestly, I didn't really like most of the characters. There was a little spice but not enough to make up for the rest of the book.

From football players to auctioneers, this romantic comedy flows quickly through a series of events, giving readers a fairly shallow glimpse into the behind-the-scenes world.

The setting, without a doubt, has the power to fascinate readers, as it carefully leverages the air of mystery surrounding the world of auctioneers, bringing a refreshing new twist to the romance genre. However, it's important to note that this story doesn't fully tap into the potential of its unique setting. The characters, too, come across as rather flat and two-dimensional, with a limited ability to truly resonate with readers.

At its core, Highest Bidder is a love story that’s a quick, enjoyable read that offers readers a few hours of romance.

An unproblematic spicy romance that I devoured.
The writing is fluid and the plot is pretty steady which I appreciated.
I loved the characters but I was kind of hoping that things would lead off so that JT and Jess get their own story rather than tacking on here.
I did feel like it ended quite abruptly but it doesn't take away from the story as a whole.

I can't wait to see what comes next!

I was provided an arc of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a review.
This was a very sweet romance, it starts with a tense enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine dynamic between the characters since Myles feels that Hunter stole a job the was rightfully his. After he manages to set aside his biases and acknowledges how incredible Hunter truly is the dynamic quickly shifts. There were a lot of fun troupes explored and the spice was well written. The author did an incredible job explaining the environment of the auction houses and while it is a setting I have no experience in, I had no problem picturing the setting and feeling like I was there with them. Very well done. I hope Jess and JT get their own story.

This book started off so bad between these two, so we get the enemies-to-lovers trope with working together. There was soooo much sexual tension and everyone could see and feel it. You know the fine line between love and hate, yup that's it.
Main Characters- Miles and Hunter. Dual POV (i loved seeing this romcom coming from both sides)
I was rooting for these 2 from the start bc I had a feeling they were gonna be adorable together.
Hunter feels she needs to be tough, bc she is a girl in her type of job and also bc her dad is famous, but she is super sweet, kind-hearted and a great person. She is dealing with a lot because of some family issues and also some abusive issues with a past boyfriend (just wait til you hear about this dude) grrr.
Now Miles, wow he is having a bad time with life and bc he needs to not want to deal with Hunter (for many many reasons) he chooses to be grumpy and give her a hard time but he also is a big flirt. This guy is such a Mama's boy and a book boyfriend.
Oh, and we can't forget all the amazing supporting characters and another romance brewing.
And the way that this author was so descriptive, it was amazing and the book was so well written.
I loved this book so much, it has you smiling, laughing out loud and some sadness but it all ends up in the perfect ending.

This was such a fun, quick rom-com and a great debut from Dawn Anderson. I know very little about the car and cattle auction worlds but, Dawn really painted a great picture of the action both behind the scenes and on the block.

The banter… oh my goodness, the banter! Myles and Hunter had top tier banter from the start. Playing into their workplace rivalry, their constant quips were hilarious. Myles was so broody in the beginning but quickly turned into a golden retriever man, obsessed with his girl.

I loved the side characters as well and really hope we get a JT and Jess book. Overall, I would absolutely recommend this book and can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

Highest Bidder by Dawn Anderson captivated me from the start with its unique premise and engaging characters. Myles, who dreams of becoming a top auctioneer, gets his shot—but not without facing Hunter Smith, daughter of the legendary auctioneer Conrad Smith. Myles initially assumes her position is a result of her father’s influence, but Hunter’s undeniable skill quickly challenges his assumptions, leading to both tension and admiration.

The chemistry between Myles and Hunter is electric, filled with a love-hate dynamic and witty banter that had me laughing out loud. They truly complement each other, with sparks flying as their relationship develops beyond mere rivalry.

Anderson also shines in the development of side characters like Jess and JT, who have a subplot of their own that I couldn't help but get invested in. I'm really hoping this is the beginning of a series, as I’d love to see Jess and JT’s story unfold alongside Myles and Hunter’s.

Overall, Highest Bidder is good read. Anderson has a knack for creating characters you can’t help but root for and a storyline that’s impossible to put down. This book has earned Dawn Anderson a place on my list of must-read authors. Highly recommended for fans of romance with a mix of humor and high-stakes career ambition.

Duel POVs are becoming a personal favourite of mine, I read the digital copy of this but this cute rom com deserves a place on my bookshelf. Myles is the perfect leading man & I enjoyed how the story played out!

I definitely would love another story diving more into their love story and JT & Jess !

Myles wants to be an auctioneer, and he's about to get his opportunity when Hunter Smith comes on the scene, daughter to the famous auctioneer Conrad Smith, he feels she's been given the role due to her father's name. But Hunter has always had to work hard in an industry run by men.

Soon her skills will impress Myles, but that's not all he will be captured by.

I loved these two characters, their love-hate relationship and the banter was comical, they complimented each other, and you knew the chemistry between them was high.

I also love the characters of Jess and JT and although they have their own little relationship I want more! I am hoping this is a series in which we hear of how they get together in a parallel time sequence as Hunter and Myles.

This was a fantastic read that I read in one sitting, Anderson writes characters you can't get enough of and a narrative you won't want to put down.
Another author added to my favourites list.

I received a copy of this for my honest review.

I loved being taken into this world of auctions!

Our MMC has been working trying to prove himself to become an auctioneer. When the position opens though our FMC, who just moved to the area but her father is an auctioneer legend, is given the job. This immediately puts them in edge with each other. It's a small circle so they are forced to spend time together. As he watches her lead he becomes more and more drawn to her. But are they ready to take that step and forget first impressions?

Myles Johnson thinks he’s a shoo-in for the open auctioneer position at his job until Hunter Smith shows up as the new auctioneer. He immediately thinks she only got the job because of who her dad is but Hunter has worked really hard to get to where she is. Determined to prove to Myles she deserves her job ends up turning into something more. This enemies to lovers delivers the giddy school girl squeals and laughs.

Content note: description of an incident of intimate partner violence from FMC’s former relationship

Dear Dawn Anderson,

I’ve never read a romance set in the world of car auctions before. It’s certainly an unusual setting.

Hunter Smith is the daughter of the famous (within auctioneering circles at least) Conrad Smith. He mostly does cattle auctions but has a reputation with everyone in the auction business. Hunter wants to be an auctioneer like her dad. He’s been mentoring her and she’s good. Very good. But after an incident involving her now-ex-boyfriend, she decides she needs to leave Oklahoma. So Conrad pulls some strings and Hunter gets a gig with a car auction place in Florida. Hunter has a famous dad, but it turns out she is more than qualified for the job and she excels at it.

Myles Johnson has been working the auction circuit in Florida for years. He’s been a “ringman” for most of that time but has been given opportunities to fill in for auctioneers who are taking breaks. When there’s a vacancy he expects he will be the man to fill it. And, of course, he’s more than disappointed to find that someone else got “his job”.

The way the auction circuit works (at least in the book) is that there are a number of independently run auctions all over Florida and each person is an independent contractor to each separate auction. So Myles and Hunter and the others who we meet who work the circuit, travel all over the place, auctioning cars and sometimes cattle (there are some of those available in Florida too). The vacancy that arose in the first place was kind of a vacancy everywhere as an experienced auctioneer retired, so pretty soon Hunter has replaced him in all the places.

Myles continues to be a ringman (this is someone who helps the auctioneer with bids, making them aware of who is bidding so nobody gets missed) and also still fills in for others but he’s often working with Hunter.

Myles is a complete and total jerk to Hunter at first. He blames her for taking his opportunity. Rather than handling it like a mature human by doing something like, oh, I don’t know, going to the auction manager and asking them what he can do to be the guy who gets the next opportunity and working towards it, he acts like an ass. I knew this before I started the book of course – it’s in blurb (at least in so far as they start as “enemies” because they’re competing for the same job) but I didn’t expect he would be as much of a jerk as he was. I particularly disliked how he’d get into Hunter’s personal space, lean down close and whisper in her ear and use his much larger size to physically intimidate her. That wasn’t cool and I don’t see it as hero material. Of course, while Myles is being very resentful, he’s also instantly attracted to Hunter so the pants feelings and the resentment are a roiling mix. Hunter, for her part, finds Myles very attractive physically but she doesn’t understand why everyone else says he’s a nice guy when he’s such an ass to her.

It took nearly a hundred pages for Myles to get his head out of his butt and pretty much, it was only when his best friend, JT (who also works as a ringman) tells him he needs to.

The thing is, apart from the way Myles treats Hunter at first, he is a nice guy. He adores his mother, he looks after his friends, he’s friendly and kind. But… the measure of a man is who he is when he’s not getting what he wants… isn’t it? It’s like Myles was two different people. And, given Hunter’s previous experience with her ex, Myles’s physical intimidation of her is even more on the nose – I’m kind of surprised that Hunter didn’t have a more extreme reaction to it. Myles wasn’t yelling at her or swearing at her but that’s a very low bar.

Once Myles stopped being an ass, things progressed smoothly as far as the simmering attraction between he and Hunter. I kind of liked that he called her “Hershey” because of her love of chocolate (although, I would not say Hershey is chocolate – if DA readers are ever in Australia, particularly Adelaide, have some Haigh’s. Really, you folks do not know what chocolate is until you’ve tried it. Just sayin’.) He started calling her Hershey to be a jerk but the name stuck.

I probably should say that the jerk phase doesn’t take a lot of actual time, even though it was around 40% or more of the book. If I had the right of it, it was only a week or two he was ass-Myles. If that counts. And, to be fair, he did apologise well.

Once nice-Myles turned up, he stayed that way and behaved as just about the perfect boyfriend. When Hunter has to attend an event where her ex will be he’s there (why does Myles have a perfectly fitted tux?*) and he stands by her and lets her handle things without taking over and without being all macho. He handled it just right. (Which made me wonder, why was he such a pig at the start when he’s really not that guy? Is it plot reasons?)

(*While I’m at it, how does he have a house on a lake and a boat and how can he also afford more property? Enquiring minds would like to know.)

There is no third act break up in Highest Bidder – I was waiting for some tension but there really wasn’t any. I don’t necessarily mind a low conflict romance but I know it’s a dealbreaker for some so it is worth mentioning. Here, I admit I kind of missed it and would have liked more.

There’s a mention of Myles’s mother being in a new relationship (she raised Myles alone) and reference to a fairly dire dating past where she was constantly being taken advantage of. But we never really found out whether Gus was a good guy or just another one like the others.

I liked JT and Jess – both of whom work with Myles and Hunter. Jess quickly becomes Hunter’s BFF and there’s a budding romance between JT and Jess as well (I gather this is the next book in the series).

I found the last 55-60% of the story much more enjoyable than the first part but I’m not sure I truly gelled with it overall. There were instances of choppy sentences and paragraphs containing multiple ideas with no obvious link, particularly early on.

That said, there were some sections which flowed a lot better – the intimate scenes were pretty good (although, Hunter is a girl who has not had an orgasm before and never really liked sex until Myles and I think this trope is past its use by date, myself). Things did settle more as the story went on, once the author found her groove. I believe this is the author’s debut so I expect her style will evolve and improve with time. I certainly wouldn’t rule out reading more of her work in the future. The Myles of the latter part of the book was hero material and I did think he would stay that way in the long term. So there’s that.

Grade: C

I received an ARC for this book, it actually release TODAY (november 1)!

thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

this was a good book, I really enjoyed the concept of it, thought the whole auction world is something not written about so it was a breath of fresh air!

I did find that it was a bit repetitive in some areas, mostly within the mc’s thoughts. and sometimes it felt like it dragged.

BUTTT I think it felt that way because it was a very simple book. not a huge plot, a good romance though. I think this a good palette cleanser book because there’s not a ton to it.

I thought the flow between the characters was good too. I’d say it was more of a loathe to love type of book. I liked seeing both of them change their minds about each other. didn’t feel too far fetched!

I did enjoy it!! the cover is GORGEOUS!

A feel good romance starring Hunter, an auctioneer who moved from OKC to Orlando, and Myles, a ringman in Orlando who thought the auctioneer position was his. Starts as your favorite enemies to lovers and quickly develops into more as Myles falls hard and fast for Hunter and it suddenly doesn’t matter that she ‘took’ his job.
Myles and Hunter are two lovable main characters with lots of banter and flirting. Your side characters are Jess and JT who are also super lovable and I am personally hoping for more on those two in the future.
The only reason this is not five stars from me is there isn’t enough plot for me. There’s a small hiccup involving an ex but it doesn’t affect the storyline hardly at all. The book is still a fun, cute read that will keep you reading to see where Myles and Hunter go.

This was a good read! I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. The story was well written and engaging. I would definitely recommend!