Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Situationship delivers on both steam and story, though it does lean a bit more into erotica than a traditional romance because of the arrangement between Teagan and Heath, the main characters. These two hyper-independent frenemies agree to a fake dating/scheduled sex setup (what could possibly go wrong?), only to find themselves caught up in feelings and complications. There’s forced proximity, frenemies-to-lovers tension, and a black cat/golden retriever dynamic, all of which kept me hooked. If you enjoyed Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood, this should be on your list.

Beyond the spice, the book weaves in themes of racism and transnational adoption, adding depth that sets it apart from typical erotic romances. These themes weren’t just thrown in for the sake of it—they were fully integrated into the characters’ experiences and backstory in a way that felt intentional and honest. I really appreciated how the book explored how these issues shape people’s identities and relationships, and these topics were handled with care and nuance. The characters’ struggles with belonging, self-perception, and the way others define them felt deeply real. This added an emotional layer that set the story apart from a standard high-heat romance.

That said, the first half didn’t totally work for me. I struggled to really like either one of these characters up until the halfway point. I truly wish we had a little more of Teagan and Heath's backstory up front so I could feel their heartache and understand their reservations with each other, vs. feeling like they were just two assholes who kind of knew each other in the past.

Another issue I had was how much of Heath's POV contained casual misogyny and general dismissiveness toward women (especially toward our girl Teagan)... it was hard for me to overlook. I get that it was part of his character arc, but it made it tough to connect with him early on. His hyper-independence and womanizing read less like “emotionally unavailable but charming” or "wounded animal who will never love again", and more like “just kind of an ass.” I found myself groaning at his internal dialogue more often than not, especially in the first few chapters.

Teagan was a well-developed character with people-pleasing habits and a strong drive to succeed. Her struggle with the unrealistic expectations being placed on her by her parents was incredibly relatable. I also appreciated how this book touched on the struggle of being a Black woman adopted by rich white parents, and how expectations even among privileged nepo-babies is still riddled with racism and sexism.

The second half, though? That’s where the book finally found its groove. Both main characters went through real, on-page growth, and I loved watching them slowly drop their armor and get vulnerable with each other. We got to learn their backstory and feel their hearts break for and with each other, and THAT was what I needed in the first half. The emotional payoff was so satisfying, and the author’s fresh, witty writing made the journey worth it. Her humor jumped off the page, balancing the heavier themes really well.

While I didn’t love the first half, the strong character arcs, layered themes, and sharp writing have me excited to see what this author does next. If you’re looking for a steamy, emotional romance with bite, this one’s absolutely worth picking up!

I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. I love a misguided hook up plan with two leads that “can’t stand each other”. But I didn’t love that it took all the way to the end of the book for the characters to get some depth and vulnerability. Everything was very surface level for about 75% of the book. But it really did have so many amazing things it could have plotted into harder. The call outs on racism and homophobia within their friend group, the adoption issues and living up to family expectations, the diet pills, the mental health issues…all there…but maybe it could have been a few less issues so we could have really gotten into things further and felt some resolutions. Things felt incomplete here.

The banter, and the steam was very fun.

I loved the banner between both of the main characters. I love how opposite they are from each other but have some common similarities. This is a good, mild pace book. It will definitely keep you entertained. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend!!

Situationship was a fun romance that follows Teagan a socialite with a busy summer of social events. Teagan has too much going on to worry about being in a relationship. This is where Heath comes in. They have been part of the same group of friends since they were young, but they clash. However, Heath doesn't do relationships so he is actually the perfect match for a no strings attached summer fling. As they spend more time together, they start to share their stresses and realize they understand each other. As they get closer, their history comes to light and we learn why they don't get along. Enjoy this sweet and touching romance to see how it all comes together.

Situationship took the fake dating trope and took it to the bedroom instead. Teagan and Heath don't want anyone to find out about their relationship. There are sneaking around shenanigans happening as their friend group comes together for parties and weddings. However, it isn't all fun. The book also covers topics like eating disorders, family tensions, racial injustices, abortion, bigotry, and manipulation (definitely check trigger warnings).

The tension and slow burn between Teagan and Heath was beautiful. They had a very antagonistic relationship to start and we slowly see it morph into a supportive relationship. While the ending feels like it snowballs a bit, I think that it was a good choice to wait to reveal Teagan and Heath's backstory. It gave us time to see them develop together and separately and not impact the turn in the story. I enjoyed the story and definiteoy recommend it if you want a not so standard romance.

E.M. Wilson has been a standout author on Wattpad, and with her debut novel The Situationship, she proves that she has the ability to craft fast-paced, spicy, and engaging romances that keep readers hooked. While this book may not be my favorite of hers, it does showcase her talent for creating vibrant, complex characters and weaving tension-filled plots.

The Situationship is a frenemies-to-lovers romance featuring Teagan and Heath, two privileged, career-driven "nepo-babies" who agree to a no-strings-attached fling over the summer while planning for their mutual friend’s wedding. It's a dynamic setup that lends itself to plenty of drama, flirtation, and eventual emotional growth.

One of the standout aspects of this book is the banter. Wilson does an excellent job with the snarky exchanges between Teagan and Heath, making their interactions feel realistic and entertaining. Their chemistry is palpable, and you can feel the tension building as the story progresses. When the character development finally hits, it’s genuinely well done, and the romance itself ends up being sweet and satisfying, making it clear that despite their rocky start, Teagan and Heath are meant for each other.

That said, the book isn't without its flaws. For one, I felt that the character development could have started earlier. The lack of depth at the beginning made it hard to connect with the characters, and for a while, I actually disliked both Teagan and Heath. Their growth felt a little rushed toward the end, and I think a bit more buildup would have made their eventual connection feel even more rewarding.

Another issue I had was the overall focus of the book. The Situationship has a lot of spice—perhaps even more than it does plot or character development. For readers who enjoy romance with a bit more of a plot-driven focus, this may feel like a slight imbalance. The spice is certainly fun, but I found myself wishing for more depth in the narrative overall. Additionally, while the privilege and sexism present in the friend group were called out within the story, it still left a bad taste in my mouth. The way the characters, especially Teagan, talked about women was off-putting at times, even though it was ultimately addressed.

Another major critique is the lack of a content warning, especially for sensitive readers. Given the themes of sexism, privilege, and some of the more explicit content in the book, I think it would be helpful to include a warning in the final version to make readers aware of what they’re getting into.

Overall, The Situationship is a fun, spicy read that has its moments of brilliance, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me in terms of character depth and plot structure. I do believe E.M. Wilson has a lot of potential, and I’m excited to see how she grows as an author. If you're a fan of her Wattpad stories, you’ll likely find this debut to be an enjoyable, though imperfect, read. Here's hoping her future works deliver even more of the heart and substance that made me fall in love with her writing in the first place.

The banter was great, and I liked the concept of the plot. I love a good frenemies to lovers trope, but I feel like the character development throughout fell short. I would have liked the "big reveal" at the end to have been earlier on, or even at 40/50% so that it really captures why they are the way they are. The spice was nice and definitely there, so if you're looking for a short, spicy read this may work for you. The story was a bit hard to get into but ramped up a bit about 40% in. I stuck it out for the sake of some reviews stating that getting through the first half is worth it, which in a way it was. The dual POV was also great, so that we could see both sides.

While the book does tackle some bigger issues (racism, abortion, homophobia, etc), I feel like the delivery was lacking. I also did not see a TW (actually, the copy I received via NG did not have a TW list at all which was shocking) for ED, which was discussed momentarily, and as someone who has struggled with an ED, I would have loved to see that in a TW list.

This was the first writing I've read from E.M. Wilson, and I wasn't aware that she was necessarily a "wattpad writer" but that didn't bother me much. (The first NG copy I downloaded had a TON of formatting issues, but once I deleted it and re-downloaded it, it was fixed. I don't blame the author on this, but I wanted to at least put it out there in case anyone DNFs it due to formatting - I recommend deleting it and re-downloading it to see if the glitch fixes itself :) )

No time was wasted jumping into the spice for this one, which I’m not complaining about! Some heavy topics are discussed including racism, abortion, and eating disorders. The banter between Heath & Teagan as their connection grows throughout the book really had me rooting for them!

Boy, this one was a bit tough to get through 😬

I felt like it overall was very predictable and frankly I disliked both of the main characters a lot which doesn't really help with a romance. I found some of the slang used to be really cringy (never thought I would read the words zamn and sneaky link in a book)

I know this is a romance but I think there was 8 sex scenes before the 50% mark and none of them were even that good 😅 and the characters generally felt really flat and it was hard to like any of them.

I did really enjoy the representation in this book though! I think it definitely excelled in that department but just generally needed some more editing and TLC put into it to build the setting and characters up.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an enjoyable read. I really liked the premise and the main characters were quite entertaining. I especially loved the relationship between the main fmc and her brothers.

This book had many cute moments, with fantastic spice and a good overall story. I struggled a bit with the length and the writing style at times - it was sometimes hard to follow along with the dialogue and I found a lot of it was repetitive. I do think there is a lot of great talent this author has overall, though!

DNF- I did not enjoy the writing style.
I made it to about 10% but the style of writing was just not for me.
Cover is cute and synopsis sounds great- but just not for me.


Thank you for the oppurtunity.

Okay, so it was pretty obvious that this book was a Wattpad book, however I didn’t totally hate it. I rated it 4 stars because it did start to get better over time and I started to enjoy it more as I continued reading it.
It’s pretty obvious in all these stories that “FWB” never works and you know where there story is going to end up, so in that sense you have to say it was predictable. But I can’t fault the author for that. You know what you’re getting into when you read the book. Overall, it was a cute spicy read. However there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary added drama and the undertone of the r*cial remark or the “no-h*moing, there was no actual context to them and the jabs thrown and Teagan and Jeremy were so subtle that it seemed almost childish. But I guess I don’t know how “frat bro” friends who approach that personally.
This is a book that I would have picked for myself if I was reading books on wattpad still and that’s why I rated it the way that I did. I really enjoyed it for what it was and if you go into it knowing what you’re going to get out of it, a fast, not so serious spicy FWB/Sort of Enemies to Lovers romance, you’ll really like this book too!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC! My review is my own honest opinion.

(I'm happy to post my review on amazon as well when I'm able to , it currently states that the book is not eligible to be reviewed)

Situationship by E.M. Wilson is one of those books that pulls you in and keeps you hooked from start to finish. It follows Teagan and Heath, two people who have been best friends for as long as they can remember. But their friendship has had its ups and downs—most notably, an attempt at a romantic relationship that ended badly, leaving Teagan bitter and hurt. The story is full of drama, emotion, and some seriously intense chemistry, and I couldn’t put it down.

Teagan and Heath come from two very different, but equally complicated, backgrounds. Teagan was adopted from Ethiopia by white parents, and her whole life she’s felt this intense pressure to live up to the idea of the “perfect adopted child.” She’s always trying to make her parents proud, feeling like she owes them for “saving” her from her past. On the other hand, Heath comes from a wealthy family but never quite measured up to his father’s expectations. He’s constantly seen as a disappointment for not following in his father’s footsteps, and it’s created a lot of tension in his life. These two have their own personal struggles that bring so much depth to their relationship and make them relatable and real.

The dynamic between Teagan and Heath is what really made this book stand out. Their chemistry is undeniable, and I found myself rooting for them the entire time. Their connection is messy, complicated, and sometimes frustrating, but it’s so real and raw. Their past is full of misunderstandings and hurt, and watching them navigate those old wounds while trying to figure out if they can have a future together was honestly so satisfying.

One thing that I really appreciated about this book was how quickly it sucked me in. It’s a fast read with a lot of heart, and I didn’t find myself getting bored at all. The side characters were interesting, but honestly, I couldn’t stand their entire friend group. I loved how they each had their own dysfunctional relationships, but they didn’t detract from Teagan and Heath’s story—they just added a little extra drama.

Overall, Situationship is a fun, emotional contemporary romance with great chemistry, complex characters, and a storyline that will keep you turning the pages. Teagan and Heath’s journey from friends to something more is filled with ups and downs, but it’s so worth the read. If you’re into books with deep character development and lots of tension, this one’s definitely for you.

"Holy shit we have to break up" is the first sentence in this book. After reading that I knew I was hooked. Teagan is such a multifaceted lead. The only woman in a group of guys and in law school? She's who I aspire to be. Heath, in my opinion, is such a sweetheart. I enjoyed reading his chapters and about his relationship with his family. My only cons are the book was a tad too long and I wish the author delved a little deeper into Teagan and Heaths history. It's mentioned at the end and quickly wrapped up. The steam in the book is A++. Their chemistry was off the charts!

I enjoyed this book. Following the story of Teagan and Heath who have a rocky past but decide to embark on a situationship. Typical of the "no strings attached" trope until someone catches feelings. There were a few instances where some things seemed out of place in the story and could've been re-worked to be more cohesive. I would have liked a bit more development on the issues of the friend group and the taboo subject discussed. The one thing I disliked in this book was the phrase "not-so-little-man" - it was overused. Overall it was a great fast paced spicy read.
Thanks to Net Galley for the E-ARC!
Review also posted on Fable.

This book, Situationship, by E.M. Wilson was an easy and fun read. The story was the friends to lovers trope, It was a little spicier than I expected but I enjoyed most of it. The male POV was a bit awkward for me.

Giving this one 3.5 ⭐️

I really did enjoy it and it was an addicting read for sure. I will say the latter half of the book is SO much better than the first. The male POV was kinda cringy in places but I think that was due to word choice more than anything.. using words like “lit” and “bestie” and “my not- so- little-guy” over and over was… a choice…

But the ending really was unexpected and I think it’s okay for villain characters not have a come-to-Jesus moment so I appreciated how that was done.

Heath was hot and while the vocab was a big turn off, as a whole he was a very sweet MMC who loves his mom and is just a hurt human. Same thing for Teagan. Who they were in the beginning of the book and throughout didn’t actually change until they had a reckoning that could only be done together.. I really did enjoy this read! 💙

2.5⭐
2🌶️

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

First let's start with the positives.
I loved Teagan and thought her real life struggles were well done. Her experience as an adopted black woman in a white affluent world were really important. I actually think those things could have been hit on harder.

However, overall, there was just no reason to care about her being with Heath until it was too late. The "reveal" comes too far into the book that I had checked out by the time I got there. Like the ending was fine, but if the reveal came sooner then I think the end could have had more with the family stuff.

The spice was just average to me, a spicy reader. It didn't really add anything to the story a lot of the times.

"Situationship" is smut city! I understood by the blurb that there would be sex involved, obviously. However, I didn't expect it to be without equal build up on the emotional side of things. Not my type of romance. If you like stories similar to Gossip Girl/Magnolia Parks, you might like this. "Situationship" is centered around the wealthy.


Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Thank you NetGallery for this arc. I thought this was an easy read, will be very popular for those who miss the Wattpad glory days. I do wish there was a bit less spice but other than that I enjoyed it!