Review: No Room for Rivals by MeLisa Ryun

Title: No Room for Rivals

Author: MeLisa Ryun
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

Hi. I’m Ivy Ellison—strategic, data-driven, and about to strangle my coworker on camera. Cole Hartwell, company wildcard and my professional rival, is six feet of muscle that screams “trust me, it’ll work”.

My romantic history is a graveyard of being the "second choice." Men don't choose me—they settle. So long ago, I decided to choose my career. I'm one step away from my dream role, and the only thing standing in my way is Cole’s smug, handsome face.

One high-stakes trip.
One career-making campaign.
And one cramped hotel suite not designed for two people who "hate" each other this much.

The assignment? Produce a live-streamed eco-activism singles weekend at the Hotel Bellwether. The celebrity headliner? Blaze Tate, a caffeinated golden retriever with a gazillion followers and zero impulse control. When he cannonballs into the ocean with sea lions, donations pour in. The more he goes off script, the moreCole gains the advantage and I lose my sanity.

Cole treats our rivalry like foreplay and acts like the sleeping arrangements (and my curves) are somehow his problem. He’s determined to prove that winging it wins campaigns, and every viral spike is proving him right. Somewhere between fighting for my career and resisting the urge to shut him up with my mouth, I’m starting to wonder if the biggest risk isn't losing my promotion—but walking away from the one person who might finally choose me first.

Hotel Bellwether, Book 3 of 5, is a standalone that delivers enemies-to-lovers-tension with one bed, forced proximity, competence kink, and a slow burn that absolutely brings the heat. Perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn chaos and Tessa Bailey steam.

Review:

OMG guys, this book has it all. The Ivy & Cole vibes are insane! The animosity, the heat, the passion and the heart stole my breath time and again. Not only did I wake my old man a few times laughing, but there were two times when I cried my little heart out. Any book that can do that is above 5 stars for me!! The forerunner for the best book of 2026!

I’d like to thank the authors and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

Review: The Love Startup by MeLisa Ryun

Title: The Love Startup

Author: MeLisa Ryun
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

Love is a bug in the system.

I'm Maddie Denton—girl boss coder, full-time trash-talker, and proud member of the "No Thanks, I’ll Die Alone" club. Society says because I have a hoo-ha, I should want a man more than building my dream company. I say: eat my Wi-Fi.

My sisters think I’m stuck in arrested development, but my best friend and co-founder Zack likes me just the way I am—foul-mouthed, hoodie-wearing chaos goblin and all.

We’re this close to securing that sweet investor cash for LoveScore—our baby, our legacy, our shot at hitting the bigtime. All we have to do is add "intimate physical data" to the app… in six weeks.

Our solution? Gather that spicy data ourselves by fake-dating, proving that geeks never grow up—we just fake it better than everyone.

I'm Zack, and today I learned I'm both desperate and stupid.

I’ve agreed to fake-date Maddie—my business partner and the girl I’ve never stopped wanting.

Which means… Role-playing. Fake kissing. Cosplaying with her as my fantasy girlfriend.

Pretending my longtime secret crush is finally mine? Easiest acting job of my life. But every fake touch, every "just for research" act of desire, short-circuits my common sense—and fries whatever's left of my self-control.

If I slip up, I don’t just lose the company. I lose her.

The Love Startup is a filthy, dirty-minded, laugh-out-loud friends-to-lovers workplace romcom about two geeks fake-dating their way into real love—and real trouble. Perfect for fans of high-spice Meghan Quinn mayhem, steamy role-play, he-falls-first pining, and ambitious heroines who have zero chill.

Review:

Maddie and Zach are the best of friends, until they aren't. Can their friendship survive the growing pains of their business or will growing pains be the least of their worries.

While I liked this book a lot... hello, it's MeLisa Ryun! Come on! But honestly, I loved seeing the two of these characters growing and interacting with the secondary characters of the book. My only problem was I think the fake dating trope went on just a tad bit too long and it started shifting my focus towards the end of the book

I'd like to thank the author and Happily Booked PR for the opportunity to read this book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

Review: Hawaii Can Suck It! by Melisa Ryun

Title: Hawaii Can Suck It

Author: Melisa Ryun
 
Buy Link: CLICK HERE

Publisher's Insight:
 

I’m supposed to film him. Not fall for him.

I’m Camila Morales—cargo pants-wearing, scrunchie-collecting, videographer to Reece Dare—a growly, tattooed YouTube daredevil. He’s hot, sure, when he’s not judging me for smiling (calls it a sign of weakness).

I thought rock bottom was editing thirst traps for my grumpy boss, but that was before he got jilted on livestream—and before we ended up sharing one bed at a sensually-charged romance resort.

ME: Two weeks from quitting this soul-sucking job to finally launch my own docu-series.
ALSO ME: Fake dating Reece.

The bonus check? Tempting.
The fake kisses? Dangerous.
The look he gives me when he thinks I’m not watching? Uh oh.

My latest stunt? Fake dating my employee. What could go wrong?

I’m Reece. Internet-famous with 150 million followers who just saw my runaway bride from hell leave mid-vows.

The honeymoon’s already booked, the fans want a fairytale, and so I’m stuck selling one with Camila—the sunniest, sassiest pain in my ass. She challenges me constantly, never backs down, and worst of all? She’s usually right.

I run a media empire with hundreds of employees counting on me, but it’s hard to stay professional at a couples-only resort fueled by massage oil, heavy breathing, and a host named Kai who winks too much.

She chasing a new career. I’m running damage control. But Hawaii might change everything.

Fans of Meghan Quinn will love this steamy, laugh-out-loud romcom featuring grumpy x sunshine chaos, fake dating, forced proximity, and one seriously spicy resort. Buckle up for a tropical mess of lust and laughter because sometimes, love needs a viral disaster to find its happily ever after.

Click now. Paradise, chaos, and fake love await.

Review:

Oh. My. Gawd! Y'all this book had me laughing so hard in spots that I didn't know what to do with myself. I woke up my husband, I annoyed my friends, and read snippets out loud to both. When you guys read this book, which I highly recommend you do, you need to read at least twice the section about the sex swing at the beginning of the book because I nearly peed my pants laughing the first time and the second time I just laughed even harder. So do yourselves a favor, pick up this book, make sure you read it, and read it to a friend, it'll make their day. But I'm also going to warn you that I cried like a baby during the third act breakup and so glad that my husband wasn't around because he tends to think that there's something wrong when I do that. But this book had me from one end of the spectrum emotionally to the other end and back. And I loved every red hot second of it.

Cam and Reece are a match made in heaven and the only ones who can see it are Reece's moms! The fickle public doesn't know a thing, and the two of them are so confused even they don't know it. But guess what...? They live happily ever after. And if you want to learn more, please read this phenomenal book.

I'd like to thank Happily Booked PR and the authors for the opportunity to read this delightful book.

************ I received this in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and have not been swayed by this fact. I NEVER charge for a review.

REVIEW: Italy Can Bite Me: A Vacation Romantic Comedy by MeLisa Ryun

Italy Can Bite Me: A Vacation Romantic Comedy by MéLisa Ryun
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG - 1,000,000 stars for this laugh out loud rom com that had me in stitches from almost the first page. Listen to this and tell me you're not laughing:

"Aunt Deb leads her silver-haired disciples in a basic tree pose. Holy downward facing disaster! The mortifying scene looks like a herd of overly enthusiastic, hopelessly uncoordinated flamingos playing Twister. It's equal parts hard to watch as it is can't look away."

And how about this one:

"You know you're an old man when the bells hang lower than the rope."

And lastly:

"Alright you horny teenagers!" Chester bellows. "Save some action for Juliet's statue. Those bronze boobies aren't going to fondle themselves."

Now, you'd think to yourself, "Self, that has to be all the good stuff in there." But, unfortunately -or maybe fortunately -YOU'RE WRONG!!! This book is rife with all kinds of wonderful banter, jokes, and shenanigans. You just can't get away with not laughing in this book.

MeLisa and Ryun are the Royal family of hilarity and good writing. Not only do you fall in love with their characters through the book, but you learn to love them so that when the book is over you just want to start reading again. There's nothing better than loving your book besties so much that you want to start reading all over again.

The emotion brought about in this book is amazing and the wounds so deep you wonder if you'll ever see your character grow and bloom, but in the end... *spoiler alert* there is a happy ending.

I'd like to thank the author and Happily Booked PR for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. Top book of the month for sure!

View all my reviews