Pretending to be engaged to my enemy might not be my brightest idea. But it is definitely necessary.
On the brink of the biggest car show of my career, I start to panic because it’s the first time I have to see my ex since our break-up.
Spoiler alert: it wasn’t clean or amicable.
Then when Elliot Thorne’s ex-fiancé shows back up in town, I devise a plan for both of us to get what we want: a buffer from our exes with a dash of revenge.
The problem is Elliot takes his role to protect me too seriously. He brings me food while I’m working to make sure I eat. He even silences the self-doubt I feel on a day-to-day basis.
And before I know it, he has me on my knees in my garage, and on my back on the hood of my car.
The hate I’ve harbored toward him melts away as fast as my panties, and I soon realize we have more in common than I thought.
Then he tells me a secret that makes me reevaluate our entire relationship. Now I’m left to consider if something fake could be real… And that maybe it’s about time I admit that Elliot isn’t my enemy after all.
(ARC Read)
I don’t know what I expected from Elliot Thorne, but it definitely wasn’t that mouth.
After spending the first few books thinking he was uptight, broody, and honestly kind of frustrating, Harlow James completely changed my mind. Beneath the tailored suits and grumpy lawyer exterior is a fiercely loyal man carrying around more hurt than anyone realizes. And when it comes to Dilynne? Let’s just say the buttoned-up attorney has an absolutely filthy mouth. The dirty talk, the confidence, the infamous piercing… I was not prepared.
Dilynne, though? She completely stole this book for me. She’s sarcastic, impulsive, completely unfiltered, and just the right amount of unhinged. She owns her own body shop, restores classic cars, and refuses to let anyone make her feel like she doesn’t belong in a male-dominated industry. I loved watching her chase her dreams, even when self-doubt tried to creep in. But underneath all those sharp edges is someone who’s fiercely loyal and quietly carries scars from a childhood and past relationships that would’ve broken a lot of people.
“She’s a fucking siren, and I can’t look away.”
And can we talk about the banter for a second? Honestly, it deserves its own five-star review. Dilynne’s love language is threatening to backhand Elliot in the balls, diagnosing him with the need for a penis exorcism because his attitude is so terrible, and delivering beautifully decorated cookies covered in personalized insults. Elliot never misses a beat either. He gives every bit as good as he gets, and watching these two constantly push each other’s buttons was one of my favorite parts of the entire book. Their chemistry lives just as much in those ridiculous conversations as it does in the romance, and long before either of them admits what’s happening, everyone else can already see they’re absolutely gone for each other.
“And second? My idea of affection toward you would be backhanding your balls, so forgive me for wanting you to be more specific.”
The fake engagement wasn’t what I expected for these two, but it ended up working so well. What starts as a plan to survive awkward run-ins with their exes slowly turns into something neither of them sees coming. Elliot quietly becomes the person reminding Dilynne to eat, believing in her talent when she struggles to believe in herself, and showing up exactly when she needs him most. Meanwhile, Dilynne slowly chips away at the walls Elliot built after having his heart completely shattered. Watching them finally stop fighting what had been sitting between them for years was ridiculously satisfying.
“If you think I don’t care about you on some level after all these years, then you’re more of an idiot than I give you credit for.”
I also loved that the romance never overshadowed everything else happening in their lives. Dilynne’s friendship with Laney was one of my favorite parts of the book, and her relationship with her dad was incredibly sweet, especially with the way they bond over restoring cars together. On Elliot’s side, getting a deeper look at his complicated family dynamics and the love he has for his grandfather added so much depth to his story. Harlow didn’t just tell us why these characters were guarded—she showed us.
And yes… the spice absolutely delivers. Elliot may be one giant green flag, but he’s also unexpectedly feral when it comes to Dilynne. Between the dirty talk, the years of built-up tension, and one unforgettable scene involving the hood of a car… let’s just say Harlow James knew exactly what she was doing.
“Now, if you’re done talking, I’m ready to shut you up. Take me in, all the way back, and choke on it like you asked for.”
I genuinely didn’t expect this to become my favorite book in the Blossom Peak series, especially because Elliot and Dilynne weren’t my favorite characters going into it. But somewhere between the fake engagement, the nonstop banter, the healing, and two people finally realizing they’ve been exactly what the other needed all along, Harlow James completely won me over.
She really did save the best for last.
Release Date: July 10th, 2026
Thank you to Harlow James and The Smuthood Inc. for the ARC read!