Cover art comment: this guy looks like he’s thinking “I spent a lot of money on these cufflinks and nobody even notices.” That’s what that face says.

Zora owns a professional relationship breakup company w her siblings. Yes, people pay them to break up w their significant others. Sounds like a brilliant idea. She’s hired to break up with the man w the cufflinks, Cyrus- a successful, heartthrob lawyer. Following the breakup Zora and Cyrus keep bumping into each other and these two have this insta electric hormonal connection that actually doesn’t exist on Earth bw humans but I like it and I believe in it. Zora never tells Cyrus about her company and while he’s a smart lawyer, he never googles her to see what she does for a living. Ed note- ALWAYS Google the person you want to sleep with #relationshipguru. Cyrus sorta blackmails Zora into being his fake girlfriend for a company retreat. And their relationship is thus built on a foundation of lies. Ed note- this is bad #relationshipadvice.

Despite all of this, Zora and Cyrus can’t keep their hands off each other and start doing the dirty. But like all kings and queens who sit on a throne of lies, they fall off and crash to the ground.

I liked this one and enjoyed the morally gray main characters- good people making questionable choices. I could have used more dirty, but there was def lots of lust and the one major sex scene was a payoff. I’m very excited for the subsequent books in which Zora’s brother and sister will most definitely be starring, but hoping @naimasimoneauthor cranks up the heat for us even more!!

Heated drops July 5. Thanks @naimasimoneauthor and @netgalley for the ARC!

Smut- 2.45 stars (add a star if lies by omission make you horny)
Romance- 3.9 stars
Story- 4 stars
Relationship advice by @smuttybookreviews- 10 stars

I wasn’t ever able to really get into Naima Simone’s Heated. I’ve read and liked other Naima Simone books, so I can say it’s more a this one didn’t work for me than a there’s a problem with this book issue.

Here is what I did like: Zora and her siblings run a business called Burned, Inc – Breaking Up, Reversing Nuptials & Evading Disasters. They will break up for you, get you out of an abusive relationship, or just one that you want finished cleanly and with less drama. Zora is the peace maker, she hates confrontation and does what she can to sooth rough emotional edges. Her siblings, Levi and Miriam, are great and I look forward to their books. Cyrus’s friend, Jordan was also great. Simone teased open a world that I’m looking forward to more of.

My problem was either with Cyrus, or the combination of Cyrus and Zora. I often like a character who is kind of a jerk to their love interest to cover up their soft, squishy center. It’s a fine line to walk, and this time it didn’t work for me. Cyrus is not a bad character, but he says “you owe me” instead of “you fascinate me” to Zora who is a ball of unnecessary guilt and anxiety. The delicate balance of Cyrus being kind of a jerk to Zora feeling guilty and secretive, and my own state of anxiety meant that I spent too much time frustrated with everyone to really enjoy the story.

I received this as an advance reader copy from NetGalley. My opinions are freely and honestly given.

Naima continues to be one of the best writers I have the pleasure to read. Love this story - the energy, the passion, the fire. These two worked hard for their happy ending! I can't wait to see what the next book in the series brings!

A solid start to a new series. This was my first Naima Simone, so I'm not sure if every book is like this, but something about the voice didn't click with me (definitely a me issue). However, there was strong character development, and I will be continuing the series as I am VERY excited to get stories for Levi and Mariam.

I thought the book was OK. It wasn’t what I was expecting and I felt there wasn’t enough ‘oomph’ for me. The characters felt a little under-developed which was a bummer.

However, I enjoyed the storyline and think there is a lot of potential and I think if revision of the book was looked at it could be a fab book.

The chemistry was good and I found myself wanting a little more smut but I loved the romance side of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Naima for allowing me this ARC.

I always enjoy this author’s writing and this was no exception! I loved both characters. I liked that Zora was a successful, confident, full bodied woman of color. No damsel is distress here. And Cyrus was your typical successful alpha male with a plan of which Zora did not figure into. As usual, this author can write steamy scenes. When Zora and Cyrus give into their attraction, man, I needed a cigarette! And I’m not a smoker!

There were some small details that I thought could be improved. While I enjoyed the fake relationship angle, the reason for the sham didn’t really manifest. I did feel the ending was rushed. After the great build up of tension with the angst and the ultimate confrontation scene, the ending was not of equal intensity which was a bit of a let down. Despite these minor details, I would recommend this book. I am hoping Zora’s siblings get a story too!

2.5 stars

I struggled with this one.
The concept was great but the execution and most importantly-for me- the ending was not that great.
The book was entertaining and fun but also messy and I cringed a lot with some of the monologs our mc had. And although this was fast paced and fun to read most of the time some parts definitely needed some work because they put me out of the story.
I liked some side characters like Myriam and Jordan even more that our main couple, especially Zora, I didn't like or get her lie especially because Cyrus was a nice guy and I hated he was lied to.
I didn't liked the way the situation with Zora's parents. I was disappointed on how that was handled.
Overall it could have been better.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this book. I can not tell you why. But I have picked it up 5 different times and each time I put it down and am frustrated with it. I don't know if it is the characters or the writing style. I am just not connecting. I made it to about 33% and gave up.

At this point I just give up and assume this story is not for me.

(Thank you to Montlake and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

There were a few things I enjoyed about this book: unique and vibrant supporting characters (especially Miriam and Jordan), emotionally intelligent protagonists, and a healthy dose of sardonic humor. But unfortunately, this book missed the mark for me in several other ways.

From the beginning, I just couldn’t get behind the premise of a “breakup company” - at best, it’s unrealistic; at worst, it’s unethical. But I suspended my disbelief and went with it because, well, romance novels. Unfortunately, the flaws of such a company are never really explored in this book, and so Zora continues to hide her identity from Cyrus without any tangible consequences for her dishonesty. The pacing is also quite slow, with drawn-out inner monologues that seemed almost over-written, like the author was spending more time trying to show off her snarkiness rather than move the story along. And after hundreds of pages of back-and-forth about Zora’s ethical dilemma, the central conflict resolves surprisingly quickly. It all just felt very anticlimactic.

I was also surprised how tame this novel was, spice-wise, based on its blurb, title, and cover. Comparable books tend to crank up the heat earlier and with more frequency, but with this book we didn’t really get the payoff until over 80% of the way through.

This isn’t to say I will never read more of this author’s work, just that this book wasn’t really my taste. I might recommend this to readers who prefer a slow burn and mild spice, as long as they don’t mind the hidden identity/miscommunication trope as the basis for the central conflict.

Zora Nelson runs a successful business with her siblings making people break-up by proxy after growing up in a not-so-ideal home life. Zora is very dedicated to her siblings and the business.

Cyrus Hart was orphaned young and he decided his life's plan as a result. He's a successful attorney in the entertainment industry. As a result, his friend is a famous basketball player who happens to be dating a rich blonde who hires Zora to dump him which lands her on Cyrus door with a breakup letter.

They start to date to help Cyrus in his career, but she feels guilty for dating a client's ex. Will they be able to overcome these obstacles and find true love?

The side characters made this book enjoyable, especially Zora's siblings and Cyrus's best friend. If you like a romance with some laughs, angst, and sexy times, then I think you'll enjoy this book!

I just reviewed Heated by Naima Simone. #Heated #NetGalley

I really enjoyed this story and I though that it was really well written.

It had a well developed story and I thought that the characters were strong.

There were a couple of places where I felt that the story was a little drawn out but it still made the book a great read - it is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended!

Ooof what chemistry! I loved this book and couldn’t put it down once I started reading about Zora and Cyrus. Zora’s profession is so unique and because of it the first meeting or a meet-cute between them was strange but amazing. The chemistry between the two fairly scorches the pages. I would definitely recommend this steamy and sexy romance.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This was a fun concept ! I enjoyed getting to know Cyrus and Zora at first, however the conflict ultimately didn’t make sense to me. I don’t get why zora acted the way she did. Also, their inner monologues were a bit cringe at times. Ultimately it made for a quick and fast paced read, but I don’t think it grabbed me enough to be interested in checking out the rest of the series (if/when they are released)

I love Naima's books and Heated was no exception, Took me a while to get used to the 1st POV as I can;t recall her having written on from that perspective (that I have read) before. Funny, sexy, likeable characters, all that I have come to expect from this author, great banter ad an enjoyable storyline.

The first book in the Burned Inc. series delivered, Zora & Cyrus were perfect, and I cannot wait for future books for Zora's siblings in the future.

This book was so unexpected. I loved Zora from the start, she's one of my favorite female main characters in a book. The whole concept of the break up company made for a funny and entertaining ride, and it just got even better with Cyrus. I had such a good tie reading this, I can't wait to read more from this author!

Holy. Smokes. I was NOT prepared for the intensity and way this book would consume me! This is my first book by this author and I am now a HUGE fan! I loved watching these two with their chemistry and their attraction overcome the scars of their past as they traveled their paths of healing towards one another. This is just an incredibly well written romance that I'll be recommending to literally everyone I know. Absolutely epic, 5 charismatic and delicious stars! See y'all on another page!

This story is told in first person dual points of view from Zora and Cyrus. I enjoyed the concept of this book. I genuinely liked both characters and their supporting friends and family, especially Jordan and Miriam. I also loved the contrast between their family dynamics and the effects that it had on their lives, decisions, and career choices. I actually would have enjoyed the exploration of that in a little more depth along with more focus on the resolution of the issues with Zora’s parents.

I found a few scenes from Zora gushing in a ridiculous over the top manner for Cyrus to be a little too much for me, but I can gloss over that given a good story. Unfortunately, for me, there was a huge plot hole that I really struggled with throughout the majority of this book and while I understand it’s the item that leads to the conflict, it was just too convoluted for me to believe that no one in the book, including Cyrus, ever asked what profession Zora was in nor was there a planned response to the question during all of their preparations for Zora to play the new girlfriend on the retreat, emphasis on “new” which also seemed at odds with their preparation. So much of their plan and the way they were communicating about it just didn’t make sense to me. I guess if you can overlook all that, you might enjoy this more than me. I just had more questions than I thought were necessary given the situation.

Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for the free copy provided for an honest review.

What happens when a lie of omission spirals into something way beyond your control? Naima Simone’s ‘Heated’ asks and answers that very question in the most delicious and steamy of ways.

Zora Nelson is fiercely proud of Burned, the company she founded with her two siblings. Said company acts as a third-party break-up service to those who wish to avoid the confrontation of ending a relationship. Everything is running smoothly until she is hired to break up with Cyrus Hart, a Greek god type who has a lot more layers than Zora could ever have anticipated. She wants to tell him that breaking up with him was a part of her job, but she also doesn’t want to sever their growing connection. And when Zora agrees to pose as Cyrus’s significant other? Things are about to get way more complicated.

I enjoyed the pacing and the action of this book. It is definitely more of a slow burn, which lends itself nicely to the characters and the plot. But when it burns, it incinerates. Simone puts the capital “c” in “chemistry,” and I am all the way here for it. I also thought that the way that Simone portrays an interracial couple is steeped in realism and doesn’t gloss over hard truths.

In all, it’s swift, steamy read with a lot of substance and heart. I would wholeheartedly recommend this novel to anyone in need of a new romance.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not gonna lie, I requested this book for the cover as I have a slight obsession with Chad Hurst. But boy am I glad that I got approved because this book was SO GOOD!! I've never read anything from this author before but I'm very interested now. Naima Simone really knows how to write steamy romance with great character development. It was definitely a slow burn which at times felt just a tat too slow, but overall I really enjoyed it. It's a 3.5/5 star read for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for gifting me an eARC, in return for an honest review.

Great Romance with believable and diverse characters. I can’t wait to try the next one in the series!