A budding author, Hazel Fox uproots her life in New York and accepts a position as the personal assistant to Athena Quinn’s personal assistant.

Atlas Remington, Athena’s PA is quirky and standoffish. Yet Hazel is inextricably drawn to him.

Definitely some laugh-our-loud moments between the twists and tension.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥
Darkness: 🤍
Heat: 🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🤔😬🙄😠😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 🧍🏻‍♀️ {Single}

🗂 Genre: Contemporary Romance
✨ Tropes: Enemies-to-Lovers, Forbidden, Forced Proximity, Workplace
💋 Kinks: n/a
⚠️ Warning: The angst in this slow-burn will edge you to the point of combustion!
🚩 Safety Squad: n/a
📣 Type: Bad Things Feel Best is a standalone.

I love all things Ivy Smoak. I started reading her in 2020 during the pandemic and she got me hooked on romance immediately. And this book does not disappoint, I loved the suspense element that added to this story. It was the perfect mix of romance and suspense.

Wow. This was book had a GRIP on me. I read this in two days. Is it romance? Is it a thriller? Is it paranormal even?! I figured a couple things about but man was I confused what was going to happen next 70% of the time. I wish I could read this again.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this novel. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.

This book is so interesting and during most of it I was like what is going on. This book is very chaotic in the best way possible. Hazel Fox gets a job as an assistant to a romance author named Athena Quinn. Hazel had to fill out multiple things before getting the job including her food preferences. Hazel takes the job because she wants to become a writer and is already writing a thriller that she hopes to publish one day. Hazel meets Mr. Remington who is her boss. Hazel finds it weird that she doesn't instantly meet Athena Quinn and decides to start investigating. Hazel believes that Mr. Remington is not someone she can trust and meets his nephew Hunter who tells Hazel that Mr. Remington's name is Axel. Hazel gets on his nerves and Hunter invites her to the beach where she gets drunk and has a moment with Axel. She starts falling for him and starts to believe that he is a vampire. She gets her best friend involved who believes that Axel is in love with Hazel. Then when she tries to escape Axel kisses her and she stays. Axel tells her that Athena is watching them and that if she's really watching them to do unexpecting things in order to see if she's writing her manuscript about them. Hazel begins writing about what Axel is doing with her and realizes that she is writing a romantic thriller. Axel shows Hazel a painting that he made for her and when she begins to question him he leaves and she goes to the beach where he ends up following her. They make up and when she gets out of her wet clothes she goes through a secret door and realizes that Axel is actually Athena Quinn and has been watching her. Hazel drives back to New York where Axel follows her and tells her that she is his muse and that he wants to cowrite the book he has been working on with her. Then they make up.

I should've DNFed this book but I really had to know what the heck was going on. Hazel was too stupid to live and Mr. Remington needs to be in jail. And the fact that there's an entire sub-plot about tomato sauce should've made me throw in the towel. Would've given one star but added another because I was hooked enough to finish.

Flat and uninteresting to the point that I skimmed a lot but it actually still felt as I've read the whole thing in the end because I had not missed very much. Not for me, sadly.

This was an ok read and just give it a average 2.5-3 stars. The whole story plot wasnt very exciting and was hard to keep focus on it. There wasnt much character development or anything to the story and just felt like it wasnt really going anywhere. This was my first read by this author. Hopefully more will be better in the future.

I did like the premise of the story and the idea behind it BUT it seemed short and left me wanting something more. What that something was…I am not sure. More romance? A bit more suspense? Him being a vampire at the end? Maybe.

I did like Ivy’s writing style though. It was atmospheric and interesting. I would definitely try another of her books.

Hazel Fox, a young writer seeking inspiration, lands a job on a private island with hopes of working alongside a renowned novelist. However, fate has other plans. Instead of collaborating with the author, Hazel finds herself assisting the enigmatic and infuriating Mr. Remington. From their first encounter, Mr. Remington’s cold demeanor and intense gaze unnerve Hazel.

But Mr. Remington is more than just a mysterious employer. He refuses to share personal information, not even his first name. As Hazel digs deeper, she uncovers a sinister undercurrent. Something dangerous lurks in the shadows, and Hazel is determined to unravel the truth, no matter how close she has to get to Mr. Remington.

The chemistry between Hazel and Mr. Remington crackles. The island’s secluded setting adds to the sense of mystery, and the author’s vivid descriptions immersed me in the story. I appreciated the slow burn romance, the layers of intrigue, and the unexpected twists that kept me guessing until the very end.

While the plot centers on romance, it’s the underlying suspense that truly shines. Ivy Smoak skillfully balances passion and danger, creating a thrilling experience. “Bad Things Feel Best” is a captivating blend of romance, suspense, and secrets.

I really enjoyed this one, up until the last 20%. The storyline had me feeling so delusional and I LOVED IT!!!
I guess I was a little disappointed that Hazel and Kehlani’s suspicions about Mr. Remington (Atlas) weren’t confirmed.
I also didn’t really feel the chemistry between the main characters but I was okay with the romantic element between them. Just don’t believe it’s a long lasting love. Just from how the story began I was simply hoping for more thriller vibes. Nice quick read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m fairly new to Ivy Smoak and I’m not sure she’s going to be a repeat author to me.

I had a hard time getting into the stories and connecting with the characters.

This was in interesting book. It was my first of hers; and I’m not sure if I’d read more. I really couldn’t connect with Hazel as a character

This was such a twist of a story. I'm a little disappointed that we don't get more answers. But I also know Ivy Smoak is a mastermind at weaving together the truths we want. So I'm fully expecting more. Or at the very least another book that adds bits and pieces of Mr. Remingtons story. The one thing that stands out above all, is that it's in our nature to be curious about the things that should terrify us. I love that Ivy has captured that essence here!

Thanks for the advanced copy, Ivy!

Hazel has dreams of becoming an author. She gets a job as an assistant for an author she admires, and she moves to a private island for the job. But she never once meets the author; instead, she has to assist Mr. Remington, a man who lives there and knows the author. He’s cold and unfriendly, and he has secrets that Hazel tries to uncover.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story, but it definitely kept me interested. I was constantly wondering what was going on, and I did come to the same conclusion as Hazel (which was wrong, but that means the author did a good job leaving the details to lead me astray).

I hope there’s another book because I still have questions! But either way, this was a fun read, and I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this story. I was hesitant based on some other NetGalley reviews but I liked the FMC and enjoyed the mystery elements of the story.

Hazel Fox is an aspiring author. She has recently been given the opportunity to become an assistant to a very famous and successful author, Athena Quinn. She drives to a gated neighborhood to find the mansion she'll be staying in. Upon arrival, Hazel meets Athena Quinn's assistant, Mr. Remington. He is very formal and insists they only refer to one another with their last name. He is very cold and Hazel is a bit put off by him. Mr. Remington is very old fashioned and southern, using strange phrases. Unfortunately for Hazel, her role is very much being the assistant to the assistant, and she is stuck doing grunt work--going through Athena Quinn's hate mail.

There were a ton of red flags all throughout the book, and just when you thought it'd wrap itself up in a neat little bow, it just ends. It was a bit perplexing. Overall, I thought their attraction/relationship was a stretch. This was a quick, but just ok read.

3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Well let’s just say this book falls flat. It’s just so meh and the FMC is too immature and annoying for my liking.

This was an interesting read. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was happening and still ended up wrong at the end.

At times I was confused about what was happening, not because it was poorly written but because it was such a great story. This was as much about the mystery as it was the relationship

4.5 stars

The book follows Hazel who is starting a job as an assistant to a famous author, Athena Quinn. The author lives on an island where Hazel is hoping to receive inspiration in order to write her book. However, when she arrives at the house, it turns out she is working as the assistant to the assistant, Mr. Remington. The more time Hazel spends in the house the more she notices how peculiar and haunted the estate is. Secrets begin to become uncovered and Hazel wonders if she should have ever moved to the estate in the first place.

With twists and turns, you just don’t see coming. So many theories, I can't wait to see how people react to this mystery thriller with some romance tossed in.

Not sure how to feel about this book. It isn't for me, but maybe others will like it. I went into this book without reading other people's reviews because I wanted to be surprised. Let's say this book succeeded in doing that, albeit not in a pleasant way. I had difficulty getting through it and wanted to DNF it many times.