Mr. Wicked is just that- wicked. Grayson is such a grumpy gus, but we love a grumpy MMC. Jovana and the spark she feels instantaneously and doesn't give up on Mr. I don't do feelings or relationships? Love her. Such a good read although I expect nothing less from Marni Mann. Super excited for the next book as it has one of my favorite tropes- Single dad. Swoon!

Thank you for the ARC for my honest review

“Mr. Wicked” is the second book Marni Mann released from the series “Hooked”. This book was so good. I loved everything.
Since the beginning I love Grayson. He was a little cold heart with all the women, but when he met Jovana everything changed.
Jovana is a nice girl and she is always working her ass to give her parents the best life she can. She has the kindest heart.
The chemistry and the passion Jovana and Grayson have is soooo hot. You can feel the sexual tension between Jovana and Grayson in every page you read.
This book was definitely a good book for this month.

Readers if you love a hot romance you will enjoy this new book from the series “Hooked”

4 ⭐️
2.5 🔥
Billionaire Romance
Bad Boy/Good Girl
He Doesn’t Do Commitment
She Is A Romantic
One Night Stand
Fake Dating/Marriage
Age Gap
Grumpy/Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Great on Audio! 🎧
This is book 2 in the Hooked Series, but my first from Marni! This is an interconnected standalone series, and can be read out of order. If you like The Miles High Club from T.L. Swan, I think you’ll like this series and many of Marni’s books. This book is about bad boy billionaire, Alphahole Grayson, who has a deep seated fear of all things commitment and marriage that stems from his past. He doesn’t even sleep with women more than once, in hopes to not complicate things. But he is immediately drawn to the waitress, Jovana, at his regular bar. They flirt, banter and end up going home together. But he fails to mention to the total romantic, good girl Jovana, that it would be a one time thing and nothing else, even though they both feel the passion and connection. Things end badly, and get even worse when two months later, news breaks that he is on a yacht with 6 women, living up his bachelorhood. Unfortunately, this doesn’t look good for Grayson who has become a billionaire from being a co-owner of a recent, nation sensation app dating app called Hooked. This news coverage has some detrimental consequences on their business, so they form a plan for the bachelor bad boy to settle down and get married, with thanks to the app. Of course Jovana is the woman they choose for this fake marriage, and even goes into it with hopes to change this bad boy and make him fall in love with her. But it won’t be without a fight, for Grayson is nicknamed “Mr. Wicked” for a reason.

Thank you Marni Mann & Valentine PR for the ARC!

Thank you @valentine_pr_ & Marni Mann for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

LERRRRVED! ❤️
It had all of the tropes that I love! Enemies to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity…all the angst. The banter between Grayson and Jovanna was 💯👌🏻. Two very strong characters come together to create the perfect “couple”. What more could I ask for?

What happens when millionaire playboy Grayson Tanner, owner of Hooked, a hook-up app loses the company millions of dollars? The company owners comes up with a plan that he hates. Insert Jovanna Winters, a social media influencer and waitress at a local bar. HR decides she is the perfect fit to become Grayson’s fake girlfriend turned fiancé so the world sees how Grayson is not the playboy he really is. Under a year contract, Jovanna needs to play the game in public with him, but behind closed doors, all bets are off. Is there an option of just hooking up without feelings?

Grayson doesn’t trust women or commitment. Jovanna is the opposite. Now she is on a mission to make this the real deal even though Jovanna has the biggest secret of them all. Mr. Wicked is the hardest one to crack.

Monica is such an amazing writer! 𝘔𝘳. 𝘞𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 “hooked” 😉 me from the beginning! I was all in. I will always recommend her books. This is number two in a series, but I didn’t read the first one. It can definitely be read as a standalone.

Read if you like:
» alpha male
» millionaire
» witty banter
» forced proximity
» fake dating/marriage

5 He Definitely Fits the Title Stars!!

Well, well, well, Grayson Tanner is in trouble and who better to help him out than the woman he can’t stop thinking about?

Grayson meets Jovana at the local club he and his two best friends like to frequent and there’s an immediate connection between the two of them. But this girl makes Grayson work for it and I LOVED that about her. She clearly wanted him as much as he wanted her, but the cat and mouse of their interactions had a huge smile on my face. And holy wowza when they do get together, hold onto your fans everyone because you’re going to need them!

After an unfortunate incident in St. Tropez, Grayson needs to do damage control and who better than the girl he spent one incredible night with? And so begins a journey that links Grayson and Jovana and a fake marriage to save the business he’s built so successfully with his best friends. But these two get more than they bargained for as they spend more and more time together.

Their chemistry is off the charts hot, but we get to see a change in a man that doesn’t believe in love and commitment and I was there for each and every moment. This woman is the best thing that’s ever happened to this man, he just needs to get out of his own way to let her into his heart. Their journey is fabulous in all the ways I love the way Ms. Mann builds a story.

I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us with Holden’s book!

𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒂𝒍, 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕-𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 & 𝑺𝑬𝑿𝒀 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆 💗

𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑳𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺 :📑

💌 Grumpy-Sunshine
💌 Age Gap
💌 He's a Billionaire owner of a dating app
💌 She's a Influencer/ Waitress
💌 Fake Relationship
💌 €rot!© Romance 💋

💕𝑩𝑶𝑶𝑲 𝑸𝑼𝑶𝑻𝑬𝑺 💕

𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙨𝙤𝙣:
“𝑰’𝒎 𝑴𝒓. 𝑾𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅. 𝑴𝒓. 𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑴𝒓. 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝑶𝒖𝒕.
𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆.
𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒓𝒚, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒍𝒍 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.”

𝙅𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙖:
𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒕—𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆.

𝑴𝒀 𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑰𝑬𝑾: 📝

I have to warn you though before starting this one that it is a really spicy book (mf only) and will have your temperatures rising, so definitely grab a drink to cool you down, in advance. 😉

Marni Mann, is definitely one of my absolute favourite authors and books like these are the ones that keep me coming back for more and more. 😍
I know I never have to even read the description before blindly grabbing her book.

THIS SERIES HAS MADE ME FALL SO HARD FOR IT. Hooked which was Easton and Drake's story was insanely AMAZING and definitely a Must Must read if you love spicy, hot and swoony feels romance with a bit of drama.
Then this one comes out and I'm an insta fan of Grayson and Jovana now.

You know what makes me absolutely crazy, when a book can make me sigh so many times over it while also wringing out all the emotions from me while at the same time driving me so crazy that I'm still thinking about it long after I've finished it and this one was one of those.

I feel it's written perfectly and in typical Ms.Mann style loaded up with hot spiciness that it makes up for a delicious and unputdownable read.

Grayson is someone that had me on the fence about him because of how cold he was and so rigid about not wanting to catch any kind of feelings.

Jovana on the other hand, felt so relatable to me because of her sunshine personality and how even when she was emotional and feeling deeply over one of Grayson's verbal barbs, yet she showed him how he couldn't overpower her nor hurt her and I loved how she stands up strongly against such a man and compels him to feel the things she feels and so much more.

The whole process of them coming together for the fake relationship was crazy awesome and I have to say I had so much fun reading about how the planning takes place in terms of Social Media Campaigns and photoshoots etc etc ....and also them fighting their attraction while at the same time them blurring the lines between them not even realising it.

Oohhh.... The chemistry is there... Loud and Sizzling hot and more than that the way Jovana makes a Stone hearted man like Grayson into a melted mess was absolutely delightful to witness.

Ahhhh.... This series has me in its clutches completely and I sure can't get enough of it. Loved loved this one.❤️❤️❤️❤️

If you live for the slow build up to burn when the 'I don't Do Relationships' MMC realizes he cares for/loves his fake fiancée you need Mr. Wicked in your life. Grayson is used to everyone doing what he says when he says only Jovana has no intention of following his demands. And when his life turns into viral nightmare he has no choice but to ask the stubborn, independent woman for her help to rehab his image. Witty, tension fueled, and heartwarming Mr. Wicked is an absolute page turner.

Dual POV, Spicy, Fake Marriage, Reformed Playboy, Billionaire, Grumpy x Sunshine

One of the leading mans of the most popular dating apps for finding happily ever afters, but doesn’t believe in love and commitment himself. She has seen great love growing up between her parents and thats all she ever wanted. What happens when one passionate night brings them together, but he does not want more?

Grayson and Jovana meet at the bar she is working at. He takes one look and knows that he wants to take her home, to have his wicked way with her. That’s all he is got to offer though. Its though when the girl gets her hopes up and heart broken after one night. Fate had different plan, his mistakes or “choices” cause him to come banging on her door begging for her to help him. Is he happy about it, NO. However, is he going to do it YES because his career is on the line and that of his business partners.

Marni Mann has a way of writing stories that have so much spice but also an amazing story line. The way she portrayed Grayson’s turmoil, but also Joanna’s hope. She was so relatable in a sense that she was just a girl next door. I think Marni does an amazing job of writing women that are empowering and of course men that are to swoon for.

I command her for writing Grayson’s story, part of me wishes there was more to his character’s conclusion. I think I connected to his questioning of his moral compass a lot. I am a person that values integrity heavily and what his friends/business partners asked him to do was difficult no matter the purpose. To me this felt triggering cause I kept questioning if I would do this. I think I was looking for more of a clear conclusion of him accepting that love wasn’t wrong and not everyone what going to abandon him the way he had been in the past. However, this was just me.

Jovana was the girl next door. The relatable influencer that you follow and a women that wanted to make a difference in the world. She was also a hopeless romantic through and through and I loved that about her. She pushed and pushed and didn’t give up on Grayson and I really liked that about her.

Overall, this was an enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, billionaire romance that has so many sweet, fun, and sizzling moments. Mr. Wicked is a second book in The Hooked Series and can be read on its own. Give it a read, it won’t disappoint.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/f.html?C=3EWUX9XMFO3LG&K=2TKFGBHBVOPS6&M=urn:rtn:msg:202404240241522e711cd13c884342bb70adb22a70p0na&R=ORIRSIGBWCPR&T=C&U=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Freview%2FR383DB4BJJU578%2Fref%3Dpe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv&H=9QXZQHNSUYYAYKKWQYD5PPOFO70A&ref_=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6400495043

A Captivating Tale of Forced Marriage and Fiery Chemistry

Marni Mann's "Mr. Wicked" captivated me from the very first page, delivering a five-star experience that blends just the right amount of spice with a compelling forced marriage trope. The dynamic between Grayson, the grumpy male lead, and Jovana, the spunky, independent female protagonist is electrifying, sparking with tension and chemistry throughout.

Readers who enjoy stories with reluctant romance will find themselves drawn into the world of "Mr. Wicked," where every page crackles with intensity and passion. Mann expertly weaved a narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat, eagerly turning pages to uncover the next twist and turn in the characters' journey.

From its engaging characters to its gripping plot, "Mr. Wicked" is a must-read for fans of romance novels that pack a punch. Mann's ability to balance heart-wrenching emotion with sizzling romance ensures that this book will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page.

I was Hooked (iykyk😂)

You know when you read a book that hits so close to home you’re like WOW?! Well this book does that for me. Not only does it take place in my home state of Massachusetts, I can relate to Grayson + Jovana’s relationship in so many ways - especially the twist I didn’t expect coming (well one of them 🤫😉). I instantly messaged Marni to let her know this story blew my mind! Add this one to your TBR friends - trust me!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the 2nd in a series, but reads well as a stand alone. I have not read the 1st. This is a super cute, fun book. I really liked the characters. Jovana is a fireball waitress!! 4 stars Very enjoyable read

This one had all my favorite tropes in a smutty romance novel. Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, forced proximity. I just loved it! Grayson is an owner of a dating app called Hooked. Although he’s head of the marriage sector of the app, he doesn’t believe in relationships at all. After a weekend aboard a yacht, his actions hurt his company’s credibility, plummeting their subscriptions. Jovana agrees to date and eventually marry Grayson in order to help fix his and Hooked’s image in exchange for a payout. That’s all I’ll say. Just read it! So so cute!

Grayson Tanner is one of the founders of a dating app called Hooked. Recently, the founders decided to venture into other aspects of relationships, specifically marriage. Leading the development of the marriage arm is Grayson. The catch is, he doesn't believe in long term relationships and has no desire to settle down in a marriage of his own.

After he gets himself into a PR nightmare, Grayson is forced to rethink his view on marriage.

Enter Jovanna. A one night stand that he had sizzling chemistry with.

I loved Jovanna and her sass. Grayson definitely needed someone to help him be a bit more grounded. They were a few times that I wanted Jovanna to put Grayson in his place due to his callous remarks but overall I enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Tropes:
- one night stand
- fake marriage/relationship
- forced proximity
- billionaire

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

Rating
4.5/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was a fun read, which I devoured it in one sitting. This is book 2 in the Hooked series (can be read as a stand alone) which focuses on Grayson and Jovana. Grayson was a character that I loved to hate, he's an egotistical, aphlahole who didn't believe in love but found the dating app Hooked. Jovana is a social media influencer who believes in love. Opposites attract and lead to a one night stand now Grayson can't get her off his mind and now needs to get married to save his company so Jovana is the perfect option for a fake marriage. Their chemistry is off the charts and the book is filled with witty banter and steamy scenes. They definitely challenge each other which allows them to heal and grow as characters.

I can't wait to read Holden's story next. Would highly recommend Mr. Wicked but would suggest your read book 1 - Mr Hook Up so you can see the friendships betweens the guys better.

3⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~ Hooked #2
Others in the series ~ Mr. Hook-up
Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts
Publication date ~ April 23, 2024
Page Count ~ 378 (p+ 31 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 50 minutes
Narrator ~ Andi Arndt, Ryan West
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ billionaire, influencer/waitress, fake marriage, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, some steamage

I didn't read the blurb because this author is an automatic read for me. Plus I quite enjoyed book 1, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway if I did because I would have read this one anyway. Unfortunately I didn't like this one as much as I anticipated.

Grayson (30) & Jovana (22) meet at a bar and have a one night stand, he immediately gives her the boot after and she's super pissed, rightfully so. Flash forward 2 months and a scandal has his company, Hooked, needing her help and so they enter into a contract for a fake relationship.

Normally I don't mind the fake relationship trope, but I much prefer both parties to fully be on board with the plan and that was not the case here. I wasn't feeling the reason, or the big push, for it. I am, however, happy with how it played out in the end.

Playboy, anti-relationship, Grayson, is a big time a-hole and I wasn’t feeling him at all. Once he figures out his feelings for her he's all in, though, even if it takes an awfully long time.

I gotta hand it to Jovana, she stuck it out and in the end gets what she wants, but man oh man, he was difficult to deal with. I really enjoyed her relationship with her parents and her bff, Sloane, which showed more of her sunshiny character.

Overall, this was well written and certainly what I've come to except from this author, but I just couldn't get behind the content or the actions of the characters. Although this one didn't fully work for me I'll for sure read the next book (and anything else she writes), which is will follow single dad, Holden. Edit - just found out there will not be a book 3 anytime soon, poor Holden 😭

Series notes:
Book 1 characters are of course involved here because they all work for the same company, but I think this one would work fine as a standalone.

Marni has done it again and I don’t think she has written a book I don’t fall head over heels for the hero and I completely devoured the read. Grayson owed me.

Marni treated us to some steam early on in the prologue, when Grayson makes it clear he wants to take Jovana home after meeting her at a bar (she was his waitress). They had chemistry from the beginning and I was sucked into their love affair.

It would take a special woman to tame Grayson and Jovana was that woman. She had class, a heart of gold and knew what she wanted. From that first night with Grayson, she felt a connection and wanted to see where things would go, but Grayson only does one night and leaves her with a night of regrets. So when he goes to her with a proposition to be his fiancée/wife she holds all the cards, and even though there is a little hate between them, they certainly heat up the pages. Grayson and his dirty mouth were fire. I just loved the way he needed her, he was going insane to be around her, but she kept him on his toes to prove her point, that he wanted her.

Grayson, there aren’t enough words to say how much I loved his character. I loved the way he respected Jovana, would do anything for her, the way he fell in love with her slowly, but fell head over heels, the way he denied it, his grumpiness, just everything, even after finishing this book a few days later I’m still thinking of him and how perfect they were together.

Marni is one of my go-to’s and has not disappointed me yet. I loved every second of this read and I can’t wait for more!

Mr. Wicked arc review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📸 Influencer
📸 Age gap
📸 Fake marriage
📸 Billionaire Romance

A women who’s determined to change his wicked mind.

Grayson Tanner has had better days. Coming off the successful international launch of Hooked, the hook-up app he cofounded with his two best friends, and a night with one of the sexiest women he’s ever met, he’s now in a PR nightmare. A video of him has gone viral—a toast to the indulgence of bachelorhood. It’s a bad look for the creator of the app’s marriage arm. As memberships plummet amid a media firestorm, his PR firm has a new narrative to quell the flames: Grayson has to get married. Fast.Hello, Jovana Winters—social media influencer and Grayson’s former one-night stand. The one-night stand he has yet to move on from mentally. Their immediate connection is undeniable. In front of the camera, they’re charismatic and passionate, and social media is calling them the It couple. But off camera, Grayson doesn’t trust women or believe in commitment.

Jovana is the opposite, a believer in love who knows what she wants. Now she’s on a mission to turn this fake marriage into the real deal, even though she’s hiding the biggest secret of them all.
But with a man like Mr. Wicked, it won’t come easy.

Grayson is a player who does not do commitment. He’s a one-and-done kind of man so you can understand his shock when he can’t get Javona out of his mind. He finds his mind even more messed up when a video of him goes viral and the only solution to save his reputation and his community’s reputation is to marry. Luckily for his PR crisis manager he has chemistry with a sassy bar tender.

Javona doesn’t do one-night stands. She wants earth-shattering love. She knows what she wants and that just happens to be her fake husband.

This book has tension. A hot, rich alpha-hole. (who doesn’t love one of those) Don’t worry, even if you don’t like him at some points he has some character growth!

Grayson is rather vocal and upfront about how he feels when it comes love and relationships….he doesn’t do them. Jovana is the exact opposite, love, relationships, commitment is what she wants in her future. Until his one night with Jovana, everything changes. Even after telling her to not expect anything more than their one night together, he finds her still on his mind- months later. The consummate bachelor finds himself in a bit of a PR snafu- and now his well-loved no-strings, no relationships ways are a threat to public perception of his new app. And it seems the only way to fix it is to do the very thing he loathes...and that his app peddles...get in a serious, on the path to marriage relationship, at least in the public eye. I love a fake relationship trope because the way the characters grow together is always spectacular.

Playboy extraordinaire! That's Grayson. He'll never marry! He doesn't do more than ONCE!

Jovana knows what love looks like from her parents. She felt the pull when their eyes met!

Will she be able to break down the walls Grayson has had up for a long time, or is this just to…

Okay, you know I can't say.

You need to get the enjoyment just like I did! And, enjoy I did!

Great banter.

Sexy times.

Emotional.

Just the way I love them!