I was honestly hooked and laughing throughout the whole book. It is such a fun feel good romance and I always love a good fake romance trope. I honestly loved how the character of Ivy was written and wished we could have had more of her backstory in the book. For those that love a good rom-com with some spice in it, then this book is for you. I am excited to read more of Serene Bell’s books in the future.

3.75stars-HOTT TAKE is the second instalment in Serena Bell’s contemporary, adult HOTT SPRINGS ETERNAL erotic, romance series focusing on the HOTT siblings: Quinn, Shane, Preston, Tucker, Rhys, and their sister Hanna (Wilder at Last 5/ Wilder Adventures)-a spin off from the author’s WILDER ADVENTURES series. This is actors Shane HOTT, and Ivy Scofield’s story line.

SOME BACKGROUND: The HOTT Springs Eternal series focuses in the aftermath of the death of the Hott family patriarch. Grandfather Hott has a number of stipulations and guidelines if the siblings are to inherit the family fortune. Each sibling is required to honor their late grandfather’s request if their sister Hanna is to keep the HOTT Springs resort.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ivy and Shane) HOTT TAKE focuses on Shane Hott. Grandfather Hott has demanded that Shane contract a celebrity wedding for the family owned Hott Springs Resort but with only a six month window, Shane’s chosen couple are not necessarily a guaranteed affair. Meanwhile Ivy Scofield, whose own acting career has stalled in the face of betrayal and lies, runs a community theatre for troubled children but without a venue, Ivy is struggling to keep the theatre afloat until an offer from fellow actor Shane Hott pulls Ivy into a fake relationship and marriage with our story line hero. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between our story line couple, and the potential fall-out when Shane and Ivy’s time together comes to an end.

The world building continues to focus on the demands of their grandfather’s will. The stipulations and directives are overseen by someone who is hoping the siblings fail but Shane is determined to provided a celebrity wedding even if he is one-half of the couple in question.

The relationship between Ivy and Shane begins as a business arrangement: marry Shane, and Ivy’s theatre company can use the Hott family ‘barn’ but from the outset Ivy is determined to keep their relationship from becoming too real, and in the end, heart break will pull Ivy out of Shane’s life. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including the Hott siblings. We are introduced to Ivy’s ex-Anthony, attorney Weggers, and Ivy’s sister Nia.

HOTT TAKE is an another story of loss, power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is captivating yet familiar; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate yet determined.



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Hott Take is book two in the sizzling Hott Springs Eternal Series by Serena Bell which is a wonderful, movie star, marriage of convenience, fake relationship standalone romantic comedy set in the beloved small town of Rush Creek.
Ivy and Shane and their forced proximity, sizzling chemistry, and witty banter made the romance truly enjoyable.
The small town community and its members were all charming and welcoming!
The storyline is simple but really well done with some fantastic humour. The writing is great and I couldn't put the book down!
Hott Take is a fun, easy to read, adult romance with a dash of spice and I really enjoyed it.
Im looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Thank You NetGalley and Jelsba Media Group for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

When the Hott siblings grandfather passed away and his will was read, it came with certain conditions that each sibling was going to have to accomplish in order for Hannah to keep the land for her bridal business. Up next is Shane Hott, the playboy movie star who has lived his life in the limelight but has always been terrified to need anyone. Shane's challenge is to find two celebrities who will get married at Hott Springs Eternal.....the catch....they need to actually be in love. Shane investigates all his possibilities and comes up empty. Instead he decides that he will get married and who better to pick than Ivy Scofield, also know as Eva Scott a former actress who is now living in Rush Creek. Ivy relocated to Rush Creek after a huge fall out with her former boyfriend and fellow actor Anthony Fessa and is running the local community theater with her sister, Nia.

When Ivy loses the old church they run their theater in, she is frantically trying to find a new place to perform. When she heads to Hott Springs Eternal to ask Hannah to use their barn, Hannah turns her down. Good thing Shane overhears this exchange because he then offers Ivy use of the barn in exchange for marrying him. He explains how everything will be fake and then after a certain time they will quietly divorce. Ivy quickly agrees to help save the theater.

As Shane and Ivy spend time planning their fake wedding, real feelings start to emerge. This player of an actor may have just found his forever if he could only get over his past and believe what is in front of him is actually real. In the end everything falls into place and Shane and Ivy do find their happy ever after.

I just adored this steamy, fake marriage of convenience. Ivy and Shane were both people running from things in their pasts and together they were finally both able to overcome their fears. These two characters had such scorching chemistry and it was fun once they finally caved in to it. Overall this was another perfect story in the wonderful series and we even get a sneak peak into Preston's story with a women named Natalie.

3.75 stars⭐️

Today is Tuesday, April 16, and that means publication day! I thought it would be the perfect time to post my Hott Take review on NetGalley, and also on Goodreads (linked down below).

This was my first time reading one of Serena Bell’s books, and I really liked it! The storyline was very appealing to me and I’m glad I got the chance to read it.

In an attempt to save the teacher's job she loves so much, the main character Ivy, a former Hollywood actress who moved to a small town to get away from the world of TV, decides to accept the false marriage proposal of a well-known Hollywood actor, Shane Hott, who offers his help in exchange for a little favor: obtaining his grandfather's legacy to protect his sister Hanna's lands, as required in his grandad’s will. The mission is apparently simple: to be fully in love and get married. No pressure. Ivy seems like the perfect choice and the attraction is right there on the surface. This marriage of convenience and fake dating starts off as an easy task at first, but soon the chemistry between these characters becomes more intense & apparent, so it’s hard to ignore the small gestures, the brief touches, and the longing stares, that gives this marriage of convenience a whole new meaning.

I really enjoyed the story. It was simple and fast paced, with an entertaining and fun banter between the two protagonists. The chapters were easy to read and they always left you wanting to read more, just like the rest of the characters. They were so lovable and I ended up getting really curious to know more about the rest of the brothers and their stories🤭🫶🏼

The fake dating/marriage of convenience trope always does it for me, so it was not difficult to become engaged with the plot. However, I personally think it lacked some depth when it came to character development. Shane came from a tough past with some family issues, which I believe made him more complex and let us readers connect with him, but even though Ivy had had a rough time too dealing with her past relationships with men, and she felt a bit lonely in life, I found myself needing more details, more background and information to work with. I think her character was built more in a surface level, and I personally would’ve liked to go into more detail about her whole personality and life experiences.

The spice was on point, I was giggling and blushing all the time!!!🤭😮‍💨 But maybe I would’ve liked to read more about their love story, because like I said, I felt like it was missing a bit of emotional depth between them. Other than that, the romance was great and so fun, and the idea well executed, so I’m excited to read more. I guess I’ll have to look for the rest of the series!

If you love a fast paced small town romance, the fake dating trope and a marriage of convenience, I would recommend reading this one!💌

Thank you so much NetGalley, Author Collective 20 and Serena Bell for this ARC!☺️

Fake Engagement/ Marriage of Convenience is my favorite. Ivy needs helps with her community theater and Shane needs a celebrity wedding, together they work together to achieve both goals. The attraction starts from the beginning and there’s no doubt they will end up wanting more of each other.

Thanks to @netgalley and #authorcollective20 for the eARC.

Hott Take (book 2 in the Hott Springs Eternal series)
By Serena Bell

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5)

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 My initial reaction: I used to say fake (trope) is my favorite. After this, I think it still might be. This is my most favorite fake engagement in a long while.
🤩 Captivating, fun, sweet, funny—it’s romcom perfection!
🤩 I love a “let’s make a deal.”
🤩 Fake engagement. “Let’s go get ourselves an Academy Award for Best Bullsh!t Wedding.”
🤩 Such cute and beautifully described unwanted physical attraction, sexual tension, and naughty thoughts.
🤩 Both Shane and Ivy are famous actors. I appreciate how they understand, support, and encourage each other in this.
🤩 The fake engagement video all for media/social media—so fun and fitting in costume from recent and different shows they were in.
🤩 Shane Hott in cowboy attire and with swagger!!
🤩 When a one single hand touch feels this good in a book. Don’t get me wrong, they get hot and steamy. But it feels so good even before that. Serena Bell brings ALL the flirty, fake fun in this one!
🤩 When Ivy thinks out loud! So fun and funny!
🤩 Best cake tasting scene I’ve ever read!
🤩 Finding a friend group, bachelorette party, and self-pleasure toy rep (I highly recommend Serena Bell’s Walk on the Wilder Side for more toy rep!).

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 My interest is totally peaked for Preston’s story.

Looking for a light, fun read? Hott Take is a cute, relaxing comfort read--it's the second book in the Hott Springs Eternal series and takes place in beautiful Rush Creek, Oregon.

This is Shane and Ivy’s story, both Hollywood actors that have returned home to Rush Creek. The story opens with the Hott family gathering together to hear what their grand dad chose as a task for Shane. (Their grandad’s will stipulates that each brother must complete a specific task to save the family's land and business from being sold to a mining company.) Shane’s task is to organize a celebrity couple’s wedding at The Hott Springs Spa which is owned by the Hott family. The Spa was a working ranch until a few years ago when Hanna (Shane’s sister) and her granddad decided to convert it into a wedding venue and spa.

Shane and Ivy were both actors in different popular fantasy shows. Shane is very popular right now and has paparazzi following him all over. He’s trying to decide which part to choose for his next project. Ivy is currently disillusioned with Hollywood. She's happy in Hott Springs where she and her sister run a children’s theater in town. Shane is having trouble finding a celebrity couple willing to marry at the Hott Springs Spa and when he meets Ivy, and she needs a favor from him, he thinks she might be the perfect fake bride to help him with a celebrity wedding - she's an actress so she can play the part, plus she's beautiful. In exchange for being his bride, Ivy and her sister can use the wedding venue for their children’s plays.

As they stage publicity shots their attraction builds and they make each other laugh. When they decide to be fake fiancés with benefits, they enjoy some spicy times together especially when they reenact some steamy scenes from their fantasy shows. Shane tells Ivy that he doesn’t believe he is made for love because of past relationships and he doesn’t think he can ever fall in love. This was my least favorite part of the story – most romance readers quickly realize he just needed to meet the right person (Ivy).

They are a perfect match together but they have some things to work through. Ivy has another reason to say yes to Shane’s scheme and I don’t want to say too much but she has an ex from her past that is pressuring her to return to Hollywood. She loves being near her family in Rush Creek and has no interest in returning to L.A. Meanwhile, Shane has issues with his father, who is Shane's manager. The two disagree on what Shane should do with his stardom.

While this book stands well on its own, I do think it’s helpful to have read the first book in the series, Hott Shot, to get familiar with Shane’s family first - plus it’s fun! I actually liked Hott Shot just a little bit more than this one, but Hott Take is an easy, fun read. I think readers who like romcoms with weddings and those who enjoyed the Wilder Series will have fun reading this steamy, light romance.

When Shane Hott was summoned back to his hometown, Rush Creek, he had no idea what was in store for him. His grandfather, who recently passed, has a requirement of all the Hott brothers that they must fulfill to keep their sister's business (a wedding venue) and family land safe. Shane's requirement: host a celebrity wedding at his sister's place. As a high profile celebrity himself, it should be easy to track down a celebrity couple to get married there. There is only one stipulation...the couple must be in love, and that is determined their grandpa's curmudgeon lawyer. This might make things a tad bit harder.

Unbeknownst to Shane, there is another Hollywood star in Rush Creek, Ivy Schofield. She has retreated from the fast and furious life in LA after a breakup and torturous boot from the show she stared in. Feeling free and happy, she works with kids interested in theater with her sister. Life seems to have settled down, until her landlord says she is selling the place, and Ivy needs to move out. She now needs to find a new spot or her dreams of a theater school and quiet life are over.

The book then begins to intertwine Ivy and Shane's life. When the couple Shane gets to agree to marry at his sister's venue drops out, he scrambles to make a deal with Ivy where they both benefit. Queue the missed/mixed signals, resistance to acknowledging true feelings, and some steamy "fake" kisses. All the makings of a cute, small town romance.

This book had the perfect amount of sweet and spicy. The characters were engaging and the scenery made me want to go to Rush Creek. While the Hott brothers have their own issues (with themselves and each other), the all love their sister and will do anything they can for her. I loved the sense of family that was always underlying in the Hotts and in Ivy's family. They all meshed so easily together. I was a little worried i might be a little lost (this is book 2 in a series) since I didn't read the first book, but this can definitely be read as a standalone. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will go back and read book 1 and will for sure read the next books!

Another great Rush Creek story from Bell - I love all of these books about the Hott and Wilder cousins, especially when they all come together! We get a couple moments when they do all appear together to help out with some specific scenes (can’t spoil anything), which I just love, having read most of these books now.

If you’ve read Hanna’s book which is the last Wilder one (Wilder at Last), and Hott Shot, the first in the cousins series, you’ll know that their grandfather passed away and his will left some crazy terms for all the grandkids to fulfill that each must do, in order for Hanna to be able to keep her wedding business and the family land where the Hott Spot Spa and the wedding barn is located. If any one of the five siblings doesn’t comply, the land will go to a company that will strip it and drill and mine - totally bad environmental plans and Hanna would lose her business.

Ivy runs the local kids theatre and they’re having difficulty finding space as they’re being bumped from the current location (owners selling and kicking them out). When Shane Hott returns to Rush Creek to do his part of the Will fulfillment, which is to plan and carry out a celebrity wedding in the family wedding barn, he ropes Ivy in to assist and be the bride to his groom (being that she’s a former actress, and he’s a current actor, together they could make one fake celebrity wedding and, as long as they play their roles well, fake out the grandfather’s lawyer).

I fell for Shane and Ivy as they worked on planning their fake wedding in a couple weeks, trying to make it look real to their fans, the lawyer and as many other people as possible, while reminding themselves it was fake… but we all know how those fake relationship trope stories always turn out! This is my favorite trope for a very good reason. It was a stellar read with many characters from my previous favorite Bell books - I definitely recommend this to all! I loved the writing, the storyline, the steam level - it was all just perfect. 4.5-stars on this one from me!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Jelsba Media Group, and this is my honest feedback.

Let me fan myself a min before I get to the review because let me tell you, this book is HOTT!! Ok pun intended, but whew, the spice is *chefs kiss*

As for the story itself, it is so engaging. I love Shane!! I love his dedication to his family and his swagger and all the angst!!! As for Ivy, she is the BEST. Big hearted, giving, but gun shy and afraid to trust.

Also, can we talk about the therapy representation? Because that is my JAM!!! Yessss, more people realizing they need help and getting it!!!! All in all, this was a brilliant second installment in the series and I cannot WAIT to see where it goes next!!

Shane Hott is in a bind, with his grandfather’s will stating that he has to score a celebrity wedding, or his sister will lose wedding planning business and the family land. Whilst Shane is a movie star, he knows that finding two celebrities that are in love is not as easy as it would seem. When he meets Ivy Scofield, the star of one of TV’s most beloved failures, he proposes a fake wedding. As Ivy is determined to find a location for her community theatre event for troubled kids, she reluctantly agrees. As Shane and Ivy spend time together, trying to convince their audience that they are in love, they find themselves actually falling in love.
An entertaining romance with plenty of spice between two likeably characters. I enjoyed seeing this couple reveal their past and the troubles that they have faced with their families. The friendships that they had with their siblings was also a positive feature of the book, giving added depth to this romance.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Hott family is always jumping through hoops for the grandfather - his will left the family tied in knots and trying to please him after he’s gone. In the second installment of Hott Springs Eternal, Bell focuses on Shane Hott, a movie star member of the ensemble cast of Rush Creek. He’s supposed to find a celebrity couple to wed on the property - and fast - but when his go-to couple backs out, he turns to the other celebrity in town - Ivy Scofield. She needs something from him for her theatre troup, he needs a marriage of convenience from her to inherit, what could go wrong?

Holy spicy shenanigans! This (consistently) spicy novel is fun, features an ensemble cast of small-town people who I’m sure will end up in their own “Hott” novel, and features all the fun tropes: a fake relationship, a marriage of convenience, and a relationship with a famous person. It’s a quick and enjoyable read. Shane’s character is the sort of playboy Hollywood character you love to see settle down, and Ivy is the best sort of Hallmark-esque female who left the big city for her small town comfort. I really enjoyed this book and want to go back and check out the author’s other titles.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Ivy and Shane were so fun and I loved reading their love story! Fake dating is a favorite trope and this was done so well. The banter was great, the flirting was fun, it was hot! The spice was so good!

“she’s a small town girl, and I'm bright lights, big city all the way.”

this book was a mix of blurry lines, flirty moments, good banter and small town cosiness.

➳ ivy used to be a star and now hides from her hollywood life in rush creek, a small town where she meets shane, movie star who is in desperate need of a celebrity wedding. In a way of killing two birds with one stone, they enter a risky deal: a fake engagement - but not much about it ends up being fake in the end.

the premise of this sounded so good to me. I love fake dating, i think it’s a trope that leaves a lot of room for the authors to have fun with and it is particularly enjoyable to read! This definitely had a lot of potential.

Starting off with the characters, i liked most of them. Ivy and shane seemed funny and lovable from the start and i got, throughout the book, very intrigued by the other characters too and their own stories! The only thing that didn’t allow me to grow too attached to these characters was the fact that they seemed too 2D for my taste.
Shane was probably the one we got most depth from, which probably comes from his “traumatic” upbringing, but even for ivy, the other main character, i felt as though i was left wanting

I think the book was written in a pretty clever way, that left me wanting more every time i put the book down. The characters had good chemistry and i enjoyed their banter a lot. I found the book to be a bit shallow, but maybe thats just the feeling i was left with because of the dimension of the characters and the fact that this is a more fast paced story. Even with this, it was still a heartwarming and lighthearted read.

➳ Definitely a fun book to read (i even giggled at times), it’s great if you’re looking for a quick read or even a way to get out of a reading slump!
2.75 stars

Thank you netgalley, serena bell and the publisher for granting me access to this arc!
Review posted April 10, 2024 - Goodreads

Cute rom com.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but was glad to find out it was necessary.

I was also thrilled to finish this! It was better than I expected.

I love a good fake dating/marriage trope.
Adorable characters, the banter was great, and I really was able to connect with the MC and the storyline. Overall great read. Will check out the other book in the series!

*4.5

This was really sweet. He couldn't admit it but he was so gone for Ivy from the moment that he met her. I liked that they were shedding what the world thought of them and saw each other for who they really are. Seeing them fall in love was fun and I'm excited for the next book.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I really liked the first book in this series and I could not wait to read the second book. Just like in the first book another Hott brother has to complete some task in order to save Hanna Hott's business from being sold. The grandfather who set up his will with all these tasks is definitely a Scrooge from the grave. Shane's task to get a celebrity couple to get married at the Hott Springs wedding venue in six months. After the celebrity couple set to marry at the wedding venue suddenly break up that is where the fake engagement/fake wedding idea comes to Shane.

Shane and Ivy have great chemistry and great banter. There were some parts of the book that I could not put down. Shane's character development was greatly developed and real to me. I felt that Ivy could have used a bit more character development in the book. All of Bell's books are very entertaining. I found myself with a mix of emotions while reading; giggling at some parts and gasping at others.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and cannot wait until the third book about Preston comes out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Jessba media group for the eARC. All opinions are all my own.

Hott Take is such a fun and fast paced rom-com. Our main characters Shane and Ivy had the perfect amount of flirting and banter to make the whole book enjoyable. I had a hard time putting this book down because I enjoyed it so much. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series!
Thank you Netgalley and Author Collective 2o for the ARC!

4.5⭐️

Reading a Serena Bell novel, is like watching a spicy hallmark movie… And I am here for it 👏🏻

Being back in Rush Creek felt like a privilege, and getting to really know Ivy and Shane was delightful! I kept wanting the book to be longer just so I could keep reading their banter/flirtation. And when he arrives back from LA? *chef’s kiss* I love a good declaration of love, and Shane’s was pure perfection!