Unfortunately, I DNFed this book. I've been trying to read it for months, but it clearly isn't meant for me. I just couldn't get past the awkwardness and no-there chemistry between the characters. There were many things in this book I found inappropriate, and that's really sad because I thought it had a good premise. Hate to love is one of my favorite tropes, but it has to be rightfully done, and I just don't think it was the case here.

Sometimes a bit too funny for its own good. I don't really mean that in a bad way. I suppose it's a bit like any of us, maybe jokes when things get awkward.

I enjoyed this offering from Elle Spencer. It had the chance to be really brutal with the opening catastrophe but the ship was steadied and floated along nicely. The relationship between Brie and Whitney was surprisingly endearing. the side characters of the family, Liz and Reese also offered a lot of entertainment.

Not a bad lesbian read, a little boring and cheesy but it did the job I suppose of a lesbian romance, but not memorable.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲, 𝗹𝗼𝗹!

I left it for far too long before leaving a review for this ARC so apologies to the author and publisher. I love the premise a lot, particularly about an author and a reviewer falling in love and ended up chuckling when I figured out it wasn't any reviewer but one that left a really bad reviewer on the author's book. What's more hilarious is how much of a colossal mistake Whitney and Gabriela's first encounter was. I loved the first half of the book. It was fun to watch them move past their initial encounter and the awkwardness of their relationship towards a budding friendship and romance. I like both characters. But the second part of the book felt like Spencer flipped a switch and it went towards a different direction. I didn't like it as much and I could feel my heart sinking.

But overall I'd still give this a decent rating because it's worth the read and it's pretty enjoyable.

Popular author Whitney Ainsworth, recently divorced from Hollywood actress Reece, is suffering from a very bad case of writer's block. The first book in her insanely popular suspense series is being turned into a movie and the fact that her ex-wife is playing the lead is not helping matters. Listening to her manager and best friend, Whitney decides to let off some steam and have a one-night stand with the beautiful stranger at the bar, not knowing that Brie is the book blogger who trashed her latest novel.

I'm not really sure how to review this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed it. Despite the premise, the tone of the book is light and fun, very casual. The writing is witty, with good dialogue, banter and humour. Good pacing; it's a quick and easy read with charming main characters.

On the other hand, I felt like this book was trying to accomplish too much, meaning everything feels superficial. The characters have some dept, but I would've wanted more. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters and so I couldn't root for their happy ending.

As with the previous book I read from this author, the ending felt a little rushed. I wouldn't have minded a few more chapters to really see how their relationship progressed once all their little conflicts were resolved.

Overall, I had a good time reading this book, but I don't think the story or the characters will stay with me very long. It's a shame because I know Elle Spencer is an excellent writer. This book just wasn't for me, but I will still read whatever she writes next.

I really connected with Brie - she really wore her heart on her sleeve and wasn't afraid to make herself vulnerable, yet she was also a strong character who knew where to draw the line and walk away. It took me a while to warm up to Whitney, who came across as mean and cruel sometimes, but that moved the story along and added a nice element of angst. It's not often that we see celebrity romances involving a fan chasing the other, which was an interesting dynamic and I enjoyed seeing Brie's feelings develop as she got to know the real Whitney. It was a very well written book that I finished in one sitting.

Ah, what an awesome, funny book.
I have to say it took me all but whole day to read this one. It was almost as I did not wanted to do anything until this book is finished.
The characters made everything better. There was so much humor I laughed with them.
Sometimes, it is good to come out of your usual setting and try something new. In this case I would say both characters did just that.
They did tried to do their usual thing, but stepping out and making something that is out of their character was what brought them together and also made them stay together.
Mostly I loved the beach setting. Water and Privacy makes it all better.

I love all books by this author, can highly recommend. Just wonderful. The main characters are well developed and its so well written you feel personally involved in the journey.

I absolutely adored this book and I couldn’t put it down. The banter between Brie and Whitney was hilarious. Whitney, an author, meets Brie, a blogger aka Gabriela, when Gabriela comes to her room for an interview. Then the fun starts. All the characters in this book were wonderful including the secondary character. Brie’s Mom, Dad and brother had a very strong presence in this story. Whitney’s manager and Ex was a very big part of the story also. The sexy times were outstanding. The dialog was interesting, and the chemistry was off the chart. The epilogue was everything. Read the book you will not regret it.

This was a good story overall, however I find several problems with the story and the characters. I could not identify with them, not even a little bit, the sense of humour is off and insensitive at times. The first half of the book is good, however the rest felt rushed and the end left me wondering if the author had a deadline and didn't get time to fully finish the story. It's unfortunate, the story had potential.

Give In To Me is something I've craved for a long time; a lesbian enemies-to-lovers romance (seriously, just how stunning is that trope?). In this one you're following Whitney, a well-acclaimed author of a popular series of crime novels. Here, you also find Gabriela, a book blogger who not too long ago gave Whitney's newest book a very harsh review. Whitney suffers from writer's block, has just gotten divorced from her Hollywood-star ex-wife, Reece, and in general doesn't have a lot going on for her in life. One day, her assistent forces her to stop moping and drags her along to a bar and more or less forces her to hook up with this gorgeous girl there that Whitney simply can't keep her eyes off. All is well until next morning, when Whitney realizes the girl she just hooked up with is...Gabriela, her sworn enemy. The same girl who trashed her book.

Let me just start off by saying that I have super conflicted thoughts about this book. On one hand, I did enjoy this but on the other hand I wanted to give up on it sooo many times, for various different reasons.

There's no denying that this book is very readable, it's fun and light-hearted and interesting enough to keep you wanting to read more (this was slightly lost on me though, because like I'll get into in a minute, there were a lot of things that did annoy me too). As a book blogger (a horribly inconsisten one though), it was kind of fun to read about someone in my position.

Before I get into the things I didn't really care for, let me just say that the blurb of this book isn't really true to what the book actually ended up being about. The blurb made it seem like the plot would be Whitney and Gabriela getting over their differences in regard to that review/Whitney's general opinion of her, making up and then becoming lovers. It's not really about that, in my opinion. It's not anywhere close, but I won't go into more detail than this in case you want to read this book½

Also, please be aware that there's an age gap in this; Whitney is nearing 40 and Gabriela is 30 if I remember correctly. Just putting it out here because I know not everyone is a fan of that.

Now, as for what I didn't like: there were a whole bunch of inappropriate jokes about pedophilia/people being underage and rape that bothered me personally. This book had a very joke-y tone overall which I personally approved of, except for when it went off the rails a bit too much. Aside from that, this book was soo obsessed with sex, even for an adult romance. Like pretty much every single joke was about sex in one way or another. People seemed to be obsessed with their own family members having sex like? What, why. I mean, I'm sure other readers will appreciate that sense of humor but it wasn't for me, personally.

Whitney is a famous author who got writer's block. One day at a bar, she met Brie and had a one-night stand. Later she found out Brie was the book review blogger who gave a bad review of her last book that caused a nightmare. The journey continues with Brie tried to chase (or stalk?) Whitney to make amends and their relationship build from there. There are also other interesting characters like Reese - Whitney's ex - who cheated on her. The three of them somehow got along but then it went downhill.

As usual, I finish this Elle Spencer's book in one sitting. This book is a sweet romance with just enough angst. I enjoy reading it and like the chemistry between the main characters. However, I feel like there is something missing from Spencer's books. It got all the witty dialogues and charms but I feel the conflict was not explored enough and resolved too quickly. Overall, this one is a light read and enjoyable and I definitely looking forward to reading Spencer's next books, but I would expect more on the plotlines.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC! I tried reading this and I really didn’t enjoy it but maybe I just wasn’t the target audience. I just didn’t really connect with the characters

*Thank you NetGallery and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I'll start with the fact that I wanted more from this story. I agree with another reviewer that the blurb for this book wasn't quite what it turned out to be. Whitney Ainsworth is one of the main characters here who is a successful author of a book series. Recently, she went through a painful break up with her A-list ex-wife. This break-up leads to a bout of writers block and her manager suggests she needs to loosen up with a one-night stand to get back out there. This is where Gabriela (Brie) Talbot comes in to play. Brie is a book blogger who just wrote a scathing review about Whitney's latest installment in the series and happens to be at the bar with Whitney and her manager. After a really weird one-night stand between the two, Whitney finds out who Brie is and the story goes from here. I won't elaborate much past this to avoid spoilers.

I felt like I was expecting this story to go one way, maybe more emphasis on building a relationship between the two, but this seemed more like an odd instant love type romance even though it wasn't... I think there were two many dramatic elements added and some were quickly resolved and some were somewhat difficult to believe. I liked Brie, but had a hard time connecting with Whitney. She just wasn't a likeable character in my opinion. I have loved other Elle Spencer books, but this one is not on the top of that list for me.

I'm use to laughing through all book Elle Spencer. I'll be honest, I laughed my way through this one as well. However, I do see where it could be a little sensitive to some. I would recommend it. It's well written and will keep you interested.

4.5 stars . Now, this is my kind of book! I normally don't like stories where the characters fall into bed at the beginning of the book, but this book had enough of a backbone for me to want to keep reading. Brie and Whitney have a rocky start - starting as lovers, becoming enemies, and then growing into very good friends with benefits.

I loved the characters - they were likable and funny. There's enough heartbreak to tug at your heart a little bit and then the story wraps up nicely, with a very satisfying ending.

One of the best books I've read so far this summer.

Whitney is the author of a popular suspense series. Unfortunately, the last book fell flat because it was likely impacted by the divorce she went through with a well known actress. Now she is doing public speaking engagements and hoping to get her mojo back. She gets unexpected room service when Gabriela, the beautiful woman she was ogling from the hotel bar, pays her a visit

I love reading Elle Spencer's books. They are so fun. The situations she puts her characters in are usually unrealistic yet super entertaining.

The mishap between Whitney and Gabriela was a great way to kickstart this book. Had me hooked and engaged right from the beginning. However, after this cataclysmic event happened, I felt like Whitney was too mean and Gabriela was too stalker-ish. They were both so extra in their own ways that they felt like characters instead of real people, if that makes any sense. It took me a bit to warm up to these two after that initial meeting because of these weird actions/reactions with each other.

Once Gabriela wears Whitney down, we get to experience a friendship where the line blurs for both of them.

I liked all the situations and characters. The drama mostly stems from the ex wife, but as I said, it is entertaining.

I completely did not get the major conflict toward the end of the book, though. Did not understand it at all. Not sure how you would treat someone you love in such a manner regardless of what the book tried to convey about Whitney's past. And then resolution came too quickly for me. Probably because I was pretty disgusted with the situation to the point of maybe not caring what happened.

Overall, this was a cute and drama filled story. Gabriela is worth reading it for.

I recommend this to people who like to read about romance, celebrities, bloggers, authors, enemies to lovers, casual sex, movie making, and overbearing mothers.

Four and a half stars.
Yay for enemies to lovers! What? I'm not actually a fan of the trope, but it was fun here. I liked both Whitney and Brie. I was not a fan of the circumstances that brought them together, even if they would later say that they had no regrets in that regard. Seriously, what was up with Liz?
Even though it was kind of the whole premise, I was a little disbelieving of the fact that Brie chose to say nothing about her identity until it was too late. Then again, I can understand not daring to question your idol/crush when they decide to jump into bed with you, as many problems as that usually creates. Another problem that just occurred to me: it didn't really make sense that Liz knew that "Gabriela" ran Brie on Books, when most people call her Brie, and that's the name on the blog. The rest of the conflict involving the premise panned out nicely. I liked how Brie made it clear that she regretted her book review going viral at a bad time in Whitney's life, but would not take back her words.
I thought that was a good set-up for her job as the movie consultant, which was also a lot of fun. I appreciated how Brie became Piper Kane's advocate, even though Whitney was the creator, because art really is as much about the audience's interpretations as it is about the artist's original intent. Brie comes along and gives new meaning to Whitney's writing. And, you know, every other aspect of her life as well.
Looking through some of the other reviews, I find it really strange to see commentary about not enough build-up. Were we reading the same book here? I thought the relationship unfolded at a great pace, especially since it starts with a one night stand. Of course there's lust, that shouldn't be surprising. But we're also talking about a blogger who's probably had this infatuation with her favourite author for a while. Maybe she throws around "love" a little too early, but even as someone who dislikes insta-love, I didn't think Brie was noticeably jumping the gun. It took them a while to make their relationship official, didn't it? That's because there were a lot of soft moments where they were just friends, getting to know each other, tamping down their attraction to put emotional support first.
I thought the conflict involving Whitney's tendency to close herself off was nicely done, not too contrived like it can be with this particular flaw. It was wonderful that Whitney started coming to her senses before Brie made her dramatic exit. There wasn't a whole chapter or two about each of them individually sulking, which bothers the heck out of me. Then Whitney comes back with exactly the right words, and I like that Brie gives her a bit of counterweight, so all isn't instantly forgiven, but it's still perfect.
One thing I will mention that I found super weird: Reece? Her entire character. Her role in the story. Who even is she? The tattoo stunt never really makes sense, because Whitney mentions that it was extremely out-of-character for her to be so impulsive. But then she's clearly not a crazy ex, because she takes Whitney's final rejection like a rational, respectful human being, and then their professional relationship works without any issues. Then Brie comes along, and all three of them become the bestest buddies?? They're suspected of having a threesome and they all just blink it off? It actually is a little harder to read her intentions when she gives Brie relationship advice, because she totally could have been playing the long game. She basically told Brie it was a competition at first, but she never really tried with Whitney again, and she started treating Brie really nicely. I assume it was obvious she was going to be redeemed in the end, a great person who made a terrible mistake, but Liz's suspicion did get to me for a few seconds after Brie's excursion goes down in flames.
Wild. Busy, but not convoluted. A mostly light, thoroughly enjoyable read.

Give in to Me is a relatively typical lesbian romance. Two characters start out with conflict (an author and a book blogger), become friends with benefits, then something more. However, that is not the entire plot. The focus later shifts to the conflicts involved in making a movie adaptation of Whitney's book which stars her ex-wife.

This book was decent, but not one of my favourites. I didn't really connect with either main character, or with the plot. I honestly found Brie a little annoying at times. I thought some of the side characters seemed interesting. I also did like the parts focused on making the movie. Overall, this was ok, just not really for me.

I did like this book but I didn’t love it. I enjoyed the development of the characters but I didn’t like the relationship between Brie and her brother and I didn’t like Liz at all. I did like the friendship the girls built up though.

Overall a quick and easy read - I could identify with Brie and Whitney - the only bit that really bothered me was that the ‘tie it all up’ ending was literally 2 pages. It felt way too fast.

I’d hover at 3.5 stars