Better Than Revenge

by E.J. Blaise

Daniela Williams is furious.

A nasty break up after being cheated on is a crappy way to start the year.

What's worse? Her ex and his new girlfriend are on Daniela's swim team.

If she wasn't so against showing she cares about anything, she'd drown him in the pool. This is what she gets for dating teammates.

But Daniela never admits defeat in anything - both in and out of the pool.

Enter Heath Belfort; a captivating and stupidly handsome local surfer. . . and her ex's biggest swimming rival. Heath smiles through her ex's jabs and beats him in every race. So, what better way to get revenge than to fake date the one person her ex hates most?

Heath's up for the challenge . . . on one Daniela agrees to tutor him so he can pass his history class.

Private lessons and staged kisses are just fine with her, but can anyone make it out of a fake relationship unscathed?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Fake Dating, Sports, Contemporary Romance, College, Found Family

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 25, 2026

About the author

EJ Blaise is an Irish author of all things romance. When she's not creating unrealistically perfect men, she can be found travelling, reading, and dreaming of running a bookstore café.

Reviews

[Dab · Rating 5 out of 5]

As fake-dating books go, this one was the most un-fake of them all,

and I absolutely adored it. There were no kissing rules, no touching rules, no rules whatsoever, basically. They were just dating, and she thought it was fake 🤭

I’m giving this book five stars because of all the feels, the butterflies, and the overall perfection that was Heath.

I loved every smile, every witty comeback he delivered, and every moment he “malfunctioned” and “hallucinated.” He was the most adorable cinnamon roll ever.

Dani had issues. Lots of them. Most of them caused by the fact that life hadn’t treated her well. She was prickly, slightly antisocial, and maybe a little on the spectrum. Even though that part wasn’t spelled out, it’s just my suspicion.

I always love the grumpy-sunshine dynamic. I love when the grumpy one starts to smile a little, relax a little, and realize that life doesn’t have to be all about hardship. That’s what I loved most about this book: Heath’s energy was so positive it practically radiated off the pages and made me smile too. Cinnamon roll men make the best heroes, and I’ll die on this hill.

So this book would have been perfect if it weren’t for the very unnecessary and very annoying third-act breakup… I’m so tired of unnecessary fights ruining amazing books…

However, I’ll definitely read more from this author. If there are more men like Heath hiding in her other books, I want to find them 👀

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

Expected 25 Aug 26

[Nicola Pringle-Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This book was so binge worthy I genuinely could not put it down.

If you love an acts of service, yearning, golden retriever mmc like me. you are going to love Heath Belfort. He was perfect. The dynamic between him and our FMC Dani has me smiling like an absolute nerd in places. It was the perfect mix of black cat x golden retriever vibes.

Dani, the FMC, is navigating her way through a breakup with someone who cheated on her, with a team mate. Her and Heath plan revenge by entering a fake relationship to get back at Dani’s ex boyfriend. Heath just so happens to be said ex boyfriends rival. I loved watching this all unfold on every page and when I say Dani upgrade, SHE FULLY UPGRADED.

Dani self sabotages, she absolutely works herself into overdrive, and can’t accept love easily. This is where Heath comes in, and shows Dani her worth, and loves her so loudly like she deserves. There is something about a black cat FMC that just resonates with me, and when they’re done so well like this I just connect with the story so much more.

Overall, loved this book. I need the next one asap. Brendan and Imani’s story next please 👀♥️

[Eve Tsak]

DNF @ 33%

I really wanted to love this because the premise sounded exactly like something I’d enjoy —> fake dating, golden retriever x black cat energy, rivalry… all of that normally works so well for me. And honestly I did enjoy the beginning and liked the dynamic between the characters initially.

But somewhere along the way I just stopped connecting to it. I don’t even fully know how to explain it because I don’t think it was a bad book at all — I think it just ultimately wasn’t for me personally. I felt like the relationship progression happened very quickly and I personally prefer more slow burn and tension before the feelings fully settle in. Even if attraction is there early on, I still like that emotional build-up and yearning.

I also think at times I struggled a little with visualising certain scenes and following where everything was happening. There was quite a lot of dialogue and for me it sometimes made the pacing feel a little convoluted rather than immersive.

That being said, I can absolutely see why other people would enjoy this because the banter and character dynamics were still fun. I think this was probably just a case of wrong timing and me being a little more critical and picky with books at the moment

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for the eArc 🫶🏽🫶🏽

[Erin (erinsreadingroom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

☆ 4.5 stars

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 464 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: E.J. Blaise
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Headline Eternal
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 25 August 2026

What you can expect:
— Adult College Sports Romance
— First Person X Single POV
— Grumpy X Sunshine
— Ex-Boyfriend’s Rival
— Fake Dating
— Black Cat X Golden Retriever
— Tutoring Lessons
— Introverted FMC X Extroverted MMC
— Found Family
— Opposites Attract
— Angst & Yearning

Better Than Revenge is my first book by author E.J. Blaise after having her work on my radar for the past year and it most definitely won’t be my last. This was such an gripping story that had me feeling invested from the very first chapter in the way that it was explored with full emotional impact. The characters are blatantly flawed and complex which was a thrill to experience in its honest reflection of humanity. The college setting felt aptly utilised with the focus of the story being on young adults stumbling their way through life as they desperately try to figure it all out and make memories in the process. The searing romantic chemistry, vulnerable conversations and found family elements left me unwilling to put the book down as I devoured it from start-to-finish in less than ten hours. I love nothing more than to read about imperfect characters undergoing a deeply personal journey and that is exactly what Better Than Revenge delivered for me. I adored this book and I will absolutely be making a conscious effort to read more from this author in the near-future.

Daniela Williams is for the angry and hurt women that are constantly being told that who they are will never measure up nor be good enough. She is for the daughters of parents that place an infinite number of expectations on their shoulders no matter the cost to their wellbeing. I truly believe that Daniela will be a character that will be received with mixed responses from readers as you will either dislike her for her actions… or you will understand and resonate with her. I loved her in all of her complexities as it becomes very clear to me from the beginning that underneath a prickly exterior is a worn and battered heart that has endured too much, too early in life. I hated to see how she was treated by her team and peers despite bearing no responsibility for the outcome of her previous relationship. I raged alongside Daniela during every moment of mistreatment that she received and I was honestly rooting for her to react worse than what she did. Dani is a woman that feels her emotions deeply whilst struggling to find a healthier outlet to express them. Many of her actions are dictated by her misplaced need to punish and isolate herself from the good people in her life that regularly try to prove that they want her there. Her vulnerabilities and insecurities felt well-explored as they enabled me to better understand and connect to all of the struggles that we witness her undertake. It broke my heart to recognise how little value Daniela places within herself and the way that this reflected in the way that she approaches friendships, but at the same time it felt rewarding to see this become a source of growth for her character. She undergoes a tremendous amount of growth throughout her journey whilst still managing to stay true-to-self. I adored getting to see Daniela become more open to the people in her life as they slowly earn her trust and prove that they won’t let her push them away. Dani’s journey felt both emotionally layered and fulfilling… and I couldn’t be happier with where we, as the reader, get to leave her with by the end of her story.

Honestly… my only one complaint about this book is the way that I had wished to have seen more of Daniela’s ‘after’ in the end. Her story wraps up quite quickly so I felt like I had been missing some of the vital moments in her recovery and her connection to Heath’s family. I’m hoping that we might get the chance to receive bonus content in the future that will help fill the gap and make the ending feel all the more fulfilling.

Heath Belfort is one of the biggest green flag MMCs that I have ever read about and I cannot express how much I adored getting to know this sweet and emotionally vulnerable man. Heath is the kind of character that exudes warmth and joy to the point that everybody within his orbit cannot help but be pulled in. The love and loyalty that he displays for the people within his life is unmatched and I adored getting to see this being extended to the prickly woman that he’s yearned for over a long duration of time. Heath is a gentle and patient soul who never once attempts to push Daniela past her clearly established boundaries unless it’s something he knows that he can fully support her with. I loved that his character stayed fairly consistent throughout with little need for growth or development, and the way that he continued to prioritise open communication. I truly wish that we could have been granted the opportunity to read certain chapters within his POV as I was desperate to experience his inner thoughts during some of my favourite moments, both the good and the bad. Heath is a deeply empathetic and earnest man who is unafraid to wear his emotions on his sleeve… and there’s no denying that he’s now one of my all-time favourite book boyfriends that I’ve read.

Daniela and Heath’s romantic development was executed perfectly for me in the way that it was approached with tenderness and care. The aftermath of Dani’s breakup finds her struggling to open herself up to new people and it broke my heart to see how deeply this affected her everyday life. The fake-dating aspect was a lot of fun to explore in the way that it centres around a man that has yearned from afar for a woman that has only now began to acknowledge his existence. The banter and quick-wit that both Daniela and Heath volley back and forth left me constantly grinning in my giddiness to see what they would come up with next. I loved how settled both characters seemed in the safety of their bargain until the discussion surrounding real feelings is implemented. The natural progression to their relationship felt effortless in the mutual give and take of their dynamic with the people around them rooting to see their relationship succeed. The angst and moments of struggle felt well balanced and honest alongside the many moments of tenderness. Their relationship isn’t linear and faces many struggles, however it becomes clear just how deeply both characters feel about one another in their desperation to make what they share work. I loved getting to witness the friendship that blossomed with patience and care, and the way that this acted as the foundation for their romantic chemistry. Health and Daniela work hard to achieve their inevitable happily ever after and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the outcome of their efforts.

I had the best time reading Better Than Revenge and I find myself greatly hoping that this isn’t our last time exploring this wonderful cast of characters. Daniela and Heath’s story may be complete… but that doesn’t mean that there is another story waiting to be told from within their friendship group. There are at least two prospective couples that I would love to see receive their own book so if you need me I’ll be trying to manifest them into existence.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley & publishers for this arc!!

What you can expect:
- fake dating
- he falls first & harder (!!)
- black cat x golden retriever
- found family
- banter & yearning

This was one of those books I just could not put down. The pacing was strong throughout & I was hooked right from the start. I’m a sucker for anything with a found family & this was no exception.

Dani is going through a breakup when she decides to fake date Heath to ‘get revenge’ on her cheating ex who happens to be Heaths rival. All the characters, especially Dani are written with such depth that it was easily to see and feel the full emotional impact.

I absolutely adored the dynamic between Heath & Dani. Let me just say the banter was bantering and THE YEARNING !!! The yearning in this book was next level. Heath was everything - between the yearning, the acts of service - Dani and Heath may just be the perfect black cat x golden retriever.

I absolutely loved this book & can’t wait to see what’s next for this author and this series !!

[Amy Longhurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ was this predictable? yes. did i still eat it up? absolutely. this was textbook black cat x golden retriever energy and was done SO well. heath is such an acts of service man, actually he is pretty much perfect at every love language. this was a fun and addictive read, i couldn’t put it down!!!

there was a solid plot, strong relationship between the fmc and mmc but sometimes i felt like other aspects were undeveloped. we were given insights into heaths friendship group but it didn’t feel fully fledged at times and was just there for plot purposes. i wish we knew more about imani and brendan, there was a few unanswered questions. there was a lot of minor characters introduced who could’ve been given more attention to, but that is just my preference in found families and side characters.

all in all this made me smile, laugh and tear up at times. dani is such a relatable fmc and made me think about what i even want from life, what am i actually doing for myself and not others? i’m glad we got to see her soften up towards the end but i wanted morrreeeeeeee!!

oh and that pool scene 🤭🤭🤭🤭 i was BLUSHING

thank you for the e-arc e.j braise and headline xxx

[Momo · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all thank you to the author and the publisher for ARC copy I am so grateful to be able to read an review this book earlier.

This is a first by the author for me but I love that’s she’s our own local 🇮🇪 Irish author and had to get her books on my list! And I can easily say I’ll be reading many more books to come!

The story here is a college romance so most characters are 20-21. There is a black cat x sunshine dynamic going on, swimming is a vital part of the story and competing. I loved the college setting, the slow burn and the fake dating aspect

I think so many people will absolutely love this sports romance. There are a lot of real life moments that added to the character development, cute and sweet romance scenes that made my heart happy 🥹 The spicy scenes were tasteful and this is a slower burn, there is a lot of attraction and “foreplay” that happens through the book that I really enjoyed.

One thing I have to have say even by the end, the book did not make me like the FMC. She was still an ahole lol I get why she is the way she is but I was hoping for more growth, more development from her. I actually think she doesn’t deserve the mc. He’s too good for her. I also just couldn’t get over how the ex kept acting I found him so cringe near the end.

But perhaps this is more to do with the fact im in my 30s now and character this young I struggle to connect with. Which is why I know may people will love this book regardless of my own little dislikes.

This is 100% a great sports romance to try especially if it’s your first book by the author.

[barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you, netgalley and headline, for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!

honestly, i was so excited for this book, and i had every right to be. it met every expectation i had! i loved it sooo much! this is my first ej blaise book and it definitely won’t be my last :)

better than revenge tells the story of daniela, a prodigy swimmer who has just found out that her boyfriend cheated on her. they’re part of the same swimming team and so is the girl he cheated with. her ex also has a biiig rival, heath, our mmc

heath swims for the rival team and is also a surfer. while daniela is emotionally constipated, heath is a golden boy. he’s sunshine reincarnated, always the life of the party, always smiling

in order to get back at her ex for cheating on her, daniela asks heath to fake date her in exchange for helping him with a class he’s failing. what i liked most about their fake relationship is that they didn’t set any rules, like “no kissing”, so they really sold it to everyone. i’ve read fake dating books where everyone knew the relationship was fake, but this one felt sooo real hahaha

and the thing is, it was real for heath too. boy was down bad the entire time, even BEFORE they started fake dating. every time daniela gave him the time of day, he was having the time of his life

honestly, i loved all the effort he put into this relationship. i also loved that dani was the emotionally constipated one. usually it’s the opposite, so it was great to see something different. the latino representation was absolutely on point, and i loved how the author approached heath’s dyslexia

besides that, i’m very excited for the next books. i really want to read uncle kiki’s book hahaha

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
2🌶️

I stayed up until almost 3am finishing this book because I couldn’t put it down!

Deep End meets Please Don’t Go vibes, Better Than Revenge was fake dating, black cat x golden retriever perfection!


We follow Dani, the outcast of her D1 college swimming team. When Dani finds out her boyfriend has been cheating on her with one of her fellow teammates (whilst the whole team not only knew about it but encouraged it) she plans her revenge by asking the rival swim team’s golden boy and her exboyfriend’s biggest nemesis, Heath, to fake date her.

If you love an acts of service man you’re going to swoon over Heath Belfort. He was the perfect cinnamon roll MMC and the banter between him and Dani had me squealing.

Dani, our prickly, self sabotaging, rain cloud of an FMC reminded me so much of my younger self that I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. Complex, flawed female main characters will always be my favourite and Dani’s character portrayal felt so raw and real that her anguish pulled at my heartstrings.

seeing Heath radiate sunshine so much so that you got to witness Dani’s hard exterior crumbling brought me so much joy and seeing her find a family within Heath’s friendship group was everything I wanted and more.

This was my first book by EJ Blaise but certainly won’t be my last. If you love a fake dating trope, complex FMCs, golden retriever MMCs and found family vibes then you need to pick up Better Than Revenge in August!

I can’t wait to return to Haven Cove!

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Revenge was such an enjoyable read. like I picked it up and just didn’t put it back down.

this is black cat x golden retriever and it is done so well. Dani is going THROUGH it - grieving her mom, dealing with a cheating ex who got with her teammate, and then her entire swim team backing him?? yeah I’d be done with everyone too.

and then there’s Heath. rival school swimmer, goldenest of golden retrievers, and just so gone for her it’s not even subtle. he is adorable. this man is all acts of service, all the time. not scared of her walls, not put off by her avoidant tendencies, just steady and there and showing up. if he wanted to he would!

the fake dating setup is there but honestly they’re barely pretending. they start out like “yeah this is for revenge” and then immediately just start acting like a couple and catching feelings in front of everyone. when they finally realize?? i ate. it. up.

it’s super bingeable and I loved it. thank you so much Headline Eternal for the ARC!! all thoughts are my own.

[Elena Rueda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 ⭐️ When I first started the book, I thought it was going to average (a 3 star), something to keep me enterterned, but as I kept reading, I became incredibly invested. I couldn’t put it down.

I loved that since the very first moment you know Heath is down bad. The yearning!!!!!!!! It got me giggling everytime I noticed no one was watching them interact, but he kept calling her pet names. I knew it was just a matter of time Daniela caught up with it.

I have really enjoyed every this author has writtten, so good to see that I still do!!!!

Wished we had known more about the group of friends tho!

(thank you netgalley for the ARC, I loved this!!)

[Emma Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Hachette for the early copy.

I NEED HEATH IN MY LIFEEE 😍 Holy cow, I loved this read, and it was all because of Heath. Emotionally mature beyond his years, smitten, golden retriever .. UGHHH Green flags all around 😍

Fake dating
Found family
Forbidden love
Ex's competitive nemesis 👀

OOFFTTT all of my favourite tropes tied up into one goodie bag of a book. Absolutely DELICIOUS!

[Tiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew from the very first chapter that this was going to be one of those books that completely consumed my life, and I was 100% right because I couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it in one sitting 😬
We were thrown straight into the chaos, the drama, and Dani’s spectacular internal monologue without wasting a second, and I was obsessed immediately. Her narration was genuinely one of the funniest and most entertaining I’ve read in ages, and I don’t think I’ve ever related to a character more. Every irrational thought, every overreaction, every attempt to convince herself she absolutely had everything under control while very clearly not having anything under control… I felt so seen

One of my favourite things about this book was that it never wasted time showing us Dani and Ben’s relationship before everything fell apart. We didn’t need chapters of them being happy together just to understand why the breakup hurt, because Ben established himself as a cheating piece of shit almost instantly. I actually loved that choice because I think spending loads of time on their relationship beforehand would’ve dragged the opening down and made that first chapter so much less fun. Instead, we got thrown straight into Dani plotting revenge, and honestly, the fact that her first instinct wasn’t to make Ben jealous or win him back but to fake date his biggest nemesis purely to make his life as miserable as possible was absolutely iconic.

And then there’s Heath.

It was painfully obvious from the beginning that this man had been gone for Dani long before the fake dating arrangement ever happened. Every interaction made it feel like he’d simply been waiting for the opportunity to finally be close to her, and watching all those little moments slowly pile up absolutely destroyed me. The black cat/golden retriever dynamic had me in such a chokehold because they genuinely are the perfect match. Dani’s prickly, emotionally guarded personality bouncing off Heath’s patience, warmth and unwavering devotion just worked so ridiculously well.

Every tiny moment they shared had me grinning like an idiot. There wasn’t one massive turning point where suddenly everything changed. Instead, it happened so naturally and steadily that before Dani even realised it herself, she was enjoying spending time with him because she wanted to, not because she was keeping up appearances. Watching her slowly forget that this was all supposed to be fake was honestly one of the sweetest parts of the whole book.

The Halloween party might actually be one of my favourite romance scenes ever. Dani dressed as a siren very nearly sent Heath into cardiac arrest, and I completely understood why. The tension was already unbearable, but then they broke into the pool and basically went skinny dipping?? Yeah… that entire sequence is going to live rent free in my head for the foreseeable future.

As much as this book had me kicking my feet and squealing, it also broke my heart. Dani and Heath are such wonderfully complex characters, but Dani especially completely shattered me the more I learned about her. Every new layer peeled back another reason why she kept everyone at arm’s length, why she struggled so much to believe people could genuinely choose her, and why she constantly sabotaged herself before anyone else had the chance to. There were so many moments where all I wanted was for her to let herself be loved.

That made some of the misunderstandings genuinely painful to read. I usually cannot stand the miscommunication trope. Nine times out of ten it just feels frustrating for the sake of creating conflict, but somehow it completely worked here. The misunderstandings felt rooted in who these characters were rather than people simply refusing to have a conversation. The stakes felt high without ever becoming ridiculous, and I could genuinely feel both Dani’s and Heath’s heartbreak.

Although… Heath giving Dani the cold shoulder after overhearing Ben stirring the pot and bragging about winning her back was probably the only part of the book that didn’t completely work for me. It felt a little out of character that he wouldn’t just ask her what was going on. At the same time, though, I completely understood why he reacted the way he did. He’d spent so long quietly loving her that hearing something like that would absolutely destroy anyone’s confidence, so even though I wanted to shake him, I couldn’t really blame him either.

I also have to mention the dinner with Dani’s step mum because wow. That entire scene was genuinely horrific to sit through. It explained so much about Dani and why she carried herself the way she did, but it was incredibly difficult to read. The more I understood her, the more my heart broke for her.

I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about the accident towards the end. I don’t necessarily love that it took something so extreme for Dani to finally put everything into perspective, but I also didn’t hate it. It felt like the perfect storm. She’d reached a point where she couldn’t keep living her life for everyone else, and as dramatic as it was, it forced her to finally stop running away from herself and from the people who genuinely loved her.

By the time everything finally came together and Dani and Heath were honest with each other, it felt so unbelievably satisfying. Their relationship was messy, complicated, frustrating and absolutely perfect all at once. I genuinely wouldn’t change a single thing, which is saying a lot considering one of the central tropes is usually one of my least favourites.

This book has genuinely had me obsessed from start to finish. I’ve been thinking about it constantly, randomly smiling whenever certain scenes pop back into my head, and I already know Dani and Heath are going to live in my brain for a very, very long time. E.J. Blaise absolutely nailed the balance between hilarious banter, slow-burn romance, emotional depth and character growth, and this has easily become one of my favourite romances of the year, and ill be running to read whatever other books the author has written!

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are SOOO back. This book is absolutely everything to me. I actually fell to my knees because this is exactly what romcom dreams are made of!! The first time I heard about this book, it was because the cover reveal showed up on my feed. After seeing the absolute most gorgeous cover ever, I went on to read what it was about and immediately added it to my want-to-read list. I requested an early copy and when I got the notification that I was accepted I literally started jumping with joy. Like I'm not even kidding—I literally started squealing.

Daniela Williams is rightfully pissed. The start of her junior year arrives after a nasty breakup—all thanks to her cheating ex. But wait, what can make it any better? The reminder that her ex and his new girlfriend are also on Dani's swim team. She's not one to give her ex the satisfaction of her fury but the man is insufferable and simply won't leave her alone. This is where Heath Belfort comes in. The captivating and stupidly handsome local surfer—oh and her ex's biggest swimming rival. The man is so dreamily hot. The perfect combination of icy blonde, tan, and tattoos all over. Heath smiles through her ex's jabs and wins in every race—without breaking a sweat. An idea sparks and Dani decides that there is no better way to get revenge against her loser ex than to fake date the one person he hates the most. While Heath helps her get revenge, Dani helps Heath by tutoring him so that he can pass his history class. With a good amount of kisses and some private tutoring lessons, what could possibly go wrong?

Guys (I say to my empty room at 6 in the morning after pulling an all nighter because I simply could not put this absolute masterpiece down), this is how you do fake dating. This is, hands down, my favorite fake dating book ever. Matter of fact, this has made it on to the list of one of my favorite books of all time. My God, the chemistry between Daniela and Heath is absolutely electric. When I tell you I was giggling, kicking my feet, blushing, putting my iPad down because I literally had to catch my breath from the simplest of scenes. I can't stress enough how absolutely amazing the chemistry is. Dani wormed her way into my heart the moment I started reading, and has become one of my favorite characters. She struggles with expressing herself in certain ways and seeing her get the chance to with Heath, with their friends, was so healing. Heath, you absolute stunning man. Guys (I say to my empty room again, and also my dog who's trying to sleep since it's now 7 in the morning), omg this man. Heath Belfort, the absolute man that you are. I literally have no words for the absolute green flag that he is. YOUR HONOR I LOVEEEE HIM. He is everything to me, everything you could want in a man. The perfect combination of sweet, funny, flirty, caring, and the perfect safe space for vulnerability. Also, the amount of sweet nicknames he calls Dani, oh my lordddd. Congratulations flirty blonde man, you've charmed me. Also, the absolute amazingness that is their friend group. I love a good found family trope and this book delivered it tenfold. Oh, and all those little breadcrumbs for future books/couples, I see youuuu. To wrap up the absolute perfection that is this book, it also has its fair share of emotional angst and yearning—two of my favorite things, I just love it when a book makes me cry😇

I kid you not, I need to be teleported into this book right nowwww. I love Better Than Revenge. I love Dani & Heath x1000. I love their friends. I love the 2000s romcom comfort vibe this book brought me. I felt so incredibly alive and exhilarated while reading this. Everything about this book was absolute perfection—infinite stars for Better Than Revenge⭐️

This is a must read, especially if you like:
🩵Fake dating
🌊Ex's rival
🫧2000s romcoms
🪼Black cat fmc x Golden retriever mmc
🐳Tutoring lessons
🫧College sports romance
🦋Found family
🩵Coastal beachy vibes

You must read it the moment it releases, there's literally no other option. I actually can't wait to get my physical copy so I can reread it!! I'm literally outside the bookstore trying to get a copy but the employees are telling me to leave and that it's not August 25th yet. Anyway, add this book to your lists because it is the perfect love letter to everything that is romance💙

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline | Headline Eternal, and EJ Blaise for this ARC of Better Than Revenge in exchange for an honest review!

Release date: August 25, 2026🫧🐳🪼

[Tanya-Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars, and a formal request for Kiki’s book that I will be submitting in writing)

How I Got Here
I had my eye on this from the announcement. Never read E J Blaise before but the pitch was exactly my kind of situation and I was not waiting around about it. Huge thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC because waiting for the release date was not going to be an option for me personally.

The Case For Swimming
Can we talk about the fact that there are not enough swimming sport romances? Because there aren’t. We have an entire genre built around hockey and football and baseball and yet the pool is sitting there, completely underutilised, full of narrative potential and excellent shoulder-to-waist ratios, and almost nobody is doing anything about it. E J Blaise is doing something about it. I respect this decision enormously.
Both main characters are athletes, which in my opinion is not a preference but a requirement for a sports romance that actually works. Check. Slow burn. Check. He falls first — and hard, which is the only acceptable direction for that to go. Check. Fake dating. Check. We are off to an excellent start.

What This Book Did Well
The found family element landed. The emotional journey the FMC goes through is genuinely tough, heartbreaking in places, and yet you are rooting for her through all of it, even when things get complicated, even when she makes it difficult. That’s hard to pull off and this book pulls it off.
The MMC is a top tier golden retriever and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. Enthusiastic. Devoted. Falls completely and somewhat helplessly. Exactly what we needed in this specific story against this specific emotional backdrop. The spice is present and calibrated correctly, enough to keep things warm without tipping into territory that starts to feel like a different book entirely.

The Honest Bit
Towards the end things escalate in a direction that I have to be real about. I loved the FMC, I understood her pain completely, I was with her the whole way. And yet. Some of what she says and does in those later chapters pushed past what I could fully excuse, even accounting for everything she’d been through.
Here’s my test for this and I apply it consistently: if the MMC had done those same things to her, we would be telling her to leave immediately and not look back. That double standard is worth naming. It didn’t ruin the book for me but it sat with me in a way I couldn’t entirely shake and you deserve to know that going in.

The Kiki Situation
If you enjoy Hannah Grace’s Maple Hill series this is a must read and I will not be taking questions about that recommendation.
This book needs to be the first in a series because I need Kiki’s story with an urgency I cannot fully explain but feel very deeply. Someone make this happen. I am asking nicely. For now.

Final Verdict
Four stars, genuinely meant. I will be rereading this, soon, and with a trophy copy because this one earned it. E J Blaise’s backlist has been added to my list and I’ll be getting to it with reasonable haste.
If sports romance and slow burn are your thing, this is your next read and I’m confident saying so without caveats.
— Tanya Jayne, formally petitioning for Kiki’s book, adding another author’s entire backlist to the pile, blaming nobody but herself for the current state of her TBR

[Ashleigh Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Revenge follows Daniela Williams, who has just gone through a nasty break up after being cheated on. To make matters worse, her ex and his new girlfriend are on Daniela’s swim team. To get back at her ex, Daniela makes a deal with Heath Belfort, a stupidly handsome local surfer and her ex’s biggest swimming rival. Heath agrees to fake date Daniela, as long as she tutors him so he can pass his history class. Private lessons and staged kisses are just fine with her, but can anyone make it out of a fake relationship unscathed?

Sometimes I will read a book and feel like it was written specifically for me, and this was one of those books. This was my first book from EJ Blaise, and honestly, it had everything I look for in a romance. I’m calling it now; this will be my romance book of the summer!

I love a black cat x golden retriever couple, and god, did I adore Dani and Heath. Dani is prickly, hyper-independent, slightly antisocial, and slow to open up and let people in. And for good reason; the girl is carrying around so much hurt and grief, and believes people are only interested in her because of her swimming achievements. Seeing her find her people and realise she is worthy of love, friendship and respect was so satisfying. Her story arc and character development felt believable, and I loved that she didn’t feel like she had a personality transplant at the end of the book; she was still her glorious black cat self!

And Heath Belfort?! Who does EJ Blaise think she is, making me fall in love with a blonde man?! Heath was the perfect MMC; charming, funny, patient, supportive, and so down bad for Dani from the beginning. I loved that he liked Dani exactly how she was, and never tried to change her or make her feel “difficult” as so many have done in the past. His personality balanced Dani’s perfectly, and I adored how he constantly showed up for her.

I always eat up the fake dating trope, and I could tell straight away that neither party was *really* faking it, especially Heath! The chemistry and tension between Dani and Heath was electric and had me squealing and kicking my feet. The spicy scenes were so well written and so damn HOT. I loved that as well as being lovers, Dani and Heath also felt like friends; the banter and teasing between them was so fun.

Although I’m not always the biggest fan of books set at college, I really enjoyed the setting of this book. There were one or two scenes set within the college, but the majority of the book was spent in the small coastal town, which I appreciated. The swimming aspect was also really well done, and didn’t overwhelm the romance at all.

I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil anything, but this book also had such a great found family aspect which I adored!

I teared up multiple times towards the end of the book, but I was so satisfied with the ending and where the characters ended up. I loved these characters so much that I would have been more than happy reading another 300 pages about them!

Overall, I adored this book so much, and I cannot wait to read whatever EJ Blaise publishes next. I would urge any romance lover to pick this one up when it releases in August!

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Eternal for providing me with an eARC. This review is being left voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

[Kelsie ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Headline Eternal for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

EJ Blaise can do no wrong!! Her books are always so deeply layered and full of complex characters, found family, and witty banter. Better Than Revenge is no different. I never want her books to end, and I always immediately want to reread when I finish them. Sometimes when I love an author this much, I struggle to fully articulate just how deep and unending my love for their work is. This is one of those times!!

Daniela is grumpy and closed off!! People think she’s emotionless, and she hates crowds and loud noises and needs routine!!!! She’s not good at physical affection!! I love her so deeply!! I’m also head-cannoning her as autistic, even though I don’t know whether EJ meant for that interpretation or not. It’s so rewarding to watch a character like Dani start to feel safe and settled and open up to her chosen family. She doesn’t want to let herself believe that people love and care for her, so it’s really lovely when she gets to a point of finally knowing it. Her relationship to her parents and their expectations for her also play a big part in her development through this book, and it was very emotional to read.

Heath is a capital “Y” Yearner!! His love and support for Dani are never ending, and that’s exactly what she needs. He also has moments of doubt though, because he’s not perfect, and I love seeing into his personality and actions through Dani’s eyes. I love a man who sees through the grumpiness and doesn’t think she’s too much!! Physical touch and acts of service are his love languages!! What do you mean he bought travel sizes of every product Dani uses for hair care and skin care on the off chance she stays over, well before Dani admitted to herself that she liked him??

The two of them together are so precious and lovely and wonderful, and I genuinely wanted this book to never end. I also have to say that I really appreciated the part of the story that surrounded Dani’s struggles with intimacy and sex. She was reading as asexual/demisexual to me, but it doesn’t really need a label honestly. Sex can be a complicated thing for a lot of people, so it’s really nice when an author writes about that complexity and potential struggle in a romance novel, especially a college romance.

Heath’s friend group, which then became Dani’s friend group, was a highlight in this book for me. I see the threads being woven for their stories, so I’m extremely hopeful we get to see those play out in the future. It’s not an EJ Blaise book without a friend group that will literally do anything for each other!!

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention how phenomenal EJ’s writing style is. I don’t even really know how to describe her style, but it always makes me connect so hard to the character’s emotions, even when it’s not their point of view. Every part of the story is so fleshed out and developed, and I genuinely always feel like I’m in the book watching it happen in person.

I am extremely excited to see what EJ Blaise’s writes next, and I will be savoring Better Than Revenge until then!!

[marilyn silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5⭐

Tropes
🩷Fake Dating
🩷Black cat x Golden Retriever
🩷Grumpy Sunshine
🩷Opposites Attract
🩷Found Family


First and foremost i would like to thank Author E J Blaise and the publisher for giving me the ARC of the book in return for an honest review. I'm truly grateful.

While starting this book, I had a lot of skepticism because at first I genuinely didn't know how to feel about it—the characters, the story, everything. But it only took a few chapters for me to completely devour this book.

This was such a fun and entertaining read that had me hooked before I even realized it. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but I absolutely loved the ride.

The story follows Daniella Williams and Heath Belfort. Daniella is a swimmer, an athlete, and the literal definition of a black cat heroine. After her ex cheats on her, she's determined to get revenge on him, and that's where Heath—her ex's rival—comes in. Heath is a swimmer, a talented surfer, and a man who has been completely obsessed with Daniella for years while she remains entirely unaware.

When Daniella proposes a fake dating arrangement, Heath practically jumps at the chance. What starts as a revenge plan quickly develops into something much deeper, and watching their relationship evolve was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Heath Belfort was easily the standout character for me. This man was down astronomically. The way he noticed every little thing about Daniella, always showed up for her, and saw through every wall she put up made him impossible not to love. He was patient, supportive, and unwavering in his feelings from beginning to end. If there is one thing this book accomplished, it's raising my standards for fictional men.

I also really enjoyed Daniella's character. While many people viewed her as cold and distant, I saw someone who deeply cared about the people around her and simply wanted to be loved and understood. She was strong, determined, and incredibly resilient. Although she could be frustratingly oblivious at times, her emotional journey felt rewarding and believable.

the friendship dynamics in this book was everything for me. I absolutely loved the whole found family thing that was going on there

That being said, the book was a little predictable for me. Many of the plot developments were things I saw coming fairly early on. Normally that would affect my enjoyment more, but the characters and romance were strong enough that I found myself invested regardless.

My only other complaint is that I would have loved to get Heath's POV. I think being inside his head would have added even more depth to the story and made his devotion to Daniella even more impactful.

Overall, this was a fun, addictive romance that delivered on the fake dating trope and gave me a hero who fell first, fell harder, and never looked back. If you enjoy fake dating, obsessed heroes, black cat heroines, and romances filled with tension and longing, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

[jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ no, i don’t think you understand… i’m obsessed.

better than revenge follows daniela williams, a fiercely competitive swimmer reeling after a breakup with her cheating ex — who’s not only on her swim team, but now dating the girl he cheated on her with (also a teammate). forced to see them every day and relive the humiliation, daniela is determined to get even. enter heath belfort — a laid-back surfer and her ex’s biggest rival — who she enlists as her fake boyfriend. what starts as a plan for revenge quickly spirals out of control as real feelings blur the line between pretend and reality.

everything about this just worked for me — i was hooked from start to finish. the plot was so much fun!! i was absolutely eating up all the college drama, the she’s the man vibes, and the small coastal beach town setting. the pacing was strong overall, though the ending — and, as a result, some of the character growth — felt just a lil bit rushed. i wanted a little more time and space for the story and character arcs to fully land in a way that felt completely believable and earned. i also would’ve loved to see dani in therapy (idec, it’s canon in my head — she’s healthy, happy, and healing, and i refuse to accept any other outcome for her!).

i love these characters so much!! dani?? my strong, resilient girl. i’d wage battles on your behalf (and win). and heath belfort 🤭🤭 mi amorcito <3 he’s kind, patient, attentive, funny, smart, & just so damn cute. he also worships the ground dani walks on (as he should!!). i can’t even think about him for too long bc it’s a depressing reminder that men like him don’t exist irl 🫠 their chemistry was insane! the banter? the teasing? top tier. also the angst ?? the tension??? the yearning (i swear heath has a degree in yearning) ???? i can’t. pls everyone take notes bc this is how you successfully execute black cat x golden retriever (and fake dating for that matter).

i also adored the friend group dynamics & found family element!! i really hope we get each of their stories bc there were definitely hints at more to come. either way, i cannot wait to read more from this author.

such a witty, sharp, and emotional read that i could’ve easily devoured a few hundred more pages of — and one i’ll be thinking about for a while.

thank you so much to netgalley and headline for providing me with this arc!

[Nicola Frasier (nikswordsonpaper) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You can kiss me." His lips part. "Ask where, and I will punch you in the throat."

4.5⭐️

Reverse grumpy x sunshine never looked so damn good! Daniela is bitter and mean after being cheated on by her ex and her complicated relationship with her parents and stepmother. In comes the ex's rival, Heath, who is a serious golden retriever but has had a secret crush on her for forever - and boy does he yearn! So when fake dating becomes a possibility to get back at her ex, he is immediately down in exchange for tutoring and that she discover fun outside of competitive swimming.

"All well-behaved now your owner's here, huh? You bring his leash, Dani?" Heath f*cking woofs.

True to his golden retriever nature, Heath barks - BARKS - for her and I just had a great time watching Dani's cold heart gradually unravel for him. No matter how many times she put that wall up, he stuck around and remained positive. He was the sun and she was the moon. At first, I thought she was awful but getting to understand her was rewarding. I love that she maintained her hard exterior and no BS attitude, creating the best banter with Heath and stabby comebacks that had me cackling the entire time. If you see a man who's grinning as he's being argued with, that's Heath and trust me - he wants to be there!

"Happy?" "Could be happier." "Enlighten me." "Stay for breakfast." "Do I look susceptible to emotional blackmail?" "You look very, very pretty."

The found family element was strong as Heath welcomes her into his circle. They really rally for her and accept her for how she is, giving grace when it's due. It created a world that felt so lived in, and honestly if this becomes a standalone series I'd love to be reunited with this friend group!

Dreamy. I'm screaming at him, and he's dreamy. "Are you high or something?" "No, baby. Just looking at you." "Well, stop it." "Can't."

"I have a proposal for you." "How big is the ring?" "About as big as your ego." Then it's a yes."

"You know I'm difficult." "I don't know that because you're not. Not to me. Not to anyone who cares enough to actually know you." "I'm too structured." "Dependable." "I'm anti-social." "You're awkward, Dani. Might even dare to call you shy. An I f*cking love it."

eARC received via NetGally. All thoughts are my own.

[samreadsromance · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘺, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘺, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

If you love a fake dating, sports romance, ex's rival, grumpy x sunshine and found family then you need to read this!

Daniela has just been humiliated by her ex after he broke up with her. He is also now with the person he cheated on her with which happens to be a fellow swimmer on their team.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥 . . . 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵-𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩-𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰

Daniela is sick of the attention and gossip and decides that she is going to get revenge by dating his rival Heath. Daniela is the grumpy one where Heath is sunshine. Heath is chilled and lax where Daniela is all about routine and succeeding. When Heath forces Daniela to start living and getting outside her comfort zone she realises how much she has been missing and what real friendships are. As much as she despises forming connections at first she really starts to somewhat warm up to them and open up. Heath has yearned for Daniela for years and honestly it was heartbreaking when Daniela just couldn't overcome her fear and be happy with him.

Daniela was honestly such a relatable character, someone who doesn't want to be alone but doesn't know how to form connections. She speaks the truth even if it may come across as hurtful

𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵. 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦

The found family trope in this was elite and I loved that even though Daniela pushed them away and wasn't the nicest they still found a way to forgive her and be the best of friends.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Headline, Headline Eternal and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of E.J. Blaise’s Better Than Revenge in exchange for an honest review.

Sports romance! Swimming! Banter! Fake dating! Sign me the fuck up.

Daniela is PISSED. Her ex boyfriend cheated on her with her teammate and everyone is acting like she is the problem. So Dani does what she knows best - channels all that rage into her swimming. But she can’t help but wonder if there is a way to make her ex feel as shitty as he made her feel.

Enter Heath. He’s her ex’s biggest swimming rival, he’s a better swimmer, he surfs, he’s adored by his amazing group of friends, he’s funny and kind…and SO beautiful. Dani pitches a fake dating scheme to get back at her ex, and Heath is fully on board. How hard can a fake relationship be?

Omg this was so dang angsty, I loved it!! The yearning caused me physical pain, it was delicious.

Dani, my poor emotionally damaged girlie. She deserves all of the kindness in the world, my heart hurt so much for everything she endured and just accepted as ‘normal’. Obviously I loved her and Heath’s relationship, but getting to watch her find her place in the friendship group of dreams? So special.

Heath, what a pathetic yearning mess of a man. I love him! He is too kind for his own good, and I was wanting to throw my kindle across the room at multiple points and yell at him to just VERBALISE YOUR ACTUAL FEELINGS SIRRRRRR. His patience for Dani’s prickliness is unmatched. A true acts of service king.

This was on track for a 4.75 but lost half a star for the frustrating third act conflict, and another quarter of a star for the “fake” part of the relationship going on too long for my taste. But these are just personal preferences, and not at all a reflection of the quality of this story.

I had an unexpectedly great time with this one, and I am desperately hoping this will become a series because I need the stories of the rest of this friendship group please 👀

Tropes include: fake dating, black cat x golden retriever, sports romance, found family, college romance, YEARNINGGGG.

[EmmsBookShelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Revenge is a a fake-dating sports romance between swimmers from rival colleges in the same coastal town. I found this story incredibly enjoyable and enjoyed that it was a character focused story.

I love a messy plot and this book delivered. The conflict begins from the opening scenes, Daniela has been ostracised by most of her swim team after her boyfriend of two years has been cheating on her. How does she respond? Entering into a fake dating agreement with her ex's biggest swimming rival. The tension and chemistry between Daniela and Heath is delightful and their dynamic and evolution together is so fun to read.

Daniela is characterised as a driven protagonist, solely focused on her position as an athlete. She is characterised as cold, unfeeling and difficult to love, especially because of her singular focus, for that I love her. Daniela will not be a protagonist that appeals to everyone and I'm sure others will find her selfish and annoying, but I certainly saw a lot of myself in her, especially her struggles socially. I am obsessed with how down bad Heath is for Daniela, like, there was nothing fake for him from the beginning and his patience with her and the way he notices her likes and dislikes was so sweet. The slow burn nature of their private relationship against the public image that they put out in order to irritate her ex Ben was such an engaging contrast.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this series was the wonderful found family vibes. Daniela struggles to make friends, yet is instantly included and embraced into Heaths group of friends. They are fun and kind and their dynamic was like a big warm hug. I am going to need each of their stories next, especially Kai. The platonic friendship that grew between Kai and Daniela was so unbelievably sweet.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hackett for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to crawl up inside this world and live in it, I hope to get to return soon.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars 🌟

This is how you do a Grumpy X Sunshine book! Beautifully crafted, Better than Revenge was such a fun read yet also packed an emotional punch.

Dani was a wonderful character to read, in that she had so much love to give, yet had the weight of her parents' expectations upon her, which manifested in her building an icy exterior to those around her. I really felt for her, particularly reading about her swim team and how isolated she felt. I felt so much rage when reading about her ex and how he tore her down at every given moment, but he did not suffer from any of the consequences of his actions. What a piece of work he was. It was so nice to see Dani put him in his place without needing Heath to protect her. I loved seeing Dani find her people and come into her own in an environment that allowed her to flourish.

HEATH. The man that you are. A down-bad king. He was such an adorable and loving MMC, who was so devoted to Dani, always thinking about her and what she may need. There was so much to him, and I wish we could have seen a bit more of his interests and interacting with his family.

Heath and Dani's friendship group were incredibly supportive and caring to them. They accepted Dani straight away and built up a friendship with her outside of their friendship with Heath, slowly allowing Dani to realise that they were her friends as well as his. We were given tidbits about their lives and potential romances, so I am hoping that they will get their time to shine in their own books?!

I loved this storyline; it felt fresh and gave a lot of insight into the expectations put upon us and how that affects us more than we care to let on. Dani felt immensely conflicted between living up to her parents' expectations of her and slowly starting to find out what she wants in her life. It was really interesting to see her battle between those two desires and slowly let them eat away at her.

A wonderful romance that I strongly recommend!

A big thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for the ARC!

[ellie jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely judged this book by its cover and honestly, I’m so glad I did. I went into it with no real expectations, and somehow it still managed to surprise me in the best way possible. It ended up being nothing like I thought it would be, and from the moment I started reading, Heath and Dani completely took over my brain. I was stuck in that constant battle of wanting to slow down and savour every moment while also desperately speeding through just to get more of them together.

One of the most refreshing parts of this book was Dani as an FMC. She wasn’t written as the typical manic pixie dream girl, and that alone made her feel so much more real. There were so many moments throughout the story where I genuinely resonated with her thoughts, feelings, and insecurities, which is honestly pretty rare for me when reading. Experiencing the story through her perspective felt incredibly immersive because she was such a layered, complex character. I think I’ve really been missing characters like that in the books I’ve picked up lately.

And Heath, please, someone make him real and older. What’s not to love about a man who has quietly yearned for you for years, who sees you for exactly who you are and loves you because of it? He was such a strong MMC, and every interaction with him felt intentional and heartfelt. I especially loved his little epilogue moment. Part of me really wishes we’d gotten a dual POV because there were so many scenes where I would have loved to be inside his head and fully understand everything he was feeling.

This was just such a genuinely good book. The premise was compelling, the romance was emotional and satisfying, and the found family aspect was honestly one of my favourite parts. The relationships throughout the story had so much warmth that they almost restore your faith in humanity, even if these people aren’t real. And while the tropes might initially draw you in, I can promise the story delivers so much more than just that.

[Maggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD!!! I am in love with this book. Like head over heels, feral for it. Absolute perfection. I always love a fake dating romance (somebody please tell these two that they are *fake* dating hehehehe) and this was just chef's kiss, no rules and boy oh boy did I love it. Heath is obviously down bad, pining, and yearning away and that is exactly how I like a (book)boyfriend to be. I am obsessed with how he cared for Dani and he is just the biggest green flag I have ever seen. He is so gentle and patient and I just eat that upppp. And Dani, so angry at the world, but also such a people pleaser (Heath described it perfectly). I just want to give her the biggest hug, because she deserved so much more than the people around her gave her for years and years. Putting so much pressure on herself to be something in the name of other people instead of living for herself. She feels her emotions so deeply, but struggles to find away to regulate, deal with, and express them in a healthy way. So many of her actions come from a place of hurt and fear and people completely misunderstand her. I love her character growth and how she slowly starts to see her self worth and how she starts to trust the people around her.
I just love them together. There is so much tension and chemistry between them and they have such good banter and just witty comebacks. Obviously the yearning starts one sided, but Dani too yearns for what Heath wants to give her, even if she doesn't allow herself to want and feel it at first. There is definitely some angst - I loveeee angst - and there are so many soft and warm moments.
Also, I love the friend group and I desperately hope we get more of these (I have some pairings in mind). The banter and just the overall found family feeling was absolutely perfect.
I would 100% recommend picking this up!!!

Thank you Headline for the ARC!

[caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blond MMCs are so back! I laughed, I cried, I had a wonderful time :)

Dani was so complex and interesting; I adored her character growth. Never has someone been so bad at fake dating (/pos). She's protective of herself, but still learns to allow people in through cracks. She's been through so much but still continues trying and pivots when she realizes that her effort is harming others. Heath really was such a perfect balance for her. Outgoing when she is shy, patient when she is cautious and lashing out. Even though this is single POV, this man was yearning so much and so loudly; Dani just had earplugs in, courtesy of Heath, of course. Heath is so sweet and playful and FUN. He's not perfect, and definitely messes up a few times along the way, but he's always ready to show up and learn and grow with Dani. The way Dani's obliviousness to his long-standing feelings is handled is so wonderful and moved me deeply. I won't spoil anything but the last 100 pages or so were by far my favorite part of the book! I really was so moved by Heath's constant presence and reassurances.

This was my first EJ Blaise book, but definitely won't be my last! Her writing style is so bingeable and witty, while also doing an excellent job of unpacking complicated emotions. The banter in this was so so good, y'all. Even when Dani and Heath were going through it, the banter was bantering. There were hints at some of the other characters and potential relationships that I can't wait to explore, should this become a series! In the meantime, I will be checking out her backlist because the yearning and humor was just so excellent.

OUT AUGUST 25, 2026!

Thank you to Headline Eternal for this ARC via Netgalley!

[Holly Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I knew I was going too and it seriously did not disappoint! Erin knows how to write A LOT of emotion into her stories and it always sits so heavy of my heart (in a good way!!) her books always make me FEEL so much. And this was no different. Everything about Heath and Dani was SO FREAKING GOOD!

Heath and Dani!!! ARE! EVERHTHING! TO! ME! I cannot even begin to explain how much I love them!! I LOVE AN UNLIKABLE GIRL OKAY! Everything about Dani makes my heart ACHE! Bc she IS a little mean and she IS grumpy!! But she also just wants someone to BE NICE TO HER! But she doesn’t want to ask for it bc she shouldn’t have to. Ugh I LOVE HER SO MUCH! And HEATH BELFORT!!!!!! IS THAT MAN! A man who yearns! A man who knows his girl! A man SO willing to do whatever it takes! He was so patient and KIND and literally everything Dani needed. They weren’t perfect by any means but that’s also what in fact made them perfect for each other!

My favorite part about this, besides the Heath and Dani of it all!! Was the FRIENDSHIPS! All of Heath’s friends so quickly took Dani in, they saw that she needed people and became that for her.

I’ll be back to reread and listen to the audio (hopefully idk how that works since this is being published in the UK not in the US??) but I will be rereading somehow!!! Bc I LOVE IT SO MUCH

Thanks to Headline Eternal for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here’s the most random thing I loved about this book: the font. In both chapter headers and the body itself. Sometimes it’s truly the little things that make your experience better.

Daniella. I don’t usually self insert but whoa boy I could have written this from my perspective. In my own language. The fuck this fuck that fucking everywhere. My vocabulary. The antisocial-ness. Honestly absolute props to her cause I could have never gone out and be around people that much even for revenge, despite being a Scorpio. I need to draw the line somewhere😂 apparently social situations is my line. Even the fake dating scheme made sense for once, but even tho the book of single pov you can absolutely tell my man Heath has been into her since forever from their first interactions.

I really liked the FMC obviously. The rage, the stress and the trauma. I really liked the mmc for her too. Complete opposites because he’s extroverted, sunshine to her black cloud and because this is a man written by a woman, worships the ground she walks on. My irl s/o reminds me of Heath a lot but, because this is real life and not a book, I know first hand that an opposites attract relationship isn’t as easy as fiction makes it out to be and I really wish there was some portrayal of that. Oh and a bit more of a slow burn. Obviously both these points are biased and personal.

Overall I actually really enjoyed this one, I love the authors writing. Or it might have just been all the fucks 😂

[Nina - the book bugling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better Than Revenge is a fun, emotional college sports romance. It follows Dani, a competitive swimmer reeling after her cheating ex starts dating her teammate. Heath Belfort - rival swimmer, surfer boy and the ultimate golden retriever MMC - agrees to fake date her for revenge. The line between pretending and real feelings disappears almost immediately, in the best way. The chemistry, banter, tension, and yearning are all top tier.

Dani’s journey is so well done! Under all her prickly walls and hyper-independence is a girl carrying so much grief and hurt. Watching her slowly realize she deserves love and respect outside of her achievements was really emotional for me. I was crying at points and kicking my feet at others.

And Heath?? Swoon! He's patient, funny, attentive and obsessed with Dani in the most lovable way. He's constantly showing up for her through acts of service while still pushing her out of her comfort zone when she needs it most. It made me melt. Their chemistry was perfect - the teasing, the angst, the fake dating that barely felt fake, the tension when they started catching feelings in front of everyone… I ate it up. The side characters and found family moments made the story feel even richer, and I would love to read more books about this friend group. This book is sharp, witty, emotional, and ridiculously addictive and I would have happily read another 300 pages.

💙 Fake dating
💙 Black cat x golden retriever
💙 Grumpy × sunshine
💙 College sports romance
💙 Found family
💙 Revenge romance
💙 Coastal small-town vibes
💙 He falls first
💙 Emotionally unavailable FMC
💙 First person single POV

Thank you EJ Blaise, Headline Eternal and NetGalley for a copy of "Better Than Revenge" in exchange for my honest review.