Scandalized

by Ivy Owens, Lauren Billings

A one-night stand between two old childhood friends turns into something more, but when a scandal threatens to tear them apart, they must decide how hard to fight for love—a steamy romance written under the pseudonym Ivy Owens by Christina Lauren coauthor Lauren Billings.

Exhausted and on deadline with a story that could make or break her career, investigative journalist Georgia Ross is on the verge of a meltdown when a cancelled flight leaves her stuck in the airport overnight. But when a familiar face appears—the older brother of her childhood friend—and offers help, Gigi seems to have caught a break.

Alec Kim is handsome, humble, and kind—exactly the sort of man that Gigi has forgotten existed after her own painful heartbreaks. An evening of reconnection followed by a night of no-strings-attached passion with Alec feels like a gift—that is, until Gigi finally realizes that their childhood connection isn’t the only reason he seems so familiar to her.

Alec is determined to prove to Gigi that he is truly the man she thinks he is, even if it means coming clean about his fame—and his family’s connection to the story Gigi’s been working so hard to break. But as their feelings for each other grow deeper, Gigi and Alec must navigate a new reality…one where both of their hard-won careers are put directly in the path of an international scandal.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Fiction, Friends To Lovers, Adult

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 23, 2022

About the author

Ivy Owens is the pseudonym of Lauren Billings, one of the coauthors of longtime writing partners Christina Lauren.

Ivy Owens has been writing for fun her entire life.

Scandalized was a labor of love written in the wild paradox of boredom and inspiration during the pandemic.

She lives in California with her husband, two kids, and two dogs, and is rarely seen without a book in hand. You can find her on Instagram at @HelloIvyOwens.

Reviews

[Ali Hazelwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETA: I reread some scenes last night (April 10) because I was in that mood (TM) and... oh MY EVERLOVING GOD WHY IS THIS BOOK SO GOOD????

THIS.
BOOK.
IS.
SO.
HOT.
(and good and amazing of course but also)
SO. SO. SO. HOT.

Okay: So:
Gigi is our main character and she’s a badass journalist who gets stranded at the airport with no place to sleep no place to shower NO CLEAN UNDERWEAR OH NOES. BUT GUYS, BUTTTTT, she meets by chance her childhood BFF’s big brother, Alec (whom I may or may not have cast Henry Golding for in my head) which leads to them reconnecting and him letting her stay in his hotel room and:
And:
And:
And:
GUYS. THIS BOOK IS SO STEAMY. THE SEX IS OUT OF THIS WORLD. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY: 🔥🍆🍑🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️🤤🥴🤒👄👀👀👀🫂👉👌🪢🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈
But there’s more because ALEC ACTUALLY HAS A SECRET IDENTITY (that’s actually not so secret tbh it’s mostly that Gigi is very work oriented and doesn’t pay attention to anything else I love her guys 🥰) and Gigi is working on this amazing case that Alec can maybe actually help her with and their connection is just off the charts and it was supposed to be a one night stand but hey I guess they’re gonna have to have more sex and:
🔥❤️😍🥺❤️🔥❤️❤️🔥🔥🍆🍆🍆🍆🤒🫂🤒🥴🤒🥴🥴🥴🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈

So, then what happens is that Gigi and Alec have to navigate this INCREDIBLE SCORCHING INSTANT CONNECTION THEY HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH around the fact that (1) Alec has a very public career (GUYS... THERE IS A TREVOR NOAH CAMEO AND MY OBSESSION WITH TREVOR NOAH IS INFINITE SO I WAS LIKE, WAS THIS BOOK WRITTEN FOR ME??? WAS IT? WAS MY SEKRIT BRAIN PRIVACY INVADED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BOOK?) and (2) Gigi also has a really demanding career and the case she has been working on is super close to a breakthrough, and (3) Alec lives in London, so the have only 2 weeks together (gotta love that sense of urgency GOTTA LOVE IT) (4) Alec is actually more tied to Gigi's career than you would expect? DUN DUUUN, DIRECTED BY DICK WOLF.

And then... EDEN. Guys. Eden is Gigi's BFF and roomie and she's like, the fangirliest of fangirls, and like... I am her. She is me. I have never feel so seen. Eden if you’re reading this i am free on thursday night if u want to hang out please read this and then let me know if u want to hang out on thursday night when i am free.

But really, in all seriousness. Guys, this book is so unapologetically steamy. I just love how much time we spend with the characters just... being together and bonding over their sexual compatibility and the fact that they really like each other as people and they really want the best for each other and like, I really feel like this review is not driving home how much I feel for them as people supporting each other and how beautiful a love story this was, because I cannot stop talking about THE PHONE SEX SCENE ☎️❤️❤️🔥🔥🍆🍆

Basically: guys pls buy this book, do it for me, do it for Trevor Noah.

ALSO: MY KINGDOM FOR A SEQUEL. ABOUT EDEN IDEALLY SINCE SHE AND I ARE ONE. BUT ALSO I WOULD DIE FOR A SUNNY BOOK AS I LOVED HER. BUT I'M ALSO A YAEL STAN TOO SO REALLY I AM FLEXIBLE I AM VERY FLEXIBLE.

Disclosure: I got an ARC from the publisher (which I'm not even sure who the publisher is because I should pay more attention to these things but I don't. I wanna say Simon and Schuster? THANK YOU SIMON!)

[Helen Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever watched a Kdrama and wished you could transport the hero straight into your living room and make him love you forever? I can’t be the only one because clearly Ivy Owens and I are on the same wavelength. She deserves an award for gifting the world with Alec Kim.

The love scenes in this book are a masterclass in love scenes, especially that first one in the layover hotel. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 This is a fast paced read with scorching chemistry, high tension, and a super sweet connection between the characters that’ll make your heart melty and gooey.

I imagine everyone will be talking about this book this summer, and that makes me so happy.

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 2 out of 5]

EDIT: I've been informed that Ivy Owens has publicly revealed herself to be Lauren of Christina Lauren. I'm far too lazy to edit my review, so I'm leaving it as is, but umm ignore the comment about it feeling like a debut.

What a corny-ass book.

I don't really care for celebrity romance books nor do I care for the childhood friends to lovers trope (truly one of the worst tropes out there) but I saw multiple authors I've enjoyed in the past (Kate Clayborn, Ali Hazelwood, Helen Hoang, Christina Lauren) rave about this, so I wanted to give it a try. Plus, I did read a really good celebrity romance debut this year - HOW TO FAKE IT IN HOLLYWOOD by Ava Wilder. But umm, this book. Definitely not for me. And I really should just stay away from celebrity romances as a whole unless someone personally recommends it to me.

Anyways, me to me right now:


🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

Here are my quick incoherent thoughts on Scandalized:

- The award for the the dumbest investigative journalist reporter to ever exist goes to this heroine. You want to tell me this woman, who supposedly had a crush on this man in their youth, has never fucking Googled him???? Nor has she ever heard him despite him being a popular kdrama/BBC actor??? A WHOLE-ASS JOURNALIST??? Yeah, right. 🙄

- The hero is ... bland. Very uninteresting. The only thing he has going for him is that he's a kdrama actor.

- Speaking of kdrama actor ... so this hero is Korean. What I want to know is, is Ivy Owens a white lady? I can't find any info, but if she's white, why is she writing books with Korean rep when there are hardly any Korean romance authors in the first place???

- Also tied to that previous point: you can tell that the rep is very bare minimum, which is why I suspect Ivy Owens is white. It feels a lot like self-insert fic written by someone obsessed with watching kdramas ... Watching kdramas and consuming Korean media does not make you an expert on the culture, in my opinion. Bless, Crash Landing On You on giving us a great show, but also curse it for inspiring some of these authors. (If anyone can confirm that Ivy is Korean, I will delete this)

- I was excited for the prospect of a steamy read because trad publishing has been cutting down on sex scenes so much lately, but umm. This book certainly has a lot of sex scenes - it's a sex scene after sex scene. But is it good smut?? No. They are bland, often times cringey, and the hero had some very cringe dialogues during all the sex scenes. I recorded myself reading them to send to my bestie and kept having to pause cos I was choking - they truly were pure comedy. 😭😭😭 Yeah, I want to read high steam books but if this is what I'm gonna get, then romance publishing can keep it to themselves.

- A billion sex scenes =/= chemistry. And herein lies my issue with this book. The leads have no tension whatsoever, and there is zero build-up to any of those sex scenes. I enjoy sex scenes as much as anyone else, but I want to see the emotional connection and build-up too.

- There's a side plot involving investigative journalism (content warnings for sexual assault), and it really didn't feel necessary to this book? I felt like there was already other sources of conflicts that the author could have better utilized.

- Ultimately, I could just tell this was a debut romance because the writing needed tightening and much better editing. There were simply no sparks to this book. Ivy Owens wanted to go for something deeply romantic but it's so poorly executed that it comes across as annoyingly corny.

Ok that's it. I probably won't be reading this author again, but I hope y'all enjoy Scandalized if you read it! ☺️ I think Anna Todd fans will like this one for sure!


(Sorry for the raccoon memes. I'm going through a raccoon phase and I love them, okay?? 🦝😭)

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s the thing: I’m convinced this book was born out of a projection I made into the universe after watching Crash Landing on You. The reason I say this is that the author has confirmed she based the main male character, Alec Kim, on K-Drama star and most-gorgeous-man-in-the-universe Hyun Bin, who I’m obsessed with, so, you know. I definitely had a hand in making this happen.

This was a delicious, quick, steamy, completely gripping contemporary written by the Lauren half of Christina Lauren under a pen name, as she confirmed on her Instagram (which made me FREAK OUT, I had no idea!!!). It was exactly what I needed after roaming the foggy streets of eighteenth century London in Kristen Callihan’s Firelight (also great, check it out!).

Our main character is Gigi Ross, a badass investigative journalist who’s just trying to get home to Los Angeles after an exhausting two weeks pursuing a grueling story in London. Because luck doesn’t seem to be on her side these days, she ends up stranded in Seattle due to bad weather and will only be able to catch a flight to California the next day.

As fate would have it, Gigi bumps into her first ever crush, her childhood best friend’s older brother, Alec Kim. He’s just as gorgeous at thirty-two as he was at nineteen, when she last saw him; plus, he’s, like, super rich and fancy now?

They end up spending a perfect, steamy night together, and, the next morning, after they finally make it to LA, Gigi leaves the airport to find an actual mob of people screaming Alec’s name. Turns out, he’s now a superfamous actor, both in South Korea and in England, and she had no idea. 🤡

Gigi makes it clear to Alec she’s not taking it lightly that he didn’t tell her this huge detail about his life and firmly plans to never see him again. However, a couple of days later, she receives a call from her boss telling her to go meet a new source who has information on her story, and who is it but the gorgeous Alec Kim.

I obviously love a celebrity romance and can literally never get enough of it. Gigi felt like such a real person, which really grounded a story that, with this particular trope, could have quickly become too wild to believe. Plus, Alec was the actual dreamiest.

I waited a looong time for this book and it was completely worth it. This profile is now an Ivy Owens fan club!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5, BRAD)

*5/5 for BRADs— not for like all-around literature!


Our story is about Georgia Ross, an investigative journalist, who bumps into Alec Kim, an old family friend she hasn’t seen for over a decade. After a *memorable* 😏 night Georgia assumes she will never see Alec again. Little does she know Alec is a mega-famous TV star whose life makes it virtually impossible for Alec to pursue anything resembling a normal relationship.



This book is what every BRAD should be: fun, sexy, and hard to put down. The dialogue was perfection, the characters were lovable, and the plot was not so absurd that you couldn’t wrap your mind around it.



This book is a great beginner BRAD if you want to dip your toe into the genre. Proceed with caution, though, because the content is mature!

[SzarlottaSzott · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Scandalized” had so much potential, but it turned out to be extremely boring.

I think around 80% of the book was smut, unexciting, never ending smut. I was tempted to skip some parts. The relationship timeline extended to around 2 weeks so you can imagine that there was also not much room left for any good relationship development. I feel like we didn’t get to know the guy well enough to believe in his feelings.

[Millie Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really liked this.

I loved that it wasn’t just a romance (even though I, very VERY obviously, love romance). AND the plot about Jupiter and the story Gigi was writing kept me interested enough that equally I wasn’t counting down the pages until the romance kicked it up a notch again (because let’s face it, sometimes we all wanna skip ahead to some steam babbyyy). This was such a perfect balance between the two. Plus the steam was STEAMING without being cringey - always a bonus!

Eden is such a gem of a bestie, during our least favourite type of third act conflict (a break up fuelled by miscommunication (I’ll allow it though since I loved this book so much)) she leaves these instructions for Gigi -

“Step 1: Place bowl in microwave.
Step 2: Heat for two minutes.
Step 3: Carefully remove bowl from microwave.
Step 4: Get a fork.
Step 5: Use fork to put food in your mouth.
Step 6: Repeat step 5 until the bowl is empty.”

Because sometimes when going through a breakup, it’s easy to forget how to use utensils ;) Anyways I love her and want to keep her forever😭😭😭

Alec is a sappy, sappy simp and I LIVED and BREATHED him for the entire 308 pages. What a MAANNNN (a MAANNNN who must learn to be better in times of crisis though…)❤️

[Chris C - A Midlife Wife · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing, profound, and intense love story. I can’t even articulate what I’m feeling right now. 😭 10 flipping stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book was a shocker! I was sooo not expecting this! I sat down for a lovely read and ended up speechless, emotional, and a touch overwhelmed.

I love her writing! A depth of feeling grabs you deep in your soul. If only we could all experience this intense connection to our soulmate.

The sex is amazing with the awareness and feelings laid out for all to witness. Damn, I feel that passion and longing deep inside. Even when the scenes were a touch frantic, the intensity and awareness of their connection was intense.

One reviewer said that this book is pure magic, and she is not wrong. Owens kills us with her raw, intense writing that doesn’t let you go. I simply could not stop reading!

And they classify this as a rom-com… That category does not give this book justice. Owens poured her heart out for us. Plus, she gave us an epilogue too. Thank goodness!

If I could give it 10 stars I would! Grab this awesome book! I know you will love it too.

* copy received for review consideration
* full review - https://amidlifewife.com/scandalized-...

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing the story of a lifetime, Gigi Ross is focused on one thing only - her career and the story that will help make a name for her. When a chance encounter reconnects her with the brother of her childhood friend, Alec Kim, it seems like kismet. What begins as a one night stand leads to more as Gigi finds herself seeking comfort in Alec, and visa versa, and the two agree to spend the few weeks he is in town together. But when Alec becomes a part of the story himself, a scandal arises wrecking havoc on their fragile arrangement as well as the career Gigi has devoted her life to.

This book was thoroughly entertaining. A great mix of women’s fiction, romance, mystery, and a whole lot of spice, I enjoyed it immensely. As always, I look for a connection to the characters in order to become emotionally invested, and I did feel that here. By the time the conflict occurred, I felt a vested interest in Gigi’s future. And did I mention the spice? Oh my goodness these scenes were steamy. If you like open-door romance, this is the book for you.

Ivy Owens is a pseudonym for an unknown best selling author. Booksta and the internet are all abuzz that it is Lauren Billings of the famed Christina Lauren writing team. And I can definitely see that. The writing felt very familiar, and while I cannot say for certain that it is her exact style, I think the rumors are believable. I hope at some point we will find out who the real Ivy Owens is. For now, your guess is as good as any. Let me know in the comments who you think it might be.

Thank you to Gallery Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pub: Aug 23, 2022

[Pikolina · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me ha convencido nada.
Mucho sexo, instalove desde el segundo 1 y demasiado ñoño ... poco creíble.

[emilybookedup · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so cute!! definitely my type of romance but holy steam 🥵 Owens was bringing the heat!

this gave me CRAZY RICH ASIANS and THE IDEA OF YOU vibes. a “regular” girl has a one-night stand with a famous guy she knew growing up and then their feelings turn serious really quickly—but he only has 2 weeks in the US before he goes back to London (not to mention he’s a superstar and his dating life is near impossible).

this book was quick and paced really well. the last 100 pages had me flipping so fast, my heart was PUMPING! i thought the side plot was really well-developed an made the two MC’s relate more to each other and deepen the connection. Alex was a heartthrob and i pictured Henry Golding the entire time… which i’m not mad about 😏

also for those that don’t know—Ivy Owens is Lauren from Christina Lauren! and i can totally tell this her writing—she has a way of gripping you so fast and making you emotionally connect to her characters.

thank you to the publisher for gifting me this book! definitely recommend it the next time you want a good meet-cute and unpredictable romance… with some steam😂😅

[Chloe Liese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Gallery/Pocket Books and NetGalley for the review copy; all opinions are my own!

SCANDALIZED brings the heat, high emotion, and a fast-paced plot. Watching Gigi and Alec stumble into each other's lives and recognize each other as (her) childhood best friend's brother/(his) sister's childhood best friend, then falling into a whirlwind romance was very steamy and also surprisingly sweet. Throw in the celebrity romance dynamic (Alec is a rising film star), the intensity of Gigi's investigative reporting (she's working on breaking a story that will change the trajectory of her journalism career), I was sucked in and read it in a day. The connection between these two is instant, their passion is on fire, and their story feels dramatic in the best way, perfectly suited to the intensity of both Gigi and Alec's personalities, lives, and lifestyles. If you're looking for hot, fast-paced romance, this is it!

Content Notes: investigative reporting uncovering sexual assault and rape at a club (in past, briefly revisited on page), toxic relationship with partner and former friends (past, briefly revisited).

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re going to make me love you, aren’t you?

I’m sure going to try.”



#sploooooooooosh!

First things first, I have no idea how this book got put on my radar. My apologies for whoever out there on the intertubes it was who posted something about it for not giving you credit, but be aware that I truly thank you – and my husband will probably thank you later.

The story here is about Georgia and Alec. He was her BFF's older brother, but the family moved across the pond when they were all still just little chitlins. A canceled flight brings the two together and ends in a one night stand. Or potentially more . . . .

Imma put it right out there and say this was a 5 Star book for me. I am a romance failure for the most part and this one delivered. I actually did a little poking around due to some backlash that I’ll get to in a second and I’m here to tell you I do not share most of the complaints others had – some of which are:

1. She doesn’t recognize him. Uhhhh they last saw each other 13 years ago. That’s not weird. Also not weird to not know every celebrity in the universe. Especially when she admits she doesn’t watch television and he became famous in a very niche genre. I’m telling you I was REAL skurrrred this was going to go in a horrible racial stereotype sort of direction from the little I had heard, but ‘twas not the case.

2. Speaking of race – apparently now the pendulum has swung (swang???) all the way around. Last year there wasn’t enough diversity and inclusion in books written by white authors, now apparently they aren’t allowed to write non-whites period. And don’t get it twisted that I’m undermining Own Voices. Obviously the most important voice to be heard is one who actually knows definitively of what they speak, but whitewashing is waaaaay problematic as well.

3. Her job. Ummmmm, do you know how news pieces like this work? She’s not writing a paragraph puff – she’s conducting some serious investigative journalism for a major news outlet with a result that will be a ginormous spread. Those don’t get written in only a minute or two. And us perverts don’t want to read all of her boring work emails, we just need the acknowledgment that she had to answer some and then get back to the banging!

So there’s my defense of some others’ gripes. That being said, a BBA is never an okay thing and literally having your WRITING PARTNER and allllll yo other author besties blurb your new release pretending like they don’t know you????



Your punishment is the removal of a Star. But holy shit y’all. This sucker??????



I’m pretty sure my underpants have been permanently fused to my netherbits.

Endless thankings to the Pornbrary for buying this immediately upon my request.

[Natasha is a Book Junkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’re going to make me love you, aren’t you?”
He doesn’t even falter, in step or breath. He says only, “I’m sure going to try.”

In my ongoing mission to discover as many remarkable new voices in Romance as possible, I came across this glorious, sparkling gem of a book that you’ll want to push into the hands of everyone you know. Whether the idea of a celebrity falling for an everyday person is your tropetonite, or you’re just a sucker for the ‘famous life’, there is something about this story that is both wonderfully fanciful, and also completely relatable. What begins as a one-night stand between two old childhood friends—one of them a hugely successful actor, and the other an ambitious investigative journalist on the verge of a career-making scoop—quickly deepens and evolves into something more for them both. But fame and anonymity don’t go hand in hand, and soon, both their lives are thrown into precarious waters as scandal hits home. I rarely read a book cover to cover, twice in the same week, but this one I did.

Continue reading this review...



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[cossette]

we need to stop letting authors publish their thinly veiled self insert celebrity fanfiction but especially when they're just ... white people fetishizing asian men

also the fact that christina lauren recommending this book without disclosing that it's written by half of clo is ... just interesting!

[bennettreadsinatx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me get this straight-all these authors were promoting this book and not disclosing that the author is the Lauren part of Christina Lauren? Absolutely an ethical breach of trust between readers and authors.

[Hannah’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book completely SHOCKED me! ✨

First, I was so happy to find out that Ivy Owens is Lauren's (Christina Lauren duo) penname.

Second I was jaw-on-the-floor surprised that I actually loved this celebrity romance. Normally that is among my least favorite tropes but it was executed perfectly in this case. 😙🤌

I was rooting for Gigi and Alec the whole time even though the book starts out with a 1 night stand (not a spoiler, it's on the back of the book). I was woried I would get the insta love ick like normal but I DIDNT! 😍 The childhood friends to lovers trope really saved me.

This was the perfect amount of sweet, fluffy romance but still with an amazing message and plot going on in the background. I loved Gigi and her ambitious journalistic self 💖

The characters in this book felt so real. There is so much potential for interconnected stand alones with some of the other characters you meet in this story. (Hint hint Ivy Owens)

Tropes: childhood friends to lovers, celebrity romance

Definitely look up content warnings it touched on surprisingly dark topics but in a sensitive way

[Kari Ann Sweeney · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a scorching 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐃 summer romance, add this to your TBR. PUB 08.23. Thanks @gallerybooks and @netgalley for the early copy.

Much like my friend @addie.yoder "I read through dinner and pretended like I didn't even have kids."

𝗪𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝗪:
Scorching, quick burn and sexy AF.
Childhood crush to adult connection
Well executed instant chemistry
Investigative journalism that adds to tension and creates suspense
Celebrity
Fast paced
Swoon worthy dialogue - “𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶?” “𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺.”
Are they hot for each other- yes. Do they care about each other beyond that- bigger YES!
CW- Sexual assault
Reminiscent of early Christina Lauren (ahem- wonder why?)

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you didn’t know, Ivy Owens is a name for Lauren from Cristina Lauren, and she wrote a book on her own! It was only okay though... it’s another low steam contemporary romance like the recent CLo books, which aren't my favorite. This time, the romance is between former childhood friends and he is also her former best friend’s brother.

Gigi is an investigative journalist who is trying to fly back home to LA, but then her flight gets stuck and she’s stranded in Seattle. This is when she reunites with her childhood crush Alec and they end up reconnecting and spending a night together. When they finally do fly back home to LA, Gigi discovers that Alec is, of all things now, a famous Korean drama actor. For some reason, she feels SUPER betrayed by this – that he didn’t tell her his job. But she herself has some secrets on her own because her latest assignment is now connected to Alec and his family.

I normally do enjoy celebrity romances, and I did like that we have a K drama actor in this one, but I just never fell in love with these characters, and at times the romance felt boring. It was nice to see want from Christina or Lauren is steamy books lol.

[Sarah Piotrowicz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot damn! This book surprised me. It's been on my want-to-read list for a while, but I somehow missed the fact that the author was Lauren Billings, one half of my favorite author team, Christina Lauren.

This book was pure candy. I would rather read this book than eat a whole bag of Starburst jelly beans (probably). If you want to be fanning yourself and asking, "Is it hot in here, or is it just me?" Then this is the book for you.

The story follows a young journalist working for the L.A. Times who is trying to break a big story about a sketchy nightclub in London where women are being drugged and assaulted. On her way home from London, she has a one-night stand with the older brother of her childhood best friend, and they decide to extend their relationship to a two-week fling while he is in L.A. Eventually, she realizes that Alec has a personal connection to her case, and her life starts to become more complicated. Does she tell her boss that she is sleeping with a potential source and risk being taken off the case? Drama ensues!

But in actuality, this book is about two kind, good, attractive people and their ridiculously sexy love life! :-P Just a perfect romance novel. :-)

[Jenny Lovez Bookz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was ok until it wasn't anymore. I got kinda bored and only made it to 60%. I'm having a hard time finishing books with no real depth lately 🫤

[Moni Lareva · Rating 1 out of 5]

No le he encontrado ningún sentido a esta historia. De verdad que no hay por donde cogerlo.

[Nieves · Rating 3 out of 5]

3'5 🌟 "Escandalízame" es una historia que esconde entre sus páginas un romance bonito y muy apasionado 🔥✈️🕶️❤️‍🔥

Gigi debe regresar a Estados Unidos después de pasarse varios días investigando un suceso en Londres. Su vuelo se cancela pero no es la única que debe pasar una noche en Londres, una de las personas que se ha quedado sin viajar es Alec, el hermano de su mejor amiga de la infancia. Un reencuentro muy excitante y dulce que marcará un antes y un después en sus vidas 🔥

Está narrado desde el punto de vista de la protagonista siendo los capítulos cortos. Asimismo, la novela contiene diálogos muy chispeantes lo que hace que sea una lectura muy ligera 🤭

El romance es muy intenso, los protagonistas tiene una química brutal y hay unas cuantas escenas spicy🔥

Aparte de la historia romántica, tenemos una pequeña trama de suspense que hace que la novela sea una mejor. Y otro pequeño secreto 💥

Debo destacar a un personaje secundario, Eden, la mejor amiga de Gigi. La vais adorar. Ojalá tener una novela de ella 💗

Antes de nada, Ivy Owens es el seudónimo de Lauren (una de la autora de Christina Lauren). Aprovecho para recomendaros sus historias. Me ha gustado mucho leer a la autora en solitario y he disfrutado un montón de la historia de Gigi y Alec. Es un libro donde las páginas pasan volando por el romance pero también por la parte de intriga que contiene. A los amantes de los kdramas os va a gustar mucho 😍

Si buscáis una novela fresca y con un romance intenso, debéis darle una oportunidad!💫

Reseña completa: https://www.instagram.com/p/CsRRSl-oa0S/

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The problem with Scandalized is I didn't buy anything that happened in it. It's an odd collection of tropes and plot ideas that never feels cohesive and the characters feel only 85% fleshed out. I didn't buy that a journalist with the LA Times whose roommate is a big fangirl wouldn't have seen an image of her childhood best friend's brother who is an internationally famous TV star, especially considering that roommate has a t-shirt with his face on it. I didn't buy that a supposedly workaholic rising star in investigative journalism would spend so much time lounging around in a five-star hotel suite banging a guy she essential just met in the midst of working on the biggest story of her career. I didn't buy that since it's her first major story her editor and legal and everyone else wouldn't be involved in every step of the process, thereby preventing the contrived low moment. I didn't buy either fight the MCs had (the first when Gigi found out Alec is famous and confronted him, the second when screwy journalism reported something that made Alec look bad) nor how quickly they made up and everything was fine. Perhaps most important of all, I didn't buy that the MCs should be together forever. They clearly have physical chemistry (lots of hot sex scenes, there's a plus) which is expected to do the heavy lifting in getting the reader to root for these two to have an HEA. It was such a missed opportunity for a build of emotional connection, conflict, and pining given their circumstances.

The writing style was fine, so I do think this author has potential. She just needed a different story, maybe. The jury's out on whether her future books will be for me.

Overall rating: 2.5
Hannah Angst Scale Rating: 1.5
Content notes: Sexual assault, FMC's ex was emotionally and financially manipulative, unsafe sex practices (opening condom with teeth, forgetting condom), on page alcohol use

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’re going to make me love you, aren’t you?”
“I’m sure going to try.”

The only thing I can say or ask is, what have I been doing with myself?

I’ve had this seating in my library since the day it came out, and I’ve been delaying reading this just for the fact that I had to prioritize other books, but anyway, I’ve been seeing early reviews all over my social media and Goodreads from friends, fellow bookstagrammers and some beloved authors. You can understand my curiosity.

I caved. Today I woke up and decided to not read the book I was supposed to read and read Scandalized instead. And let me tell you, BEST. DECISION. EVER.

I could not put this down. This book was like a k-drama come to life in the best way possible, it felt like a dream come true.

Right off the bat, the chemistry between Alec and Gigi is insane. I’m going to be honest, I’ve never read a book with so much chemistry, so intense and most importantly, so well displayed.
The way the author describes these heated moments makes them transport the reader into the scene and it feels like you’re the character, and surprisingly it’s not boring or over-detailed.

Gigi is animated, sweet, clumsy, fun and entertaining. I loved being inside her head and getting to know her. She’s Alec’s complete opposite but they fit like puzzle pieces.
Alec is more stoic, he’s also incredibly sweet. He’s actually a big teddy bear. He will do anything for the people he loves.

They had me swooning so hard, I was kicking my lungs in the air and giggling. The interactions between them are full of love and heat.

Another thing I loved, the suspense aspect in the plot. Unexpected but not unwelcome.

It was intriguing and it fit so well into the story. I also loved seeing Gigi’s work so highlighted and active.

This all made this book all more irresistible.

GO READ THIS!

TWs: mention of r@pe, mention of drugg!ng.

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Leed los TW antes de leer la novela✨
🌸 La historia me ha enamorado por completo. Es de estos libros que una vez los empiezas, no puedes parar de leerlos y de pensar en él hasta que los acabas.
🌸 Los personajes me han fascinado y no he podido evitar enamorarme de ellos desde un primer instante. Ambos tienen un inicio increíble y una conexión que enamora. Gigi es periodista y la historia que investiga te mantiene muy intrigada durante toda la novela. Después Alec es un famoso actor coreano que está triunfando en todo el mundo. No os podéis imaginar como de fogosa es su historia de amor, lo apasionada y lo bonita qué es.
🌸 Me ha encantado como escribe la autora. Sabía que sería así, ya que es una parte de Christina Lauren, pero pensé que podría ser peor por separado, pero no ha sido así.
🌸 Es una lectura muy romántica, con muchas escenas +18 muy bien escritas ❤️‍🔥🙊 y con personajes con gran química.
🌸 La historia de amor me ha encantado, pero como os digo la historia secundaria que investiga Gigi me ha gustado un montón. ¿Creo que se le podría haber sacado más drama? Pues también. Pero ha tenido el justo para darle una emoción distinta a la novela 🥰

[jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don’t know why this was removed from my shelf 🙄 but i know i finished this book. do i remember anything? absolutely not

[Sammie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOSH THIS BOOK!!!!! I’m so glad I found this, what a freaking GEM! Ahhhhh. Man, the high of reading an amazing book for the first time is great, I couldn’t put this one down! Okay. I’m calm. Calmish. Gigi is an investigative journalist, six months off the heels of a long term relationship gone wrong. She’s traveling from London when her plane is delayed by a day, and she catches a glimpse of a blast from the past. Her childhood best friends brother Alec, six years older than her, who moved to London 14 years ago. They reconnect and he offers his suite-the hotel is booked. One thing leads to another which was the hottest night of both their lives.

They finally land in LA and she finds out what he omitted. He’s a freaking famous actor now! And he also is connected to the criminal case she’s working on. They start a relationship that they keep hidden due to his celebrity and her manning the article, and it’s so well done and just chalk full of sweetness, gotta have you now, obviously full blown love. Of course, things go amiss and it blows up in both of their faces, leaving them devastated and fairly well bungled miscommunication.

“We’ll be at the same event?” His shoulders slump, and I immediately understand. “Without the ability to talk to each other,” I say, nodding. “Or make out in the corner.” “Get a really ugly dress,” he commands. “No way, I’m going to get something slutty.” “Wool turtleneck.” “Short enough to find religion.”

I really loved this, and I normally don’t care for stories about famous people. Alec was so in tune with his feelings and unafraid to voice them, and I freaking loved that so much. Gigi was really determined and strong, without being overly stubborn and IN YOUR FACE FEMALE BADASS and I loved her too! And Eden was a treat, their drinking game night was so fun to read about and I effing loved the epilogue. ADORED THIS TO PIECES!

[Lianna Cohen (GetLitWithLianna) · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST CELEB ROMANCE BOOKS I'VE EVER READ!! Ivy Owens is a freakin' force! This book is the perfect blend of celebrity romance, friends to lovers, brother's best friend, forced proximity, secret dating THAT I'VE EVER READ! I cannot deal.

The steam in this book is unmatched. It's beyond open door. Ivy waits all of 15 pages before turning up the heat and this could be my favourite thing about her. I was hooked from the first pages and legit could not put this one down.

Alec is my dream hero for all the right reasons. Gigi is the most badass strong heroine any romance book could ask for. The book deals with sexual assault in reference to an ongoing investigation so I would be weary of any trigger warnings... but seriously, do NOT skip out on this one. It gave me EVERY feel possibly. I'm still reeling. Biggest. Book. Hangover. Ever.

FIVE +++++ GLORIOUS STARS! I need more.

[Consuelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

No he visto ninguna serie coreana ni telenovela que se le asemeje y quizá por eso para mí no tiene tanto encanto el libro, me ha resultado simple, un instanlove de 14 días, si queridas todo en 14 dias, tres polvos hasta el 60% y poco más.....
Una investigación que por momentos me ha parecido hasta absurda, un aceleron del 70% hacia delante para resolverlo todo de forma apresurada y luego un epílogo final
Últimamente no encuentro joyas, quizá tenga que cambiar de género ....¿fantasía?