Skip to main content

Review: Poisoned Ivy (Legacies #1) by Ava Rani


Poisoned Ivy (Legacies #1) by Ava Rani is LIVE NOW!

Purchase Here: https://amazon.com/dp/B0FMKFX4MK


Tropes:
🍂 Ivy League university
🍂 Secret Society
🍂 Reformed Playboy
🍂 Rich Kid Shenanigans
🍂 South Asian FMC living a Double Life
🍂 College Romance
🍂 Cozy mystery
🍂 Spicy
🍂 Maxton Hall meets Rory Gilmore’s college years


Blurb
Never Have I ever meets Rory Gilmore's college years in this decadent college romance that equal parts passion, privilege and mystery.

Malena Amin is two people.

At home, she the respectable, rule-abiding daughter that her controlling family expects. At her prestigious Ivy-League University, she’s the risk-taking, adventurous woman that she wants to be. With parents who demand to know her location settings at all times, Malena uses a secret phone and secret bank account to make her double life possible.

But when her tutoring job falls through, she hits a snag in funding that double life. So, Malena sets her eyes on the prize money from a National feature-writing contest through the school paper. And when she intercepts an invitation to an ultra-exclusive secret society on campus—she has the perfect story.

She’ll attend, lay low, and get an inside look.

Unfortunately, she’s discovered early in the night by the notorious playboy and Hastings Media heir: Conrad Hastings.

The frustratingly attractive Conrad doesn’t aspire to anything other than a good time. But when his newspaper-magnate father discovers that he’s delinquent on work for the school paper, Conrad needs to complete it before his father can make good on an ultimatum. So, he agrees to let Malena into the secret society—temporarily— if she agrees to share a byline on the article they’ll write together. Conrad fulfils his obligations, and Malena gets the inside look she needs for the contest.

But, the two soon discover an art world mystery hidden between lavish parties and Gothic libraries. And more concerningly: a palpable spark between them. With new clues unraveling before them, mounting desire they can’t ignore and Malena’s web of lies threatening to collapse—their partnership becomes a lot more than a simple deal.

MY REVIEW


Malena's parents are so controlling that she's had to lie to them about where she is, who she is, and what she's doing, AT ALL TIMES. She should be able to enjoy her college experience like any other student, but with her parents always worried about what everyone else thinks, she's in a cage of their expectations. Then Conrad Hastings finds his way into her life (or is it the other way around?) and they somehow manage to find themselves in a thing. She might not have mentioned her double life to him, and he might not have mentioned his dad's expectations of him, but they can be their true selves with each other for however long this thing lasts.

It's true that Poisoned Ivy gives major GG vibes. Malena's a different kind of heroine, though, than Rory, and I adored her as much as I felt for her. Her parents, especially her mom, are the worst, but Malena is so strong she's able to forge her own family unit in Sabrina, Cora, Avani, and finally, Conrad. When she stood up to her parents and realized her true feelings for Conrad, I was smiling and cheering her on. I wanted Con and Mal to be a real couple from their first meeting on page, but they were giving me some anxiety, wondering just how they were going to work things out. Thank God they figured things out because if ever a couple deserved each other, deserved love, it's these two. I haven't been in college in longer than I care to admit, and I haven't watched Gilmore Girls in a long time, but Malena and Conrad have me nostalgic for both. Their chemistry is sizzling, the cozy mystery is the perfect background subplot, and the found family members unit have me really excited to read their stories next.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: One Little Lie by Whitney Barbetti

Review of One Little Lie by Whitney Barbetti ONE LITTLE LIE Hollis is a good girl with a crush on a broody musician. Unfortunately, that boy, Adam, hates her. Why? Because the chip on his shoulder leaves him thinking good girl, rich girl Hollis is a lemming like everyone else in their small town. Which makes it even more unfortunate when years after their high school encounter, Hollis' best friend tries to stick up for her and ends up telling her parents that Adam is the the boyfriend Hollis doesn't actually have. Oops. How will Hollis ever convince Adam to go along with her little lie? I really liked One Little Lie. Hollis is a really naive girl, but she has such a huge heart that I couldn't help but fall in love with her spirit. She's so sweet, so compassionate, the kind of person this world needs more of. Adam, on the other hand, eh, he didn't do much for me. His chip on the shoulder, broody asshole attitude did nothing to endear me to him, but because H...

Review Blitz: The Challenge by Penelope Ward

Title: The Challenge: A Single Dad Romance Author: Penelope Ward Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance Tropes: Single Dad, Second Chance, Forced Proximity Friends to Lovers, Small Town, Found Family Release Date: August 30, 2026 BLURB From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward comes a new, STANDALONE contemporary romance… Nothing says welcome home like accidentally moving in with your first heartbreak…and his little girl. Coming back to my small Wyoming hometown was supposed to be temporary. I only planned to stay long enough to help my ailing mother and sort through the mess of my family’s old belongings. Instead, I somehow ended up living in Evan Ricci’s house. The single dad now owned a bunch of properties and one of them was the place I’d rented. He’d taken it off the market and moved in before I got there. I just never got the memo. Unfortunately, there was no other place in town available, so Evan let me stay. Evan—the guy my parents took in years a...

Review / Release Blitz: Because You're Mine by S.A. Clayton

NEW RELEASE Release Date: February 21 Buy Here Quinn can’t see a way out of this mess. Her uncle just passed away, leaving her his struggling pub and she’s fighting to keep her head above water. The only bright spot of her days is when Wes comes in. Wes, the boy that she had a crush on in high school and who just moved back to town. When Wes asks her out, she wonders if she can really handle a new relationship on top of everything else on her plate. Wes can’t stay away. He just got back to town and has been stopping by Quinn’s pub every night for a chance to see the feisty woman that he’s always had a crush on. When he sees how stressed she is, all he wants to do is help, but Quinn turns him down. When Wes goes behind her back to help, will Quinn be able to forgive him or will Wes lose the girl of his dreams? MY REVIEW Quinn doesn't know why her old high school crush, Wes, keeps hanging out at her bar every night, but she does know it's not because ...