Ivy Owens, the author of Scandalized, is actually a pseudonym for very popular writer Lauren Billings of Christina Lauren fame. I was in the second I found out because I love everything Christina and Lauren write. Plus, who doesn’t love a story about a regular person having a whirlwind affair with a celebrity?

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.

I had pretty high expectations here—and I still loved it. I love Christina Lauren, so it makes sense that I would also like Lauren on her own…especially with an extra spice factor.

What didn’t work for me

The meet-cute: I had to find something that didn’t work for me, so let’s just say I don’t find it believable that a journalist wouldn’t know who a massive KDrama star was…especially when that person is her ex-best friend’s brother. That part was a stretch. She would have known he was famous.

What I liked

The communication: I loved that these characters actually talked to each other. They got to know each other and would discuss when problems came up. Obviously, there were some misfires, as there are in any relationship, but this felt real and is part of why I liked this story so much.

The spice: This is sexier than I thought it would be. And I loved every second of it.

4.5 STARS

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