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I’ve read enough of Shen’s books to catch when she’s pulling from her own earlier work, and this one gave me tiny glimpses of Vicious here and there.

now that's not the way to convince someone because uh, Vicious is... controversial, to put it mildly. 😂 but no hate to Vicious Spencer ever.

that said, i regret putting this one off for so long because it was honestly such a fun ride. The characters were strong, distinct, and actually had personalities. it got a little ridiculous at times, but in a way that worked because it was all tied together with a surprisingly nice plot.

�� Arya Roth (h) and Christian Miller (H) a.k.a. Nicholai, met when they were twelve. Christian was her maid’s son, and they spent summers together until they were fourteen. that’s when they shared their first kiss, got caught, and he was sent away by her father. Arya was led to believe for years that he’d died.

the revenge was served to Christian on a platter as a sexual harassment case against Arya’s father, and how he made him sweat? Chef’s kiss. there's something really hot about lawyers... another vicious praise

the flashback chapters of Arya and Christian’s childhood summers—reading, playing, swimming contests. It was just so wholesome, so content in its own way. i loved those chapters and their on n off fights.

i didn’t expect to feel as bad for Christian as I did. his backstory was brutal. neglected by his own mother, shunned and looked down upon because of Arya’s father, waiting hours for a mom who never showed up, dealing with hunger and poverty—it was rough.

Shen does this thing where she writes these irredeemable assholes but gives them just enough of a tragic edge that I can’t hate them. like 😭

Arya was such a standout. Headstrong, independent, sarcastic, and brimming with confidence. she didn’t care what anyone thought, and I loved that about her. she wouldnt let anyone walk all over her and glad that she actually had braincells to just know when someone's bullshitting.

the whole “not recognizing his face�� bit was a little ridiculous! like, how much can a fourteen-year-old change in 18 years? But considering Arya thought he was dead, it kind of tracks why she wouldn’t even entertain the idea that Christian was Nicholai.

Christian’s obsession with Arya was next-level. Like, lovesick-puppy obsessed. He kept telling himself he hated her, but nah, he was desperate for her, and it was so satisfying to read. and ffs i didn’t expect groveling in this book, but it delivered. Maybe not a lot of it, and yeah, it had Vicious vibes, but I devoured it. 🥹

him resigning from his firm after just making partner? Waiting outside her building for hours? damn sometimes i love a lil bare minimum..

Some might not call it peak groveling, but the reasons behind it were so on point. And the ending, with Arya’s mother reconciling with her? a perfect bow on the whole story.

Honestly, Shen does it again—assholes with justifiable trauma, strong heroines, and a touch of jealousy, push and pull and banter. I’m glad I finally picked this one up.