There was a lot of chatter when Scandalized by Ivy Owens first released about who this author really was. Eventually, Lauren Billings, aka Lauren of Christina Lauren, came out and admitted it was her. I was already interested in this book based on how Christina talked about it. The gorgeous cover and little I knew of the plot sold me even more.

Scandalized [Buy Bookshop Amazon] follows an investigative journalist named Gigi. A cancelled flight leaves her stranded and frustrated, but she runs into the brother of a childhood friend. She catches up with Alec, and one thing leads to another. The steamy scenes are definitely on par to what you’d expect from a CLo story, so gird your loins, friends.

However, things get a little messy when Alec reveals he’s now a pretty famous K-Drama star breaking into the U.S., and his family might have ties to the story Gigi is about to break. She is investigating a serious story, so definitely check the trigger warnings if you need them.

I just love this book so much. It’s not your average romance novel where the plot is severely lacking in depth. Scandalized takes on some pretty tough topics while also being sweet and steamy. It’s a hard line to walk, but Lauren does it beautifully. Plus you get the bonus of classic tropes like friends to lovers, secret dating, celebrity dating, etc. It’s just a well-rounded novel and I’m here for it.

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