Steamy hatefuck scale: 4/5

• They do insult each other a lot, but it comes off as more playful flirting/playground banter than anything with real heat. When they actually do say something cruel, it's acknowledged in-universe as taking a step too far. For a lighthearted romance novel, I think it's standard.

Secret softness scale: 4/5

• The only thing stopping me from giving this a 3/5 is the sickness subplot. Basically, Andrew catches the flu and Georgie takes care of him. Then Georgie catches it too and he takes care of her. It was so cute, oh my god. Other than that... there isn't a lot of lovey dovey introspective "you're perfect for me" conversations between them. Well, in the end, Andrew sings his Big Confession... so bonus points.

Rating the experience: 5/5

• The audiobook was several hours long but I finished it in two days (albeit at 1.75x the speed). The writing is snappy, funny, and easy to digest. I couldn't get enough of it! My only real issue is that it started dragging by the end (after the smut scene), but at that point Layne was tying up loose ends for Andrew's character growth, so I can forgive it.

For Fans of Fierce Heroine X and Broody Hero Y:
Georgie is so bubbly, kind, and lovable. She reminds me of Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. She might seem like a fashion-obsessed socialite ditz, but she's actually quite intelligent. And she cares for other people deeply. She's unbelievably precious.

Andrew is honestly one of those stock jerk-who-learns-to-love characters lmao. He's stoic, cool, and unbelievably smart... which isolates him from others. Huh. That actually sounds like Prince Rhen from A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Agree?

On to the actual review...

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Pampered heiress Georgianna Watkins has a party-girl image to maintain, but all the shopping and clubbing is starting to feel a little bit hollow—and a whole lot lonely. Though Georgie would never admit it, the highlights of her week are the mornings when she comes home at the same time as her uptight, workaholic neighbor is leaving to hit the gym and put in a long day at the office. Teasing him is the most fun Georgie’s had in years—and the fuel for all her naughtiest daydreams.

Celebrity divorce attorney Andrew Mulroney doesn’t have much time for women, especially spoiled tabloid princesses who spend more time on Page Six than at an actual job. Although Georgie’s drop-dead gorgeous, she’s also everything Andrew resents: the type of girl who inherited her penthouse instead of earning it. But after Andrew caps one of their predawn sparring sessions with a surprise kiss—a kiss that’s caught on camera—all of Manhattan is gossiping about whether they’re a real couple. And nobody’s more surprised than Andrew to find that the answer just might be yes.

It's very straightforward: Georgia is a happy, bubbly socialite. Andrew is the cold-hearted top divorce lawyer. They're neighbors and they cannot get along. They hate each other! Or do they...?

It's technically a slow-burn because of the hate-to-love trope, but I would still categorize this as an insta-love novel. There's no subtlety to it lol. Andrew and Georgie might think they hate each other, but they quickly realize that they are at least physically attracted to each other. Plus, they're complete opposites, so their friendship isn't a normal one. They acknowledge that they have absolutely nothing in common (except that both of them love the color red). But since opposites attract, they make it work.

Here are some of the tropes in WALK OF SHAME:

1. Hate to love and snarky banter

2. "Ugh s/he's not here I am so annoyed and it is NOT because I have feelings" (basically: denial)

3. A kiss in the rain

4. Taking care of their partner while sick

5. Big apology as love confession

6. Everyone Else Ships It

I honestly don't have much to say about this book. Georgie eventually realizes that she wants a life with more than just parties, but she stays the same throughout the novel. It's Andrew that goes through character development. He eventually learns how to listen to his heart. Does that sound cheesy? It is, but it was pretty cute!

By the way, the summary is misleading but this is not a fake-dating or a Gossip Girl type of novel. Sure, their kiss is caught on camera, but it doesn't add much drama to the story. In fact, it just makes Georgie's friends back off from pursuing Andrew so they can cheer her on instead.

TL;DR A quick, lighthearted, fun romance read. Rated 3/5 stars. 

It took me way too long to find them...

Steamy hatefuck scale: 2/5

• Honestly, it's so funny how much heat they lack considering who they are. At one point Kate shoves August against some lockers. At one point August yells at Kate for being terrible. But they never do it with the real intent to harm each other. Even when they realize they are enemies, they can't bring themselves to hurt each other. So, absolutely zero hatefuck, but that's not a bad thing. Read on below to learn why the dynamic is still so appealing.

Secret softness scale: 5/5

• IT'S AMAZING HOW TWO MONSTROUS CHARACTERS CAN BE SO SOFT WITH EACH OTHER. There's a significant difference with how August and Kate act with other people... versus with each other. They see through each other's bullshit. They know they're both outcasts, both different, both struggling. It's so beautiful to see them click. They have a tradition of sitting with each other by the track field every day—two kids who would so much rather be alone, but end up together. They slowly reveal their pasts, their insecurities, their true selves. And they just get so much closer from then on.

I actually gave a shit about other things scale: 4/5

• August is so sweet and adorable but honestly, I'm in love with Leo. Maybe bastard characters are just my type lol. His motivations make perfect sense despite the plot twist. The novel's setting is also kind of weird; I originally assumed it was dystopian, not urban fantasy, but eventually I got into it. My only real complaint is that I wish we could spend more time with the other characters because everyone was so intriguing! I loved Ilsa. I loved Sloan. I even miss August's schoolmates. 

August is a sad, adorable, shy monster boy who does not want to kill people even if he's forced to. But he loves his family above everything and will do all it takes to protect them. He's a cross between Azriel from A Court of Thorns and Roses and... Shinji Ikari from Neon Genesis Evangelion, maybe? I promise that's a good thing!! He just wants so desperately to be human. To be normal.

Kate, in contrast, wants nothing more than to prove her monstrosity so her father will finally acknowledge her. But as cruel as she acts... it's just an act. She's actually a good person. She reminds me of Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender. FYI, I freaking loved Kate from the beginning.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

The City of Verity is divided into two. The North is ruled by Callum Harker, a ruthless man who demands payment for his protection. Forget payment and you'll be fed to the monsters he keeps. Henry Flynn rules the South. Here he treats the three deadliest monsters as family—he's adopted them as his children—and also commands a task force that keeps his citizens safe. But everyone, no matter where they are, lives in fear of the monsters hiding in the dark. Harker and Flynn may rule, but their power is tenuous at best—they're only both human.

Kate Harker just wants her father to love her. So she tries to be as cruel as he is; she commits arson, threatens her schoolmates, and kills monsters. August Flynn just wants to be normal. But he can't, because his father is Henry Flynn, and his brother Leo is a zealous monster who takes pride in killing criminals. When Kate and August meet at school, August knows he has to keep an eye on her... and possibly hurt her, if necessary. But both of them are outcasts who don't fit in, so they're instantly drawn to each other.


I want to emphasize that THIS SAVAGE SONG is not actually a romance novel. It's an urban fantasy with hints of romance. And unlike other fantasies, it actually starts quite slow. Kate and August spend lots of time dealing with their own internal struggles, unsuccessfully fitting in at school, and interacting with their family. It takes a while for the plot to get rolling. And when they do meet, August is hiding his true identity, so they don't actually act like enemies.

Normally, this would make me dismiss it as not truly enemies to lovers. But August and Kate's interactions are just so sincere, well-developed, and believable. Kate sees through August's attempts to blend in. August sees through Kate's attempts to be a cold-hearted bitch. He's the only one that isn't afraid of her. She's the only one that knows what it's like to be different. They fit.

And while it doesn't have the usual romance aspects (SPOILER: they don't kiss or confess their feelings, at least not in Book 1), it still feels like one. You can tell that they really do care for each other. They have amazing chemistry. They have no reason to keep saving each other and yet they do, over and over again. There is love there—so wickedly ironic, considering August is a monster who struggles with human emotions, and Kate tries so desperately to be monstrous and inhuman.

It's a brilliant dynamic, and I recommend this book just for it. The characters are so likable too. I adored Kate from the start because I'm always a fan of ferocious female characters. August is so deliciously conflicted; he just wants to be normal and human.

And their interactions with their family members are also wonderful. August really loves his family. Leo and Ilsa (his adopted siblings), despite being monsters too, show that they care in their own way. August does say that Ilsa loves Leo. And while he canonically says Leo can't love anyone—I personally disagree. He's twisted, but he does show that he cares—he just does it in such a monstrous way.

Kate, too, is so well fleshed out. She really loved her mother. She just wants to be acknowledged by her father. Her character is just so achingly real. Both August and Kate are relatable on so many levels.

Now this is a proper enemies to lovers. Crier and Ayla are really out to kill each other from the beginning. And I'm excited to see how their relationship will develop. The universe sounds so cool too... It gives me Nier: Automata vibes.

Crier's War will be released on October 1, 2019 by Harper Teen.