Book Review: Scandalized

I heard about Scandalized by Ivy Owens last year when it came out and I saw multiple good reviews for it saying it was fun, a quick read, and deliciously spicy. And bonus – Ivy Owens is the pen name for the Lauren from Christina Lauren!

Scandalized follows Georgia Ross or Gigi, a journalist for an LA newspaper. After spending the past few weeks in London working on a scandalous and explosive story, she just wants to get home to LA, sleep, and finish writing her story. When her connecting flight in Seattle is delayed for hours, the passengers are forced to find accommodations for the night. While waiting at the airport she sees a man, a few years older than her, who is very good looking and looks so familiar. It’s not until she sees him in the hotel lobby that she realizes he is Alec Kim – the older brother of her childhood best friend whom she used to have a huge crush on before Kim family moved to London when Gigi was 13.

After she approaches him, Alec remembers her too. Of course, there are no rooms left at the hotel and Alec offers Gigi share his suite with him. The two have an instant chemistry and end up having a hot night together. Originally planning for this to be a one-night fling, it’s immediately clear that they both enjoy each other’s company so much that neither of them want this to be a one-time thing. However, Alec is only in LA for a short period of time. Oh and unbeknownst to Gigi when she first reconnects with him, Alec is now known by his full name, Alexander Kim, and is a mega star in the UK and South Korea for his acting skills and heartthrob good looks. Despite their feelings for each other can the two make it work when they live in different countries, Alec is super famous, and he may have a connection to the scandalous story Gigi is about to break?

I loved this book. Gigi and Alec were both great characters and I loved their shared history and how well they got along and connected as adults. Alec being 6 years older, he was aware of Gigi but only as his little sister’s friend. Gigi was infatuated with Alec, so it was fun to see her grab his attention as an adult. When the conflict occurs, it was so well written that I really felt all the emotions Gigi was feeling, which is a serious mix of lots of emotions. The book was really entertaining and a quick, spicy read.

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