⭐⭐⭐⭐/6.
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶.

Malone is on a mission/ revenge and we knew of it from the previous book but not the revenge part. He wants revenge against Scarlett's father so what does he do when he puts his plans into motion? He inserts himself in Scarlett's life, makes a deal with her and makes her his fake fiancé in exchange for protection to her family except not everything goes according to plan.
He didn't plan on having chemistry with her and he certainly didn't plan on liking her and like some people say, you can run but you can't hide which seems accurate when talking about Malone.

I must say I struggled at times with him because he was such an a-- to Scarlett, said not very nice things to her just to be an a-- but then in his pov he would feel a certain way or say it was just to keep up the ruse where it comes to a point where I couldn't trust him at all so I was a bit skeptical of him and what would happen to him and Scarlett.

Scarlett was a nice surprise. She was easily distracted by Malone's seduction but she wasn't gullible and she knew that he wasn't who he wanted her to believe he was. She didn't coward easily either but the most important thing was that when it mattered, she was smart when i thought she wouldn't, and what a nice surprise that was. Scarlett had a spine and somewhat of an attitude and I liked that.

The finale was illuminating to say the least. The truth was revealed, people survived, emotions were at an all time high and The knights were there watching it unfold. In this instance I wished Scarlett wasn't so soft because imo someone needed to not be present anymore (if you know what I mean👀) however Malone got closure as best as he could so I can't complain.
He lied from the beginning so I don't get why he just took off. I mean, i do. He got scared and like a coward, he just gave up the thing his fellow Knights have. Love.
Not too happy about his decision but it didn't take long to come back and fix the error of his ways.
Scarlett put things into motion to get him there and she made him admit his feelings but I wish it was the other way around because he was the one who lied all along yet she was the one to take the first step and she even asked him to marry him which let me just say, I love a fmc who is the one to pop the question and not the mmc so I'm not bad about that. 😌
Their relationship is based on a bdsm dynamic so take that as you will. Imo i wished we could've had a bit more of them just coexisting and not going at it for what felt like every chapter. Now I liked those spicyy times but it felt like too much at a certain point but I guess that's just my preference.

Either way it's a solid 4 star read and I hope you enjoy Scarlett & Malone!
Smith is next! Like what?! It didn't even cross my mind he would have his book because he feels too mysterious and dare I say old? 😂 Don't worry, I think of him as a hot silver fox and I'm all over that but I wonder if I'm even right about that. I feel like we don't even know his age except that he has a daughter but this man is like a dark mysterious mist and I don't know what to make of him except that I'm excited for his story and to finally know what elusive Smith is all about.

* I read an arc of this book. *