Ruinous Desires

This is my first read of 2026, and the rest of this year's books will be held to the standard set by Ruinous Desires. It's kinky, tense, filled with dark comedy, emotional moments, and an amazing enemies to lovers arc. I hated Levi at first, but at the end of the book, I was ready to get on my knees for him. AND ARYA! Oh my god... this woman is my newest girl-crush. I want to be her when I grow up. 5 chili peppers 5 stars for plot 5 stars for character development 5 stars because I will NEVER forget it.

Ruinous Desires delivers on everything I was salivating for! Arya is a litigation attorney who takes on a client with dark dealings... Levi is a spy who blackmails her for information on her client, only to fall for her. It's tense, it's high-stakes, it's action-packed, and it's HOT!! The spicy scenes had me sweating. Also, those plot twists... amazing.

A cutthroat lawyer + a deadly spy + forced proximity + blackmail + obsession??? The tension is UNHINGED. Levi is the blueprint: morally grey, terrifyingly competent, and absolutely radiating touch her and die vibes. Arya doesn’t fold for anyone, which somehow makes him even worse about her. The chemistry is electric, the spice is HOT hot, and the twists just keep coming. If you like dangerous men who fall hard and women who refuse to be owned, this will ruin you.

This romantic suspense novel is an absolute banger. Arya and Levi's chemistry is off the charts, pulling you into their forbidden attraction amid insane stakes. The tension, hot romance, and nation-threatening twists make it a total page-turner. 5 stars!

This book is a literal masterclass in obsession, power, lust, and forbidden desire. From the first chapter, the tension is insane—the author throws a cut throat attorney in with a lethal spy, and morality blurs until you’re no longer sure who the real villain is… and you don’t care. Arya Knight is razor-sharp and ruthlessly ambitious, the kind of heroine who would chase lucifer with a baseball bat if she felt like it. Levi Thorn is everything us morally grey girlies adore: dangerous, broken, dark, brooding, calculated, manipulative, and terrifyingly devoted to his mission... until Arya becomes the one variable he can’t eliminate OR resist. Their chemistry is delectable, and the slowburn had me on EDGE. What truly elevates this story is how the plot is so beautifully interwoven with the romance. It has the action AND the devious (and kinky) spice. If you love VERY morally gray heroes, high-stakes suspense, and romances where attraction feels like a fatal flaw, this book will consume you. Dark, addictive, and impossible to put down. I WANT BOOK 2 NOW!

This book had me SWEATING. Morally grey spy, cutthroat lawyer, insane tension, filthy chemistry, and full touch her and die vibes. I need book two immediately.

Obsessed with this book. Levi is dark and devious and Arya is tough-as-nails and a total badass. I want Mailei's book now!!!

This book just gets better and better as you read it. It’s different from the start since its lawyer cop theme, but chemistry and banter is instant with the MMC and FMC. He falls first, somewhat fake dating in it as well. A must read!