Better than Revenge by EJ Blaise - Heath "down bad" Belfort the PhD holder on being a green flag (Netgalley ARC Review)🏊♀️🌊❤️🔥
Rating: 4/5⭐
First and foremost i would like to thank Author E J Blaise and the publisher for giving me the ARC of the book in return for an honest review. Im truly grateful.
✨ A Soft Glimpse
A fake dating romance featuring a black cat swimmer, a golden retriever surfer who has been hopelessly obsessed for years, and enough yearning to make your heart melt. This book was sweet, swoony, emotional, and proof that sometimes the person who sees you the most clearly is the one who has been quietly loving you all along.
🌸 My Thoughts...
While starting this book, I had a lot of skepticism. I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the characters or where the story was heading, and for a brief moment, I wondered if it was going to be a book that simply wasn't for me.
Well.
It only took a few chapters for me to completely devour it.
This book was a bit of a rollercoaster, and honestly? I absolutely loved the ride.
A girl who has no interest in love and a man whose favorite hobby is loving her?
Yes.
That's exactly what we're talking about.
Because Heath "Down Bad" Belfort didn't just raise the standard for fictional men—he grabbed it, launched it into another dimension, and told the rest of them to figure it out.
The story follows Daniella Williams, a competitive swimmer who has built walls so high nobody can get through them, and Heath Belfort, a swimmer and surfer who has been absolutely gone for her for years without her even realizing it.
After Daniella discovers her ex has cheated on her, she's determined to get revenge (as she absolutely should), and that's where Heath enters the picture.
A fake dating proposal.
A man who has secretly been obsessed with her forever.
And a plan that was doomed from the start because there was absolutely no way Heath Belfort was saying no.
💞 What Made Me Swoon
Let's talk about Heath.
Actually no.
Let's TALK about Heath.
Because this man was down bad in ways that should probably be studied professionally.
The moment Daniella suggested fake dating, my man practically accepted like she had just proposed marriage.
Honestly, if she had pulled out a ring instead, I'm convinced he would've said yes to that too.
The level of devotion this man possessed was honestly unreal.
The way he noticed every tiny detail about her.
The way he was constantly orbiting around her like she was the sun and he was helplessly caught in her gravity.
The way he became the one constant in her life.
The way he saw beyond her walls, her defenses, and the version of herself she showed the world.
The way he saw her.
And every time he learned something new about her, he somehow fell even harder.
Sir.
Please.
Leave some standards for the rest of mankind.
The patience.
The devotion.
The obsession.
Everything about him screamed, "There has never been anyone else and there never will be."
And honestly?
I ate it up.
🌹 Daniella Williams, My Girl
I absolutely loved Daniella.
While everyone around her seemed to view her as cold, distant, and robotic, all I saw was a girl who cared deeply and simply wanted to be loved the way she deserved.
She was strong. Independent. Focused.
But underneath all of that was someone who desperately wanted to be seen.
And somehow Heath became the one person who truly did.
Watching Daniella slowly lower her walls and allow herself to trust someone was such a beautiful journey.
She might not have been the most expressive with her words, but her actions spoke volumes.
And once she started falling for Heath?
It was impossible not to root for her.
Although...
Sweetie.
Open your eyes.
The man of your dreams is literally standing right in front of you.
The level of obliviousness this girl possessed had me wanting to gently shake her shoulders.
But that's also part of what made her journey so satisfying.
And can we talk about her ex for a second? Because every time that man appeared on page, my irritation levels skyrocketed.
Respectfully.
Get a life.
💔 What Stayed With Me
What stayed with me most wasn't just the romance.
It was how deeply Heath understood Daniella.
The way he remained patient.
The way he never asked her to be anyone other than herself.
The way he loved every version of her—even the ones she struggled to love herself.
There was something incredibly comforting about their relationship.
What started as revenge and fake dating slowly turned into something real, meaningful, and impossible to ignore.
And I loved watching every second of it.
🌙 A Final Thought
This book definitely surprised me.
What started as uncertainty quickly became a story I couldn't put down.
Was it predictable at times?
Yes.
I could see certain plot points coming from a mile away.
Normally that's something that bothers me, but for some reason it didn't here.
Maybe because I was simply having too much fun watching Heath Belfort be absolutely obsessed.
The one thing I truly wished for was a dual POV.
I would've given anything to spend more time inside Heath's head because I just know his thoughts would've been absolutely unhinged in the best possible way.
But even with that, I thoroughly enjoyed this story.
The characters, the chemistry, the fake dating, the yearning, the devotion, and Heath freaking Belfort himself made this such a fun and memorable read.
I would absolutely recommend it.
🩷Fake Dating
🩷Black cat x Golden Retriever
🩷Grumpy Sunshine
🩷Opposites Attract
🩷Found Family
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