From the publisher:
Feel the drama and passion in the Dynasties: Seven Sins series!
She’s just a friend but he craves so much more…
His unbridled appetites could cost him everything.
Ryan Hathaway isn’t about to let his friend marry the wrong guy—not when the right guy is him. But getting out of Jessie Acosta’s friend zone could destroy his plans to become Black Crescent’s CEO. He can’t afford to give in to the overwhelming temptation of wanting her. But with another man looming in Jessie’s life, Ryan can’t afford not to…
Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.
One man’s betrayal can destroy generations. Fifteen years ago, a hedge-fund hotshot vanished with billions, leaving the high-powered families of Falling Brook changed forever. Now seven heirs, shaped by his betrayal, must reckon with the sins of the past. Passion may be their only path to redemption. Experience all Seven Sins!
DYNASTIES: SEVEN SINS
Book 1: Ruthless Pride by Naima Simone
This CEO’s pride led him to give up his dreams for his family. Now he’s drawn to the woman who threatens everything…
Book 2: Forbidden Lust by Karen Booth
He’s always resisted his lust for his best friend’s sister—until they’re stranded together in paradise…
Book 3: Insatiable Hunger by Yahrah St. John
His unbridled appetite for his closest friend is unleashed when he believes she’s fallen for the wrong man…
Book 4: Hidden Ambition by Jules Bennett
Ambition has taken him far, but revenge could cost him his one chance at love…
Book 5: Reckless Envy by Joss Wood
When this shark in the boardroom meets the one woman he can’t have, envy takes over…
Book 6: Untamed Passion by Cat Schield
Will this black sheep’s self-destructive wrath flame out when he’s expecting an heir of his own?
Book 7: Slow Burn by Janice Maynard
If he’s really the idle playboy his family claims, will his inaction threaten a reunion with the woman who got away?
Review:
Insatiable Hunger is a standalone novel in the multi-authored Dynasties: Seven Sins series and features a ‘friends to lovers’ trope romance.
The story actually begins fifteen years earlier, when a swindler, Vernon Lowell steals millions of dollars from both his family and clients at Black Crescent Hedge Fund. He later disappears, leaving the wreckage of destitute families in his wake, including Jessie Acosta’s. The Dynasties: Seven Sins series follows the stories of the heirs and families impacted by Lowell’s actions. It’s a compelling premise and a great way to tie all the stories in the series together.
We learn that while the loss of everything they own sends Jessie’s father into a spiral of depression, while her mother holds it together, working to keep a roof over their heads and pushing Jessie and her brother to be their best in school, resulting in a scholarship to their private school. Ryan Hathaway is Jessie’s best friend who’s been secretly in love with her since he was six. He’s sweet, a bit reserved and sometimes picked on at school. When Jessie goes on to her new school, their friendship fades.
Fast forward to Ryan and Jessie’s 10-year high school reunion. The attraction between Ryan and Jessie sparks from across the room. It turns out Ryan’s in the running to be the new CEO of Black Crescent, which is a dream job for him, but is also the company that led to the ruin of Jessie’s family.
I really loved Ryan as a protagonist. He’s my kind of hero – an overlooked beta with a good heart. Jessie is compelling because she’s had to work hard all her life to rise above her family’s losses. She’s an attorney who wants to make partner but it’s unclear if she’s doing it for herself or to make her family proud.
Friends-to-lovers is a favorite trope and St. John pulls it off wonderfully, giving us a surprisingly sweet and hot story at once. Yahrah St. John is a new-to-me author and I look forward to reading more by her.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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