House of Agnes

3 stars✨

I have never read anything by Fiona Zedde before this. I did not expect that this was going to be an intrigue and mystery storyline in this book and that is one of my favorite genres, so this made it a pleasant surprise.

We have Agnes Noble who is private, mysterious, and untouchable. She rules House of Agnes, the most exclusive escort agency on the East Coast, with a diamond fist. Crossing her is a mistake no one makes twice. We then have Investigative reporter Lola Osbourne who is not afraid. She's gunning for the House and its so-called queen. She'll make sure no other innocent gets dragged into Agnes's alluring web, to be used and discarded the way Lola's sister was. From the moment she lays eyes on Lola, Agnes knows she's hiding something but she also knows she won't be able to resist Lola.

I really liked the way this story was told. I enjoyed Lola's determination and her ability to change her mind. I also liked that it was an age-gape romance, as those are one of my favorites. The atmosphere is also fantastic. I will admit that there were some plot holes and a couple of convenient timings that made me roll my eyes. But I still enjoyed it. The steamy sex scenes were definitely my favorite part.

However, I did have some issues. First, there were sometimes where I was really confused. I like that they spent some time together, talking and getting to know each other, but I don't think that one night of flirtation and dinner together was enough for them to fall in love. I felt that the reveal was a letdown. I just was expecting more. The writing isn't bad, but it didn't wow me, and there were a few repetitive things that were annoying.

Overall, I did enjoy this. If you're looking for a sapphic romance with some mystery in it, I do recommend this. Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.