By: Elia Winters
Many thanks to Zooloo’s Book Tours for the ARC of this book and the stop on the book tour!
About the Book
Scarlet Pimpernel: Are you propositioning me?
Curious Rose: What if I am?
Freelance journalist Maggie St. Claire likes her hot, nerdy roommate Blake and his absurd collection of houseplants. But when she’s hired to write an exposé about an enigmatic online kinkster known as The Scarlet Pimpernel, she can’t exactly sit next to wholesome Blake while researching her current topic!
Botanist Blake Peabody isn’t the type of guy people expect to be kinky. His double life writing erotica online allows him to satisfy his Dom impulses while protecting his public image. Until the mysterious ‘Rose’ texts him to explore some new desires. As their chats grow more intimate, his feelings develop for the Sub, even as he grows closer to Maggie.
By day, they navigate their evolving friendship; by night, their alter-egos come out to play. Will the surprise of who they truly are be a welcome one—or more shocking than their darkest fantasy?
My Review
First things first, this book explores kink, and while it’s not that bad and is consensual, it is a very spicy book. I know there are those that do not like spice, so I wanted to make it known.
I really loved Maggie. I loved her personality. She’s loyal to her sister and protective of her, she tries to take care of her in whatever way she can. I also loved her sense of humor, there were many times she made me laugh out loud. I liked Blake too, gentleman by day, kink by night. It was fun to see both sides of him. It was nice to see that while he already had this side of him, that when someone else wanted to explore it, he made sure that everything was consensual and made sure boundaries weren’t being crossed. It really emphasized how important trust and communication is.
It’s always hard to find a partner that accepts you for you, all of you. This was Blake’s concern in the book, and I think the author handled these emotions well. I really enjoyed the the LGBTQIA+ characters in the book as well, Maggie’s sister and Blake’s friend, and getting to see that they each found their person as well.
The transition of Blake and Maggie becoming roommates to friends to more was very natural and never felt forced. Because of that, I did feel the chemistry between them. For me, there was a heart stopping moment when I thought maybe things weren’t going to be happy for them, but I love an author that can make me feel that.
This is out now, so check it out if you think it’s for you!
Publish Date: September 1, 2026
Find the book here.
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