The Arrogant One
Alright… let’s talk about this one because I have THOUGHTS, but also? I had a good time 👀
📚 The Situation
So this is book one in the Weston Group series by Marni Mann and at this point I’ve learned something about her:
She loves a one-night stand opening.
Every book? Somebody is meeting, locking eyes, and immediately making questionable but enthusiastic decisions.
And listen—I’m not judging.
But ma’am… switch it up just a little 😭
Enter Lockhart Weston (aka Hart… aka “let me lie about my name for no reason but vibes”).
Filthy rich. Playboy. Restaurant empire royalty. Out here running a global food & nightlife dynasty with his siblings like it’s a family group project with billions on the line.
He walks into a competitor restaurant (Horned… we’ll circle back to that name) and meets Sadie at the door.
Instant chemistry. Immediate drinks.
Old Fashioneds.
And within what feels like 30 business minutes…
She is no longer wearing panties and they are headed to his hotel room.
Efficiency. We love to see it.
💀 Character Energy
Sadie? Gorgeous, mysterious, and—plot twist—a secret food influencer with 5 MILLION followers.
Nobody knows her identity. She’s basically Batman, but for restaurants.
And after their night together?
She disappears like a magician with a PR team.
Meanwhile Hart is like:
“I will simply catch feelings immediately.”
And honestly? Respect.
😭 The Chaos
So now we’ve got:
him hiding that he’s a Weston (restaurant royalty)
her hiding that she’s Dear Foodie (restaurant executioner)
And they’re just… dating. Casually. Secretly. Lying politely.
And I will say this:
The miscommunication? Actually handled well.
No screaming. No dramatic “you lied to me!!!” collapse.
Just two grown adults lying… and then eventually discussing the lies like adults.
I was shocked. Pleasantly.
🗣️ BUT WE NEED TO TALK
Because Sadie???
Girl.
You left this man after a one-night stand with NO contact info.
Then saw him out in public and got mad he was with other people??
MA’AM.
What did you expect him to do—light a candle and wait by the window???
Be serious 😭
Also… why are we:
in alleys
under bridges
behind buildings
Having very professional, very adult, very successful people acting like they don’t have indoor options???
Marni Mann…
What is your issue with furniture???
😭 Sidebar (Important)
Sadie made potato salad…
…and put dried cranberries in it.
I just need that on record.
Because I paused. Reflected. And judged.
I'm from the South, it matters!
😏 What Worked
The dating felt surprisingly grounded (minus the alley Olympics)
Them cooking for each other? Loved that
The relationship actually had a foundation
Communication didn’t rely on nonsense drama
The world-building with the Weston family was strong
And I really liked that the author trusted the reader to understand that time was passing and feelings were developing without over-explaining everything.
😒 What Didn’t Work
Formulaic one-night stand opening
Some truly questionable location choices for intimacy
Hart being blind as a bat about Sadie’s identity (sir… clues were CLUING)
A few moments where Sadie’s logic was… not present
🔥 Spice Report
When I say spicy?
I mean call the fire department.
Because this book was not playing.
Detailed. Frequent. Enthusiastic.
You might need to hydrate.
📊 Rating (13Pages Scale)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ = Fun, messy, actually well-balanced chaos
🧨 Spice Rating
🧨🧨🧨🧨💥 = borderline hazardous, proceed with caution
💬 Final Verdict
This was fun.
Messy, yes. A little ridiculous, absolutely. But also entertaining, engaging, and surprisingly grounded in the relationship development.
It’s one of those books where you roll your eyes, laugh, question everyone’s decisions…
…and keep reading anyway.
Also—I’m already clocked in for Eden’s book because something about her is suspicious and I need answers.
💬 🔥 Signature Outro
This book tried it—and I had fun watching it spiral. Moving on before I end up defending alley behavior in real life.