Sweet Addiction

Love & Legacy, Book 2

De: Bella Matthews

Narrado por: Angelina Rocca, Stephen Dexter

From #1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes an enemies to lovers, forced proximity, sports romance.

Rome Beneventi is a walking, talking bad decision—six feet, five inches of tattoos, temptation, and trouble wrapped in a smirk and dipped in sin. This MMA champion should come with a warning label . . . or at the very least a disclaimer.

I sell books, and he breaks bones.

We are not on the same page.

At least not until he discovers my secret and instead of keeping it, blackmails me into fake dating him.

Now I’m living in his house.

Lying to my family and friends.

Playing nice for the cameras.

And trying not to melt every time he calls me “baby” like it’s more than a show.

I told myself I’d never fall for him.

That I was too smart to love the devil in designer clothes.

But the thing about enemies?

Sometimes they’re the only ones who see you clearly.

And faking it with Rome Beneventi?

Yeah . . . it stopped feeling fake a long time ago.

©2025 Bella Matthews (P)2026 Bella Matthews

Fake Dating Meets Forced Proximity

Sweet Addiction by Bella Matthews is a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers sports romance packed with forced proximity and fake dating.

After a one-night stand and a major miscommunication, Rome and Dillan go from instant chemistry to full blown enemies. Rome is a fighter with a career-defining fight approaching, and someone is actively trying to destroy his image for money. Dillan owns a bookstore and secretly writes romance under a pen name until Rome discovers her secret and pushes her into a fake relationship to help repair his reputation.

The miscommunication lingered a bit too long, but the payoff made it worth it. The narrators did a solid job bringing both characters to life, capturing the tension, emotion, and chemistry between Rome and Dillan. While the story leans heavily on the miscommunication trope, the audio performances kept me engaged and helped the emotional moments land.

Overall, an enjoyable listen with solid narration.

Dillan & Rome finally get together

I enjoyed the interplay between Dillan and Rome as well as the involvement of the siblings, cousins, and parent. This pairing is like so many creates further ties among the families-in this case since Dillan is a Sinclair/Ryan and Rome is a Kingston/ Beneventi the 4 main original families are represented plus Rome’s sister-in laws are Lexie St James and Lennon Windsor.
As for character development they both mature a bit though Rome is quicker to recognize both his feelings even if he didn’t push hard at first -and how sensitive Dillan could be. It was a bit of a stretch to think that someone who is writing about a strong female protagonist and has the determination to create her own successful business would not have called Rome out on the nonsense he was saying to Lucky during the infamous call that made her feel so hurt and unconfident. I would have thought a mad confrontation would have better fit than her wimpy response but she seems to have needed time and maturity to become more outwardly self confidence and more self aware of the need to communicate if you want a relationship. The epilogue was predictable and sadly a bit rushed! No wedding scene and missed opportunities for a get to the hospital or big family moment at the end with no hint about the next book. Still a pretty nice storyline within the larger series narrative and worth both ebook and audio.

ate this story right up!!

Sweet Seduction by Bella Matthews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

At this point, it’s no secret that I love Bella Matthews—and returning to Kroydon Hills always feels like coming home. I adore how all of her series are interconnected, with families and characters woven together so seamlessly that every new book adds another layer to a world that already feels lived-in and familiar.

This time we get Rome Beneventi and Dillan Ryan—and wow, what a pairing.

Rome is an MMA fighter on the brink of his biggest moment, finally getting his shot at the belt. Dillan, on the other hand, has spent her entire life feeling overshadowed by a wildly successful family: twin siblings who are mega-famous musicians, a younger brother destined for a first-round NFL draft, a legendary football-star father, and a romance-novelist mom. None of her family ever made her feel less than—but the outside world absolutely did. The constant scrutiny and criticism chipped away at Dillan’s self-image, and instead of leaning on her family, she internalized it all, convinced she had no right to feel hurt when everyone else was thriving.

Rome and Dillan’s have always orbited each other through friends and family—lots of tension, plenty of banter, but never quite on the same page. Until one unforgettable night changes everything. A misunderstanding sends them into two years of mutual resentment… and then fate steps in.

Enter:
✨ forced proximity
✨ living together
✨ enemy’s to lovers
✨ blackmail (questionable but effective 😏)
✨ explosive chemistry

Rome has always had feelings for Dillan—but pride and bruised ego kept him from fighting for her. When he needs help years later, he uses what he knows to pull her back into his orbit, and from there everything finally boils over. Once these two start communicating, the payoff is so satisfying.

My only real critique? I wanted more. I devoured this book, but I felt like the emotional conflict could’ve gone deeper and lingered longer. A bit more angst, a little more time in Kroydon Hills, and this could’ve easily been a 5-star read for me. I just wasn’t ready to leave these characters yet.

That said—great storyline, solid emotional beats, strong spice, and that signature Bella Matthews chemistry I always crave.

Final verdict: 4–4.5 stars ⭐️
Highly recommend—especially if you love interconnected families, tension-filled banter, and romance that feels earned.

Sweet Addiction

You all already know how much I love Bella and all of her amazing books. I adored Dylan and Rome so much. They just might be my favorite couple of Bella’s so far. @angelinaroccareads and @sayitstephendexter were absolutely perfect and phenomenal bringing both of these characters to life! They brought so much heart and humor to these characters I couldn’t even imagine anyone else bringing this story to life.

Make sure you check out Sweet Addiction on audio or grab the book today!

The Beneventi Charm Gets Me Every Time

Angelina and Stephen did an amazing job at channeling Rome and Dillan! They pulled me deep into the story and had such an amazing range of emotion!!

Returning to Kroydon Hills never gets old. It feels like coming home and I never want to leave. Bella has created such a welcoming world and Sweet Addiction fits perfectly within it. I could not put this book down.

Rome and Dillan’s story has been hinted at in previous books and I was thrilled to finally read it. Their relationship was not what I expected and it was even better than I imagined. Both of them keep secrets and hide parts of themselves, but they see the truth in each other. Their initial teasing and banter seems like dislike, but it is actually attraction. A one-night stand sets off a chain of events that leads to tension and heartbreak. Two years later, Rome forces Dillan into a fake relationship and the story truly takes off.

I loved everything about this book. The plot was engaging, the romance was satisfying, and the chemistry between Rome and Dillan was electric. Their back-and-forth dialogue made me laugh and blush. The Beneventi charm is real and it had me completely captivated.

Sweet Addiction is a story of love, secrets, and irresistible tension. It is a perfect addition to the Kroydon Hills series.