Resist by Ava Harrison

Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ever wondered what actually goes on behind the scenes of a film set? Same. This book landed before the real-world chaos of It Ends With Us started leaking into the group chat, but honestly, the timing now feels prophetic. Unless you’ve been blissfully living under a rock (honestly, if you have, I’m jealous), you’ll know the off screen drama between the leading man/director and leading lady has been discussed more than the actual film. Awkward.

Enter Paxton (MMC) and Mallory (FMC), Hollywood agents babysitting their film star clients on a remote island while a new movie is being shot. The leading man of said film? Deeply unpleasant. Even his own agent thinks so, which tells you everything you need to know.

The tropes are doing the most here: workplace romance, rivals-to-lovers (they’re technically enemies, but with paperwork), forced proximity, and a slow burn that takes its sweet time. But when the spice finally turns up? Oh, it does not knock politely. It kicks the door in.

Paxton and Mallory nearly hook up before filming starts, which makes their reunion extra spicy. By the time they meet again, Paxton has decided Mallory is a nepo baby riding her father’s coattails, and he treats her accordingly. He’s rude, dismissive, and frankly a bit of a pill. But, as all elite Book Boyfriends must, he eventually realises he might be wildly wrong. Growth. We love to see it.

Mallory, for the record, has zero interest in cashing in on her dad’s reputation. She’s focused on doing right by her teenage client and carving out her own career, thank you very much.

The film set itself is a total shower of poop and tensions are high, and when a storm traps everyone on the island, the animosity between our leads melts into high-octane chemistry. Forced proximity strikes again.

And whilst everything is happening on the island, somebody, is leaking it all on a social media platform.  As I said, seems prophetic now.

Are Paxton and Mallory realistic representations of Hollywood agents? Probably not. Their reputation for being ruthless money grabbers didn’t come from nowhere. But reality aside, it makes for a banging story.

This is an easy, addictive read and a genuinely good time. Drama, banter, chemistry, and just enough chaos to keep you turning pages. Highly enjoyable.  I’ve read a few Ava Harrison books, and I’ve loved them all.

BLURB

He’s the hotshot agent who hates my guts.I’m the (almost) one-night stand turned business rival.Imagine my surprise when Paxton Ramsey shows up across the boardroom table.Gone is the sexy smirk, replaced by open hostility with a side of taunting.His overbearing, grumpy attitude makes my blood boil.But I can’t forget the taste of our kiss. The thrill of his touch.Our clients expect us to work together.I can’t even stand being in the same zip code.Surely, I can survive one week trapped on an island with my nemesis?Until one week turns into two. Then three. Then four.When he flaunts his power to make my career dreams come true…It takes everything in me not to ruin his.Paxton Ramsey thinks he’ll be the death of me.But I just might teach him how to live in the process.

 gs series.