Reviewed by Mal
TITLE: Pretty Mess
AUTHOR: Lily Morton
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 431 Pages
RELEASE DATE: Aug 17, 2025
BLURB:
Kiss him, sleep with him, but don’t ever fall in love with him.
The first time Wes Archer steps into Jack of Clubs, an exclusive London pleasure club, he’s completely confident he can heed the tried-and-true advice about becoming an escort. Wes gives himself away for free with casual hookups all the time. Why not make some cash doing what he already loves? And cash is something he desperately needs. His brother’s gambling addiction has taken their family’s home, saddled Wes with insurmountable debts, and compromised his chances for finishing his degree.
Accepting an offer to spend a few hours of fun with a rich bloke will be a simple business transaction, right?
Wrong.
Wes’s first client is Cormac Reilly. The handsome billionaire is grumpy, funny, and commanding in a way that unlocks desires Wes never knew he had. Cormac is icily determined to keep their arrangement strictly business, but that doesn’t stop Wes from finding him fascinating.
As their one-night contract becomes something much more, Wes can’t deny he’s falling for his client. He knows he’s flouting all the rules, but breaking down Cormac’s barriers is an irresistible challenge, and his reward might be the best prize of all — love.
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a passionate love story set in London and Paris about two astonishingly different men and one very pretty mess.
Please see the disclaimer at the beginning of the book for content some readers may find triggering.
REVIEW:
How absolutely brilliant! This swoony, romantic, ultra spicy love story with a sometimes dodgy, always snarky and wonderfully warm and lovable narrator, Wes just took my heart and turned it to mush.
I adore this author’s writing and this one is no exception. Wes and Mac are a joy to read. Even thought he story is entirely told from Wes’s POV in first person, Mac while sometimes stoic is a stubbornly loud character! I love the escort – client trope and I especially love when it’s a new dynamic for one of them and this delivers in spades – all the heat and reluctant attachment and perilously bonding situations you would expect with a fresh story to boot!
I liked the layers of sub plot lines like Tyler’s struggle and themes of found family like Julian and Robert. I am so curious about Julian and Fox’s story I hope we see them soon.
If you’re looking for an absolutely phenomenal romance full of cheeky banter, sweet lol moments, grumpy sunshine, but of kink and lots of chemistry swoon and charters with big hearts this is one you should definitely pick up.
Wes is truly all of the sunshine, no filter goodness you want in a character… just so genuine and when he gets Cormac (Mac) as a client right out the gate it’s obvious they couldn’t be more different and yet the spark is instant and Mac can’t stay away, can’t keep his distance. It is wonderful to see his walls coming down as he inadvertently lets Wes in, who has no sense of self preservation.
Ofcourse things come to a head and there is a brief separation, honestly the circumstances an be triggering to read and are heartbreaking so do read the trigger warnings if you need to before you embark on this story. But I also think the separation was good for them because it allowed them to meet on more equal footing, both more open and vulnerable
The declarations were the swooniest and the sweetest.. honestly that wrap up has left me wanting more, I hope we get glimpses into their future in other books line we got to see Lachlan and Joe. I can’t wait for more from Lily Morton.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
Great review! I just got this book and can’t wait to read it.