{"id":32054,"date":"2026-02-13T11:42:24","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/?p=32054"},"modified":"2026-02-13T11:45:59","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:45:59","slug":"review-axe-and-grind-by-taylor-hutton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/13\/review-axe-and-grind-by-taylor-hutton\/","title":{"rendered":"Review \u2764\ufe0f Axe and Grind by Taylor Hutton"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-32054\" data-postid=\"32054\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-32054 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    \t\t\t<!-- module_row -->\n\t<div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_row themify_builder_row tb_d6gw754 tb_first tf_w tf_clearfix\">\n\t    \t\t\t<div class=\"row_inner col_align_top gutter-narrow tb_col_count_2 tf_box tf_rel\">\n\t\t            <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-1 tb_wx4f754 first\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module image -->\n<div  class=\"module module-image tb_p3zw754 rounded drop-shadow customBorderRad_top image-center auto_fullwidth tf_mw\" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div class=\"image-wrap tf_rel tf_mw\">\n\t\t    <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"987\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton.jpg?resize=640%2C987&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"wp-post-image wp-image-32055\" title=\"axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton\" alt=\"axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton.jpg?w=973&amp;ssl=1 973w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton.jpg?resize=195%2C300&amp;ssl=1 195w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton.jpg?resize=664%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 664w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton.jpg?resize=768%2C1184&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton.jpg?resize=400%2C616&amp;ssl=1 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/image-wrap -->\n    \n    \t<\/div>\n<!-- \/module image --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_7nbi754 customBorderRad_bottom repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Josie Greene has always been a glass half-full kind of girl. But after a messy breakup, she\u2019s broke, betrayed, and barely getting by. Even her trusted tarot cards point to chaos in her future. And they\u2019re right: Axe MacKenzie needs her help.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">As part of the tech CEO\u2019s latest covert mission, Axe has been developing a simulator to create any user\u2019s \u201cPerfect Match,\u201d and bubbly Josie is the ideal woman to test his product. When the gorgeous, reclusive billionaire makes her an offer\u2014fake date him so he can launch his groundbreaking AI dating app\u2014Josie\u2019s in no position to refuse.<\/span><br \/><br \/><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">But Axe\u2019s two worlds collide as the criminal underworld corrupts their experimental fling. What started as steamy role-play quickly spirals into a very real threat, leaving both Josie and Axe no choice but to uncover their well-buried pasts. With her life on the line, Josie will have to trust the man who has created the ultimate virtual illusion\u2014and who might be hiding the most sinister truths of all\u2026<\/span><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <div  data-lazy=\"1\" class=\"module_column tb-column col3-2 tb_ej9m754 last\">\n                                                        <div class=\"tb-column-inner tf_box tf_w\">\n                        <!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_kczm754  repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-28954 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?resize=106%2C106&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"106\" height=\"106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?resize=45%2C45&amp;ssl=1 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 106px) 100vw, 106px\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Jan 6, 2026<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> NA<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $10.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Axe is a tech guy who decides to create an AI simulation of the perfect woman. He asks Josie to be the model. She reluctantly agrees to help him. Neither one anticipates the crazy pull they would have towards each other would make the \u201cfake\u201d dates more real.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it just didn\u2019t draw me in. After reading almost to the halfway mark, I just decided to call it quits. The characters never pulled me into their story. I didn\u2019t care about the AI character that Axe was trying to create of Josie. It is just not my speed.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I took a day or two to really gather my thoughts and also go back to see what I thought of the author\u2019s previous work. I have to say that I\u2019m not the audience for her. I now know better when selected books to read.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My biggest issue with the story is the lack of romance. Axe and Josie have this physical chemistry that is evident from the very beginning. However, that is all I got from them. I never felt like they fell in love. She is all over the place after a string of bad luck and her tarot cards are saying everything under the sun. She knows she is attracted to him but she pulls back a lot. Then he is not looking for love but she is everything. Yet, it never connected in the way that most romance novels read for me.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While I normally would force myself to continue a story, I don\u2019t want to be dishonest about my feelings. If you like romance that has a lot going on and gives you a hint of darkness, then this is the story for you.<\/p><p><em>~ Samantha<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text --><!-- module text -->\n<div  class=\"module module-text tb_c9mu755 customBorderRad repeat \" data-lazy=\"1\">\n        <div  class=\"tb_text_wrap\">\n    <p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3MIFmWz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/4bUlM42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">iBooks<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton\/1147241823?ean=9780593817780\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">B&amp;N<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/axe-and-grind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Kobo<\/span><\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Taylor_Hutton_Axe_and_Grind?id=bP5TEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"s3\">Google Play<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- \/module text -->                    <\/div>\n                            <\/div>\n            \t    <\/div>\n\t    <!-- \/row_inner -->\n\t<\/div>\n\t<!-- \/module_row -->\n\t<\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Josie Greene has always been a glass half-full kind of girl. But after a messy breakup, she\u2019s broke, betrayed, and barely getting by. Even her [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,128,48,50],"tags":[216,229,240],"class_list":["post-32054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-berkley","category-penguin-group","category-reviews","category-samantha","tag-contemporary","tag-dark-romance","tag-dnf"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Review \u2764\ufe0f Axe and Grind by Taylor Hutton - Smitten by Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/2026\/02\/13\/review-axe-and-grind-by-taylor-hutton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Review \u2764\ufe0f Axe and Grind by Taylor Hutton - Smitten by Books\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Josie Greene has always been a glass half-full kind of girl. 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But after a messy breakup, she\u2019s broke, betrayed, and barely getting by. Even her trusted tarot cards point to chaos in her future. And they\u2019re right: Axe MacKenzie needs her help.<br \/><br \/>As part of the tech CEO\u2019s latest covert mission, Axe has been developing a simulator to create any user\u2019s \u201cPerfect Match,\u201d and bubbly Josie is the ideal woman to test his product. When the gorgeous, reclusive billionaire makes her an offer\u2014fake date him so he can launch his groundbreaking AI dating app\u2014Josie\u2019s in no position to refuse.<br \/><br \/>But Axe\u2019s two worlds collide as the criminal underworld corrupts their experimental fling. What started as steamy role-play quickly spirals into a very real threat, leaving both Josie and Axe no choice but to uncover their well-buried pasts. With her life on the line, Josie will have to trust the man who has created the ultimate virtual illusion\u2014and who might be hiding the most sinister truths of all\u2026<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"106\" height=\"106\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/dnf.png?resize=45%2C45&amp;ssl=1 45w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 106px) 100vw, 106px\" \/><\/p><hr \/><p><strong>Release Date:<\/strong> Jan 6, 2026<br \/><strong>Heat Level:<\/strong> NA<br \/><strong>Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Penguin Group<br \/><strong>Imprint:<\/strong>\u00a0Berkley\u00a0<br \/><strong>Price:<\/strong> $10.99<\/p><hr \/><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Axe is a tech guy who decides to create an AI simulation of the perfect woman. He asks Josie to be the model. She reluctantly agrees to help him. Neither one anticipates the crazy pull they would have towards each other would make the \u201cfake\u201d dates more real.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it just didn\u2019t draw me in. After reading almost to the halfway mark, I just decided to call it quits. The characters never pulled me into their story. I didn\u2019t care about the AI character that Axe was trying to create of Josie. It is just not my speed.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">I took a day or two to really gather my thoughts and also go back to see what I thought of the author\u2019s previous work. I have to say that I\u2019m not the audience for her. I now know better when selected books to read.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">My biggest issue with the story is the lack of romance. Axe and Josie have this physical chemistry that is evident from the very beginning. However, that is all I got from them. I never felt like they fell in love. She is all over the place after a string of bad luck and her tarot cards are saying everything under the sun. She knows she is attracted to him but she pulls back a lot. Then he is not looking for love but she is everything. Yet, it never connected in the way that most romance novels read for me.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">While I normally would force myself to continue a story, I don\u2019t want to be dishonest about my feelings. If you like romance that has a lot going on and gives you a hint of darkness, then this is the story for you.<\/p><p><em>~ Samantha<\/em><\/p><p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3MIFmWz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.co\/4bUlM42\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">iBooks<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/axe-and-grind-taylor-hutton\/1147241823?ean=9780593817780\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">B&amp;N<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kobo.com\/us\/en\/ebook\/axe-and-grind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kobo<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/books\/details\/Taylor_Hutton_Axe_and_Grind?id=bP5TEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Play<\/a><\/strong><\/p>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32054"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32061,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32054\/revisions\/32061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smittenbybooks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}