ARC Review: ‘My Sweetest Agony’ by Gwyn McNamee
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My Sweetest Agony
by Gwyn McNameeSeries: The Sweetest Lie Duet #1
Published by Self-Published on October 2, 2025
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 297
Source: the author
Audience: 18+/Adult
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I didn’t think I’d survive the death of my fiancé, then his twin brother became my sweetest agony...
When Andrew died, I didn’t just lose my future husband.My best friend and my other half was torn away from me.Nothing could fill that void or ease the anguish.Then his twin brother darkened my doorstep.And somehow, everything got worse.They may share a face but…Where Drew was bright, sweet, sensitive, giving, and open…Camden is dark, broody, intense, closed off, and mysterious.He’s nothing like the man I loved.Yet the way he looks at me strips me bare and sears my skin.His touch sparks a flame I never thought I’d feel again.All that heat threatens to consume me.To burn me into ashes and blow me away in the wind—like those of the man I believed my heart would always belong to.Everything about this, about him is wrong.Especially because he’s keeping things from me.Unspoken truths. Lies. Hidden desires. Molten needs.I didn’t think I would live through losing Drew, but now…Cam has become my sweetest agony and might be what truly destroys me.
My Sweetest Agony is the first book in a brand new contemporary romance duet from USA Today Bestselling Author Gwyn McNamee featuring forbidden attraction, shared grief, a morally gray, broody obsessive, protective hero and a good girl, lies, gun-wrenching angst, intense spicy scenes, and secrets that will leave you reeling.
My Sweetest Agony, the first in Gwyn McNamee’s The Sweetest Lies Duet, had me tearing up in the first chapter. The way Gwyn McNamee started the story by introducing Ivy, the FMC, who has just lost her fiancé and is grieving his loss. I knew immediately I was going to have a hard time putting down this book, especially when I needed to know why Ivy lost her fiancé and why her fiancé’s identical twin brother finally showed up after years of not talking to his twin brother on Ivy’s doorstep. Ivy was always curious why her fiancé, Drew, stopped talking to his brother, Cam, and she was determined to find out why, even though she didn’t really know Cam.
The book is told mainly from Ivy’s POV, with a few brief chapters from Cam’s perspective. The focus on Ivy’s POV adds to Cam’s mystery, and I enjoyed uncovering his secrets through her POV.
I felt for Ivy the whole time reading this book because she was questioning things when it came to her fiancé, while grieving for him. It was obvious how much she loved him, and it was affecting her, and I was thankful that Cam ended up appearing because she needed someone to make sure she was getting enough sleeping and eating.
While Ivy is the good girl, Cam is a bad boy, an archetype I love in romances. Ivy is drawn to Cam, despite her recent loss of Drew; their connection is inevitable, given the time they spend together.
Cam may be a bad boy, but he genuinely cares for Ivy, even though he knows he shouldn’t get close. I enjoyed discovering his character and can’t wait to learn more, especially since he still has secrets from Ivy.
There’s a twist in this book that I partly expected, but I won’t spoil it; you’ll have to read to find out. After finishing, I had more questions than answers: What really happened to Drew? Why did he lie about his whereabouts? And there’s still more to discover about Cam.
Overall, I give this book four stars and can’t wait for the next installment after that shocking cliffhanger.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the first book in a duet and needs to be read in order.
Cliffhanger: Yes.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely. I highly recommend this duet for fans of emotional, angsty romances. If you haven’t read Gwyn McNamee, you’re missing out; she’s a must-read for steamy, dramatic, and unforgettable contemporary romance.
What to Expect:
✔️Forbidden Romance
✔️Late Fiancé’s Identical Twin Brother
✔️Bad Boy/Good Girl
✔️Shared Grief
✔️Second Chance
✔️Obsessive/Protective Hero
✔️Secrets
✔️Lies
About Gwyn McNamee
USA Today Best Selling author Gwyn McNamee is an attorney, wife, and mother. Originally from the Midwest, Gwyn relocated to her husband’s home town of Las Vegas in 2015 and is enjoying her respite from the cold and snow. Gwyn has been writing down her crazy stories and ideas for years and finally decided to share them with the world. She loves to write stories with a bit of suspense and action mingled with romance and heat.
When she isn’t either writing or voraciously devouring any books she can get her hands on, Gwyn is busy adding to her tattoo collection, golfing, and stirring up trouble with her perfect mix of sweetness and sarcasm (usually while wearing heels).
Gwyn’s debut novel, Savage Collision, the first book in The Hawke Family Series, was a 2017 Romance Writers of America Passionate Plumes Contest Finalist for excellence in contemporary steamy romance.
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