Theatre, Shakespeare, and Sport Romance–Not My Romeo is everything you would ever want in a Contemporary Sports Romance. I was enamored the entire time at Ilsa Madden-Mills’ incredibly talent at weaving storytelling with raw emotion and steam that could make a monk blush.
Genres: Contemporary Sports RomancePublisher: Montlake
Publication Date: August 18th 2020
Source: Publisher, Netgalley
Format: ARC
Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a smart and sexy contemporary romance about a smoking-hot professional football player and the small-town girl he can’t resist.
We start off with a lie on Valentine’s Day.
My blind date isn’t the studious guy I expected: he’s a drop-dead gorgeous player with sinful amber eyes. Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.
The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.
But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him?
Is Jack my real Romeo… or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?
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*Available on Kindle Unlimited!
ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
“My nana used to say that broken people love the hardest because they appreciate the things that make their heart beat. Do I make your heart beat?”
If someone told me before that this story would incapsulate three of my favorite things in the world—Theatre, Shakespeare, and Sport Romance— I would have made intense grabby hands way sooner than I did. At this point in my life, I am ready to just proclaim Madden-Mills one of the Top Five best Sport Romance writers out there that I’ve read, because I honestly cannot get enough of her words. Not My Romeo, is Ilsa Madden-Mill’s lastest release in her newest Game Changers Series, and when I tell you she brought the swoon—she brought the swoon.
Not My Romeo follows the story of Elena, a sassy small town librarian, and Jack, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL who trusts no one. After being jilted by her former boyfriend, Elena agrees to be set up for a blind date on Valentines Day, however after a case of mistaken identity and several gin and tonics later, she finds herself in the bed and arms of Jack, not her weatherman blind date Greg.
I’m not gonna beat around the bush, this one was a little slow for me to get into—this more than likely is because of my reading slump I’ve been in since March—but boy when I finally jumped into the story, I couldn’t tear myself away from it. I don’t know what about this book it was, but this contemporary was just a breath of fresh air. I loved how it was almost like a slow burn in some aspects and getting to see such a strong and guarded character like Jack, open up in ways he never did before. I don’t think I’ve read many novels where the hero was so closed off and commitment resistant as Jack was, but man the way he waddled his guard down slowly and then all at once with Elena was like chef kisses. We’d get these small tender moments of the real Jack when he was around Elena that made after page read before then worth it because I couldn’t stop smiling.
Elena is basically who I would love to be when I grow up. A sassy librarian with a heart of gold and dark side, and when I mean dark I mean kinky and fun. Like Jack, she is a force to be reckoned with, though unlike Jack—everybody adores her. I love me some independent heroines, and Elena is definitely up on that list. Her personality and her determination to never compromise her morals are what kept me invested in her storyline. It was such a pleasure watching her strip back the layers of Jack by just being uniquely herself, and in turn watching Jack creep his way into her heart.
Quirky, tender, and sauna level steamy. I completely fell in love with this love story, and wouldn’t mind reading it over again. Mills signature writing style and way of interlacing conflict and romance together in the most beautiful ways is one of the reasons I find myself always coming back to her stories. Jack and Elena’s story is complete magic with a dash of rom-com thrown in; and I cannot wait to read the next story in this series!
Previous Book Reviews From This Author:
Huge thank you to Ilsa Madden-Mills & Montlake for sending me an ARC for my honest review! Quotations taken from an uncorrected proof and may change upon final publication.
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