OH MY GOODNESS ILSA MADDEN-MILLS, what a DELIGHTFUL story! Chock full of quirky characters, sexy banter, the right balance of comedy and romantic angst, Not My Romeo quickly rose to one of my top reads of the year and a story that I will likely return to for years to come. The story is so original, and the laughs and swoons were aplenty. I was totally enchanted by this witty and fantastically written opposites attract charmer.
In a blind date mix-up, our delightfully quirky heroine Elena finds herself on a date with the Jack, notorious star NFL quarterback who is constantly at the center of constant bad press off the field. He’s hoping for a quiet dinner alone on Valentine’s Day away from the constant badgering of the press and jersey chasers when a buttoned-up, sexy secretary type plops down across from him and somehow strong-arms her way into a date. Turns out, she’s quite funny, if a bit odd, so he goes with it. Elena, however, just thinks she’s on a blind date with a boring local weatherman who turns out to be quite a hunk of a man and endearingly sardonic. When he discovers Elena thinks he’s someone else, Jack decides to revel in a rare moment of anonymity, leading to a passionate night that both assume is a one night stand. Fate..well and a pair of unicorn panties...draw these two back together. Their attraction and chemistry is undeniable, but both have some lingering baggage from past relational betrayals, and given their rocky and dishonest start, theirpath to romance is rocky...and also pretty damn humorous and endearing.
I loved both of these characters SO hard. Librarian Elena is the definition of adorkable. From her pet swine Romeo down to her homemade clothing choice and unique take on lingerie, she’s just the perfect balance of odd and endearing. She even spells out words when she gets nervous. Her authenticity and self-awareness made her so easy to connect with as a character, and her sass and wit kept me (and Jack) laughing. She’s spunky, but she’s also a tad shy and genuinely kind and compassionate. Ilsa gives her some real emotional range- a fully dimensional character that just really captured my heart. I fell in love with her probably as much as Jack did.
And Jack, oh sweet Jack. I loved how real Ilsa makes him- he’s jaded, distrustful, so this is not an insta-love story. In fact, his motivations are a bit crappy at first. But despite all that, we deeply empathize with him. He’s a victim of his own success- struggling because he trusted the wrong people, now self-isolated because of that breach, and punished in the public eye for crimes he did not commit. I felt his loneliness so much. His walls are high, but at the end of the day he’s a sweet and sensitive man just looking to feel seen and free. He’s quite charming, and also very funny. And, it doesn’t hurt that he’s also an alpha dirty talker, too.
The chemistry here is AMAZING- this isn’t just heat. Oh, the heat is HOT, and the physical chemistry is captivating, but Ilsa builds something deeper here, more soulful. I felt the slow and steady interconnection of their hearts- as they get to know each other, timidly trust one another, and as they mess up in this new relationship. Ilsa keeps the story beautifully focused on the emotional bond- the “getting to know you” moments that books often skip over. And she cleverly (and humorously) finds ways to keep these two in each other’s orbit and interact, even when they are resistant to give in. Their journey is truly magical- I was swept away by the tenderness of this relationship.
While the focus is mostly on this relationship, Ilsa also delivers some fantastic secondary characters and a heavy dose of small town charm that had this native Tennessean craving some sweet tea and chicken casserole. Ilsa is such a compelling character creator- each of the secondary characters are purposeful, impactful to our narrative, and incredibly well articulated. She’s clearly investing in this bench of players for future stories, which is FANTASTIC because I could not get enough of Jack’s friends or Elena’s family and the Daisy Lady Gang. And the town of Daisy- I feel like I’ve lived there my whole life. The church rituals, gossiping neighbors, the hair salon hangouts, the local play and the meddling family-Ilsa truly creates a magical and welcoming place for our story to unfold.
While the romance is charming, this is also a really well done story of individual acceptance and self-actualization. Both characters feel trapped in some way- Jack in his own slandered reputation, Elena in the tension between her aspirations and her own circumstances, including what she sees as her small-town/family values. Both are heavily distrustful of one another, yet somehow, they find true vulnerability and openness with each other. They realize that love is messy, that love requires a leap of faith- that it’s never really safe, you’re never really free of baggage...you just have to jump. And when you jump with the right person- you’ll never fall alone. And oh my- jump they do. Both are able to expose the parts of themselves they’ve been hiding, to let someone else in completely- and the result? Well the result is that both find the supportive freedom they need to finally be their full selves. Pure romantic magic. I could not love this story anymore! Please pick it up! I'm so excited we get more from this world with a series!
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020
In a blind date mix-up, our delightfully quirky heroine Elena finds herself on a date with the Jack, notorious star NFL quarterback who is constantly at the center of constant bad press off the field. He’s hoping for a quiet dinner alone on Valentine’s Day away from the constant badgering of the press and jersey chasers when a buttoned-up, sexy secretary type plops down across from him and somehow strong-arms her way into a date. Turns out, she’s quite funny, if a bit odd, so he goes with it. Elena, however, just thinks she’s on a blind date with a boring local weatherman who turns out to be quite a hunk of a man and endearingly sardonic. When he discovers Elena thinks he’s someone else, Jack decides to revel in a rare moment of anonymity, leading to a passionate night that both assume is a one night stand. Fate..well and a pair of unicorn panties...draw these two back together. Their attraction and chemistry is undeniable, but both have some lingering baggage from past relational betrayals, and given their rocky and dishonest start, theirpath to romance is rocky...and also pretty damn humorous and endearing.
I loved both of these characters SO hard. Librarian Elena is the definition of adorkable. From her pet swine Romeo down to her homemade clothing choice and unique take on lingerie, she’s just the perfect balance of odd and endearing. She even spells out words when she gets nervous. Her authenticity and self-awareness made her so easy to connect with as a character, and her sass and wit kept me (and Jack) laughing. She’s spunky, but she’s also a tad shy and genuinely kind and compassionate. Ilsa gives her some real emotional range- a fully dimensional character that just really captured my heart. I fell in love with her probably as much as Jack did.
And Jack, oh sweet Jack. I loved how real Ilsa makes him- he’s jaded, distrustful, so this is not an insta-love story. In fact, his motivations are a bit crappy at first. But despite all that, we deeply empathize with him. He’s a victim of his own success- struggling because he trusted the wrong people, now self-isolated because of that breach, and punished in the public eye for crimes he did not commit. I felt his loneliness so much. His walls are high, but at the end of the day he’s a sweet and sensitive man just looking to feel seen and free. He’s quite charming, and also very funny. And, it doesn’t hurt that he’s also an alpha dirty talker, too.
The chemistry here is AMAZING- this isn’t just heat. Oh, the heat is HOT, and the physical chemistry is captivating, but Ilsa builds something deeper here, more soulful. I felt the slow and steady interconnection of their hearts- as they get to know each other, timidly trust one another, and as they mess up in this new relationship. Ilsa keeps the story beautifully focused on the emotional bond- the “getting to know you” moments that books often skip over. And she cleverly (and humorously) finds ways to keep these two in each other’s orbit and interact, even when they are resistant to give in. Their journey is truly magical- I was swept away by the tenderness of this relationship.
While the focus is mostly on this relationship, Ilsa also delivers some fantastic secondary characters and a heavy dose of small town charm that had this native Tennessean craving some sweet tea and chicken casserole. Ilsa is such a compelling character creator- each of the secondary characters are purposeful, impactful to our narrative, and incredibly well articulated. She’s clearly investing in this bench of players for future stories, which is FANTASTIC because I could not get enough of Jack’s friends or Elena’s family and the Daisy Lady Gang. And the town of Daisy- I feel like I’ve lived there my whole life. The church rituals, gossiping neighbors, the hair salon hangouts, the local play and the meddling family-Ilsa truly creates a magical and welcoming place for our story to unfold.
While the romance is charming, this is also a really well done story of individual acceptance and self-actualization. Both characters feel trapped in some way- Jack in his own slandered reputation, Elena in the tension between her aspirations and her own circumstances, including what she sees as her small-town/family values. Both are heavily distrustful of one another, yet somehow, they find true vulnerability and openness with each other. They realize that love is messy, that love requires a leap of faith- that it’s never really safe, you’re never really free of baggage...you just have to jump. And when you jump with the right person- you’ll never fall alone. And oh my- jump they do. Both are able to expose the parts of themselves they’ve been hiding, to let someone else in completely- and the result? Well the result is that both find the supportive freedom they need to finally be their full selves. Pure romantic magic. I could not love this story anymore! Please pick it up! I'm so excited we get more from this world with a series!
Verified Purchase
One of my favs of the year- clever, charming, and captivating
By K. Friend (The Romantic Rush) on August 18, 2020
OH MY GOODNESS ILSA MADDEN-MILLS, what a DELIGHTFUL story! Chock full of quirky characters, sexy banter, the right balance of comedy and romantic angst, Not My Romeo quickly rose to one of my top reads of the year and a story that I will likely return to for years to come. The story is so original, and the laughs and swoons were aplenty. I was totally enchanted by this witty and fantastically written opposites attract charmer.By K. Friend (The Romantic Rush) on August 18, 2020
In a blind date mix-up, our delightfully quirky heroine Elena finds herself on a date with the Jack, notorious star NFL quarterback who is constantly at the center of constant bad press off the field. He’s hoping for a quiet dinner alone on Valentine’s Day away from the constant badgering of the press and jersey chasers when a buttoned-up, sexy secretary type plops down across from him and somehow strong-arms her way into a date. Turns out, she’s quite funny, if a bit odd, so he goes with it. Elena, however, just thinks she’s on a blind date with a boring local weatherman who turns out to be quite a hunk of a man and endearingly sardonic. When he discovers Elena thinks he’s someone else, Jack decides to revel in a rare moment of anonymity, leading to a passionate night that both assume is a one night stand. Fate..well and a pair of unicorn panties...draw these two back together. Their attraction and chemistry is undeniable, but both have some lingering baggage from past relational betrayals, and given their rocky and dishonest start, theirpath to romance is rocky...and also pretty damn humorous and endearing.
I loved both of these characters SO hard. Librarian Elena is the definition of adorkable. From her pet swine Romeo down to her homemade clothing choice and unique take on lingerie, she’s just the perfect balance of odd and endearing. She even spells out words when she gets nervous. Her authenticity and self-awareness made her so easy to connect with as a character, and her sass and wit kept me (and Jack) laughing. She’s spunky, but she’s also a tad shy and genuinely kind and compassionate. Ilsa gives her some real emotional range- a fully dimensional character that just really captured my heart. I fell in love with her probably as much as Jack did.
And Jack, oh sweet Jack. I loved how real Ilsa makes him- he’s jaded, distrustful, so this is not an insta-love story. In fact, his motivations are a bit crappy at first. But despite all that, we deeply empathize with him. He’s a victim of his own success- struggling because he trusted the wrong people, now self-isolated because of that breach, and punished in the public eye for crimes he did not commit. I felt his loneliness so much. His walls are high, but at the end of the day he’s a sweet and sensitive man just looking to feel seen and free. He’s quite charming, and also very funny. And, it doesn’t hurt that he’s also an alpha dirty talker, too.
The chemistry here is AMAZING- this isn’t just heat. Oh, the heat is HOT, and the physical chemistry is captivating, but Ilsa builds something deeper here, more soulful. I felt the slow and steady interconnection of their hearts- as they get to know each other, timidly trust one another, and as they mess up in this new relationship. Ilsa keeps the story beautifully focused on the emotional bond- the “getting to know you” moments that books often skip over. And she cleverly (and humorously) finds ways to keep these two in each other’s orbit and interact, even when they are resistant to give in. Their journey is truly magical- I was swept away by the tenderness of this relationship.
While the focus is mostly on this relationship, Ilsa also delivers some fantastic secondary characters and a heavy dose of small town charm that had this native Tennessean craving some sweet tea and chicken casserole. Ilsa is such a compelling character creator- each of the secondary characters are purposeful, impactful to our narrative, and incredibly well articulated. She’s clearly investing in this bench of players for future stories, which is FANTASTIC because I could not get enough of Jack’s friends or Elena’s family and the Daisy Lady Gang. And the town of Daisy- I feel like I’ve lived there my whole life. The church rituals, gossiping neighbors, the hair salon hangouts, the local play and the meddling family-Ilsa truly creates a magical and welcoming place for our story to unfold.
While the romance is charming, this is also a really well done story of individual acceptance and self-actualization. Both characters feel trapped in some way- Jack in his own slandered reputation, Elena in the tension between her aspirations and her own circumstances, including what she sees as her small-town/family values. Both are heavily distrustful of one another, yet somehow, they find true vulnerability and openness with each other. They realize that love is messy, that love requires a leap of faith- that it’s never really safe, you’re never really free of baggage...you just have to jump. And when you jump with the right person- you’ll never fall alone. And oh my- jump they do. Both are able to expose the parts of themselves they’ve been hiding, to let someone else in completely- and the result? Well the result is that both find the supportive freedom they need to finally be their full selves. Pure romantic magic. I could not love this story anymore! Please pick it up! I'm so excited we get more from this world with a series!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020
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Top reviews from other countries
Kindle Konvert
5 long-breathy-make-out-kiss stars!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2020Verified Purchase
Book Freak [cha]
I adored this book!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2020Verified Purchase
CazT
Wonderful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 19, 2020Verified Purchase
WhatNikkiLoves
Loved Elena
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2020Verified Purchase
Ella
3.5 stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2021Verified Purchase
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