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Not My Romeo
by Ilsa Madden-MillsSeries: The Game Changers #1
Published by Montlake on August 18, 2020
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: AudioBook, eBook
Pages: 349
Narrator: Savannah Peachwood, Eric G. Dove
Length: 10 Hours And 22 Minutes
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Audience: 18+/Adult
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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?
Not My Romeo is the first book in Ilsa Madden-Mills’ The Game Changers series and the first book I’ve read by this author. I’ve been meaning to read one of her books for a while, and finally made time thanks to the Romanceopoly Challenge. It was one of those reads packed with tropes, including some I love in my romance books. This book had some aspects I enjoyed and was entertaining, but it won’t be a favorite.
I loved that the heroine, Elena, was a librarian and was also trying to start her own unique lingerie line. The way the author described the pieces made me wish it were a real business. She did have trust issues with men because of what her ex did and how he ended up with her sister. I could definitely understand why she had trust issues. I would to and then I would have issues with my sister too, if I had a sister like Elena’s.
I loved the hero, even though he was portrayed as a bad boy, because his ex painted him that way in her book, and after he gets into an accident that hurts a little boy. The boy plays a role in the story and sees Jack as an idol, not a bad guy, and I liked how Jack handled the situation. Jack truly was a good guy, and considering his upbringing and what his ex put him through, I understood his trust issues.
I loved how the characters met through a case of mistaken identity. Elena is meeting a blind date her friend set up, but ends up with Jack because she thinks he is her date, and he does not correct her. They had a one-night stand, but after that, things changed for me. I understood why Jack wanted Elena to sign the NDA because of his ex, but he should have explained why, but he wasn’t there to do it. Elena is bothered by it, and I would have felt the same. Later, when they run into each other again, the back and forth and lack of communication start. Now, I will say, there were quite a few spicy times with Jack and Elena, even at a church, for instance, but there is no real communication about what is to come between them. The constant back and forth and their inability to come to terms with their relationship drove me crazy. Even at the end, I was not convinced they were a perfect match.
Another thing I loved, though, was that Elena had a pet pig. I have not read that in a book before, so it was unique. His name is Romeo, and he may have stolen the show several times from Jack and Elena, and that is fine with me because I am a big animal lover. I wish more authors would include pets in their stories, because I am a furbaby mama. I may be a mama of two girls, but I also consider my pets my babies. My two dogs literally think I am their mama.
Overall, this was an okay read for me, and I give it 3 stars. This was my first book by this author, and I want to read more to see if her other books will grip my attention better. Maybe I will try the next book in this series, but I’m hesitant due to it being Elena’s sister’s book, and no, it’s not a story between her and Elena’s ex. She ends up with a football player. Someone I actually liked reading about in this book.
POV: First Person (Dual POV)
Would I recommend this book? Just because it was an okay read for me doesn’t mean I won’t recommend it. If you enjoy any of the tropes listed below or if you’ve read Ilsa Madden-Mills books before, then I recommend this book. If you don’t mind back and forth between the characters (not communicating at all until the end), then this book may intrigue you.
If you enjoy listening to your books, you may enjoy the audiobook of this book.
What to Expect:
💕Contemporary Romance
💕Small Town Romance
💕Celebrity Romance – Football Player Hero
💕Mistaken Identity
💕One Night Stand
💕Opposites Attract
💕Forced Proximity
💕Hero Has Trust Issues
💕Librarian Heroine
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