Not My Romeo was an enjoyable rom-com that left me smiling.

Sports star, mistaken identity, porky pig - yeah, I had a great time reading this one.

I adore Jack and Elena. She is a bit of a hot mess, but she's putting herself out there.

Jack ... he is great for the most part, but there are things that irritated me, made me want to throw my reader across the room. Dude, we all have baggage, but the way you acted made me want to give you a clip around the ears. Gah!!

When the do have their sh!t together, our lovelies are just, well, lovely. They made me laugh and smile and feel all the feels.

There is a bit of angst and upheaval in their lives. I love how their family and friends kept them grounded, called them out on their BS. Well, I liked most of the family most of the time - you'll know why.

However the thing I loved the most is the real Romeo. You'll love him, I bet me last dollar on it.

I want, no I need more of Jack's team mates. Please give us more!

When I thought I had read the best of the best from this author, she manages to surpass my already high expectations. I read this 6 star page turner in one sitting. I couldn’t seem to able to put down.

Elena thinks she’s on a blind date with a meteorologist but little did she know she’s ends up at the table of a football player. Jack finds her refreshing and she doesn’t know who he is, so he goes along with the charade. He can’t seem to be able to stay away. She tries to resist him.

This is one of my all time favourites. It has it all. Romance, humour, heartbreak and heartwarming moments. I laughed out loud a time or two. I fell for these amazingly created characters that latched on to my heart, mind, body and soul.

It’s an highly addicting and entertaining read that is captivating that I couldn’t put it down for very long. I was sucked in the storyline that kept me enthralled. Bottomline this is a must read.

Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.

An amazing rom-com. I absolutely LOVE this book. I feel like this was the book I needed to mostly get me out of my reading slump. I adore the main characters, especially the quirkiness of the heroine. Elena is a librarian who loves reading "trashy" romance novels and loves designing lingerie. Like girl, can I be your friend?? I want to hang out with you and Topher!! Then there's sweet Jack who keeps people at a distance. Ugh, I just want to give you a big warm hug. He's a jock BUT he's not one of those annoying ones who are so cocky. (Aiden takes the cake for cockiness) I love the secondary characters as well, especially Devon, Quinn, and Aiden but Aiden had to grow on me a bit.

Anyway, if you want amazing characters, story, and humor, go read this book. x)

Not My Romeo is another fabulous book written by Ilsa Madden-Mills. The book is about Elena, a librarian during the day and a secret lingerie designer at night, and Jack, an infamous quarterback who is in the middle of fixing his reputation on and off the field. Heartbroken and betrayed, Elena meets Jack on Valentine's Day in what ends up as a case of mistake identity. The sparks between the two fly and panties are dropped. Elena and Jack have an abundance of chemistry. What starts as a funny meet cute ends up being a game changer for the two.

Elena and Jack were both great but also frustrating at times! She had her share of insecurities (don't we all?) but she was funny, quirky, and she almost always stood her ground with Jack. While he was a jock, he was also a very lovable character despite wanting to choke him sometimes. He's been burned very recently by an ex girlfriend which led to a lot of issues in the development of his relationship with Elena. Despite how badly he wanted her, he never could fully open up to her because of past experiences. Much of the book is a slow burn in a sense. The tug of war between the two combined with playing Romeo and Juliet in a play had me aching for these two to just get it together.

Ilsa Madden-Mills wrote a really fantastic book in Dear Ava early this year and managed to follow it up with another endearing book in Not My Romeo. Elena, Jack, and the supporting characters were a delight. I loved the small town setting of this book. The writing was equally great. The characters were all quirky, sweet, and troubled. Not My Romeo is a great start to The Game Changers series!

I absolutely loved this book so much,

Elena is a hot librarian, who is also a closet lingerie designer. I just loved how until 71% of the book, she was thinking from her head and not her vagina. Yes, I’m precise with my percentage as after that she was like fuck it, “I’m going to give this man my heart and access to my vagina even though I know I’m going to be left heart broken towards the end.” But I was completely cool with it because the sex was hot. And she did stand her ground most of the book and pull away from Jack when he hesitated with her.

So I honestly have no issues with her, she was smart, sexy and sweet. Total package.

Jack, do I love that man. I want a Jack. Someone please guide me to the nearest Jack. I mean COME ON! He watches K-DRAMA. I REPEAT JACK WATCHES K-DRAMA! A man after my heart. And let’s not forget he is a closet Justin Bieber fan and also listens to Megan Trainer and Taylor Swift........ and was not ashamed to sing and dance in front of Elena. Just for her.

Throughout the book I either wanted to protect Jack from all the Vile woman of the world and keep him for myself

And then just a few times wanted to stab him repeatedly with a knife (very rarely though.

But yeah you could tell from the start that this big bad quarterback is a goner for the sexy Librarian but he was just not willing to admit it. And when he finally did... Oh god! the Romeo and Juliet play will forever be iconic.

“Will my love forgive me for leaving when he first heard of it? It was only fear and insecurities that drove him thus.”

I forgive you Romeo and I shall push thy Juliet towards you.

I mean the ending was a little rushed for me since she forgave him too quick for my taste. And then the book got over 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

But I can’t wait for the upcoming books from the series! And also Giselle you got what you deserved. 😉

I so loved this book. Elena was just amazing and loved how she did not settle for less and knew her self worth. Jack was so frustrating at times, but I loved him anyways. I loved seeing him so vulnerable at times and so stoic at other times. I just loved this book and can't tell you how much I truly loved watching these two come together.

This book was such a fun and sexy surprise! Jack & Elena's relationship had me laughing from the start and I felt every emotion as their story unfolded.

Jack is not your typical "jock" hero - he has so many layers to him and I loved that Elena was able to pull them all back and get to the deepest parts of him. My heart broke for him. I swooned over him. I laughed at his quirks and witty lines, but mostly I just LOVED him. His desire for Elena, and his inner turmoil to trust her were such a huge part of this story; and it made his character that much more human. As strong as he appeared on the outside, he was really breaking on the inside, and I was SO happy that he found Elena to be the light in his life!

Oh Elena...I loved his girl!!! She was such a breath of fresh air in that she is quirky, intelligent, beautiful and her secret passion is oh so fun and surprising!!! I cheered for her, I applauded her, and I admired her strength and determination that she carried all throughout this story. Her persona will surprise you with her wild side tucked inside a neat buttoned up package, and I loved every steamy second of her & Jack together.

Although fate truly did plant these two together, their ease with one another was apparent and relatable. The chemistry between Jack & Elena is scorching hot; yet their relationship developed so easily and naturally. I loved every second of their banter, wit, and steamy scenes. They are the epitome of opposites attract and so unique at the same time. You will feel ALL the feels with this book and not regret a second of it! Well done once again I Madden-Mills!!

2.5 Stars

This book started out so promising. A case of mistaken identity, a distrustful hero who finds himself reluctantly intrigued by the heroine and a dash of chemistry and I thought "yeah, I can see myself liking this couple". And for a while I did. I looked forward to their interactions and it seemed like Jack was the type of guy who knew exactly what he wanted and was willing to work for it, but that was before I knew that he had commitment issues.

While I loved Jack and Elena as individuals, I didn’t like how they were when it came to each other. Jack was leading her on, plain and simple. Honestly, he deserved a few hard whacks on the head. Who knew he’d be wishy-washy like that? He let her walk away 2 times and did nada to stop her, but then it takes two to play, right? There was a point where I just wanted Elena to walk away from this for good just to show him what he’s missing but it never came true. His sexual prowess was just too good, I guess, also, circumstances always made them meet again. This basically resulted in a lot of repetitive/similar situations where they made out but couldn’t go all the way for whatever reason, and then the heroine would come out of this sex-haze and realize that she didn’t want this type of relationship.

Jack had a lot to make up, I thought, especially because besides stringing her along the whole time, it was also him who blew the conflict at the end out of proportions. Instead of being charmed by his act (pun not intended lol) I found myself quite annoyed (view spoiler) and didn’t think it was very romantic 🤷‍♀️.

If I had read this book years ago, I would have been head over heels for this but unfortunately this back and forth doesn’t really work for me anymore.


**ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

You know that happy feeling when you turn the last page of a book, reading "the end" and your body just let's out a long contented sigh? This is one of those magical books.

This story is so wonderfully sweet, but not in a sugar-overdose way.
Jack is this gorgeous, famous football player but with a shy insecure center and Elena is such a kind, small town girl with a sassy, wild and unique side. Add a Shakespearean background, a crazy albeit loving family and a little out-of-the-norm pet and you get actual magic.

A delightful read, that will leave you with a soft smile and the warm fuzzies.

5 stars and a set of funky unicorn lingerie

GAH! Ilsa Madden-Mills has done it again. Not My Romeo was a sweet and swoony romance that had me giddy and grinning every other minute. Anyone that knows me KNOWS that "sweet" is not my usual read of choice, but there was something about Elena and Zack that just did it for me. They were sexy and real and just addicting. It doesn't hurt that she was sassy as hell and gave this bad boy quarterback a dose of everything he deserved, nothing of what he expected but ultimately everything he needed. They were just perfect! I loved this story!

What started as a hysterical dinner date of mistaken identity completely evolved into a swoony and heartfelt story of true love and finding what you need when you least expect it. I loved how Jack was a man of many different facets. Shy and tortured and just wanting out of the limelight and the drama his past brings. But he meets his match in the sassy and quirky Librarian, Elena, who is a firecracker that combusts his whole life.

Overall, this was a fun and sexy story full of laughs, swoons and heat. I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us in the town of Daisy! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula

Not My Romeo
Series: Book 1 in The Game Changers series
Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to the publisher for providing the ARC through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed it! There was a lot of hot chemistry and cute nerdiness (they both start quoting Mark Twain and try to outdo each other) between Jack and Elena. Their first meeting was very entertaining and awkward. They both hit it off from the start. I liked how he's supposed to be this outgoing social butterfly, who enjoys all the attention that comes with being a popular quarterback, but in reality he's not. He's very shy and has some kind of social anxiety when in big groups. Then we have Elena, who's a librarian that likes to design very naughty and sexy lingerie. I loved how she was so outspoken, friendly and made her own clothes that actually fit to her body. (I am the same height as her, so I totally understood when she spoke about pants.)
Though there were times that something drove them apart, their hot chemistry always brought them together at first. It seems that fate was always finding a way to bring them together, especially when those feelings were bringing havoc to their physical relationship.
I liked how as they get to know each other they begin to understand each other a little better. Elena begins to see that due to his troubled past , he has big trust issues. I felt for her when he questioned her about it, especially when she never gave him reason to doubt her.
He kind of made it up to her in the end. I just felt he should of groveled more.

I look forwards to more of this series.

Not my Romeo is a laugh out loud sensation undercut with a profound self reflective message.
This story is the perfect example of the ugly side of fame, as well as the lives people lead online and what the media portrays can be vastly different from reality. In a world filled with filters and the over sensationalization of drama, a twist on a few key words can lead to lies and vast misunderstandings.

Elena is one of the first female character that I have read and truly connected with. Peite, talkative and unique are a few key words that describes her best. Anyone who can take a simple statement or explanation and turn it into a five minute story time, can hold a special place in my heart and Elena does just that. Her individuality is best expressed in her clothing choices. They are a bold statement in just how truly comfortable she is with her self and how she embraces her individuality. I mean the first thing people tend to notice about a person is their clothing right? Elena does not go unnoticed. She wears her quirkiness on her sleeve, literally.

Jack is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, that the media loves to hate. Life has made him cynical and untrusting. He is plagued by his history of hurt and betrayal, which has left his personal life in shambles. His loneliness fills the pages. He is the perfect counterpart to Elena. He is self isolating and protective in order to prevent more ridicule and judgment from society.

The characters in this story are so unique. I mean a hero that love k-dramas and sings pop songs under his breathe and a heroine who spells when she is nervous and makes lingerie, is a recipe for comedic gold.

Their interactions with each other are filled with endless witty banter and dirty talking. These two are confident in their desire for one another which leads to story filled with heat and angsty goodness.

Where do I sign up to be a member of the Daisy Lady Gang? Asking for a friend!

#ilsamaddenmills #ilsamaddenmillsbook #sportsromance #NotMyRomeo #socialbutterflypr #NetGalley #onemorechaptervi

Another great rom-com from Ilsa Madden-Mills. She really creates great couples with humor and heart. Not My Romeo is simply good fun romance that had me grinning ear to ear throughout the entire book.

Elena and Zack were quite the couple. Usually you have the cocky, overly-confident jock romancing the shy small-town girl, but this book flips that old formula on it's head! Zack may be a bad-boy quarterback, but he is a bit insecure, shy and unsure of how to proceed with Elena. Elena is sassy and smart and totally willing to give Zack a run for his money and make him earn it!

Mistaken identity lead to true love with a lot of fun twists and turns along the way.

A great read fully of fun, humor and romance. A must read!

Ilsa Madden-Mills and her affinity for fated love gives her matchmaking best in the first book in her The Game Changers series, Not My Romeo!

It takes impressive maneuvering to create empathy for a hero who goes out of his way to be seemingly indifferent on the best of days and atrocious on the worst, yet this author managed to do so from the start with Jack. Seeds were planted, clues were thrown in and a tenacious heroine and curious readers were given the opportunity to not be put off and see the extraordinary hero he hid underneath his rough exterior. Jack was incredibly guarded even while he was transparent in his actions and need to belong when people took the time to look. Elena's lack of filter was at times awkward, hilarious, and brutally to the point yet that was the very trait that made her endearing. Her outspoken thoughts were tempered in kindness and good deeds making her truths the very things that took her to a whole new level of attraction. Quirky and fun Elena was surrounded in love and knew how to get through to Jack and show him love.

This couple was driven by mutual lust but they fell in love with who they were inside and that is what really drove this story. Two lonely people, they were able to weather their mistakes and fortunate enough to find lasting happiness. The trust building in this relationship was hard earned and painful to watch play out. Slightly older than Ms. Madden-Mills usual portrayals, mid to late 20's, their personal life experience was apparent in how they handled their problems and was reflected well by this author. Lots of little details flourished in this work creating a robust story with lots of things to love. A charming secondary cast gave all the intimacy of a small town without taking over the plot.

Ilsa Madden-Mills has built a strong foundation in her signature writing style giving her reader's reliable high quality works. She continues to exceed expectations with each new book by combining her reliability with fresh new ideas and fresh takes on old ideas. With panoramic views into her characters feelings, funny and poignant are a package deal with this writer. Not My Romeo proves in the end who needs Romeo and Juliet when you can have Jack and Elena!

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This will be published on August 18, 2020.



I was expecting this to be more serious, but it is actually more of a rom-com. I found myself laughing out loud fairly often at the situations and the banter between the main characters Elena and Jack. Their very first meeting sets the stage for the comedy that ensues throughout the book. Elena's best friend has set her up on a blind date on Valentine's Day, she is running late, and sits down with the only single man in the place. She assumes that Jack is the person she is supposed to meet, and when he is charmed by her antics and the fact that she has no idea who he is, he doesn't correct her. Sparks fly and they have a very nice evening. Jack feels bad that he didn’t tell her who he was, but he does intend to make things right. Unfortunately, the timing doesn’t work out and Elena finds out before he can explain.



Both Elena and Jack have been betrayed by people they cared about, and Jack has a lot of baggage in his past that causes him to have major trust and commitment issues. Elena is constantly trying to live up to everyone else's expectations and trying to fit into what the people in her small town think she should be doing. Over the course of the book Elena has to decide if she really wants to go after her dreams of entering the fashion world to design lingerie while Jack has to figure out if he can heal from the past hurts he’s experienced and start to trust people again. As an unlikely couple, they have to work together to see if they can make things work.



Just when you think this is going to be another insta-love story, it turns out not to be. Jack and Elena are caught up in insta-lust for sure, and they can't deny that they are able to relax and be themselves when they are together. They both have to grow as individuals as well as a couple before they can finally face their issues. The whole time they are "dating", but they refuse to acknowledge that as they get to know each other. This story takes place over time vs a few days which I really appreciate. It gives the characters time to actually build a relationship that feels realistic instead of falling in love in a week and living happily ever after.



I really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to more books in the series. I hope we get books about some of the side characters.

Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the first book in her new The Game Changers series. We meet our heroine, Elena Riley, as she goes to a restaurant to meet a blind date on Valentine’s Day, that her roommate set up for her. After waiting a bit, not seeing the date supposedly wearing a blue shirt, she texts her date, with no response; she notices far in the corner a hot hunk wearing a blue shirt and sitting alone. She walks to his table and says “are you the guy”.

Jack Hawke, our hero, and famous pro quarterback, is sitting quietly waiting for his dinner to be served. He is surprised when this beautiful young lady sits down at his table; he then realizes she thinks he is her blind date, who is a weatherman. Jack also noticed that she was one of the rare people who did not recognize him, and goes along with pretending to be her date. It was a pretty funny dinner between them, and they both end up the evening with a wild sexy one-night stand.

Jack and Elena are total opposites. Jack is shy and private, and does not like the limelight; especially after an ex-girlfriend wrote a book about her affair with him, filled with lies, causing Jack to have major trust issues. Elena is a librarian and designs sexy lingerie; she is also very outgoing, sassy and a bit wild. The following day, with Jack already gone before she awoke, she learns that he is not who she thought he was. When Jack saves a young boy, who asks him for favors, he agrees to perform at the school play, Romeo and Juliet. To his surprise, Elena is playing the part of Juliet, and a wild, sexy, sizzling romance begins to heat up. Elena finds her self falling hard for Jack, and he feels the same, but his trust issues and fear of anything permanent stands in the way. Will Jack get past his issues to stay with Elena?

I did enjoy the wonderful secondary characters; friends and family of Elena, as well as Jack’s football buddies (especially Devon). They were all fun. But most of all, Jack and Elena were so great together, with so much scorching chemistry between them, as well as their romance being terrific and fun.

Not My Romeo was a fun, lighthearted, sexy, sweet, hot romance, with a fantastic couple. There were lots of laughter, and sexy scenes. Ilsa Madden-Mills wrote a wonderful fun romantic story that was just simply fun from start to finish. I also loved the epilogue. I suggest you read Not My Romeo.

Ilsa Madden-Mills strikes again.

The set up and execution of this sports romance is top notch. Written in a way that has you dying to know what happens next, Not My Romeo takes a new spin on the famous classic Romeo and Juliet. With enough differences from the original play, Mills gives us a redemption story of a troubled football player and a small town librarian.

THE ANGST! No, seriously, the angst. After a hookup the main characters find themselves constantly bumping into each other. Their banter and sass left me swooning for their next reunion. Mills does an amazing job keeping the reader engaged in the relationship and the story. Being character driven, this dual POV is a quick RomCom that had me in fits of laughter and in moments of internal sighing. If you are in search of an adorable fast paced read with a solid set of characters, this is for you.

I'm so glad I went back an re-read this book - the first time I tried to read it was at the beginning of the pandemic, and my head just wasn't in the right place, but now that things are really improving, I went back and reread this, and I enjoyed it even more the second time around.

I love the meet-cute between the two main characters Elena and Jack - the tale of mistaken identities, only this time it was on a blind date! The two of them had instant chemistry, even though both of them fought the attraction from the start. Being a librarian myself, I totally loved Elena's character from the start. She is what I want to be. Elena's family drove me a bit crazy by how much they were into her business, but in the end I loved them all the more for it.

This is definitely a must-read if you enjoy fun, sexy romances with a bit of sportiness thrown in for good measure.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this advanced reading copy!

4.5 Stars

YES!! This book is amazing!

Elena is a sweet librarian living with her gay best friend and her rescue micro pig (HOW CUTE). She has had hard luck when it comes to love, it even goes as far as her boyfriend and sister hooking up. Cringe. When Valentine day rolls around Elena accepts the idea of a blind date. What's the worst that could happen? He could be absolutely drop-dead gorgeous and gives her the best night of her life! Problem is, he isn't her blind date. OOPPSS.Enter Jack, he just so happens to be sitting in the right restaurant, wearing the right colour top, and sitting alone. Who wouldn't make that honest mistake!

Elena is so sweet and innocent while Jack is a famous quarterback with a very "colourful" history. However, don't believe everything you read in the papers. I loved these characters. Elena is so strong, she knows her limits and her goals yet it doesn't stop her. She is determined and goes after what she wants which I really admire. Jack has had a hard life, some true, some not so true. Even with this "baggage" Jack continues with life and shows his true colours to Elena. Some parts of him, that he hasn't shown to anyone. I loved his soft and vulnerable side. I loved the fact this book has a dual POV as we can really see Jack's inner struggles because his exterior doesn't give much away.

I loved the secondary characters. They are fun, yet they give an element of structure and fluidity to the storyline. They are a great support to the main characters also.

I loved the writing technique. The storyline flowed perfectly and the pace was great.

Genuinely can't wait for the next book.

Overall I highly recommend this book.

She thought he was someone else, while he thought she was delightful. When the truth is reveled, will the accidental valentine have a chance of turning into something more?

I had so much fun reading this book! From the very first chapter, I knew it would give me the rom-com feels I was searching for.

Like Jack, I thought Elena was delightful. She was unapologetically herself. She was charming and witty, but also a straight shooter. She was the perfect blend of sweet and sassy and never failed to bring great energy to whatever she was involved in.

Jack was complicated. Though he was a famous NFL quarterback, he was rather shy. But his shyness was often misconstrued as aloofness and had earned Jack quite a reputation. He also experienced some really devastating things in his past, and though he was now surrounded and supported by some fantastic people, he has also made the mistake of letting the wrong people into his circle. This made him very slow to trust others, but he was fiercely loyal to those who earned it.

Speaking of circles, both Elena and Jack had a great group of family and friends. I absolutely loved meeting them all, and as this is a series, I am hoping I get to know each and every one of them better. I already have two of them paired off for their own HEA, so I am hoping Ilsa Madden-Mills saw it the same way I did and writes their book.

And you know what else? There's an epilogue, my friends, a jump ahead epilogue. It was so sweet and satisfying. I must confess, I was filled with so much joy from this epilogue, that I had all the happy tears flowing from my eyes.

This book had everything I look for in my romances and more. The hero and heroine were fabulous, had great chemistry, and delivered the type of banter I live for. The small town setting was featured well, and all it's quirky inhabitants added to the fun. I know I will be returning to Daisy with bells on and anticipate more feels, fun, and laughs in my future.