Book: Ilsa Madden-Mills
Author: Not My Romeo
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

"Do I make your heart beat?"

And lord did this book made my heart beat!!! This book is the reason why I fell in love with romance novels I loved every second of it! It was a journey, to say the least. Thank you, Ilsa, for sharing this amazing story with us.

This book was sensational; I had a blast! The first chapters were hilarious; I couldn't stop laughing. The chemistry and banter between Jack and Elena were off the charts. It was such a fulfilling read to me; it captivated my heart and, I felt so happy after reading it.

Elena and Jack's story had it all, romance, funny scenes, banter, great chemistry, angst, and more than anything; we were able to see their development and growth. Seeing them fall in love was beautiful and even more, seeing them realize love matters, how they felt about each other mattered and, that overcoming their insecurities and fighting for a future together was the right answer all along!

Btw, I didn't know this was a new series and OMG I couldn't be more excited to see where the next books will take us!!!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Feels 3
Steam 3
Storyline 4
Overall Rating 4
Kindle eArc provided by Netgalley

Elena recently went through a really shitty breakup and wants nothing more than to swear off men forever. She somehow finds herself agreeing to a blind date her best friend sets up for her. Off she goes to a five star restaurant to meet a weather man in a blue shirt and on Valentine’s Day, none the less, what could possible go wrong?

“I can’t help but notice that she looks at me as if I’m no one special, no glint of excitement in her eyes, no fluttering lashes, no awe at the weight the name Jack Hawke carries. Fascinating.”

Jack is just trying to enjoy a dinner alone when Elena sits down across from him and starts rambling nonstop. He has no idea what to make of her or what the hell is going on. When she drops the info about him being her blind date, he should tell her, right? But as they continue talking he becomes enamored with the quirky, sexy librarian and lets her believe he is someone he isn’t. One thing leads to another and hello penthouse, a nondisclosure agreement, a steamy one night stand and stolen sparkly panties.

“I may not recognize this daring part of myself, but he is what I want right now. This moment. This bliss. This one night.”

Eventually Elena finds out Jack isn’t the weatherman and that he is actually Jack Hawke. Sexy football god extraordinaire. She is pissed...kind of. I think she’s a tad more pissed about the stolen underwear. She can’t seem to not be where he is and he can’t seem to get her out of his head. So begins their game of cat and mouse.

I really liked Elena. She was super sweet and quirky with a side of oh so naughty. I also loved how she accepted Jack for himself instead of who he was to everyone else. Jack was amazing and his awkwardness was enduring and sweet. Plus my man was so sexy. I am a huge fan of Ilsa Madden-Mills and have always loved all her books. While I liked this one, I just didn’t love it. It was a sweet and light read. It just didn’t wow me like her other books have and felt like there was something missing although I am not sure what. I didn’t think their chemistry was spot on but I am not sure if that’s even what had me struggling at times to stay interested. I loved the characters. I guess I just wasn’t a huge fan of the story. I do look forward to reading more from this author.

“I’m deeply, irrevocably in love with my Romeo.”

4.75 Stars

Jack is a 28 year old football star in Nashville.

But the fans and the press don't like him much. But he has reasons for being the way he is.

And Elena. She's 26 and a librarian in a tiny town twenty minutes outside the city.

She also does some slightly scandalous side business that her family wouldn't approve of. But it's her passion.

Jack and Elena have the most hilarious meet cute. LOL!

After an amazing one-night stand they probably think they won't see each other again!

LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN ...

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ADORABLE! HILARIOUS!

I JUST LOVED IT!

This was such a sweet and funny romance!

We also have a few heartbreaking things in our darlings' lives.

And we have the most adorable pet and an amazing BFF roommate for each our darlings.

I just adored reading this!

There's really not much to say. I just adored it. The whole small-town vibe. The family. The gossip. The football. The friends. The sexy love story with its little problems.

This book was just exactly what I needed this week!

NOT MY ROMEO was an adorable and funny and sexy small-town-football-librarian-love-story! I adored it! Run to your nearest amazon for your own Jack - this one is MINE!

I still don't like Ilsa's overuse of those sentences - the ones that probably have a real grammatical name... no idea what it is though...example:

My age, he's a very sweet guy I met in college....

In her seventies, she's wearing her silver hair in a bun, she's blabla.

Know what I mean? :/ Me no likey!
But that's just me - and it's not only Ilsa who over-uses this. It sounds weird to my brain!

4⭐️

This was a sexy, sweet and swoony read!

Jack and Elena's journey kept me glued page after page. I practically devoured it!

I love your resilient and unapologetic Elena was. She knew her worth and she wouldn't take anything less... she's was so inspiring. And Jack isn't you typical sports superstar... this broken soul went through some tough times in his life and fatefully meeting Elena, balanced him.

It's a fast-paced love story. It's exciting and heartwarming.

Definitely enjoyed reading this small town romance!

This is the gold standard for sports romance!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💜🖤🤍💙💚
Steam: 🧖🏼‍♀‍🧖🏻🧖🏽‍♀‍🧖🏼🧖🏾‍♀‍
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙📓
World building: 🌅🌆🏙🏞🌃
Character development: 👩🏼‍🦰👱🏼‍♂‍🧑🏻👩🏽👦🏻

The setting: Nashville & Daisy Tennessee
The Hero: Jack Hawke, Superstar NFL Quarterback that won 4 championships, but never won a Super Bowl.
The Heroine: Elena, a Librarian in the small town of Daisy with bit of a wild streak.

I loved this sports romance story. It was funny, heartwarming, a bit tragic and so hot! The romance between the Jack and Elena was terrific and natural. I liked that there was chemistry between them from the beginning and I didn’t have to wait until the last half of the book for them to get busy. Jack is definitely an alpha male, but he has insecurities which make him even more attractive than his looks alone.

Jack had a bad childhood and finds it hard to trust, especially women. Since his one and only long term girlfriend turned on him and wrote a tell all book about him which was full of lies. She portrayed him as an alcoholic and an abuser. Though Jack did his share of drinking when he was younger and had money to spare for the first time in his life, he has grown up since then and has never hit a woman in his life.

Jack gets severe anxiety around people he doesn’t know and especially around reporters so he never gives interviews. This had not helped his reputation at all especially since the book came out and he has never refuted anything in it. The world doesn’t know about his anxiety and as far as he is concerned he only wants to play good football but all this other stuff seems to get in the way.

When Jack meets Elena, she thinks she is on a blind date with a weatherman. Jack doesn’t immediately correct her because he enjoys the fact that she has no idea who he really is. Elena intrigues him, with her pencil skirt and buttoned up shirt, with curves underneath and dainty hands. He is even more intrigued when he sees what she has on underneath.

Elena designs her own unique lingerie, and though she is a small town girl at heart, she has so many inconsistencies. Her pet is a teacup pig named Romeo, she lives with a gay man named Topher and her sister stole her fiancé. Her Mama and Aunt work at the local beauty shop which reminds me of the one Dolly Parton worked at in Steel Magnolias.

The love story is the thing, though. And it is wonderful. I recommend this to any fan of quirky, funny and epic love stories. I love anything Ilsa Madden-Mills writes, but this one was even above the rest.

I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Elena Riley's life sucks. She was recently dumped by her boyfriend, Preston, so he could date her sister, Giselle! When her friend and roommate, Topher, fixes her up on a blind date on Valentine's Day with a local weatherman, she reluctantly goes. When Elena walks into the restaurant and sees a man wearing what Topher described to her, she goes and introduces herself and sits down. After some awkward conversations and a few drinks later, Elena ends up going back to the guy's apartment for a night of fun that blows her mind, and then sneaks out afterwards.

The next day Elena realizes that she was not with said weatherman.....she was with Jack Hawke.....star quarterback of the Nashville Tigers. She is mortified, but little does she know that she now has the attention of hot QB. While Jack keeps pursuing Elena, she is just as quickly trying to hide from him. It seems that even the universe is out to get her because now Jack is starring in her town's small town production of Romeo and Julliete, as Romeo, while she is Julliete. Of course the more time these two spend together, the more the chemistry is off the charts.

Elena may have thought that she was better matched to the quiet, pristine, Preston, but it looks as if a certain hot, intense quarterback is just what she really needed.

I really enjoyed this story. I loved jack! He was still hot and all alpha but he also had some flaws that many people didn't know about. I really loved his relationship with his bestie, Quinn. Elena at times did get on my nerves as sometimes she was being too passive. If my sister ever took my boyfriend, I wouldn't have been so nice! ;) Overall this was a fun, entertaining story with some good laugh out loud moments.

Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills was a riot of swoonworthy, all consuming and heartaching feels! Jack and Elena's story gave me butterflies in stomach and flutters in my heart!

Jack Hawke may be a NFL superstar but he has a lonely existence. Media portrays him as an arrogant and rude player with anger issues. His past relationships used him and destroyed his trust. So when he meets Elena in a misunderstood date, he feels it's too good to be true. And Elena thinks this gorgeous hulk of a man is not her type. After all she is a librarian plus closet lingerie maker plus old fashioned romantic.

Jack was a fascinating character. The author can write jocks with a difference for sure. He can be cocky and sexy as sin and so damn amazing. But inside he is shy and insecure who doesn't want media attention and gets misunderstood. He is kind and caring and just so sweet. But he has this intense fear of love and committment! Elena broke down his walls effectively and completely. This woman is pure magic. Her sunny attitude. Her sass and fierceness and feisty attitude. Her big heart that loves too deep. She has her own disappointments and reservations. But she still went all in when it comes to Jack. She really saw the real man. But like all great heroes, Jack will do stupid things and hurt her. But wow...did he find an extraordinary way to redeem himself or not! Their chemistry had sparks and fun and so much heat! The secondary characters were equally fascinating and the small town of Daisy holds a piece of me.

Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden Mills was a truly inspiring and wonderful story. It had everything that made me fall in love with reading romance. Heartfelt feels. Relatable but extraordinary characters. Engrossing story line. And amazing writing that won my heart and soul.

Received ARC for honest review

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a great story that starts out with a blind date that turns out to be mistaken identity. Jack and Elena are the perfect couple, they complement each other.

Elena mistakes Jack for her blind date but that turns out to be a good thing. She is a sassy, strong, take charge of her life kind of woman. With a secret of her own

Jack Hawke is a professional football player with a bad boy tabloid-filled past. But that is not who he really is. It turns out he is really shy and hates to talk in front of a crowd.

Will they give a relationship a chance or will his past get in the way? Will Elena share her secret with him and her family? What will happen when Elena’s sister gets engaged and wants to have the party at her house?

I really enjoyed this story; it started really good and then was a little slow in some parts, but it picked up and ended great. I loved the way Jack and Elena were together. Sometimes I wanted to slap Jack upside the head but what can you do, just keep reading. And Jack had some great friends and Elena had her awesome family to support her.

If you haven’t read anything from this author, you can start here or anywhere. She has a lot of great stories. I hope you enjoy this one or any of her books.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
I just loved this book, and am so happy that it is the first in a new series because I just wanted to read and read and read it! I am a big fan of sports romances anyway, but throw in the initial mistaken identity, some amdram, and small town gossip, and it just works brilliantly.

Elena and Jack really are good people, and from the get go it is difficult not to want them to find their happily ever after together. However, the road is not smooth, for a whole host of funny and crazy reasons. It was funny, silly, sweet, hot, and ultimately, very romantic. So many side characters on both sides which added to the fun and the depth of the story. Her sister going off with her long-term boyfriend, and yet she managed to be kind and caring. Her straight-laced mum and very hippie auntie, who has a toyboy in the postman... seriously, you just need to grab a copy and lose yourself in a very good and happy read.

Roll on the next installment – this is exactly the kind of sexy escapism I love!


Sarah – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars

This is the story of a small town librarian who mistakes a famous football star for her blind date. Sparks fly when Jack and Elena’s very different lives collide. When they meet, Jack and Elena are both rebounding after difficult breakups, and neither of them trust easily.

I feel like I should have liked this book more than I did. The story of a small-town librarian and professional athlete is something that appealed to me immediately. I really enjoyed Elena’s family and community. I liked Jack. I loved Elena’s house. There are some entertaining scenes that made me laugh out loud. I think my problem is with Elena. Her dramatic overreactions are exhausting. She’s an educated, accomplished professional with an exciting side hustle who reacts with the kind of angst and drama more suited to an insecure teenager. And – personally – Jack’s butchering of Romeo and Juliet after months of practise felt really self-centred and entitled.

At its best, this is a fun read. But there are too many moments where unnecessary angst and theatrics detract from what should be a sweet and simple love story.

4.5 stars

I have to say, this book left me with a great feeling when I was done. The last couple of paragraphs made me fall in love with Jack, who for a good portion of the book made me want to throttle him. However, Elena, this girl cracked me up. There were a few moments with her too but, for the most part, I laughed because of her inner monologue and the crazy women that were in her life. I wanted to be part of the Daisy Lady Gang too.

I wished that the ending wasn't so rushed and this book would have ranked higher, but that epilogue made up for everything. I wasn't ready for the story to be over which speaks volumes about how amazing this author is. This is one of my favorites from this author. I hope that more of the characters get stories too. Off-topic, can we talk about this cover model? Sweet holy titfire, I think he could cut glass with that gorgeous jaw. One of my favorite covers from 2020.

This book is just sheer rom com fun no angst no drama just a fun read perfect for these troubled times we live in.

Elena is set up on a blind date by her friend all she knows is that her date will be wearing a blue shirt she is rather miffed when she arrives to find said date already eating without her. Jack Hawke the quarterback who has had his image tarnished by his ex is quilt eating in the restaurant he owns when a woman plonks herself at his table He assumes she is a journalist but as the conversation ensues he realises that she thinks that he is her blind date he doesn't correct her because he is actually enjoying her company. Elena realises something isn't right when her "date" gets her to sign a non disclosure something she signs as Juliet Capulet because why would a weatherman have a non disclosure, Soon these two seem to be running into one another everywhere they go and he even wins the role of Romeo against her Juliet in the local play. Can a quite Librarian and a alpha sportsman actually have a future together You will have to read to see

Ilsa Madden-Mills gifts readers a delightful and entertaining romance with deep feels and sexiness with Not My Romeo

♕ Plot: When librarian Elena Riley agrees to go on a blind date, she didn’t anticipate going home with a smoking-hot weather man. The next day she finds out that the gorgeous man who asked her to sign an NDA is an infamous NFL player who she’ll probably never see again.

However, fate has other plans for Jack and Elena as their paths continue to cross when they’re cast as Romeo and Juliet in Elena’s small-town community theater. Can these star-crossed lovers find a way to overcome the difficulties that are working against them or are they doomed to break each other’s hearts?

♕ Heroine: I LOVED Elena and would like to be her friend. She’s smart, quirky and says she’s timid but she’s really not. She speaks her mind and knows what she wants. She’s kind yet strong, understanding and fun. She spells words out when she’s nervous and has a pet pig. She’s perfect for Jack.

♕ Hero: Oh Jack, I love you! I absolutely felt for him and his difficult past. His commitment and trust issues were perfectly reasonable. Even though he had trouble admitting he loved her, the romance that blossomed from his and Elena’s relationship was undeniably sweet and swoony. I loved every second. Plus, he’s a closet romantic who loves to watch K-drama and sing pop songs.

♕ Sexiness & Feels: Not My Romeo explodes with the heat of Jack and Elena’s attraction while providing marvelous fun and heartfelt moments. Some were just between the two of them and others were provided by fabulous secondary characters I can’t wait to read more of.

♕ Facts: Not My Romeo is book #1 of The Game Changers by Ilsa Madden-Mills. It is a standalone contemporary romance, told from both points of view with a deliciously swoony happy ending.

♕ Overall rating: 5

Not My Romeo was a really fun and sexy romance. It starts off with a memorable meet cute and a case of mistaken identity and hooks readers right from the start. I loved the opposites attract chemistry between Jack and Elena. They pushed each other and helped the other bring out parts of themselves that were hidden away. I'm not generally a fan of instalove, but it worked for me in this book and I was rooting for these two to overcome and find their happily ever after. The secondary characters were a lot of fun (Daisy Lady Gang!) and I'm really hoping that Devon and Topher each get books.

The pacing of the story was good, but I did find that it started to stall a bit halfway/towards the end. The misunderstandings and lack of communication became repetitive and I started to grow tired of all the back and forth. I also don't agree with all the decisions our characters made, but I understand the insecurities and fears that were driving them. The ending and epilogue were sweet and such a great way for the story to come full circle, but I wouldn't have minded a bit more groveling ;)

CW: death of a parent, gun violence, and domestic abuse

*I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*

What better way to start off Valentine's Day than to have a blind date. It only gets better when Elena sits down at the wrong table and completely blindsides Jack who just wants to be alone. But over food and drink they feel a connection - but will this connection be a flash in the pan just for the romantic holiday or will it be something so much more? Once again Ilsa madden Mills creates characters the reader cannot help but fall for and she does it with humor, grace and a whole lot of sexy times. The perfect way to start off a new series.

Reading an IMM book is always like coming home. Not My Romeo is the first book in her The Game Changer Series and tells Elena and Jack's story.
Elena is a curvy librarian and is just out a bad relationship and bad break up. She gets set up on a blind date and meets her weatherman.
Jack is everything but a weatherman, but when E shows up on his table, his life is bout to change.
The bad boy of football is blown away by the short woman who chattes with him without knowing who he really is. The super star on top of his world, he knows it can change in the blink of an eye. And then comes something similar to the showdown at O.K. Corral. Yes, some men should be frightened by a Southern Belle.
Not My Romeo is a beautiful read. I fell in love with the characters. The best books are the kind you don't want the story to end and MNR is one of these few books.

Two opposites mending one puzzle, and one attraction that never seems to sizzle no matter how far away they run from each other...

Jack and Elena, a couple filled with lots of chemistry and lust that truly breaks the pages. At first sight, it's kind of complicated to feel their attraction, but after a while it's a no brainer that they are meant to be. Elena is such a unique character that's for sure. She is quirky, introverted, smart, and sexy. Qualities in which to Jack's eyes make her worth his time. Though his real identify is not revealed at first, he knows that he is one of a kind to not judge him due to his reputation;
"Goddess. She's the sexiest woman I've ever met, and she doesn't even know it..."

With time, and both getting to know each other more and more. It is revealed how Elena's true side comes out. It's a beautiful thing to read to be honest, like seeing a flower blossom. And with Jack being by her side, she keeps blossoming more and more. Though the struggle of him admitting how much he truly loves her, but he doesn't know it at first, is real; throughout time you slowly learn to love Jack and his commitment issues. I wouldn't say I fell in love with the lack of committing, but his excuses where real and considerate. And with football still in his life, he needs to learn how to balance a d relationship as well as his career, or have to make the decision of knowing when to stop one thing and take care of himself first, and the ones he loves.

New characters in which I already have a feeling will be the next books in this hopeful series emerge, in which I am beyond excited about. Especially if Ilsa decides to write a book for Devon, a true swoon worthy character that had me laughing every time he appeared. In general, Jack and Elena's book was truly worth the reading. Plus, I will never NOT read any of her books that's for sure.

I'm in love with Not My Romeo. Such a fantastic read that I could not put down. You will just love Elena and Jack. Elena's awkwardness will have you cracking up. Jack will make you swoon. I love the Jock and the Librarian aspect. As you get to know Jack he is more then just a football player. There is such a pull between Elena and Jack that will just make you hot and bothered and laughing out loud too. A cute fun read with loads of loveable characters that I for one can't wait for more from The Game Changers series. Not My Romeo is a fantastic start to this new series.

Elena and Jack meet because of a mistaken blind date identity on Valentine’s Day. One thing leads to another and they end up spending the night together in his penthouse.
Come morning she comes to know that he is not the weatherman she was supposed to meet but superstar bad boy of football, and he stole her panties. They were not expecting to see each other again, but fate had a different plan and they keep running into each other at most unexpected places, and now they are in a play together as Romeo and Juliet and their connection keeps getting stronger.
This is my first book by the author and I absolutely loved it. The hot, shy, alpha totally stole my heart and the no nonsense librarian with a wild side was perfect for him. A funny, hot, sweet story that I just couldn’t put down. Would love to read more in the series.

I was hooked in to this book from the start, as I find with most Ilsa Madden-Mills books if I am being honest. Elena agrees to a blind date on Valentine's Day no less, and winds up sitting down at Jack Hawke's table, based on the color of his shirt alone. Jack is a very high profile (probably for not the right reasons) professional quarterback. When Elena sits down at his table unexpectedly, something about her captivates him and instead of telling her she is at the wrong table and has the wrong guy, he goes along with it. Their relationship, while steamy, gets off on the wrong foot though when it is plagued by lies, misunderstandings, NDA's and emotional walls.

I absolutely loved both Elena and Jack. Elena was an independent woman who was both strong and soft. She was the complete package. She was tough with Jack when needed, but also nurturing and loving and compassionate. She allowed him to open up and trust again. I loved that Jack was a tough professional football player but also really just wanted to be loved. I loved that his softer side came through here and there with Elena and with Timmy.

I enjoyed the story line and read the book in one sitting. Jack and Elena had tremendous chemistry but I loved that they also had so much of a deeper connection. I would highly recommend this story!

IMM has delivered a small town Rom-Com that can compete with the best of them!!

I smiled and chuckled so much reading this in between bouts of swooning. Be still my beating heart but Jack Hawke is the ultimate book boyfriend. Yeah so he kept his identity a secret but hey Elena signed a fake name to the NDA. Little does she know this Romeo is going to keep popping up in her life in the most unexpected places.

This one will keep your eyes glued to the pages like it did to me. Oh yeah I wasn't stopping until I reached The End.

Another fantastic read and I can't wait until the next one releases. I will be not so patiently waiting!!

**Received ARC through NetGalley. Voluntarily reviewed. Opinions are my own**

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!