I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

Gorgeous, talented, and brilliant, NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world at his hands. But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident, he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices. When a mysterious girl shows up to his party, he feels drawn to her and makes her his...for one night.
Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission. Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far, far away, she sneaks into a high profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback. But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand.
Fast forward two year. Broke and desperate, Nova returns home to Blue Belle, Texas, where by a cosmic twist of fate, her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan, the shiny new football coach everyone adores. But he has no idea who she is.
The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town. His solution? He proposes fake dating to Nova. But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she's the one who slipped away. Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller, or will his past keep them apart?

This is the story of Ronan and Nova. Ronan suffered a huge loss when his fiancée was killed in accident that also caused him to lose his football career. While at a party two and a half years later he is not having a good night at all since he is deep in grief and morning the life he could have had and the woman that he loved. However, Tuck, his best friend who is very concerned about him dares him to have some fun. That leads to Ronan meeting Nova and spending one of the most amazing night with a girl that is a mystery to him. The next morning she is gone and since he was so drunk the night they were together it never occurred to him to ask her name. Worse than that he doesn't even remember what she looked like and he just might have called her by his ex-fiancée's name. Now he finds himself living in the small town of Blue Belle, Texas coaching the high school football team. As fate would have it Nova is back in her home town of Blue Belle, Texas to take care of her teenage sister after their mom died all while living right next door to the high school football team coach who still doesn't remember who she is!!!! You can imagine her shocked when he suddenly asks her to be his fake girlfriend because the entire time is trying to find him a wife to make sure he stay and continues to coach the team.
This is a really sweet romance that was a lot of fun to read. Nova and Ronan have the funniest banter at times and they are really smoking hot together. They have some absolutely amazing times together and I loved their adventures. Throw in her teenage sister and some of his friends like Tuck and you have one sweet small town romance that you are going to love reading.

This book is a 4.25 star read. It gets you from the very first chapter. Both the hero and heroine have very sad pasts. But they are so resilient. The heart is truly a resilient organ.

I adored this small town Texas football loving story. Every single character made fall in love more. They are all eccentric and fun. They bring so much joy to this book.

This story is about fate, about overcoming your past and finding your glow. We all have it.

The chemistry between these characters is electric. Nova is one of my new fave heroines. I absolutely adored her spunk, and quirkiness and her strength. She is brilliant.

Fall in love with this town these characters and their hearts.

Holy crap!

Did Beauty and the Baller deliver.
Ronan is at his lowest point of a downward spiral the night he met Nova (in her Princess Leia outfit).
She knew who he was, he did not know her name or her face, but they engaged in a super hot steamy one night stand, that didi not end well. It did something to Nova.

Two and a half years later, they meet again...and that's where it gets good, (although that opening is a banging fine open). Angsty, steamy, painful, and fun, this book delivers on its self awareness.
Damn you, Ronan. He's just that good.

Highly recommend.

Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the story of Ronan Smith and Nova Morgan.
Nova had wanted to catch the eye of Ronan at a party which she did when but it was only for one night and he was drunk. Ronan had been in a depressive mode because of the lost of his career and the women he was going to marry. So when he friends talked him into taking a dare to have fun, he did so with Nova. Now about two years later Nova has returned home to take care of her younger sister after her mother's death. Which now has put her leaving next door to Ronan who doesn't remember that night. Ronan is the towns bachelor and coach so he is always getting set up with someone. So he asked Nova to be his pretend girlfriend to cover for him. But of course nothing is going to plan when loves on the line. Loved this book and a huge fan of Ms. Madden-Mills writing.

Overall Grade: 5++ ⭐️

I wanted to start this review with a football allusion given it is the backdrop and its own character in Ilsa Madden-Mills’s Beauty and the Baller, her newest sports romance. All night long, I kept trying to figure out the best way to describe the delight of her newest story. So this is it; this is what I came up with. Ilsa Madden-Mills is the Tom Brady of the football romance. Hands down. Like Tom Brady, most of her plays (her books) lead to SuperBowl-esque victories. In fact, I have yet to read a story on her booklist that leaves me unfulfilled or questioning her storytelling ability.

Instead, she makes us wait for her return and offers up a total touchdown with Beauty and the Baller. Let me elaborate. I jumped into her book, behind on my ARC (for an honest review, of course) reading this week. Time seemed to slip through my fingers. I had just finished a fairly angsty, dark-feeling romance, and I was ready for something light or lighter. With IMM, you’re never quite sure what you’ll get, so I began reading, shoring up my spirit against a potential angsty read or something that might take a bite out of my soul. And IMM has gifted her reader with a story that beautifully balances light and dark through the character arcs of her hero and heroine, Ronan and Nova. Like a tight end or wide receiver catching a carefully-placed pass from his quarterback, each chapter of Beauty and the Baller felt like a first down to a game-winning touchdown. What started with the expectation of a bit of drudgery (forgive me for saying that, Ilsa) turned into the most beautiful of spiral passes at each turn of the page of Ronan and Nova’s journey.

I won’t take the space of this review to discuss a summary of the book. I need you to read this story and argue that it isn’t one of the best reads of 2022. It’s definitely one of my top 5 thus far. Why?

For one, Ronan’s characterization is complicated. In one moment, his future is ripped away, and it leaves him, at first, numb and, later, afraid. Much of this story involves Ronan letting go of his fear to fall in love with Nova. Through him, we are gifted with the life motto: “win the heart, win everything.” And it takes much of the book for him to fully accept his own motto. We are also granted access to compelling chemistry between him and Nova. From the first chapter, it’s clear that these two are fated, and the beats of the story mimic the heartbeats between the two.

In Nova, we find the foundation and backbone of the story. It is impossible for Ronan to move beyond his past and accept love without the “glow” of Nova. IMM places most of the humor of her story in Nova’s mouth, and she challenges Ronan every step of the way in a manner that feels like a constant win. Even when the angst of the story is introduced, Nova remains a bright spot as she’s sitting in darkness. While Ronan gives us “win the heart, win everything,” through Nova, we receive the other important message: “Mama raised me to believe there’s a tiny light inside everyone, a wonderful place of possibilities for your life. It’s up to you to find your ‘glow’ and turn those possibilities into certainties. Make the impossible real. Reach for the stars, even if they burn, Nova.” This epitomizes Nova’s purpose for this story. From the choice of her name to her choices, Nova lives this life lesson. In doing so, she helps Ronan find it in himself. This truth becomes the ultimate driving force of their story together, and it’s “the win” for Beauty and the Baller, the emotional gravitas of the story.

Honestly, I could write many more words about Ilsa Madden Mills’s recent romance. The ancillary characters of the story add more depth to the humor and more gravity to its seriousness. When you leave Beauty and the Baller, you will pine for the stories of the other characters. I’m not sure if “Coach” (IMM) has a game plan for this (one can only hope), but given her ability to create win after win from her gamebook, there’s no telling what the future might bring. I’m fairly certain, like Tom Brady, it will entail writing stories that feel like game-winning touchdowns and a booklist full of MVPs.

This is just an all around really sweet and pleasurable grumpy and sunshine read, and a small town romance about a broken ex NFL footballer player falling for the town beauty queen. A comical and chemistry driven story that gives a small nod to “Beauty and the Beast.” Loved it!

Ronan and Nova have a one-night stand and never see each other again, that is until Nova moves back home to be with her sister and she finds out Ronan is the new high school football coach. The two must learn to work together without letting their feelings get in the way, even with the fake dating scheme they’ve got planned.

My favorite thing about reading an Ilsa book is the added playfulness to an otherwise common reading trope. There’s a lice outbreak, a game of strip darts, and lots of side characters that will make you laugh out loud. Ilsa pairs together the emotional, the funny, and the scorchingly sweet so well! I couldn’t put this one down and Ronan is one of my new favorite grumpy heroes. A delightful and hopelessly romantic read!

„Life will always be scary. It’s better when you do it with someone.”


I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve read the last book from Ilsa, but I must admit that Beauty and the Baller reminded me very quickly how much I love her storytelling. This book was simply fabulous! Full of heat and heart, interwoven with wit and emotions, this small-town romance delivered everything I could ask for- swoons, entertainment and all the feels. And although there were some heavy moments, the emotional part wasn’t overwhelming, just added the right amount of significance to this humorous and delightful story. The main characters, Ronan and Nova, were perfect not only as individuals, but also as a couple. Fingers crossed that we’re gonna get some more stories in this world, because the cast of secondary characters was wonderful!

Both Ronan and Nova were such strong characters on their own. They had so much life happened to them and were truly trying to make the most of their situations.
I loved Nova’s spark and confidence. She was always going head to head with Ronan.
I appreciated Ronan’s loyalty. Once he was on your team, he had your back.
Overall a fun read and I’m hoping we get to see more books in this world.

Ahhh What a heartwarming and emotional love story !!!! And of course - written in Ilsa Madden Mills style ! I really enjoyed it from the first pages, and I couldn't put it down.

This author always know how to keep my attention, with every next books from her. With Beauty and the Baller it was any different! I love how she mixed story line, characters, steamy moments and emotions. Nova and Ronan giving all the feels, and don't let us feel bored, even for one second. I like to see how their relationship grow into deep, heart melting love story. There were funny moments, angsty ones what made this book so memorable. All twists, ups and downs were mixing together perfectly, giving one breathtaking romance.

I really recommend this title. Beauty and the Baller is a must read

This will definitely go down as a favorite this year! I absolutely loved this one!
Ronan is a retired football player and now a coach. He's pretty famous in this little town and everyone adores him. Except his new neighbor. Nova does not care who he is and to add insult to injury she knows him already only he doesn't remember her.
Nova and Ronan face many obstacles personal and professionally. They both know things can change so quickly that will alter the course of your life in the blink of an eye. Both know loss and love.
I LOVED Nova and Ronan. Okay I loved all these characters. I wish this story could have lasted just a little longer.
It really hits you in the feels and leaves you wanting more!

I always look forward to any book by Ilsa Madden-Mills, and this novel definitely delivered on the humor, chemistry, and emotional development I’ve come to expect from her books. Tuck and Nova were especially hilarious. I loved Nova's determination, her confidence, and how much she cared for others. Her relationship with Ronan was passionate and based on mutual respect and understanding of the grieving process. They were very supportive of and patient with each other.

Ronan was a great alpha male—protective, possessive, and thoughtful. However, he did disappoint me with his actions at the beginning of the book and his indecisiveness throughout. I felt like Nova cared more for Ronan—at least at certain points of the novel—than Ronan cared for her, and I wasn’t a fan of that. The epilogue was beautiful though and a satisfying conclusion to an emotionally wrought tale.

Overall, this was a sweet story with lots of humor, heart, and heat. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys sports romances.

*I received an ARC of this novel. This is my complete and honest review.*

What an amazing 5 star story this was. One that had me hooked from the first page to the last one and even then I wanted more.

Ronan has been through a lot and one night he meets this mysterious beauty and they spend a night together. The only problem he was drunk. Nova moves back to her home town to care for her sister after their mother passed away. The next door neighbor is a pain in the a#%&. A neighbor from hell. Aren’t they in for a surprise.

I enjoyed this RomCom very much. Full of fun and highly entertaining. I was addicting to this beautifully written story that made my heart sing. An amazing storyline that flowed well. Characters that were perfectly created. Bottomline this is a must read.

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

Okay so this was an interesting journey. I started off on the wrong foot with this book, with multiple things rubbing me the wrong way immediately. Like what was his thing with only blondes being his type 🙄 and then one of the weirdest first encounters I’ve ever read. Add to it the insta lust/love and slightly unsavory one night stand and I was fast losing hope.

But, wait for it. It’s the mark of the author’s talent that in spite of a rough start, I was very quickly drawn into the narrative once we got past that hump, and before I knew it I was sighing and swooning right along with the population of Blue Belle over Coach Ronan and Nova. This book is a shining example of putting a bunch of my not favorite tropes in a book and making me love it regardless.

Nova and Ronan are the contemporary version of fated mates, and once I got used to the idea, I was rooting hard for them. Helps that they’re ridiculously hot in a goofy sexy way. They have this style of abruptly veering off into conversational tangents, which ended up being surprisingly charming once I got used to that. Ronan is almost too perfect and can do nothing wrong, but his emotional damage and the hang ups he has due to his perfection make him a little more accessible. Nova is quirky and charming and gets Ronan and his hang ups. The cast of secondary characters is also lovable, especially Sabine, and the pets.

5-find-your-glow stars! In my eyes, this author can do no wrong. Absolutely adored this delightful, sexy and emotional story!

"We were effortless and natural, almost instinctive, two people sensing a familiar soul, one with cracks but not completely broken."

Nova Morgan and Ronan Smith share one night together. A night of magically connection and one that pulls Ronan out of his downward spiral. However, Nova has pretty negative feelings about that night and was glad to never see him again. Two and a half years later, imagine her shock when she realises that the neighbour next door is the guy she's never forgotten.

"Life is always scary. It's better when you do it with someone."

This was such an engaging, absorbing story. Nova was a woman of keen intelligence, resourcefulness and magnetic charm. She also had a heart of gold. Her heart of gold rivalled that of Ronan's. I loved how much he cared about the folk of Blue Belle and the things he did to help those in need. He was a guy full of vulnerability and my heart ached for his genuine determination to push through his fears to keep Nova by his side. I adored how much Nova enchanted him with her refreshing honesty and candid observations. I loved the mantras she inherited from her mother, which she held close to her heart. They really spoke to me. I was tickled by some of the side characters - Sabine amused me no end with her comments (I really hope we get a book with an older Sabine, at some point), Sonia was a hoot with her British vocab, and Lois was a law unto herself! LOL. A thoroughly fabulous read that was full of heart and humour.

Ronan Smith é um quarterback que tinha tudo até um acidente acabar com sua carreira, levar sua noiva e toda sua alegria. Marcado não só sua alma com a dor, mas também o seu rosto com cicatrizes, ele está imerso em tristeza numa festa quando uma garota vestida de princesa Leia entra de penetra e chama sua atenção. A noite tem uma reviravolta e o que era para ser incrível, acaba saindo pelo ralo após um deslize.

Dois ano depois, Ronan, que agora é um treinador de futebol numa cidadezinha do Texas chamada Blue Belle, acaba conhecendo sua nova vizinha, Nova Morgan. O que ele não sabia é que essa garota é a mesma que ele já conheceu.

Diferente da maioria das mulheres da cidade, Nova não quer nada com ele - o que é um alívio, já que não aguenta mais ter mulheres empurradas para si como um meio para que permaneça na cidade como treinador. É por essa questão que Ronan acaba oferecendo a Nova um acordo, um namoro falso para a solução dos seus problemas. Contudo, o problema maior é a química imensa que ambos tem, a ponto de não distinguir o que é falso e o que é real.

Nova Morgan é uma protagonista fantástica e que eu amei conhecer. Após a morte da sua mãe, ela volta a cidade natal para cuidar da irmã autista e recomeçar. Ela não esperava topar com Ronan novamente e, apesar da sua chateação pelo o que ocorreu com os dois na fatídica noite, ela leva tudo sempre com alto astral e maturidade. Isso é uma das coisas mais incríveis que achei na história. Não há um drama forçado. Ele existe, já que Ronan é um homem que se fechou com a dor e não consegue seguir em frente, além do dilema sobre ele ir embora em breve. Entretanto, a relação deles é feita muito às claras e na base do diálogo.

Posso dizer que a concretização do romance em si é lento, uma delícia de slow burn, contudo, não quer dizer que a paixão não bata na porta, então temos momentos muito bons desses dois.

A autora também conseguiu construir um excelente background ao envolver a escola em que eles trabalham, os colegas professores, os garotos do time que Ronan treina e outros personagens secundários que endossam a trama, tornando-a muito mais real. Não tem como não se sentir numa cidadezinha do interior do Texas e não se afeiçoar a eles.

Eu acredito que tudo se deu no ponto certo mostrando relações de amizades, parcerias, pertencimento, raízes e amor.

Estou muito feliz com essa leitura e espero que a Ilsa Madden-Mill continue acertando o meu coração assim.

*Leitura feita através de um ARC cedido para uma resenha honesta.

4.5 'Find your glow' Stars!
ARC provided via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been quite a while since my last read from Ilsa Madden-Mills and that is an absolute crime because I truly adore her writing. She completely stole the show for me with Dear Ava and now she is back with another emotional love story that I know many romance readers will love. With Beauty and the Baller, we are getting a glorious mix of sports romance, one-night stands impossible to forget and a second chance feel to it too. What’s not to love about everything I just said, am I right?

So, Beauty and the Baller is a new standalone novel about Ronan Smith and Nova Morgan. Ronan had everything he wanted: a gorgeous and talented NFL quarterback with the world at his feet and a fiancée he adored. A car accident changes his life completely, he is lost in his grief and doesn’t know how to come back from it. Enter Nova. She enters Ronan’s life because he is her favorite QB and they have a mind-blowing but awful night that again changes Ronan’s journey. What they didn’t expect is to meet again after two years. Now they are neighbors and Ronan doesn’t remember anything about that night. What will happen when things get even more complicated and they decide the solution is to fake a relationship?

How did I get here with you? How did you find me?

What a journey with this amazing couple! Ilsa is fantastic at writing a type of character that shows a whole array of emotions but still has a quirky and funny side that will steal your heart completely. And that is what happens with Ronan and Nova. Their first meeting is all kinds of cute and sooooo nerdy. I loved it. I loved how their journey starts and how it develops after they meet again after two years. They are both going through loss and it’s so clear their paths keep crossing because of a connection impossible to miss. Fate is acting for them and love starts growing. And while it’s not easy for either of them to accept those feelings for each other, their chemistry is so much stronger. I seriously loved this book and this couple, and I am so glad they got their happy ending!

Being with him, even though he’s still finding out who he is and what he needs, is like peeking into possibilities.

Therefore, I am rating Beauty and the Baller with 4.5 STARS because Ilsa simply did it again. She gave us a beautiful love story, with complex and quirky characters to love and a couple with so much chemistry that you’ll melt all over the place. Ronan and Nova will steal the hearts of many with their steamy, emotional and quirky love story. Mine is already stolen and I really hope Ilsa writes more stories about the characters we’ve meet in this book because I would be so happy and excited to read them!

This was another incredible read from IMM! Very rarely do I find books that make me feel something, but the pain and struggles that the fmm was dealing with felt like my own. I loved the character development of the mmm, and the dynamic between some of the side characters had me rolling

I think my main problem with this book was the number of secondary characters that had the potential to be interesting and bring something to the plot that were eventually just forgotten or not included enough, and just ended up distracting from the story, and Nova and Ronan as a couple.
I felt more chemistry between Nova and her ex than between Nova and Ronan. Something about the two of them together just felt unnatural. From the moment they met, the way they communicated, and the things they did together, it just felt forced.
I love the author's writing and the books I previously read by her, but this one just wasn't for me. I enjoyed reading it and I didn’t hate it, I just expected more from it.

Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the story of Nova and Ronan.

Nova is a former beauty queen and she moves back to her hometown to take care of her younger sister Sabine. Nova is such an amazing person and I adore her.

Ronan is a former NFL player who needs to accept that his career ended and he moved to a small town in Texas, where he now is the beloved coach. He experienced some things in the past and that gave him so much depth.

The two meet at a party and they have one night together. And while Ronan doesn’t even remember it, it was very bad for Nova. This was not your typical romantic beginning and I really like that as not everything is always perfect. A few years later their paths cross again and they aren’t only neighbors, but also co-workers. And as that isn’t enough forced proximity, the two also fake date each other and at some point it might not be fake anymore. This romance has so much heart in it and it developed beautifully. Nova and Ronan are such a good couple.

Overall, Beauty and the Baller has so many amazing tropes and this story is another amazing one from Ilsa Madden-Mills. 4 stars.

(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

This book is one that I absolutely loved because while it had a few sad moments overall it was sweet, funny, and I was genuinely happy from start to end. It had me smiling from start to finish then I was craving more from these characters. Ronan and Nova have this banter that is entirely amusing they could be arguing one second then laughing at each other the next. Nova really kept him on his toes because she was random, funny, yet the sweetest person ever. Ronan is this athletic nerd who retires from the NFL to coach high school and while he can come across as broody there are times we get to see this amazing person on the inside that is hiding behind his walls craving to be loved again. While these two have a rocky start they end up becoming close and when their chemistry ignites there is this fear that always holds Ronan back. I don’t want to give too much away but this story really has it all from tragedy, laughter, great side characters in the kids and Tuck, nosy Southerners, and some bless your heart moments. Ronan and Nova stole my heart because they both were amazing individuals, but together they were perfection.