Until Adleigh - A romance novella (short story) which follows a rockstar back in her hometown after running away from her problems in the big smoke, a farmer also struggling with his own problems and deception, and a meeting of fate.
This novella was an ok read. It is short (less than 200 pages) but also packs a lot of punch with its storyline. I found it not just to be about romance and spice, but also about 2 people rediscovering themselves (and each other!!) after heartache.
The writing style of this book was a little different to what I am used to and while it was also written with two POV's I did find that the characters didn't quite match up with their personalities within each POV.
Overall it was a good read, it was nice and short and got to the point - a bit of romance, heartache and spice.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this book was not a hit for me. It's more like a novella, coming in at under 300 pages, which definitely helps since it is a quick easy read.

Adleigh is a (country?) musician whose fiancee cheats on her with their band member. Wanting to escape, she moves back to her small town. She is estranged from her family and deals with lots of drama regarding her relationship with her father. When she arrives in town, she meets Colter, the damaged country boy next door dealing with a breakup. Romance and drama happens, they end up happily ever after with FOUR kids.

The characters were given "complex" backstories/ trauma, but it wasn't flushed out enough to make me believe that it affected them in such a way to have them behave as they did. The writing was low level and the language used in dialogue felt forced-- they were supposed to be southern but (as someone who grew up in the south) it felt unbelievable. There were slight mentions about the FMC's relationship with her brother that felt weird to me, and Colter had some anger issues that came across in a not hot way. There was brief spice but in my opinion it was not detailed enough to make reading it soley for the spice worth it (as I have been known to do...). All that being said, it did have it's cute moments and could benefit from being flushed out into a longer book.

A note for the cover art: Adleigh is described as having multiple tattoos, but on the cover she has none.

This is… OK. A quick read, two main characters who have plenty of angst to work through and find solace in each other, but for me, the balance doesn’t work. It would have helped to have more about Adleigh’s apparent rockstar life and the people she was with rather than just the occasional random name dropped in, and the push-pull of the main relationship is choppy with an oddly abrupt ending (although the epilogue is sweet). It feels like there’s a lot of potential here for a longer book, but what I read was quite surface-level and crying out for more depth.

Title: Until Adleigh by Alyssa Milani

Release Date: July, 13th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

"Until Adleigh" by Alyssa Milani is a compact yet dramatic tale that captures the essence of a rockstar's escape from newfound heartache only to be confronted with the ghosts of her past.

This novella, though brief at under three hundred pages, is packed with emotional turmoil, dramatic revelations, and the slow burn of a love story.

Adleigh, a rockstar fleeing the betrayal of her fiancé and bandmate, returns to her small town after a six-year absence, triggered by her brother's passing. Her return is fraught with unresolved trauma and emotions, setting the stage for a tumultuous journey of self-discovery and healing. Enter Colton, the handsome farmer next door, who is himself entangled in the web of failed relationships and family troubles. Their meeting, initially charged with tension, evolves into an unexpected connection that neither of them anticipated.

Milani's storytelling is engaging, however sometimes the plot did not feel as smooth and it took me a little push to carry through at times..

The push and pull dynamic between Adleigh and Colton is palpable, adding depth to their evolving relationship. While the novella primarily focuses on Adleigh's emotional journey, providing a deep dive into her struggles and growth, Colton's issues are somewhat glossed over, leaving readers yearning for a more balanced exploration of both characters' backgrounds and challenges.

Despite this minor drawback, "Until Adleigh" shines in its portrayal of love as a force that can heal old wounds and bridge the gaps between two very different worlds. The novella's compact size belies the complexity of its themes, exploring love, loss, and the power of confronting one's past head-on.

Milani's ability to craft a compelling story with well-developed characters in a limited space is commendable, making "Until Adleigh" a satisfying read for fans of romance and drama alike.

"Until Adleigh" is a heartfelt and engaging novella that offers a blend of romance, drama, and personal growth. While it may leave some questions unanswered and certain characters' stories underdeveloped, it succeeds in delivering a poignant tale of love found in the most unexpected places.

Alyssa Milani's work is a testament to the impact that can be made with a concise yet powerful narrative, earning it a solid 3.5 stars for its emotional depth and engaging storytelling.

Thank you to The Publisher Amazon ,The Author Alyssa Milani & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon books for an e-arc to read, rate, and review.

I devoured Until Adleigh in one sitting! It is a little longer than most novellas I have read, but it kept me intrigued with the plot as well as the spicy open door scenes.

My only complaint is the formatting was wonky, but will probably be fixed prior to publication.

Gosh, I just love this book's cover! The story was short and sweet and likable. The romance was instant since this is a novella. Give it a try! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Four stars.

A novella filled with plenty of drama.

This was a quick read because so much drama happened, I needed to see what happened. Adleigh discovers her fiance cheating on her which propels her to escaping her life and running to a small town. Here she meets farmer Colton. He has his own trauma that he's dealing with. When they meet its instalove or instalust, yet still a bit of a slow burn. I enjoyed the spice too. I think the story needed to be fleshed out more.

A good novella.

Whilst this novella sized story may be under three hundred pages long, I can say that a lot happens when it comes to the drama and push and pull relationship between rockstar Adleigh and small town farmer Colton.

The book begins with Adleigh finding her fiancé cheating on her with her bandmate and 'best friend', though we never hear or see this character again. Adleigh is quick to return home once more after leaving six years ago after the passing of her brother. She's got a lot of trauma and emotions to unpack, and things only get worse when hot neighbour Colton shows up in her life. He's not doing much better in terms of failed relationships and family troubles, though the book kind of skims over his problems and focuses on Adleigh's.

The romance is instantly instalove, or more like instalust since Colton falls first when he sees her after arriving in town. I didn't have a massive problem with it, but their push and pull did get tiring by the time I was halfway through the book. I liked that it was kind of slow burn, we wait and wait for the characters to be ready to open up and heal before getting together, it's gritty and angst filled, especially when they both make dumb choices and act a little immaturely, however when they're good they're good.

The spice was brief but there, I especially liked the outside bar scene with the rain and evening. The overall storyline was fairly simple, and other than the healing and romance drama not much happened, which I think was a downfall. If this book was longer and more developed I think it definetly could have been rated higher, I'd liked to have seen more of Adleigh's job and the resolution at the end of the two page third act breakup (which did feel a little unnecessary).

Overall, this was a good read, don't get me wrong, it's simple and has some good moments and a cute epilogue set ten years later, but it did feel a little empty.

3/5 🌟

I liked the book.i like books that captivates from start to finish. That's what this book did. It captivated to me to a point where I just couldn't put it down. The characters are great. It just needed something else

A rockstar and a farmer duo is not something I knew I needed but I definitely liked it !!

If you are a romance fan then you need to add this to your bookshelf ! You won’t regret it

Until Adleigh is a romance novel by Alyssa Milani.
This was an ok romance. I enjoyed the easy to follow story but it was a little slow at times. I pushed through and started to enjoy it. I found some of the characters were a bit flat. Overall an ok read that other romance readers might enjoy more.
❤️ Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Very excited for this READNOW option. The cover drew me in right way! I love a good love story especially broken people who find their way to each other and make each other hole again. I believe readers will really enjoy seeing that process in this book.