Reviews

Just Between Us, by Madison Wright

mkchickentender's review against another edition

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

kristinasshelves's review

I adored the first book in this series, but am DNFing this one at 17%. I was intrigued by Cam, but Ellie just read as annoying and immature, more desperate for her parents' approval than willing to live her own life. Honestly, if she was as brilliant at her job as it seems, she could easily move on from working for her overbearing parents and thrive somewhere else. I was also uncomfortable with a reference to the profession of an octogenarian, and found several spelling/grammar errors early on in the text.

TBD if I'll continue with this author/series

casperea's review

3.0

I broke the cardinal rule of reading! I judged a book by its cover. As soon as I laid my eyes on the stunning cover art, I knew I had to read this. I am so happy I did because it was pleasantly delightful.

As a Christian woman who loves reading romances, it can be challenging to find books in this genre. As of late, it has become very popular to add tons of spicy scenes that are explicit to say the least. Madison Wright’s Just Between Us was a sweet, clean romance that is appropriate for all ages.

While I enjoyed reading this, I cannot rate it higher. I feel that Wright is on the precipice of finding her voice. The beginning of the book felt lacking of depth and believability. I understand that it is not appropriate for the manager of a housing complex to date a resident, but all the forced drama and deception seemed a bit contrived.

Luckily, Wright began to win me over about half way through the book. I felt that her writing became increasingly better as the plot and characters were flushed out. I know that this is in large part to her being a fairly new author. I can see her being one of my favorites as she gains both experience and confidence.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Madison Wright for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback!

*This is the second book in a series. As a result, I am willing to post a disclaimer that I might have felt and rated this book differently if I had read Just Us first.

lauraa_joann's review

hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lowoodfin's review

4.0

I read this book as an ARC and are giving my honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author for the opportunity.

I enjoyed this read. I was drawn to it with the cute cartoon drawn covered and just screamed fall romance- and it delivered. Both characters were relatable. Ellie having controlling parents that never seemed to give her the approval that she sought after and we had the opportunity to ‘watch’ her be able to grow to defend herself. With Cam, he was on a journey to find himself and what he really wanted to do with his life- I think everyone can relate to that. Overall, this forbidden romance was a fun read. I’d recommend it to my friends and fellow readers.

jaimiesbooknook's review

5.0

I loveeeeee this book. This book is like a comfy sweater and fuzzy socks all cozied up on the couch- you just never want to leave it. It’s well written in a way that makes you feel everything. I could feel their struggles, their heartache and their desire to make it work. I loved the setting and the vibes it gives off- It helps that its based in Nashville which is only a few hours from where I am. I’m also a photographer so I could really relate to Cam’s struggle with letting go of what’s making the most money and do what makes him happiest with his photography. I adored their store and the witty banter back and forth. Madison did a wonderful job making you be able to feel like you stepped into a TN fall day. I loved seeing Ellie’s growth and finding her voice.

This book comes out November 18th! I would definitely recommend this one for a quick Thanksgiving day read that will give you all the cozy thankful feels.

Read if you like :
Duel POVs
Forbidden romances
Witty banter
Fun & Funny side characters
Cozy feels
Autumn days
Opposites attract

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC. I can not wait to read the next book Madison Wright comes out with!

shycurious's review

3.0

3.5

romancingamanda's review

2.0

Ellie and Camden meet at a concert and it turns out Cam is moving into an apartment where Ellie manages her parents property. Ellie has strict parents who she strives to get approval from, so despite her feelings and attraction for Cam, she tries to stay away from him. They both can’t help how they feel about it each other and end up dating when though he wasn’t going to be in town for long and they had to hide their relationship from her parents.

I first want to say there were cute moments in the book that had a lot of potential. Camden was very sweet, and I initially felt very bad for Ellie when we first met her parents - her mother was awful and was straight up emotionally abusing her daughter, and her dad was no better for just letting his wife treat their daughter that way. I also liked the side characters - Ethel was a hoot, and Sadie was someone I really would’ve liked to see more of.

That being said, I really struggled to read this, and almost DNF’d around 70% but decided to just skim the rest. It was just not my cup of tea. I felt no chemistry between Ellie and Camden so when they started professing their feelings for each other so soon, I was personally turned off. It felt unearned and waaaay too soon for the way they were talking about not wanting to lose each other. There wasn’t really any build up to it besides them having this back and forth between whether or not they could date. The lack of communication between them was also frustrating.

I think another reason this wasn’t for me is because there wasn’t really anything going on plot wise. The big reason why Ellie and Cam couldn’t date was because of her parents being strict about her being unprofessional with residents but when resolved it just fell flat for me.

This also wasn’t for me simply because this was a clean romance and I prefer my romance novels to be open door and on the steamier side.

Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

aislinnrs19's review

3.0

2.5 Stars Just Between Us by Madison Wright is a sweet, forbidden-love romance. After a romantic night dancing and kissing a man she just met, property manager Ellie Bates is horrified to learn that the stranger is her new resident, Camden Lane. At first, Ellie was elated to see Cam again, but then remembered that her parents, who are also her bosses, told her that she’s on her last strike. Any more professional indiscretions, such as fraternizing with residents in any way, and she’ll be fired. Ellie feels pulled in both directions, by her attraction to Cam and her need to please her parents.

This was a cute book and Ellie and Cam made an adorable couple once they were finally together. I was frustrated by both Ellie’s and Cam’s inability to properly communicate with each other, especially about their feelings and what they wanted from each other.

reading_in_brussels's review

4.0

Just Between Us is a very sweet love story between Camden and Ellie. It gave me all the feels, aches, butterflies! I was rooting for Cam and Ellie all throughout. This is a delightful holiday story, perfect for fall/winter!

I have to say that I liked this one better than the first book. I think that the writing was better, and there was more angst in this one.

Thank you to the author for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.