A review by bribreez
Not My Romeo, by Ilsa Madden-Mills

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5⭐️/ 3🌶️

First dates can be nerve wrecking, but especially a blind date that you have no idea what they look like tends to make things a bit more difficult when trying to find said date in the midst of the fancy restaurant you agreed to meet up at. For Elena, she was hesitant but sure she wanted to give it a shot with her blind date. For Jack, even dealing with the aftermath of hatred from fans, and a not so kind book written by his former girlfriend, he just wanted some peace and alone time while eating his dinner, ironically on Valentine’s Day. With some mistaken identity, Elena thought Jack was her blind date, and suddenly Jack found himself having dinner with Elena and quickly found that he was enjoying the way Elena was, and especially the fact that she had no idea he was the famous professional footballer, Jack Hawke. 

The fact that Elena found herself on an accidental date with Jack was ironic and surprising especially since he wasn’t even her blind date to begin with. I immediately liked Elena and how energetic she was in her conversations and she seemed sweet and lovable right off the bat. Jack was dealing with a lot, but when he found himself enjoying dinner with Elena, I felt happy for him, even though I was barely within the first few chapters of the beginning. Elena and Jack each had their own personal issues but for that one Valentine’s Day night, they had a good time with each other… until the next morning when reality came crashing down, and Elena was faced with Jack’s true identity. Oops, so much for Elena and Jack starting off on the right foot. 

Jack was the perfect mix of being an alpha, but also a little bit of a shy guy believe it or not. One would think that when looking at Jack Hawke, not only does he get any women he wants, but has not trouble in the love department at all, but that was the furthest thing from Jack’s mind… until he couldn’t stop thinking about the sassy, sexy librarian. I was a bit taken but when Jack said he was shy because, I had assumed he was just either stand-offish to people he doesn’t like or an absolute dream boat who could charm the pants off anyone. While I loved Jack’s alpha side that came out, I especially loved seeing his softer/ shy side. I also found it very endearing how Jack would get all flustered and shy when he tell Elena to stay with him or reveal a bit of his vulnerabilities to her. I love a strong man, but I love it EVEN MORE when said man is able to peel back parts of himself to show his fears and insecurities to someone he trusts (ahem, Elena). 

Elena may have come off as shy at times, but she was able to bring up her fierce energy when the time called for it. Elena was a sweetheart, but even she had her limits to when her niceness was out the door and she stood her ground to tell anyone off. Kind of how Elena “argued” with Jack and made her intentions clear. Learning that Elena was still going through the aftermath of her breakup from her horrible ex boyfriend, I was glad to see Elena wasn’t deterred from putting herself out there to potentially find someone new, and of course we all know how that turned out for her (Jack *wink). Kind of random, but I really thought it was cool that Elena made her own clothes, and intricate designs for her line of lingerie! Elena was a creative person who also loved books, and was inventive with her lingerie designs. I would totally buy some of the lingerie that Elena made, they sounded amazing! Anyways, random thought over. I adored Elena and how unapologetic she was with what she wanted, especially letting Jack know she wasn’t a hookup type of woman. Jack may have gotten her hooked on wanting more naked time with him, but my girl Elena set the record straight to Jack. 

Jack and Elena had great chemistry and that made for some steamy moments they couldn’t help themselves. I really loved Jack with him being shy, but that man was equally sexy when his alpha side came out to play. WOO! HOTTIE ALERT! I love when a man takes charge and that’s exactly what Jack did with Elena. Also Elena being a confident queen and bringing Jack to his knees, LITERALLY! The dynamic between Jack and Elena was a bit back and forth due to Jack’s fear of fully letting Elena in, but it didn’t take away from how much of a strong effect she had on him. Between the moments of Jack constantly thinking about Elena and the kisses they shared that instantly transitioned to them ripping each other’s clothes off, it was passionate and unlike anything they had experienced before. 

Jack and Elena’s story was sweet, passionate, mixed with humor and deep moments of vulnerability. Jack changed over the course of the story going from a man who didn’t trust anyone, to finding himself not only falling for the sweet and sexy librarian that was Elena, but also seeing that all it took was opening up to the right person (Elena) to see who could confide in someone. I really loved both Jack and Elena, and the way that met was intriguing. The romance was pretty good as well as the spice, and I enjoyed seeing both Elena and Jack go from flustered to bringing each other mad with desire for one another. The small town of Daisy was lovely, and of course a story set in a small town is one of my favorite tropes! The other characters were lovable as well and added to the charm that was the story. I also loved how the story incorporated the play of, “Romeo and Juliet”, although with Jack and Elena in the respective roles, it seemed like they put their own spin on when it came to opening night (if you know, you know). I loved the ending, and as per usual the epilogue (one of my favorites in books) sweetened the ending for Elena and Jack with their entire family surrounding them, and all the great things they had together. (Sigh) I love Isla Madden-Mills books, and I’m obviously going to continue reading more of her stories because they’re amazing!