Not My Romeo (The Game Changers #1) by Ilsa Madden Mills-dual review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 18, 2020

We start off with a lie on Valentine’s Day.

My blind date isn’t the studious guy I expected: he’s a drop-dead gorgeous player with sinful amber eyes. Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.

The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.

But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him?

Is Jack my real Romeo… or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?

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Sandy’s REVIEW: NOT MY ROMEO is the first instalment in Ilsa Madden-Mills contemporary, adult THE GAME CHANGERS erotic, romance series. This is twenty-eight year old, professional football quarterback Jack Hawke, and twenty-six year old librarian/lingerie designer Elena Riley.

old from dual first person perspectives (Elena and Jack) NOT MY ROMEO follows the building romance and relationship between twenty-eight year old, professional football quarterback Jack Hawke, and twenty-six year old librarian/lingerie designer Elena Riley. A Valentine blind date, and a one night stand finds our heroine battling between head and heart when she discovers that her blind date wasn’t her blind date after all but professional football player Jack Hawke. Our heroine had mistakenly believed Jack was her date, and Jack, being the gentleman that he isn’t, played along but our hero’s current reputation both on and off the field is in tatters, and quickly finds himself getting attached to a woman who wants something more. Unable to offer Elena forever or a happily ever after, Jack continues to find himself drawn to our heroine, a draw that is about to spiral out of control. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Jack and Elena, and the potential fall-out as Jack’s issues of trust find our heroine on the outside looking in when Jack accuses her of manipulation and lies.

Jack Hawke grew up in the foster care system having lived much of his life angry and abused. Betrayal at the hands of his ex force Jack to keep one eye open including having Elena sign an NDA, an agreement Elena refuses to accept. Elena Riley had no idea the who or the what of quarterback Jack Hawke. Falling for Jack, Elena knew she was about to have her heart broken, having been forewarned by our story line hero. Been burned in the past, Elena knows she has to move on but there is always a constant reminder wherever she goes.

The relationship between Jack and Elena starts as a case of mistaken identity , one in which Jack carries over into a one-night stand. Jack doesn’t do relationships having been betrayed by his ex, and in this Jack struggles with issues of trust, issues that will directly affect his relationship with our story line heroine. Elena continues to battle her attraction to Jack knowing Jack wants nothing to do with a happily ever after but Jack’s constant presence in her life give our heroine pause as to perhaps there may be hope for something more. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Elena’s ex boyfriend Preston, her roommate Topher, and her sister Giselle, as well as their mother, Aunt Clare who owns and runs a local salon. We are introduced to Jack’s head of security Quinn, a young man who is more or less our hero’s gopher; fellow teammate and friend Devon, quarterback Aiden Woods, PR agent Lawrence, Town stage director Laura and her son Timmy, and Jack’s ex girlfriend Sophia.

NOT MY ROMEO is a story of family, friendships, betrayal, trust and love; a story of one man’s struggle to move on from the past, and one woman’s heart break when said man refuses to acknowledge her love. The character driven premise is captivating and seductive; the romance is fun and flirty; the characters are lively, dynamic and charming. A wonderful and impassioned story.

Barb’s REVIEW:
Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the first book in her new The Game Changers series. We meet our heroine, Elena Riley, as she goes to a restaurant to meet a blind date on Valentine’s Day,  that her roommate set up for her.  After waiting a bit, not seeing the date supposedly wearing a blue shirt, she texts her date, with no response; she notices far in the corner a hot hunk wearing a blue shirt and sitting alone.  She walks to his table and says “are you the guy”.

Jack Hawke, our hero, and famous pro quarterback, is sitting quietly waiting for his dinner to be served.  He is surprised when this beautiful young lady sits down at his table; he then realizes she thinks he is her blind date, who is a weatherman. Jack also noticed that she was one of the rare people who did not recognize him, and goes along with pretending to be her date. It was a pretty funny dinner between them, and they both end up the evening with a wild sexy one-night stand.

Jack and Elena are total opposites.  Jack is shy and private, and does not like the limelight; especially after an ex-girlfriend wrote a book about her affair with him, filled with lies, causing Jack to have major trust issues.  Elena is a librarian and designs sexy lingerie; she is also very outgoing, sassy and a bit wild.  The following day, with Jack already gone before she awoke, she learns that he is not who she thought he was.  When Jack saves a young boy, who asks him for favors, he agrees to perform at the school play, Romeo and Juliet. To his surprise, Elena is playing the part of Juliet, and a wild, sexy, sizzling romance begins to heat up.  Elena finds her self falling hard for Jack, and he feels the same, but his trust issues and fear of anything permanent stands in the way. Will Jack get past his issues to stay with Elena?

I did enjoy the wonderful secondary characters; friends and family of Elena, as well as Jack’s football buddies (especially Devon).   They were all fun.  But most of all, Jack and Elena were so great together, with so much scorching chemistry between them, as well as their romance being terrific and fun. 

Not My Romeo was a fun, lighthearted, sexy, sweet, hot romance, with a fantastic couple.  There were lots of laughter, and sexy scenes.  Ilsa Madden-Mills wrote a wonderful fun romantic story that was just simply fun from start to finish. I also loved the epilogue.  I suggest you read Not My Romeo.

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