NOT MY ROMEO by Ilsa Madden-Mills: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Teasers & Mary’s Review
Is Jack my real Romeo…or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?
Not My Romeo, the all-new swoon-worthy contemporary sports romance with heart and heat from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is available now!
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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Excerpt:
I pull my white cat-eye glasses out of my purse and slide them on for a better look. My heart flip-flops as butterflies take flight in my stomach. Oh heck no. That can’t be him. He’s . . . he’s . . . freaking gorgeous, and I don’t mean regular handsome but like a movie star: dark hair swept off his face, the strands wavy and unruly with copper highlights, soft and silky brushing against his cheeks, and too long for a newscaster, in my opinion—but what do I know? I don’t own a television.
He lifts his arm to shove his hair back, and my eyes pop at the tightly roped muscles of his forearm and biceps straining through the fabric, the impossibly broad shoulders.
Well, would you look at that.
And this has to be him, right?
I’m in the right restaurant. He’s alone. He’s wearing a blue shirt. He has dark hair. Odds point to yes. Usually the most simple explanation is exactly what it appears. Therefore, he must be my date.
The man in question turns to look out the window, tapping his fingers on the table impatiently, and I take in his profile. Long straight nose, full dark arching eyebrows, and a sharp, bladed jawline. Sensuous lips, the lower one decadently full. Almost wicked. He’s the kind of hot that draws your eyes over and over just to make sure it’s not a mirage. I knew guys like him at NYU—sexy, athletic gym types who played a sport. And those types never gave me a second look. I’d watch them work out while I fumbled my way around one of those god-awful butterfly machines, while beautiful, tall, svelte girls who weren’t sweating fawned over them, bringing them towels, water bottles, and sexy promises.
He takes a sip of an amber liquid, long tanned fingers grasping the fragile container as his eyes rove across the room. They prowl around the restaurant, as if he’s assessing every person in sight, and I feel the sizzle of him even from twenty feet away. Prickles of awareness skate down my spine. I’m the alpha, his body language yells. Come and challenge me.
His gaze drifts right over me without stopping.
Not surprised.
I duck back into the shadows.
Dang it. My hands clench. I wanted nice and nerdy, not this . . . sexy beast!
And judging by the scowl on his face, he’s grumpy. Life’s too short to be dour, Mister. And what is he annoyed about? I am here!
And he did see a picture of me. Topher said so.
Yeah, maybe he doesn’t really want to meet you.
Maybe he’s hoping you won’t show up.
I tap my foot. I should leave. Really.
The smells of Milano’s waft around me, spicy and tantalizing, and my stomach lets out an angry howl. I move from one foot to the next. Every place to eat between here and Daisy is going to be packed. I could always hit a drive-through on the way back home—but how pathetic is a Big Mac and fries on Valentine’s Day? Plus, I’ll have my entire nosy family to answer to tomorrow. They’ve built up this blind date so much: Oooooh, Elena has a date with a weatherman. Ask him if that’s a barometer in his pocket or if he’s just glad to see you.
I give myself a mental pep talk.
Grow some balls, Elena.
Sometimes you have to go out and take what you want.
So what if he’s hot enough to suck the dew off a rose.
You are hungry. Do it for the pasta.
He is your date. Go get ’em, girl.
I gather my resolve, point my little black pumps in his direction, and start marching.
MARY’s 5 STAR REVIEW
Eeeek!
OH. MY. GOSH!!!!
This book is amazing!!!
Once again Ilsa has exceeded any expectation I had of her newest deliciously sizzling hot bad boy in Not My Romeo!! A truly delightful and roll in the floor funny romcom. Full of everything you have come to expect from Isla but add to that one of the most unlikely mis-matched couple that will absolutely make your heart go pitter-patter. Full of feels and blazing hot passion it was sooo hard to put this book down!!
And to think it all started with a blind date!! After all what are best friends for? They are there to cheer their BFF up when the going gets tough!! That is exactly what Topher did for Elena when she was dumped by her boyfriend…. for her sister much less. First just a little about Elena. By day she is a small town of Daisy’s librarian but she also has a hidden talent and love of designing lingerie in her free time. A secret to everyone except her BFF, Topher. She is a bit quirky, fiercely spirited and has the most engaging pet pig, Romeo! You’ll love her free spirit and unfiltered mouth and for some reason she is perfect for Jack.
Okay, so back to the blind date. It is Valentines Day and not to be stuck at home alone, Topher had set up a blind date for Elena. All she knew was she was there to meet up with a weatherman and he was wearing a blue shirt. So, looking for the blue shirted guy she spotted the only one that fit the description. Promptly making her way to his table would begin an evening that would rock both their worlds!!
Lest not forget a little about Jack. Jack Hawke is the bad boy quarterback for the Nashville Tigers. A yummy Adonis who is frequent gossip in the pages of tabloids you would expect the worst of him. After that he really has trust issues. The thing is that Jack is truly just a guy with a big heart. I mean how could you not like a guy that would admit to liking the music of Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift? The thing is that Jack is shy. All he really wants to do is play ball and let someone else deal with media. He has also been betrayed by a woman who he thought was his future. Needless to say, he is not looking for forever. Now back to the date!!
An assuming Elena thinking Jack is her date wanders over and takes her seat with him. A skeptical but refreshingly surprised Jack goes along with this pseudo date. Not only realizing that Elena is not someone from the media looking for her next big scoop, but she has absolutely no idea who he is the evening continues. The banter is fun, witty, and unobtrusive and with maybe a few too many gin and tonics for Elena she ends up spending the night with Jack!! Bada-bada, boom- boom, and chemistry so scorching hot it is off the charts!!!
It is not until the next morning that Elena finds out who Jack really is. And now things start to make sense about the NDA that he asked her to sign the night before, trust issues. Aww, but being the smart cookie that she is he will find she signed it as …. Juliet Capulet!! Oh well, she is not going to see him again anyway. Or at least that is what she thinks.
But will Jack, a man once burned be ready to open himself up to Elena?
It’s time to one click this baby NOW!!
About Ilsa Madden-Mills
Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her angsty new adult romances and romantic comedies.
Eight of her eleven novels have placed in the Amazon Top 10 Best-seller List: Dirty English #1; Fake Fiancée and I Dare You #2; I Bet You, Filthy English, and Very Bad Things #6; Boyfriend Bargain #8; The Last Guy, her collaboration with Tia Louise, #4.
A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.
She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.
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