Ilsa Madden-Mills Beauty And The Baller Review!
Beauty and the Baller
By: Ilsa Madden Mills
Release Date: March 29, 2022
Publisher: Montlake
Author Website: https://www.ilsamaddenmills.com/
5 Stars
Full of serendipitous mishaps and wonderful exchanges Ilsa Madden Mills’ Beauty and the Baller brings joy and love in another one of her fated love stories!
There is nothing better than when an author plays matchmaker with two people that seem to have forsaken love and is successful. NFL star quarterback Ronan Smith could have been tragic after the curveballs that life threw his way but instead he faced his pain, fighting his fears and ultimately allowing himself to be vulnerable. For a guy with a broken heart he certainly had a lot of it to give whether it was his passion for football, the people he cared about or the woman who captured his interest, his beauty defied his scars both inside and out. This was one swoony hero, no wonder he had a whole town vying for his affections!
Lively and fun Nova Morgan marched to her own drum keeping her heart and mind open even after having been dealt more than her fair share of hard luck. This character with her unfiltered honesty and fabulous antics made every interaction she had in this work special. It was clear from the start how Ronan could fall under Nova's irresistible charm.
Ronan and Nova's attraction ran hot and heavy with just the right amount of salty to make the chase very amusing to watch play out. Who cannot get behind two fighters who use their broken hearts as their most fierce weapons in finding their happiness. Ms. Madden Mills did a great job of making this pair work for the inevitable and there was no shortage of perfectly timed absurdity to keep this story entertaining.
Hard choices and even harder decisions gave this story a solid foundation and made it more than a superficial romance. Each of the secondary cast in this work added so much to this story building on the depth of not only Nova and Ronan's pain but their happiness and everything in between. This author's small town feel translated perfectly adding unique little touches to show the community that made Ronan and Nova stronger both individually and as a couple. The saying that it takes a village could easily be applied to this book and Ronan and Nova finding their footing in their love story.
Ilsa Madden Mills knows her audience but more importantly she knows her characters and this comes through in her work every time. This was a standout work showing this author's love of her story with each word she wrote. Giving attention to small details that others might overlook, this writer shares traits that are core to her portrayals making this her writing superpower and elevating her stories to ones to cherish. Ilsa Madden Mills' sensitivity paired with her quirky humor is always notable but really shined in Beauty and the Baller giving readers a story that might just be almost as good as actually falling in love.
*I was given an advanced copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*