Series: Common Threads, #1
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Release Date: March 16th, 2021
Add to Goodreads | Amazon.in (Available on KU)
She’s got her yarn store to run, her house to herself for the first time in her life, and no use for men anymore. That is until the hottie silver fox who walks into her store turns out to be her old high school crush—the guy who rejected her 30 years ago.
No way is she going to lose her head over him this time, no matter how well he wears that salt-and-pepper lumberjack beard. Okay, so he’s the opposite of her ex in every way, and his attention gives her a thrill she thought she’d never feel again. She’s not risking her heart again.
Mike Pilota is having a mid-life crisis.
Only instead of buying a red sports car he can’t afford and dressing like a 25-year-old who’s time-traveled from the 1990s, he quit his job after his second divorce to move closer to his recently widowed mother.
He didn’t expect to run into Dawn again, but as soon as he lays eyes on her he’s utterly smitten. So he sets out to make up for past mistakes and prove he can be the kind of man she deserves.
But is it too late for second chances? Or will these two lonely hearts find a way back to each other?
First things first, I will read everything and anything that Susannah Nix writes. She always writes smart heroines that are so amazing, with all the personality, charm and beauty that we love in our romance heroines. But they’re also so strong and driven, passionate about their lives and ambitious as hell! And her heroes are just as amazing – supportive, sexy and charming and honestly too good to be true. So when I saw that she was joining the SmartyPants universe, I jumped at the chance to read her book and Mad About Ewe is absolutely perfect.
“If one little kiss from Dawn could make me feel this alive, imagine what else she could do to me.”
The story features a slightly older couple – Dawn and Mike are in their late 40s and have gone through divorces and have kids and issues that are so rarely touched upon in romances these days. It’s a second chance romance, but it’s not like the ones you’ve read before. Dawn and Mike have all the makings of a couple that could be any age, but it’s the history they’ve lived through, the struggles that they face and the topics that are addressed that makes this an absolute standout.
In high school, Dawn was hopelessly in love with Mike. He was the popular jock and she was the quiet, nerdy girl and when she asked him out after building up the courage to do so, Mike very politely brushed her off. And now, almost 30 years later, they cross paths again and when Dawn asks Mike out once more and he turns her down, she’s decided that she’s not going to do it again. They’ve both been through divorces, Dawn has two adult sons with her ex-husband and they don’t have time to take forever to find someone special anymore.
“The feelings Mike inspired in me were primal, raw, and spontaneous in a way that surprised me. I hadn’t known I could still be any of those things.”
Gah, I love these two characters. They’re individually so interesting and so complex and have their many issues to deal with – from jobs to family drama to health issues – but when they’re together, they’re even better. It’s a beautiful slow burn from the moment they meet in Dawn’s yarn shop and I desperately wanted them to kiss every time they were in a scene together. Seriously, they are so hot together. There’s a scene where Dawn is teaching Mike how to knit and guys, knitting should not be such an erotic experience. Like seriously, it had me hot and bothered just reading that whole scene because it felt like I was intruding on a very private moment. I never thought of knitting as something that could be sexy, but when soft hands touch calloused hands…it’ll happen.
And the chemistry doesn’t stop there! I’m quite used to Susannah writing closed-door romances, so to have open-door scenes was a nice surprise. And she writes great sex. Dawn and Mike’s chemistry is burning hot and every touch, stroke, kiss and gently tug is incredibly beautiful. And I promise, getting to the steam is well worth the wait.
As you’d expect, there’s a little tension and a little drama, because what is romance without some conflict? But I loved that it wasn’t something silly. The characters are older, have more of their lives together and are able to fully focus on themselves. I can’t talk about this conflict without giving away a lot of the story, so just know that watching Dawn and Mike get through rough patches over and over again is a truly beautiful thing.
“You were my escape. The one good thing I had going on in my life.”
Susannah Nix has delivered yet another wonderful story packed with heart, great friendships and of course love. And let’s not forget her wonderfully crafted characters who you can’t help but love from the moment you meet them.
Thanks to Susannah Nix and SmartyPants Romance for generously providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
anna reads here 