Genre:
Contemporary Romance, Rom-Com
Author Blurb:
# of Pages (per Amazon): 325
Dawn Botstein is doing just fine after her divorce, thank you very much.
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?
What is it?
Mad About Ewe is Book 1 of stand alone books in the Common Threads series
There are currently 2 books in the series (by different authors)
Release Date:
March 18, 2021
I’ll be honest, I struggled a little with the review for this book, and it has delayed my posting of it while I let it marinate. This was the first book I’ve read by Nix that was not part of the Chemistry Lessons series, but I had high hopes for it because of them.
If you’ve my other reviews, you’ll know I’m a bit picky about covers. Despite the adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” I do understand it’s also the first impression a book gives and expect it to hold up to certain standards. The fact that this cover is illustrated yet depicts a brunette character when Dawn is blonde, got under my skin. I know firsthand that finding stock images to fit characters can be nearly impossible, but illustrations can be changed easily.
I’m actually closer in age to Dawn and Mike than the characters from Chemistry, and yet I was able to connect better with the younger characters. Despite claiming to be happy with her life, Dawn was constantly picking herself apart, pointing out all her flaws, and selling herself short. Mike was almost as bad, but due to his regular working out, he was less hard on his physical self. However, his lack of a degree, his relationship failures, and ghosts from his past, all make it so that he’s as unsure of himself as she is. While we all have things we’re insecure about without ourselves, being inside the heads of these two was at times exhausting.
It took until almost ⅓ of the way through the book before I really started to connect to any of it. That’s about the point where Dawn and Mike start figuring themselves out as well. Except neither of them really trust the other past the most basic of levels. On that front, I understand Dawn’s hesitation, considering her past with him, but Mike has nothing like that with Dawn, only his own demons. They’re both so willing to assume the other is not impressed with them that they question themselves at the drop of a hat.
Mike actually impressed me with his gentle reminders that he was thinking of Dawn, yet she was hot and cold on whether or not she did the same for him. Understandably she had a lot on her plate, but I was supremely disappointed in her decision to not share any of it with Mike (no, I’m not saying what, you’ll have to read the book). And I think Mike had a good point that Dawn’s sons’ reactions to what she was going through were really disappointing. I wouldn’t expect an ex-husband to be more concerned than children. I would hope if I’m ever in that situation my own child would do (much) better.
What really started to mess with my head, though, was the fact that I think I would like both of these people if I knew them. They’re thoughtful and caring, fun to be around, and have good personalities. It was the level to which they doubted themselves, and therefore each other, that drove me crazy.
They do, of course, get their HEA, and they’re actually a really cute couple that I think is good for each other, but there’s a lot to wade through before you get there! I recommend this book only to those who have a lot of patience for characters getting where they need to be.
Will I continue the series?
Each of the books are currently $4.99 each.
That’s up for debate at this point. I’ve never read anything by the second author, and I’m still frustrated by this book, even though the end feeling was good.
Final Thoughts:
In a lot of ways, Mad about Ewe is a book about needing to accept yourself before you can accept a relationship, and both Dawn and Mike had a lot to learn in this department. I actually found some of the descriptions more fitting of people older than they are, and their insecurities almost a little too great to be realistic, especially for Dawn, who claimed to be so happy with her life. I do like both of them, but in the end, Angie, Dawn’s best friend, was my favorite character. However, they’ve all stuck with me in the time since I read it, so they do leave an impression!
I would definitely prefer to see a different cover for this book, though; one that better fits Dawn’s description.
I will also note that I seem to be in the minority in my opinions, so I encourage you to come to your own conclusions on this book!
How to find it:
Amazon
Goodreads (Includes links to other sellers)
Find Susannah Nix:
Susannah Nix is a RITA-nominated romance author who lives in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a power-lifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.
Fangs & Femmes 