Beauty and the Baller
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-03-28 09:52:10
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ilsa Madden-Mills
- ISBN：1542034787
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
An NFL quarterback turned small-town coach gets sacked by a Texas beauty queen in this swoony， passionate romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills。
Gorgeous， talented， and brilliant， NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands。 But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident， he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices。 When a mysterious girl shows up to his party， he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night。
Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission。 Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far， far away， she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback。 But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand。
Fast-forward two years。 Broke and desperate， Nova returns home to Blue Belle， Texas， where， by a cosmic twist of fate， her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan， the shiny new football coach everyone adores。 But he has no idea who she is。
The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town。 His solution？ He proposes fake dating to Nova。 But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away。
Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller， or will his past keep them apart？
Gorgeous， talented， and brilliant， NFL quarterback Ronan Smith has the world in his hands。 But after losing his career and his fiancée in a car accident， he falls into a pit of grief and bad choices。 When a mysterious girl shows up to his party， he feels drawn to her and makes her his…for one night。
Former beauty queen Nova Morgan is on a mission。 Scantily clad as a princess from a galaxy far， far away， she sneaks into a high-profile party to capture the attention of her favorite quarterback。 But her hopes crash after an awful one-night stand。
Fast-forward two years。 Broke and desperate， Nova returns home to Blue Belle， Texas， where， by a cosmic twist of fate， her broody neighbor is none other than Ronan， the shiny new football coach everyone adores。 But he has no idea who she is。
The booster club keeps shoving women at Ronan to keep him in town。 His solution？ He proposes fake dating to Nova。 But things heat up for real under these Friday-night lights when he realizes she’s the one who slipped away。
Has this jaded beauty found her forever baller， or will his past keep them apart？
Reviews
Read What I Like Blog
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BEAUTY AND THE BALLERKindle Unlimited: [X]YES [ ]NOStand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NOAuthor: Ilsa Madden- MillsRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5Spiciness rating: 🌶🌶/5POV: Dual; first personMain Couple: Nova & RonanFavorite Character: NovaTropes: Sports romance; fake relationship; grumpy/sunshineReview: When I first started reading contemporary romance， Ilsa was one of the first authors I became fan。 I love her books， and this one was not an exception。Nova is one of my favorite female characters ever。 I loved her brig BEAUTY AND THE BALLERKindle Unlimited: [X]YES [ ]NOStand-alone: [X]YES [ ]NOAuthor: Ilsa Madden- MillsRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5Spiciness rating: 🌶🌶/5POV: Dual; first personMain Couple: Nova & RonanFavorite Character: NovaTropes: Sports romance; fake relationship; grumpy/sunshineReview: When I first started reading contemporary romance， Ilsa was one of the first authors I became fan。 I love her books， and this one was not an exception。Nova is one of my favorite female characters ever。 I loved her bright， determined and caring personality。 She is the soul of this book。 Ronan was also a great person， but he came with lots of baggage and I wouldn’t be so patient as Nova was。 There are a bunch of secondary characters in this story and all of them were interesting。 I didn’t care much for the Star Wars or the football parts because they are not subjects that interest me， but Ilsa wrote it in a way that didn’t get boring。The story was fun most of the times， but we also get the emotional parts。 I recommend this book to everyone who likes romance。 I had a good time reading it。I’m grateful for this ARC and this is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Kate Grand {A Grand Romance}
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Beauty and the Baller Shines With Heart and Depth5 StarsRead “Beauty and the Baller” if you like:✔ Small Town Romance✔ Sports Romance✔ Enemies to Lovers ✔ Beauty and the Beast homage✔ One-night Stand✔ Dual Points of View✔ Complete StandaloneNova Morgan， 29 （ex-beauty queen）， crashes an end-of-season New York Python’s football celebration dressed in a full slave-Leia-from-Return of the Jedi costume。 Scarred and grieving Ronan Smith， 32 （ex-football player） is drawn to her。 He just lost his fiancé Beauty and the Baller Shines With Heart and Depth5 StarsRead “Beauty and the Baller” if you like:✔ Small Town Romance✔ Sports Romance✔ Enemies to Lovers ✔ Beauty and the Beast homage✔ One-night Stand✔ Dual Points of View✔ Complete StandaloneNova Morgan， 29 （ex-beauty queen）， crashes an end-of-season New York Python’s football celebration dressed in a full slave-Leia-from-Return of the Jedi costume。 Scarred and grieving Ronan Smith， 32 （ex-football player） is drawn to her。 He just lost his fiancée the year before in a horrific car accident。 Ronan and Nova have a one-night stand that ends badly and she runs away。 Two and a half years later Nova has returned to her small Texas town of Blue Belle following the unexpected death of her mother。 She’s living in her mother’s house and is now guardian of her 15-year-old sister who is on the spectrum。 She’s shocked to learn that her neighbor is Ronan， now a high school football coach， much beloved and pampered by the town。 Blue Belle will do anything to keep him and his winning record including trying to get him to settle down with a nice local girl。 When Nova and Ronan “meet” for the second time he doesn’t recognize her at all。 There’s a mutual animosity between them as Nova calls him a “pompous jerk” and Ronan doesn’t understand why she doesn’t like him。 Despite this， Ronan cooks up a scheme to get the Blue Belle folks off his back regarding setting him up and to help Nova face some people from her past: fake dating！I love the fake dating trope and Ilsa Madden-Mills serves it well with this book。 Nova and Ronan’s chemistry is scorching from the start and the added pressures of fake dating only kindles the flame。 Besides their chemistry， they are both damaged from the past but are trying to pull through to the other side。 Nova: “Beauty is how we go on， the life we create around us。 Living a life that’s meaningful。”I liked how the book plays with the meaning of “beauty”。 They are both scarred but Ronan’s scars are visible。 They are transcending the interior limitations and barriers life and they themselves have placed in front of them。Ronan: “。。。it isn’t just her beauty。 There’s an infectious quality about her smile， a sense of irrepressible joy that surrounds her。”This theme of beauty and both visible and invisible scars permeates the book and gives it depth。 They both need to learn to get past the things that prevent them from moving on， embracing love and living again。 Nova: “Life will always be scary。 It’s better when you do it with someone。”t“My adorable beast， we’ll take it one day at a time。” I truly loved Nova and Ronan。 Madden-Mills has created some great characters in them。 Ronan is wounded and scared but he finds Nova irresistible as will readers of “Beauty and the Baller”。 Nova is a bright personality with a side of snark and she knows how to push his buttons。 I loved the Star Wars references， their playfulness and the spice factor was superb。 All of the side characters that make up the town of Blue Belle were compelling without overwhelming the main storyline。 None of them were underserved by the plot or characterizations and most （the ones you were supposed to） were fun， lovable and only added to the story。 If you love small town romance with some angst， comedy and real depth， then you will love “Beauty and the Baller”。 I highly recommend this football romance and give it five stars。 Fans of Lucy Score and Tessa Bailey should love this book。 I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Amy [Book Addict Reviews]
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Ronan was at an all time low after losing his fiancée in a tragic accident， but also losing his career。 Until he met a mysterious woman dressed as Princess Leia at a party。 They had a one night stand， but after that night things changed for Ronan。 Nova is a former beauty queen， she has a thing for football players。 Now， she is back in her small Texas town after the loss of her mother to take care of her younger sister。 What she doesn’t expect is her one night stand from two years prior to be her Ronan was at an all time low after losing his fiancée in a tragic accident， but also losing his career。 Until he met a mysterious woman dressed as Princess Leia at a party。 They had a one night stand， but after that night things changed for Ronan。 Nova is a former beauty queen， she has a thing for football players。 Now， she is back in her small Texas town after the loss of her mother to take care of her younger sister。 What she doesn’t expect is her one night stand from two years prior to be her new neighbor。 I LOVED Ronan and Nova。 The second they meet there are insane amounts of chemistry between the two of them。 Even after two years， there is so much chemistry between them。 I loved the tension， the banter， the sweet moments。 Both have their own fears and worries when it comes to relationships， but I loved that both of them were able to help each other see more in themselves。 I loved the secondary characters， especially Sabine （Nova’s sister）， Toby， Milo and Bruno （who are football players that Ronan coaches）， Sonia， and Skeeter！ If you only read one book this year， it should be this one！If you’re looking for a small town， fake relationship， workplace， sports romance this is one to read！ 。。。more
Sarah
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Fantastic！ I just loved everything about this。 It’s real， heartbreaking in places and full of brilliant humour。 This author always manages to write some fantastically funny pieces in her books， as I read the darts challenge the visuals her writing creates had me laughing out loud。 I especially appreciate the grown up way that Ms Madden-Mills tackles the problems and challenges that these wonderful characters face。 It’s a celebration of life， love and being yourself。 A lesson in enjoying the litt Fantastic！ I just loved everything about this。 It’s real， heartbreaking in places and full of brilliant humour。 This author always manages to write some fantastically funny pieces in her books， as I read the darts challenge the visuals her writing creates had me laughing out loud。 I especially appreciate the grown up way that Ms Madden-Mills tackles the problems and challenges that these wonderful characters face。 It’s a celebration of life， love and being yourself。 A lesson in enjoying the little things whilst appreciating the people that matter the most to you。 A total joy to read。 Thank you once again Ms Madden-Mills for bringing the perfect escape with these wonderfully real characters…。 I’m sad to leave them！ 。。。more
Amanda Davanzati
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“𝙒𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩， 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜”This book was so much more that I expected and I adored it！ It is no surprise that I love sports romance， but not only was this a sports romance， there was so much more too it。 There was emotion， finding one’s self， and overall enjoyable。 These characters， Nova and Ronan， are easily lovable。 Not only is there great banter and dialogue， but they have to make some real life， difficult decisions。 To me， it made the book that much better。 It showed so much emotion with “𝙒𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩， 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜”This book was so much more that I expected and I adored it！ It is no surprise that I love sports romance， but not only was this a sports romance， there was so much more too it。 There was emotion， finding one’s self， and overall enjoyable。 These characters， Nova and Ronan， are easily lovable。 Not only is there great banter and dialogue， but they have to make some real life， difficult decisions。 To me， it made the book that much better。 It showed so much emotion with these hardships。 From the very beginning of the book it was attention grabbing and intriguing！ There was steam and such a strong connection between Nova and Ronan。 There meet cute is one people dream of！ This was such a sweet and dreamy。 There is so much more I want to say， but I don’t want to ruin it for anyone。 The best I can say is go read this book！ This was definitely a great read for me， and I can’t wait to read more from this author。 。。。more
Kylie Taylor
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This was such a cute second chance romance。 Ronan happens to meet beautiful Nova after having several drinks at a NFL dinner， and spends the night with her。 The next morning he wakes up and she is gone without ever getting her name。 Nova is from Texas， and Ronan is a former NFL player now coaching the Blue Belle high school football team in her hometown。 Both have been hurt in the past and Ronan is still dealing with a lot of grief and a loss。 The two know instantly they have a connection but it This was such a cute second chance romance。 Ronan happens to meet beautiful Nova after having several drinks at a NFL dinner， and spends the night with her。 The next morning he wakes up and she is gone without ever getting her name。 Nova is from Texas， and Ronan is a former NFL player now coaching the Blue Belle high school football team in her hometown。 Both have been hurt in the past and Ronan is still dealing with a lot of grief and a loss。 The two know instantly they have a connection but its not simple。 They’re thrown multiple obstacles。I don’t want to give away the plot， other than these two will warm your heart。 This book had smiles， laughs， sad moments and spice！ You can always guarantee a great read with this author， she sucks you in immediately and will always leave you with a smile。 “I want to touch the stars， even if I get burned。”I absolutely recommend this read。 It’s light hearted and a delight！ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
FunUndertheCovers
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Wit， humour and heat…romantic entertainment at its best！I couldn’t help but fall head over heels for Ronan and Nova and I guarantee you will too。 Their story was everything from sad to laugh out loud funny and everything in between。 You’ll cheer for their happily ever after right along with cheering for the Bobcats football team。 Such a fun read…I dare you to put it down！
Courtney
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This book is one that I absolutely loved because while it had a few sad moments overall it was sweet， funny， and I was genuinely happy from start to end。 It had me smiling from start to finish then I was craving more from these characters。 Ronan and Nova have this banter that is entirely amusing they could be arguing one second then laughing at each other the next。 Nova really kept him on his toes because she was random， funny， yet the sweetest person ever。 Ronan is this athletic nerd who retire This book is one that I absolutely loved because while it had a few sad moments overall it was sweet， funny， and I was genuinely happy from start to end。 It had me smiling from start to finish then I was craving more from these characters。 Ronan and Nova have this banter that is entirely amusing they could be arguing one second then laughing at each other the next。 Nova really kept him on his toes because she was random， funny， yet the sweetest person ever。 Ronan is this athletic nerd who retires from the NFL to coach high school and while he can come across as broody there are times we get to see this amazing person on the inside that is hiding behind his walls craving to be loved again。 While these two have a rocky start they end up becoming close and when their chemistry ignites there is this fear that always holds Ronan back。 I don’t want to give too much away but this story really has it all from tragedy， laughter， great side characters in the kids and Tuck， nosy Southerners， and some bless your heart moments。 Ronan and Nova stole my heart because they both were amazing individuals， but together they were perfection。 。。。more
Halle Reads
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Peggy Hogan
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I was so excited when I heard that Ilsa was coming out with this book， since she is one of my one-click authors， and I just knew I'd love every word， which of course I did。I honestly loved everything about this book！ This fake relationship romance was fun and flirty， and everything you'd expect from this author。 Small-town romance at its finest！ Ronan and Nova were perfect for each other！ Their chemistry was undeniable， and I loved their banter。 it had me laughing out loud throughout the book， a I was so excited when I heard that Ilsa was coming out with this book， since she is one of my one-click authors， and I just knew I'd love every word， which of course I did。I honestly loved everything about this book！ This fake relationship romance was fun and flirty， and everything you'd expect from this author。 Small-town romance at its finest！ Ronan and Nova were perfect for each other！ Their chemistry was undeniable， and I loved their banter。 it had me laughing out loud throughout the book， and it was all just so believable。 An excellent read， highly recommended with more than five stars！ 。。。more
Margareada_7
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“Life will always be scary。 It’s better when you do it with someone。”- NovaI was immediately intrigued by the blurb of this book and it did not disappoint！ Sports romance meets grumpy/sunshine， with one night stand reconnection and some small town charm （and gossip！） thrown in for good measure。 Ronan and Nova have a super steamy meet-cute！ Their passion for each other is evident throughout the whole book， I really loved when Nova brought out Ronan's flirty playful side。 There's a sense of findin “Life will always be scary。 It’s better when you do it with someone。”- NovaI was immediately intrigued by the blurb of this book and it did not disappoint！ Sports romance meets grumpy/sunshine， with one night stand reconnection and some small town charm （and gossip！） thrown in for good measure。 Ronan and Nova have a super steamy meet-cute！ Their passion for each other is evident throughout the whole book， I really loved when Nova brought out Ronan's flirty playful side。 There's a sense of finding yourself for both main characters， and seeing Ronan with his players and Nova with her sister was sweet。 Moral of the story- find your glow。 That epilogue？！ Omg cuteness overload！ 。。。more
Misty （Reds Romance Reviews）
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Two and half years ago Ronan Smith's life was kind of a mess， his NFL career was over and he had just lost his fiancé in a car accident。 He was barely surviving the aftermath， then he met an intriguing woman at a party that he thought would give him the escape he needed。 They shared one night， and by morning's light she was gone， and he never had the chance to ask her for her name。。。 it's almost as if she wasn't real！ But Nova Morgan is very real and about to come crashing into his life all over Two and half years ago Ronan Smith's life was kind of a mess， his NFL career was over and he had just lost his fiancé in a car accident。 He was barely surviving the aftermath， then he met an intriguing woman at a party that he thought would give him the escape he needed。 They shared one night， and by morning's light she was gone， and he never had the chance to ask her for her name。。。 it's almost as if she wasn't real！ But Nova Morgan is very real and about to come crashing into his life all over again。。。 and this time he'll definitely know her name！Beauty and the Baller is delightfully penned romance about two souls that need a little love in their lives now more than ever。 Both carry scars that haven't quite healed and their about the re-meet the person that has the power to heal all that ails them。 It's not a quick fall though as they start their relationship out on purely faux terms， but as they start to spend more time together they start to get glimpses of something that they'd like to hold on to。 Even if it means facing those old wounds and opening their hearts again。 It's an emotional and entertaining journey that will tug on your heartstrings and have you smiling throughout！It's been some time since I have read a title from this author and it didn't take long to be reminded of why I love her stories so much。 They have this way of taking over my heart and thoughts and holding them tight until the last page comes， and I find that happily ever after。 And this one was well worth the wait！！ Highly recommend you meet this pairing， they will steal your heart at first glance and leave it forever moved！I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher， and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbased opinion。 。。。more
Sandie Chraponski
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There is nothing Texans love more than their Friday Night Lights and winning state football championships。 That is unless it’s a story by Ilsa Madden-Mills that highlights their love for the game and throws a little romance in with it。 I’m kidding， but not about how this story is about love and Texas， it is that and so much more。Ilsa writes beautifully emotional stories with complex characters and real life， and it just doesn’t get any better than that。 Nova and Ronan’s story is such a fun one t There is nothing Texans love more than their Friday Night Lights and winning state football championships。 That is unless it’s a story by Ilsa Madden-Mills that highlights their love for the game and throws a little romance in with it。 I’m kidding， but not about how this story is about love and Texas， it is that and so much more。Ilsa writes beautifully emotional stories with complex characters and real life， and it just doesn’t get any better than that。 Nova and Ronan’s story is such a fun one to get to witness， it starts with a one night stand of sorts and goes on from there。 I love these two， Nova puts herself out there in a what you see is what you get sort of way and that is what charms Ronan， he’s never met anyone like her。 This story has all the good stuff， there’s that gooey emotion that we all love， hilarious side characters to make you laugh， and so much heat that you will for sure be blushing。 。。。more
Susan
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Beauty and the Baller was Fantastic！！ A perfect example of why I love reading sports romance， and for me it showed exactly why this author is one of the very best in this genre。 Ilsa Madden Mills knows her stuff and it shows。 The story had every thing I love and I quickly found myself immersed in the lives of Ronan and Nova， Dog and the hairless cat。。。。yes they were quite a crazy bunch。 As always there were some amazingly quirky loveable secondary characters who enriched the story too。I bloody Beauty and the Baller was Fantastic！！ A perfect example of why I love reading sports romance， and for me it showed exactly why this author is one of the very best in this genre。 Ilsa Madden Mills knows her stuff and it shows。 The story had every thing I love and I quickly found myself immersed in the lives of Ronan and Nova， Dog and the hairless cat。。。。yes they were quite a crazy bunch。 As always there were some amazingly quirky loveable secondary characters who enriched the story too。I bloody loved all the witty humour， scorching chemistry and the hilarious interactions between the characters。 The deeper background stories for Ronan and Nova added to the emotional side whilst pulling on your heartstrings。 It showed exactly how deep their scars run adding layers to their personalities which made them more relatable， likeable and easy to love。 I absolutely loved Ronan and Nova together， the stars aligned when they met and the force is definitely with them。 💙💛💙💛💙 。。。more
Mayas
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This was definitely a 4。5 star read for me。 I am more for the heroines in a book but Ronan took my heart away from Nova in this one。 That is not to say that she was lacking because her heart and spunk was so refreshing and spot on that you loved her off top。 She was a true Southern Belle that had flaws， doubt， and perseverance。 Putting everyone first and keeping promises that she made to herself above all else。 Going above and beyond for the looked over。 Protecting the vulnerable。 The beauty and This was definitely a 4。5 star read for me。 I am more for the heroines in a book but Ronan took my heart away from Nova in this one。 That is not to say that she was lacking because her heart and spunk was so refreshing and spot on that you loved her off top。 She was a true Southern Belle that had flaws， doubt， and perseverance。 Putting everyone first and keeping promises that she made to herself above all else。 Going above and beyond for the looked over。 Protecting the vulnerable。 The beauty and bright light。Now Ronan， a complicated disaster that had demons beyond what he showed。 He wore the weight of regret， survivors guilt， and defeat like an armor。 He not only fought with his heart but with his gut feeling when the fight was not warranted。 A giver， educator， and mentor when he wasn't even trying。 He loved even when he didn’t want to。 Understanding later that every choice you think you have takes little thought。 There is a FORCE leading you down the road whether it's the one less traveled or not。 Robert Frost was on to something when he wrote that。Welcome back Ilsa Madden-Mills you do depth with every possible circumstance and character collaboration with ease。 。。。more
Laura G/ _page。turner
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Oh， Blue Belle… how I’d love to come visit you！ I absolutely adored this small town romance from Ilsa Madden-Mills and I would love to come back here in the future！Every character in this book was great！ I absolutely loved Nova and Ronan， of course， but from Sabine and Toby to Skeeter and Sonia to Bruno and his hot girlfriend， they all were a hit。 A perfect cast of characters for this hilarious second chance romance！ Admittedly， I’ve been in a massive book funk for a few months now， but Beauty a Oh， Blue Belle… how I’d love to come visit you！ I absolutely adored this small town romance from Ilsa Madden-Mills and I would love to come back here in the future！Every character in this book was great！ I absolutely loved Nova and Ronan， of course， but from Sabine and Toby to Skeeter and Sonia to Bruno and his hot girlfriend， they all were a hit。 A perfect cast of characters for this hilarious second chance romance！ Admittedly， I’ve been in a massive book funk for a few months now， but Beauty and the Baller broke me free from it。 I instantly fell in love with a bikini clad princess and the hero who rescues her。 It has everything I love from IMM and was exactly what I needed in my life！ 。。。more
Heather Rada
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This book was so much more than I expected。 Second chance and small southern town romance filled with obstacles love after loss and fighting for what you truly want。 Another perfectly written Ilsa book that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend！！
Lissete
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Ronan Smith and Nova Morgan meet at a party for his NFL team and after a one night stand they don’t see each other again until they end up being neighbors in the little and quaint town of Blue Belle， Texas。 There’s crazy attraction between them but she’s still salty after their one night stand and he doesn’t immediately recognize her。 The banter between these two is amazing！ Then they decide to go on a fake relationship to keep others at bay while they navigate life in this small town。 Ronan wan Ronan Smith and Nova Morgan meet at a party for his NFL team and after a one night stand they don’t see each other again until they end up being neighbors in the little and quaint town of Blue Belle， Texas。 There’s crazy attraction between them but she’s still salty after their one night stand and he doesn’t immediately recognize her。 The banter between these two is amazing！ Then they decide to go on a fake relationship to keep others at bay while they navigate life in this small town。 Ronan wants more football than just being a HS coach， Nova knows he’s leaving eventually but this doesn’t deter them from falling hard。 Ronan has so many demons， but once he fights them it’s beautiful to see how much and how strong his love is for Nova。 This book is absolutely fantastic！ I love how the characters grow and become everything to each other。 How they find themselves in this little town and how despite everything， their friends and family are there to witness their love。 I’m hoping very hard that there are more books coming in this world！ I think I need Sabiiiine and Tobi。 Tuck。 So many amazing characters！ 。。。more
PP's Bookshelf
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Ilsa Madden-Mills made me laugh and swoon so hard in Beauty and the Baller。 And she also made it hurt like hell。 Ronan and Nova are something special。 This enemies to lovers， small town sports romance was all about overwhelming， all consuming and extraordinary feels。 I smiled。 I cried。 I fall head over heels in love with Ronan and Nova。Nova Morgan moved back to Blue Belle after her mother's death。 She has to take care of her specially abled sister Sabine and their house and their finances。 And t Ilsa Madden-Mills made me laugh and swoon so hard in Beauty and the Baller。 And she also made it hurt like hell。 Ronan and Nova are something special。 This enemies to lovers， small town sports romance was all about overwhelming， all consuming and extraordinary feels。 I smiled。 I cried。 I fall head over heels in love with Ronan and Nova。Nova Morgan moved back to Blue Belle after her mother's death。 She has to take care of her specially abled sister Sabine and their house and their finances。 And then she comes to face to face with Ronan。 Her new neighbour。 The new football team coach who is taking their school team to new heights。 Ex NFL legend。And the unforgettable one night stand years ago。 They are in middle of a messy situation。 Ronan's uncertain future plans。 Nova's struggles。 And their sizzling hot attraction。 When Ronan proposed a fake dating relationship， they both thought it to be something casual。 But they are anything but casual。Gawwwd I love this book。 Like crazy loved！ Ronan has been hurt and lost people he loved。 He has the scars inside and outside。 He is broken and lost。 The small town is his chance to heal and it's a stepping stone for his future。 At least he thought so。 Till Nova Morgan blasted her way inside his hard heart。 She is sparkly。 Full of hope， resilience， fierceness， happiness and just overall a glowing warm presence。 The author portrayed the grumpy hero and sunshine heroine dynamics so well。 Nova brightened Ronan's cold dark world。 And Ronan made her feel alive again。 Once she was the darling of this town。。the beauty queen。。destined to be the great thing。 But heartbreak and bad decisions somehow dampened her spirit。 Coming back to her home town was a rejuvenating process for her too。The chemistry between Ronan and Nova was just mindblowing。 A bit flirty and witty and hilarious。 A bit heartbreaking and intense and raw。 Their banter。 Their physical connection。 Their hearts' dilemmas。 Such an amazing combination of sexy， swoony and heartaching！ And the secondary characters？ Just perfect。 The plot was so well built and executed that I couldn't put it down even for a second。 I just devoured it！ Another clear cut super duper hit from Ilsa Madden-Mills！I reviewed an early copy voluntarily 。。。more
Randi （randi_reads）
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It's been a little while since I've read a book by this author， and I realized as I was reading this that I need to read more！ Once I started， I didn't want to stop until I was finished。 The small town of Blue Belle， Texas and its' residents were so charming and fun。Ronan is an ex-NFL player who is now the high school football coach in this small town。 He only signed a one-year contract， but the residents want him to stay。 To do that， they are trying to set him up with the women in town。 Nova is It's been a little while since I've read a book by this author， and I realized as I was reading this that I need to read more！ Once I started， I didn't want to stop until I was finished。 The small town of Blue Belle， Texas and its' residents were so charming and fun。Ronan is an ex-NFL player who is now the high school football coach in this small town。 He only signed a one-year contract， but the residents want him to stay。 To do that， they are trying to set him up with the women in town。 Nova is his next-door neighbor。 She and Ronan have met in the past （and then some） but he doesn't initially remember their one night stand。 To stop the booster club from their quest to find him a women， he suggest fake dating to Nova。 Ronan has had major loss in his life with the death of his ex girlfriend。 Nova just lost her mother。 He has higher aspirations than being a high school coach。 She's just back to stay in the town she grew up in to take care of her younger sister and he has no plans to stay。 I thoroughly enjoyed this steamy， fun and emotional romance。 Thank you to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for an advance readers copy。 Thank you to Montlake Romance for my final copy。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sharon Jones
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It took me a little while to get into this story - in part I think it was because of Nova。 There were a copy of times she said or did something and I instantly thought I was not going to like this book。 But luckily for me I persevered because firstly Isla is the author and secondly there were so many tropes that I always seem to gravitate towards。Ronan and Nova’s story ended up being one of my favorite reads so far this year。 I found by the end of the book everything needed to be written the way It took me a little while to get into this story - in part I think it was because of Nova。 There were a copy of times she said or did something and I instantly thought I was not going to like this book。 But luckily for me I persevered because firstly Isla is the author and secondly there were so many tropes that I always seem to gravitate towards。Ronan and Nova’s story ended up being one of my favorite reads so far this year。 I found by the end of the book everything needed to be written the way it did， including the parts that made me uncomfortable at the beginning。 After reading the final word I could not possibly imagine the storyline any other way。 Great writing， great characters and of course a really wonderful romance。 I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book。 。。。more
Laura （ Latteandbookz ）
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Ronan and Nova have a meet-cute in this small-town Texan romance that starts off as a one-night stand。 Nova doesn't take any of Ronan's crap， Their connection was undeniable。 This is an enemy to lovers/fake relationships/sports romance with are all tropes that I love。 I was able to read this book in one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen next。 I was in a bit of a slump and this was the perfect light-hearted read to get me out of it。 Ronan and Nova have a meet-cute in this small-town Texan romance that starts off as a one-night stand。 Nova doesn't take any of Ronan's crap， Their connection was undeniable。 This is an enemy to lovers/fake relationships/sports romance with are all tropes that I love。 I was able to read this book in one sitting because I needed to know what was going to happen next。 I was in a bit of a slump and this was the perfect light-hearted read to get me out of it。 。。。more
Cheryl Blackburn
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Beauty and the Baller， it’s a touchdown！Do you have that one author that makes you one-click and buy a book？ Well， Ilsa Madden-Mills is that author for me。 In Beauty and the Baller， Ilsa has made me laugh out loud at the characters’ antics。 I thought the characters in this book were loveable， smart， adorable， passionate， and irresistible。 This book checks all of my boxes for superb entertainment。 The heat level is on point。 Would I read it again？ Most definitely。 So let me summarize; I enjoyed t Beauty and the Baller， it’s a touchdown！Do you have that one author that makes you one-click and buy a book？ Well， Ilsa Madden-Mills is that author for me。 In Beauty and the Baller， Ilsa has made me laugh out loud at the characters’ antics。 I thought the characters in this book were loveable， smart， adorable， passionate， and irresistible。 This book checks all of my boxes for superb entertainment。 The heat level is on point。 Would I read it again？ Most definitely。 So let me summarize; I enjoyed this book because I thought it was funny， romantic， page-turner， steamy， HEA with wonderful characters， and extremely entertaining。 。。。more
Mar
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3。75/4 stars This was such a dreamy book to read。Nova and Ronan were a delightful couple。 I loved their dynamics and how even when the attraction was there， they knew they need something more to build a relationship。I adored the small-town vibe。 Ilsa always writes about small communities and does it in a way that makes you want to be part of that。 The town feels alive and like it's another character in the book。Now， the side characters were fun to read especially the players。 Those kids were ama 3。75/4 stars This was such a dreamy book to read。Nova and Ronan were a delightful couple。 I loved their dynamics and how even when the attraction was there， they knew they need something more to build a relationship。I adored the small-town vibe。 Ilsa always writes about small communities and does it in a way that makes you want to be part of that。 The town feels alive and like it's another character in the book。Now， the side characters were fun to read especially the players。 Those kids were amazing！ My least favorite character was skeeter。 I had a bit of a love-hate thing with him because although he was hilarious， he also frustrated me。 On the other side， my favorite side character was Sabine。 She was a complex but very endearing and interesting character。 Overall the story was sweet and heartwarming。 A beautiful read about love and overcoming grief。Thank you to Netgalley and social butterfly pr and the author for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review。 TW lost of a love one， lost of a parent， scarring， car accident。 。。。more
Sandy S
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4。25stars-- THE BEAUTY AND THE BALLER by Isla Madden Mills is a stand alone， contemporary， adult， erotic， romance story line focusing on twenty-nine year old， art teacher and former beauty queen Nova Morgan， and thirty-two year old， injured NFL quarterback Ronan Smith。Told from dual first person perspectives （Nova and Rona） BEAUTY AND THE BALLER follows the building romance and relationship between art teacher and former beauty queen Nova Morgan， and thirty-two year old， injured NFL quarterback 4。25stars-- THE BEAUTY AND THE BALLER by Isla Madden Mills is a stand alone， contemporary， adult， erotic， romance story line focusing on twenty-nine year old， art teacher and former beauty queen Nova Morgan， and thirty-two year old， injured NFL quarterback Ronan Smith。Told from dual first person perspectives （Nova and Rona） BEAUTY AND THE BALLER follows the building romance and relationship between art teacher and former beauty queen Nova Morgan， and thirty-two year old， injured NFL quarterback Ronan Smith。 Three years earlier NFL quarterback Ronan Smith lost the love of his life and his career on the same night。 One year later， a drunken one night stand with a stranger in New York left Ronan questioning his choices in life， having reached rock bottom before his upward climb back to the living。 Fast forward two years， Ronan Smith， now teaching history and coaching football in Blue Belle， Texas will come face to face with his one-night stand， his new neighbor， Blue Belle alumni， and the woman with whom Ronan will fall in love。 Hired as the high school’s new part time English teacher， and Coach Ronan’s PA， Nova Morgan struggles with what was， and what will never be。 To keep the ‘predators’ at bay， Ronan and Nova agree to a fake relationship， a relationship that will quickly turn into something more。 What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Ronan and Nova， and the potential fall-out when Ronan is offered another chance in the big leagues， leaving Blue Belle and Nova behind。Nova Morgan returned to Blue Belle， Texas to look after her younger sister in the wake of their mother’s death。 Never expecting to return to her hometown， Nova must now face the ghosts of her past， ghosts that are continuous reminders of love found and lost。 Scarred both inside and out， Ronan Smith battles between head and heart with his attraction to， and need for our story line heroine but Ronan is unable to get past the death of his first love， and the loss of his career as a quarterback in the NFL。The relationship between Ronan and Nova begins as a one-night stand wherein Ronan has no idea as to the who and why。 Ronan is a Star Wars fan; a geek collector of everything from the galaxy far， far awy， but the moment Nova descended into his life dressed as Princess Leia， Ronan knew his life would never be the same。 In an effort to stop the local busy-bodies from trying to set him up with every single mother in Blue Belle， Ronan offers up a fake-relationship， a relationship that becomes all too real in a very short time。 The $ex scenes are intimate， erotic and passionate without the use of over the top， sexually graphic language and text。The secondary and supporting characters are frenetic， flirty and energetic。 We are introduced to Ronan’s best friends and fellow football player Tuck; Nova’s sister Sabine; fellow teachers and exes， high school students and a championship football team。 BEAUTY AND THE BALLER is a story of loss and grief; friendships and family; acceptance and love。 The character driven premise is emotional， entertaining and impassioned; the characters are sassy and spirited; the romance is captivating， tender and sensual。www。thereadingcafe。com 。。。more
Hopelessly Addicted To Books
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It takes skill to write a book that makes a reader laugh and also one that touches you emotionally something Isla excelled at。 Nova and Ronan's first meeting leads to a passionate one night stand but fate is not done with them when they are reunited in her home town。 When they first met Ronan was struggling to get over the loss of his fiancee。 His feelings of loss and guilt were written with such feeling and emotion and I loved how she made the male character so vulnerable。 Nova moved home to ca It takes skill to write a book that makes a reader laugh and also one that touches you emotionally something Isla excelled at。 Nova and Ronan's first meeting leads to a passionate one night stand but fate is not done with them when they are reunited in her home town。 When they first met Ronan was struggling to get over the loss of his fiancee。 His feelings of loss and guilt were written with such feeling and emotion and I loved how she made the male character so vulnerable。 Nova moved home to care for her sister after the death of her mother her feelings of grief are complicated by her worries of keeping a roof over their head and worries that she will somehow let her sister down。 The story had the perfect amount of sweet and sexy it was finely balanced to give the reader just enough of what we love。 There are a rich and diverse group of secondary characters that I can see getting their own stories Ronan's football players and Sabine especially。 The story had a Friday Night Lights vibe at times and I loved every second spent reading this book。 。。。more
Jennifer
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I usually really enjoy books by this author， but I could not get into this one。 The characters felt flat， the situations were odd， it was。。。not good。
Danielle Robbins
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Beauty and the Baller was a great read！ It was a Small town/fake dating /sports romance。 Ronan and Nova meet after Nova crashes a party dressed as Princess Leia！ They have a not so good one night stand。 Nova moves back to her hometown two years later and "meets" her neighbor and the new high school football coach！ I loved all the banter and pop culture references。 Nova and Ronan's chemistry was perfect and the steamy scenes were explosive！ Loved these two alot！ I also loved all of the secondary Beauty and the Baller was a great read！ It was a Small town/fake dating /sports romance。 Ronan and Nova meet after Nova crashes a party dressed as Princess Leia！ They have a not so good one night stand。 Nova moves back to her hometown two years later and "meets" her neighbor and the new high school football coach！ I loved all the banter and pop culture references。 Nova and Ronan's chemistry was perfect and the steamy scenes were explosive！ Loved these two alot！ I also loved all of the secondary characters - Nova's sister Sabine was probably my favorite of them。 Definitely recommend。 。。。more
Maha （onetruedaydreamer）
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This book was so sweet and wholesome and easy and fun to breeze through 😩🙌🏻 The main characters clicked right from the start， and I loved how this went from strangers-to-lovers-for-a-night-to-one-sided-enemies-to-fake-dating-to-friends-to-lovers 😌 The fact that it was （mostly） a small town romance also made it more fun， because we all know small town romances tend to have lots of meddling neighbours and inevitable drama 😂🙌🏻 I also just love that it means that everyone is that much more close to This book was so sweet and wholesome and easy and fun to breeze through 😩🙌🏻 The main characters clicked right from the start， and I loved how this went from strangers-to-lovers-for-a-night-to-one-sided-enemies-to-fake-dating-to-friends-to-lovers 😌 The fact that it was （mostly） a small town romance also made it more fun， because we all know small town romances tend to have lots of meddling neighbours and inevitable drama 😂🙌🏻 I also just love that it means that everyone is that much more close to one another and has such a homey feel to it 🥰I loved the friendship groups and the banter and the meddling towns-people and matchmaking best friend and close sister relationship between the main character and her younger sister and the PETS 😁👏🏼 （Sparky and Dog absolutely stole the show）Overall， I found this to be a really light read （except when the characters were making decisions that left you gutted 🥺）， so it’s definitely good if you’re looking for a change of pace！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Beauty and the Baller
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Beauty and the Baller&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Beauty and the Baller&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0