Ruthie Knox has a way of writing like no one else. You find out what make her characters click where the story is so well played out, you feel you're part of it.
Allie Fredericks has just flown from Wisconsin to New York City to find her mother. She's trying to act very covertly and not be discovered by her Mom and the man she's sitting with. Attracting the attention of a man that just walked into the bar, she tries to get him to help her. Hours later, after drinking lots of whiskey, they've made a list of things they want to do together. Come to find out, Winston does know the man Allie's Mom is with. He's the elusive and famous artist known as Justice, who is also one of his clients.
Winston has only been in the US for a few months, following his 19 year old daughter, who is studying art at NYU. Since his marriage imploded back in England, he needs to make a new start, something he has no idea how to do. Allie is a breath of fresh air to his rigid life. As they get to know each other, Winston realizes he wants more of Allie, even though he knows eventually she will return to Wisconsin once her family drama plays out. Even thou there is a 13 year difference between them, Winston is hoping that it won't matter to Allie.
This is a love story about second chances and grabbing them and never letting go.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ TRULY (BOOK 1)!!!!

This is Allie's story, May's sister from book 1. This book shows us a whole different side of Allie we didn't see in book 1. The business side. Turns out Allie's not as flighty and impulsive when it comes to her finances and that impressed me! But she still has that impulsive side, and that is what brings her to NY, on a mission to uncover a family secret. And that is where she meets Winston.... actually in the same bar May met Ben.

I don't know, I struggled with parts of this book. I felt like I was in London, but the scene was set in NY. It had to be because of Winston Chamberlain........the posh Londoner businessman (and divorced). He was so prim and proper it was scary! Lol. And the hardest thing for a while was trying to figure out his age.....he had an 18-year old daughter going to school in NY, his main reason for being there when he'd rather be in London. So yeah, I wasn't sure about the age difference for a while into the book.

I did like it. Loved the ending! Looking forward to the next book!

Second in the New York series by Ruthie Knox, MADLY, tells the story of Allie Fredericks, late of Wisconsin, who is in NYC hoping to convince her mother to come back home in time for her parents’ thirtieth anniversary party. She enlists the aid of a very proper British fellow who coincidentally has a connection to the person whom her mother has some kind of relationship with there. Winston Chamberlin could be an ersatz Mr. Darcy with his courtly manners and emotionally stifled life. This unlikely couple makes a bright beacon for several other members of their families on both sides to come together in a mutual goal to not only find Allie’s mother, but heal their own stained relationships. Allie is the type of person who is often the quirky, mad-cap secondary character as she dresses strangely, has several businesses going at once, and frequently ends up surrounded by lots of drama. Her life was changed drastically by a family secret that caused deep emotional pain and pushed her further into a hectic, whirling dervish kind of life.

Despite what her family and friends think, Allie does not enjoy being the center of chaos. Her mother has pulled this disappearing act many times before deeply wounding Allie and her sister for years. She impulsively follows her to try and find out what has been going on all this time. Winston feels his whole life was about living the proper way as an upper class gentlemen, but that way of living has pretty much imploded so when Allie comes barreling onto the scene, opportunity arises to make a profound change. He is dazzled by Allie’s joie de vive and talent of making the absurd seem reasonable. Sometimes not only do opposites attract, but they make a really interesting couple.

Often the prose in this book is as dizzying as Allie, especially her internal monologues, but because of the talent of the author, it all works. These characters are definitely compelling and complex; their intertwined stories are rather engrossing. Ruthie Knox’s writing stands out as something a bit different, but always well done and worthwhile. This book can be read as a standalone; however Winston appears in ABOUT LAST NIGHT, so reading it first makes gives a more comprehensive view of his character.

I adored Truly, the first book in this series and couldn't wait to dive into Madly.

While I did like Allie and Winston as a couple, I found them and their families utterly exhausting to be around.

It's like you love your crazy, intrusive, rude family but you don't want to be forced to go out with them all the time. And that's how I felt reading this book.

I almost wish that the side story about Allie's mom running away was the focus instead of the catalyst for Allie's action. Instead that had a weird, abrupt, madcap feel to it to get the story to wrap up neatly.

To be fair, the writing is still wonderful and I think Knox nailed how complicated and messy families are, as well as giving the characters room to learn and grow. I just didn't enjoy the journey.

Ruthie Knox has, once again, created a story that snatched me in from the beginning. What's not intriguing about a young woman jetting off to find and drag her mom back to Wisconsin from New York when she's disappeared ... yet again? The story then follows Allie's nuanced relationships with her family and the new relationship with Winston, whom she runs into in a bar while spying on her mother. The budding relationship, while significant, actually doesn't overpower the overarching story about Allie's search for her mother. There is a great deal of connections between Winston and Allie, which serve to push the story forward in exciting ways. I never completely knew what was going to happen next, and found I was often skeptical when the characters seemed to be certain of what was going on around them.

Something that surprised me was how conflicted I was about the protagonist. Allie initially seems like a loving daughter who just wants her parents happy and together. However, as the book unfolds, so too does Allie. She isn't quite as perfect as she views herself, and as her relationships with the other characters are explored, the reader sees her with a depth that makes her more endearing even when I didn't find her all that likable.

Other characters enjoy the same richness. Knox has a knack for presenting the character, but letting their depth be revealed through the character of their relationships with others. This is particularly evident with Winston, whose troubled relationship with his daughter is a constant source of strain. I was most surprised, however, to get this sense from Allie's father. For so much of the book, he seems to just be a cuckolded husband who won't stand up for himself. However, toward the end, he's shown to actually be one of the wisest and most perceptive people in the entire book.

Madly is a solid book that is interesting without being unbelievable, and romantic without being trite. I definitely recommend this!

First off: Yay for a new Knox book! I’ve missed her books, though I belatedly realized I never read Truly (though I remember reading a few chapters when it was originally being uploaded to Wattpad a few years ago). Now that I’ve read Madly, I will be going back very soon.


Really enjoyed this one, especially their list and exploration of intimacy and sex, which includes a mutual masturbation scene (bonus points for the first attempt not working and them trying again a bit later – realistic sexy times for the win!), sexting, a bit of fun with a vibrator, and actually talking about what they each need in bed. It's not the most explicit of sex scenes (though not fade to black, either) but because of the intimacy and connection that Knox builds, it's still really hot, satisfying, and well done.


I did start to tire Allie and her avoidance of talking things out, as well as her single-minded focus on "fixing" her parents' relationship. And the twist at the end about said problems with their relationship came out of nowhere and wasn't fully explored and addressed before the end of the book. To me, it basically felt like "Oh, your mom's not been cheating on me all these years, she's been [redacted]. It's all good, now who wants pie?" and suddenly the book was over, with no more discussion of it. I just wasn't completely sold on that part of the plot, which took up so much of the book, and felt like it was hurriedly tied up – and not in the smoothest of ways.


I really enjoyed Winston, who comes across as more beta than alpha (always a lovely change) and was sometimes awkwardly British, which I adored.


Overall, another solid read from Knox, and I cannot wait to see what she has in the works next!

I am so in love with Ruthie Knox's New York City. In her New York Series she takes readers on a virtual tour of the city, enticing the reader to fall in love, with her characters as well as the amazing setting.

In Madly, book #2 of the series, we get to travel with Allie, who we first met in Truly, book #1, when she broke off her wedding to her long time boyfriend. Madly has Allie leaving Wisconsin on a self-appointed mission of finding her mother in New York City and returning her home. While spying on her mother, she makes the acquaintance of the attractive and oh-so-proper Winston Chamberlain. During their first encounter, they create a sort of sexy bucket list as they are passing the time. They are both intrigued after their first meeting and begin slowly making their way through the list together.

The list starts out entirely innocent with items such as a long hug and holding hands through a movie. This quickly progress into the realm of sexy while Winston and Allie fight to handle the emotions that come with spending so much time together.

Allie may be in New York under the guise of finding her mother, but in actuality, she is searching for herself. Because of secrets she discovered long ago and restraints she has put on herself, Allie has always been a people-pleaser. Her every decision has been made to secure her position in her family and to make sure she was needed. Spending time with Winston brings out a side of herself with which she is unfamiliar. It also brings out many parts of herself that she isn't sure that she likes.

Winston is awesome in his uppity-ness. He is so perfectly British and proper, but being around Allie loosens him up. He is able to see things about himself and romance and takes many more risks than he did his first go-around with love. He has learned from his past mistakes and hopes to help Allie as she faces hers.

This is a great series with many fabulous side characters. We see some old favorites (Nev and Cath from About Last Night make an appearance) and meet some new friends.

While I love most of Madly, I just didn't really understand or believe a lot about the situation with Allie's mother and it kept me from giving it a full 5 stars. Really, though, it didn't keep me from enjoying the story or from falling head over heels for Winston.

4 out of 5 Stars

Madly by Ruthie Knox is Book 2 of the New York Series. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Madly was one entertaining read. With a totally outlandish plot, you will quickly find that it doesn’t matter with what Ms. Knox brings to the table: charming characters, sizzling chemistry, and a great pace that really keeps the story moving.

Please note that an ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.

I want to thank Ruthie Knox, Loveswept Random House and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review!
Review By Stephanie
4.5 Stars
This book was super fun! I am becoming a fan of Ruthie Knox! I come to expect an amazing story filled with complex characters.
Allie was planning her parents’ anniversary party in Wisconsin but something told her to follow her mom to Manhattan. She found herself hiding in a dark corner of the bar and her mom was busy flirting with someone who was not her father. The image of her perfect family and mother is crumbling in matter of seconds and now would be the perfect time she gets a glimpse of dreamy Winston Chamberlain. Now her focus makes a huge detour.
Winston <3 swoon right! He is a well-tailored, uber sexy Brit…just the way I like them! His life is just like his appearance…..crisp and clean. But a fake kiss with a stranger that was packed with butterflies will mess up his perfectly drama free life…..but in a good way of course!
If you are looking for a fun and flirty then one click Madly by Ruthie Knox!

This story was just so out there but I couldn't help but love it anyway. I loved the craziness the characters jumped into in the first chapter. The characters were easy to connect with and their chemistry was off the charts. I found myself laughing out loud with how crazy their antics were. I could not put this book down and finished it in one sitting. This was a romance of sorts but more of Allie finding herself and the person she becomes. Winston swoon who wouldn't fall in love with Winston. He realizes what he is missing in life and decides he wants more. This book was the perfect mix of romance, humor and self discovery that you just want more. The writing was very well done and the pace was perfectly matched. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

* I was provided an arc by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you can just suspend disbelief for a madly improbably premise then this was a relatively enjoyable book. Allie Fredericks has followed her mother to Manhattan from their small Wisconsin town because she thinks her mom is cheating on her dad and about to leave him for some trendy artist. The artist is modeled rather after Christo, the guy who wraps world landmarks in fabric. Allie meets wealthy British guy Winston Chamberlain (could there be a more British-sounding name?) in a bar where she’s followed her mom.

Winston is really uptight. I haven’t read the earlier book, “About Last Night,” in which Winston was a real tool toward his brother, but given how his behavior is described, perhaps that’s for the best. Winston is a wealthy London banker who has moved to New York to be closer to his college-age daughter now that his marriage has ended.

Allie starts out seeming like a real ditz, but Knox lets the reader gradually get to know her and understand that there is a lot more to her than it first seems. She’s actually pretty together and just wants her family to stay together. I can understand why Winston would fall for her since she’s everything he’s not and apparently, wealthy uptight British bankers really need a small-town Wisconsin woman who finds joy in simple things and loves her family. There is some angst with Allie’s sister that I found hard to sympathize with. In fact, all both families needed to do was just communicate more with each other. But I guess if people did that, there would be no need for romance novels.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I've been waiting for this book for forever! Happily [author:Ruthie Knox|5308032] did not disappoint. This second book of her New York series is the story of Allie. The runaway bride sister we first met in [book:Truly|18481904]. She's secretly in New York looking for her mother. Never did she expect to meet someone like Winston Chamberlain and never would she have though he could distract her from the thing that had brought her to the city. Can she accomplish her original mission and keep the guy??

I'm a huge Ruthie Knox fan. Her stories are always fresh and unique and her characters are always complex and real. Both of these are true in this story. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Another wonderful, sweet romance…

This is the second book in the New York series that can be read as a stand-alone though having read the first book will enhance this reading.

Allie Fredericks is on a mission, her mother disappears periodically for what her father calls the space she needs but this time Allie followed her from Wisconsin to New York City determined to learn what her mother does during those times away. Allie has a rather vivid imagination that runs rampant with conclusions that may or may not be true, though unsure she wants to know the truth she’s at a point in her life that she needs to find it. Spying is not as easy as it seems in the movies and she’s soon faced with a dilemma, how to continue to spy on someone in a bar where in a moment she could be seen so she latches onto a lone patron and asks for his help.

Winston Chamberlain has just come in from the rain to a Wisconsin themed bar he’s patronized before having been stood up by his daughter and needing a drink when a young woman calls him over. What she asks of him is quite absurd yet he considers it, in his current frame of mind it might just be the most interesting part of his day. He’s from London, a divorced father remaining close to his daughter now in college at NYU. It’s good to step away from his own family dramas and into someone else’s for a spell and the woman is uniquely different from those he has known and in a most refreshing way.

Two souls at transitional points in their lives make an unexpected connection and share a journey of discovery as they solve a family mystery and help each other realize what they really want and need out of life. When they met there was an intense chemistry between them that each wanted to explore yet they are opposites which makes for interesting dynamics and great dialogue, she’s the confused carefree spirit and he’s the out of his depth reserved Englishman.

This is a story of relationships and not just between a man and a woman but also between siblings, parents and children. We have no choice who are family is, that’s why those relationships are the most complicated and tend to cut when they go awry yet they also mean the most for it’s our support system.

This author shows us human behavior that is most real, raw and honest emotions and reactions that are relatable to the reader with complex characters that are endearingly quirky but most of all they are so human, flaws included. This was a wonderful follow up to Truly which this reader loved, stories like this are the voice this author does best. That this series is set in New York City, a place so familiar was a bonus for this resident of the state; the vivid descriptions bring the city clearly to mind.

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

At various times reading this book I was enraptured, annoyed, confused, delighted, and more in the wide range of feelings this book provoked. The primary theme, discovering who you really are outside the expectations others have of you, and trying to be that person first with people who have no expectations of you, was beautifully through the main characters and even the secondary ones. But there was so much other stuff I often found myself at a loss to figure out where it was all going. It seemed to me that so much of the drama could have need resolved by someone just uttering some very simple truths, and I really couldn't understand why no one did. Also, at some point when all the characters come together it started to feel like the eighth grade play.
Almost every character discovers something about himself or herself in this book, one of the things that makes it so delightful. Winston, who was for me a wonderfully drawn character, Allie's sister and brother in law, her parents, and Winston's daughter. I found Allie, who drove the action, to be as annoying as she was endearing.
The thing that makes this book a must read is that it actually stimulates thought. So much of what I have read lately seems like just oatmeal and this was a five course gourmet meal, although with a few odd ingredients I didn't care for.

Ruthie Knox always manages to write books I can't put down despite featuring characters I find insufferable. I like a flawed main character, which she writes very well. I like dirty, messy, imperfect love stories which she never fails to deliver. But I simply can't stand self-loathing and for some reason that's how I would describe the characters in Madly. I was excited to revisit some of my favorite characters from her past books, but I couldn't quite get past the character's inability to get out of their own way. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading what Ruthie Knox has in store for us next.

Sadly, this book just didn't work for me. As much as I enjoy Ruthie Knox's writing, I just didn't connect or care for either of the main characters in this book.

Really cute, fast paced story with a lot of dysfunctional family activity. I could see this being made into a movie someday.

Allie and Winston meet unexpectedly when she is in Manhattan, at a bar, spying on her mother. Allie wants Winston to play along with her on her quest to spy on her mother without her mother knowing she is there. Allie and Winston hit it off and she decides he can be her "mailman" (a person she can unload all of her feelings and true self onto without any repercussions). Both of them get caught up in making a list of things to do together and so begins their journey. Allie was whimsical, flighty, eccentric and wanted to be loved for who she was and not what people wanted her to be. I had no issue with that. I had an issue, however, with her not giving the people in her life the same courtesy.

She flees to New York to try and stop her mother from what she thinks is abandoning her marriage and bring her back home so her family can be the "same". For a 26-year-old it got tiring to see her immaturity on so many levels in this book. She doesn't stand up for herself with her ex-fiance' until she is told by Winston that he needs boundaries to be set and she is responsible for setting them (how she didn't figure this out on her own was mind-boggling). She has numerous business interests and is successful in most of her ventures, yet can't get her feelings possibly hurt by her family members by letting them know the truth and how she feels. Her walking on eggshells with May was ridiculous and both of them acted like adolescents and not adults. Her father should have set the record straight well before Allie turned 26 and her mother was just disappointing to me all around.

Allie struggled to acknowledge her feelings for Winston and he got knocked around quite a bit in this book. Was not a fan of her selfishness towards him and it knocked down my ability to like her. Winston had his own series of issues and, although he was making strides in his life to do better and to be more like his old self, he was still pigeon-holed at points. His daughter, Bea, treated him like an after-thought and I wanted him to stand up for himself a little more with her. I liked how he was able to show patience with Allie but their connection never really struck with me. It got washed out with the author's continued theme of "self-discovery" and being able to be true to yourself to the point that I was over it at the end. I got it early on in the book and felt it was overkill the number of times she felt it was necessary to hit me over the head with it again. There was a decent plot and I did like how the ending wrapped up, but the book tried too hard for me to keep pushing the "mailman" theme. I was grateful to receive an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author after seeing others whose opinions I trust post rave reviews of her work and I can now see why -- this definitely will not be my last! This was a bit of an odd premise (although not necessarily farfetched) in that Allie travels to New York to try and bring her mom back before her parents' 30th wedding anniversary party. Allie presumes that her mom is with the man she's had a mad affair with and who is actually Allie's birth father but, needless to say, she gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles into Winston on her first night in town. Winston - what can I say? Seriously, new book boyfriend material to the max. I loved him so much, even more than Allie. That being said, however, even as much as I loved the romance and relationship blooming between Allie and Winston, I loved that they both had real issues to work out, mostly family related, what were handled in a realistic and pragmatic, but not easy, way. This book had a whole cast of secondary characters that I loved and, aside from the ending, I loved everything about this book. Can't wait to read more by this author!

Madly comes out later this month on March 14 2017 and you can purchase HERE. I definitely recommend this one if you love contemporary romance that's a bit quirky! I just purchased the first book in this series, Truly, as well, which means both that I really liked this one but also that you can read it as a standalone. The third book, Completely, comes out in June.

"I thought, after I left him, that I would do all kinds of crazy stuff. Pick up someone at a bar. Move. Go to the south of France and pick someone up at a bar. The only thing I did was buy a wholesale club pack of coke and put it in the fridge where anyone could see it."
Winston obligingly raised his eyebrows in question.
"You know. All the sugar. Caffeine. Or maybe it was the high-fructose corn syrup."
"Not reasonable?"
"Not even a little. Sometimes I drink them right before bed, just like a giant 'fuck you,' and then I read a book with the TV on and fall asleep without brushing my teeth."
"My God."
"Thats right." She cocked a finer gun at him. "Living on a prayer, baby."

I very much enjoyed this book. While it is romance, it's not very formulaic. The characters were flawed and funny and real. They messed up. They aren't sure what will happen next. I loved the heroine and the hero, because they weren't Barbie and GI Joe. I enjoyed the plot very much, and enjoyed the self-discovery of both main characters - and , in fact, the minor characters as well. Well-written and fast-paced, it was a joy to read.