I enjoyed this book! It was cute and had a lot of book messages to it. I wasn’t a fan of all the graphic sex, but the message shined through and overcame it.

Ella and Ben have the quintessential love story. It is sweet and full of drama. He is an exfootball player with too many concussions. His brother was killed in a car accident stemming from injuries sustained in football. Ella knows who he is upon meeting him. Her friend and his neighbor have introduced them. The fall into a camaraderie. He wants nothing to do with the fame and she is willing to honor that. One things after and another leads to the two experiencing many ups and downs together. When tragedy strikes can Ben look to Ella for strength or will he push her away?

When Ben walks into Ella’s life she turns on the charm and tries to bring him out of his shell. But Ben isn’t just an ordinary guy, he is a man who had his world turned upside down when his brother died suddenly from a brain injury. Ben has left his football career and is now an advocate, with many secrets. He has retreated to this corner of Maine to take some time for himself and the last thing he expected was to meet someone like Ella. A woman who faces life with humour, who is passionate and loves dogs a crazy amount. Just as the walls are coming down, life throws them both a curveball that they may not be able to make it past.

Snowed In tries to be a lot of things and it tries to hit some heavy subjects which I have absolutely no problem with. Unfortunately I don’t think it was executed well at all. There were so many random info drops that it felt like you were reading straight from a textbook. I loved that the author wanted to shine a light on so many issues that are facing society today, I loved that they so obviously weren’t afraid of putting their opinion out there, it was just too much in such a small story.

The author made sure they filled the story with a wonderful range of diverse characters, with a diverse range of issues, unfortunately there were so many shoved into the story that we didn’t even get to scratch the surface with anyone. All we got to see was our mc’s reaction to them all and her ability to treat everyone, no matter their issues, with a perfect response. I was a massive fan of the mental health themes throughout, it was so refreshing to see a man able to open up and be vulnerable. I also liked the coverage of brain injuries in sport themes and the long term damage that can and does occur. It brought a lot of depth to the story. I 100% admit there was more than one scene in which I sobbed.

I really enjoyed the romance and I do like what I think the author was trying to do, I just think it needed more work. The romance between Ella and Ben plus Ella’s amazing commitment to her family, Ben and finally herself was my favourite part. The sexual tension pretty great. Oh and the dogs, seriously, the characters love of dogs is bloody great, I laughed out loud quite a few times at the way they talked to the dogs. I also wonder if the author has a “Willow” in her life.

If you are after a romance that is sweet, cute, incredibly relevant, well researched and touching, this could be for you.

Whew this book was an emotional roller coaster that I was not expecting to happen.

Snowed In is told in duel-perspectives of Ella and Ben. Ella is a graphic designer who runs her own business and takes care of her dogs all while living in the extremely snowy parts of Maine. Ben is a former NFL player who is dealing with loss, and a hard medical diagnosis and has moved to Maine in order to get away from it all for a while.
These two end up meeting because of a neighbor (Jack) who wants Ella to help Ben get adjusted to life in Maine, and he knows she will keep it quite that Ben is in town.
The two meet and end up becoming fast friends and start spending a lot of time together. While they spend this time together we see them fall for each other, but things aren't always sunshine and rainbows for them as Ben is keeping his health problems a secret until he can't anymore.
His health problems end up causing them some problems but they are able to work through them with some help from therapists for both of them to deal with what is happening in Ben's brain.

Snowed In touches on not only romance, but anxiety, and depression and all the things that come with a hard medical diagnosis. It brings up what you would or wouldn't do for someone you love, and how love is worth all the pain and suffering you could go through if the diagnosis is terrible and things decline rapidly. Snowed In shows the fun and happy times, while also dealing with the extremely hard parts of real life.

Overall I really appreciated this story and enjoyed learning more about CTE. Elle and Ben were such good characters and the problems they faced were real and made them all the more loveable. The dogs provided the needed comic relief as did Ella's comments she makes to help lighten the mood. Elle's and Ben's families and Jack were well-thought-out side characters that were loveable as well. I just really enjoyed this book and I like how it dealt with a tough topic in a slightly fun way all while bringing two people together at an unlikely time in their lives.

I'm interested in reading more books by Allen in the future.
(There were a few sexy times but they were never told in graphic detail.)

If you love dogs(Husky ans Samoyed like me) and winter this is the romance for you.

Ben is an NFL player who has to deal with losses and mental health issues and decides to move to a small town far from the media spotlight. Where she meets Ella, sexy, funny and with her dogs always willing to help a friend. They have to deal with mental and health problems at the same time they are starting to falling in love, but is love e enough ? They have to make a big decision.

For me the novel is in the background, the focus of the book is to deal with problems and overcome them in a psychologically correct and healthy way.

There are many unnecessary descriptions, of dogs (and I love dogs), of home reforms, of family, of medical terms and exams. For me they are there to make more pages and suppress the lack story.

Oh Ben and Ella! This was such a fun and quick read that I couldn't put down. That being said, it also touched on deeper issues with each character and brought them together through a friendship that formed. I liked that it was more than just falling in love and being sexy, not that I mind those read either. :) I am hoping for a sequel, and will be checking out more by Navessa Allen!

That's what I call a good romance book!
The story was really interesting and the characters were really well builded!
Highly recommend this!!

This novel is about Ella, Who lives in the northern part of Main. Main usually has long hard and boring winters but she looks forward to a little skiing and spending time with her family.

Ella wasn't expecting this but a professional athlete named Benjamin Kakoa has arrived in her little town for a break of his superstar life.

Ella meets Benjamin and tries to charm him and tries to get him to take down his security walls. But with Bens' past and undetermined future doing that isn't easy for Ben.

Will these two end up falling for each other or not? Youll just have to read the book to find out. =)

This book was the perfect snowy/Christmas book, sweet and cute your typical HALLMARK movie. I liked that it touched based on mental health. I also like that it was a romance novel but not Lovey-dovey all the time. The details of the characters were amazing you really felt like you know these people. I will definitely read the next one. Also, the cover was super cute!!

If you like rom-com books this one if for you. If you like snowy books this one is for you. If you like stories about famous character this one is for you.

I would like to give thanks to Netgalley and Navessa Allen for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

#SnowedIn #NetGalley

Ben Kakoa is an ex-football player who quit after his brother died due to effects of CTE. Looking to get out of the spotlight for a while and deal with the possibility of his own risk for CTE, he moves to a small town in Maine where he meets Ella. A friendship forms between them and there is a spark that there might be something more between them. But they have to decide if it is worth the potential pain that might be coming down the road.

Overall, I thought it was cute read. While a bit predictable, it kept my attention. There was some depth to the characters as we saw them work through their issues. My biggest complaint with the book is that it felt like the author tried too hard to wrap everything up with a bow at the end of the book, so if felt unrealistic. A little too fairytale ending.

4.5 Stars for Snowed In
This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last, I really enjoyed this fun easy to read romance. This author certainly wasn’t afraid to get into some subjects many shy away from and she covered the depression and mental health issues with compassion.
Ella lives in a small town often snowed in during the winter months, she enjoys her solitude and loves her time with her two adorable huskies. Her life is about to be turned upside down when Ex football star Benjamin Kakoa turns up in town, this couple soon become friends but as the winter draws in they realise they both might want and need more than friendship.....
This book may cover hard to read subjects but that doesn’t mean there isn’t humour, the banter is witty and the chemistry is intense but it’s the writing that made this book, this book is well written, it’s knowledgeable and it’s a beautiful love story. I certainly need to look up other books by this very talented author as soon as time permits.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley

Snowed in jun 9 2020
Friends two lovers
Navessa Allen

Ella lives in a small town where nothing really happens Ella lived there all her but mainly people who lived there end up in different town and cities she has her mum there her sister and uncle jack round the corner. They have really bad snow in winter and it was winter coming around Ella house you can go skinning and snowboarding the view look lovely. Ella has two dogs which are the love of her life.
That day Ella went two visit her uncle jack down town he loved the dog and the dogs loved going two spend time with him they knew they had allot of treats and jack spoiled them loads. When Ella drove up the path two jack house jack was waiting outside for her the dogs were so excited two sea him Ella let them out they ran all the way over two him nearly bounding jack over he gave them treats Ella said you got my beers in the house ready jack smiled he said that not all there a new boy in town just moved into the house opposite he doing it up and I’ve told him all all about you and you roughly the same age as each other you could show him around town and things and hang out. Ella was surprised at that Ella Wasn't even dressed two meet any one new Then before she knew it Ben came driving up the path out of his jeep he shocked Ella hand and introduced himself two her they went in dude had beers looked at old photos of Ella family talked all night Ella have ben here number.
Ella sister was coming for Christmas with her wife and Ella saw her a couple time’s of year whenever she came two town they ended up staying with Ella. Ella has two rush out pick up they favourite food veg crisps and drinks torfu that they loved. That night they stayed up late playing crimmage. The next day Ella had two go round bens Ben had asked her if he could take a photos of her two show his parents that he had friend her otherwise they were going two fly down here from hawii and he didn’t want that Ella didn’t mind she got two spend time with Ben the only thing was Ben mum was face timing him and he had two show Ella two there Ella started talking two them she showed them young the house what Ben had done so far two the house. Ella said they were nice parents over protective allot that day Ben showed Ella around the house and they had coffee and laugh all day it was great getting two know him.
Ella arrange two meet Ben Christmas night after visiting her parents house and her family as after that night Ben was cooking for her gammon veg and desert all the good things he was a good cook Ella loved the way he cooked and set everything out the dogs came two Ben loved the dogs they were but the fire with some treats Ben had a great night with Ella Ella new he was famous and things in football but left it at that Ella kept his privacy. They played a game watch revision they must have fell asleep together Ella woke up embrassed she stayed the night and now she had two tell her sister about it two nothing happened. Ella arrange two meet Ben new year eve at her house for snowboarding and skinning he agreed.
New year eve came and Ella lent Ben her boots and they skied must of the day Ben had face time his parents and Ella was showing them how he was doing not great after skiing they watch films and hang out.
Ben bought his own boots after that. It was late into January now and Ella has a surprise for Ben Ella bought him puppies he couldn’t believe he was so excited that he didn’t have a clue on puppies but Ella bought him bedding collar tours food treats for him two last he fough he try them for a couple of days he was really getting years two Ben loved having the puppies her he take photos of them send the two Ella every day Ella went round two sea Ben and the puppies about something she loved spending time with him.
Ben parents were going two stay at Ben soon do he had two get the bedroom ready for them Ella helped him paint the bedroom and pick out furniture for the bedroom they had a thing for each other them thing started two spark between them. Ella had two introduced Ben two her sister Jane who was a reporter she had two tell them the truth on how famous he was about this article on him he didn’t like so the pretended they were dating them two his sister even know they wasn’t Ben had sever depression and anxiety after his brother died and things happen when you famous that you don't like somerging happened a story leek out so Ben wanted two give his side of the story and he did Ella couldn’t believe what he was going through the grief the hurt she totally got it.
The next day after the story Ella went round two bens they made out that day they told each other how they felt and things went serious with them they were proper couple now .
Ben told Ella he had two meet his parents in Boston for a couple of days for test two sea about his depression and sea if he had a brain tumour of an accident he had in football's. Ella was gutted he was going but Ella knew he had Ella was afraid. After all the yeast it turned out he did have problems with his brain but it was treated .
Ben parents came two town when he got back and for five days grief happened his parents were both depressed Ben and his mum Ella stayed there for a couple of days cooking listing two Ben helping them.
Then all of a sudden Ben wanted some time apart from Ella they broke up for a month and the worst month of her life after a. Month when Ella was back in time after visiting her sister Ben went looking for her and jacked said she was back he texted her and Ella went back two sea him and they made out and Ella told him she loved him and Ben told her he loved her they were great together was nearly two years Ella went two hawii and had a great time there they went hiking they stayed on the beach went they had a happy realationship
I loved this but it steamy romantic every chapter you had a new plot a new scene it wasn’t boring it was exciting read. I gave it five stars read.

Stars: 4/5

Thank you for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This story surprised me. Like really surprised me.

The romance is there, the sexiness is there. No surprise. But the serious issues and disabilities it deals with? Surprised. It's not all fluffy, so don't expect it! The disability/ condition is clearly researched into. How accurate is it? I'm not sure, i'd have to look into it but that's not what we're criticising here.

The MCs are Ben and Ella. Ben is solidly sexy. Ex football player (UFL? Can't remember but it's important) and Ella is bright and bubbly and deep. I liked both characters - Ben's more so because he's got depth, he's got purpose, he has substance. Ella... not so. Don't get me wrong I liked her but it just felt like she was support for Ben. Not joking her 'problems' didn't come to light until the third last chapter and it just felt like for the hell of it. Like it needed to be included but wasn't detrimental to the story. If it weren't a romance, Ella wouldn't even be a character. A sad but honest fact. Sure, she helped Ben, she supported Ben. She was empathetic and helpful and that's so important when struggling with such serious issues... but what about Ella's story? She had a minor one but Ben's was explored and in-depth. I would rather the story be longer and explore Ella's adoption etc (not a spoiler) than have her a 'shallow' character - in terms of character depth. You get me?

That said, this story made me laugh, made my heart swell and butterflies in my stomach. It's written well and the plot is incredibly important. It's good to see this representation out there. The condition written about and discussed is clearly important to Allen and you can see her effort, passion and interest in it explored in the work. That's what made this story so great. Along with the romance and sexy scenes, of course.

The characters had great chemistry at the start of the book. I loved that new, good-friend-but-I-kinda-fancy-you energy and the teasing and jokes. I love when they start to flirt with each other. It's so pretty and intriguing. Then the serious part of the book comes and it's a different kind of energy, a different kind of chemistry. It's supportive, loving. Very realistic and hopeful in my eyes.

The last thing I want to add about this story, and it may be because I got an ARC or something, but there are certain spelling/ grammar problems. For example Sofia is occasionally spelt 'Sophia' and it can be distracting. Also... too many supporting characters. Willow? Amazing. Adorable, little terror. But did she help the storyline? No. But you know who makes up for it and are essential characters? Sam and Fred. You need to read the story to find out who this is and why they're detrimental.

WARNINGS: grief, mental illness, anxiety, depression, mature scenes

RECOMMEND: for 18+, people who love romance but also like to learn at the same time as enjoy. You will learn about mental illness and a particular disorder/ physical chronic issue

Ella is reading a Christmas story to her niece Willow. Willow is stripped down naked and making a mess. Jane,her sister, is married to Dave. Ella has huskies Fred and Sam. She is visiting a friend Jack .

This is a really, really good book. I’m going to say that right up front before I hit you with the BUT.

BUT. It’s not the book it’s being marketed as. If you look at the cover and blurb, you’re going to think this is a funny, charming rom-com and although it does have some humorous moments, there’s way too much deep and difficult stuff addressed for that description to be an accurate one. What this really is, is a contemporary romance where the main couple have to overcome some serious adversity caused by major health issues, and it's actually executed beautifully for the most part.

Ben Kakoa is a former football star who walked away from the game after his brother’s shocking death, caused by a seizure from traumatic brain injuries sustained playing football. Ben’s fighting the league for player welfare, dealing with his ghosts, and having to face down the possibility he might have a ticking time bomb in his own head as well. Hiding out in a remote part of Maine, he’d rather not meet anyone at all, but Ella Jones and her two huskies somehow find their way into his life and the next thing he knows, he’s falling for her - even though he might not have any kind of future to share.

Anyone who’s seen a loved one lose themselves to dementia or serious brain injury knows how difficult it is. Knowing that’s very likely in your future when you’re only in your twenties, as Ben is, is extremely difficult to come to terms with, and that’s where the author really shines. Ben and Ella both seek therapy as they try to deal with the anticipatory grief, and this is where it gets interesting, because Ella has her issues as well. Knowing from the start who Ben is and that he lost his brother under such tragic circumstances, she does her best to be only a ‘bright spot’ in Ben’s life, but eventually realises that if they’re to have any sort of relationship, she has to be honest with him.

Honestly, I feel like this is such an important story. It’s real, it’s powerful, it doesn’t shy away from the terrible things Ben and Ella are facing and yet it also finds time for jokes and lightness; it’s very real life in that way, because even in the dark times, we can still find things to make us smile, and I think showing that love can blossom at those times is something which really matters too.

This isn’t a light or easy read, even though there’ll be times when you smile and maybe laugh. And I think it’s a massive shame that it’s being marketed as something it’s not, because inevitably readers are going to be disappointed that it’s not the story they expected. I am, however, going to rate it for the story it actually is, which means it gets 5 stars from me.

This was really great. It was hilarious. I got a stitch at multiple points. The characters were super likeable. Ella and Ben were just WOW to read, they had such an amazing relationship - with so many realistic ups and downs. The dual POV's just made it so great to read so you saw both perspectives. The way Ben's fame was written was amazing, showing every side of stardom and the measures of how they had to deal with it. I loved the strong sense of family in the book and obviously adored all the puppy action! I loved that it tackled difficult topics in a really great way and went into things I didn't expect it too. The setting of Maine and the snow was beautiful; I love forests and mountain settings so I was completely enthralled by that. The plot wasn't predictable, but it also wasn't very intriguing but it was still very interesting. I never felt on the edge of my seat but I never felt bored. It just swept you along at a gentle pace so it was super relaxing to read. My main gripe with the book is that it used a lot of technical medical terms which made me feel distanced from the characters. It also broke the flow of the plot somewhat. Overall it was a nice quick romance to read and I definitely recommend checking it out.

I enjoyed this novel - I liked that it wasn't your typical romance story. There were very real issues that were tackled throughout the story. Depression, guilt, trauma, long term health problems as well as broader topics such as sport-related injuries. There was interesting character growth with both the MCs.

I wasn’t aware there would be politics, racism and religion in this. I usually pick up romance books to escape what’s going on in real life. Other than that, this was a good read.

🐶

*Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own*

I loved this book, the characters are captivating and so well written that they gave me the feeling of being real people, the fact that having dogs involved only made the story better.
The plot of the book was wonderful too, I loved it that goes far beyond the romance between the two characters.
The author managed to touch on many relevant topics bringing important reflections on, the role of women, prejudices, privileges, children, family, mental health and masculinity
This book has a lot of research and medical terms related to celebratory traumas that, however well explained they were, I admit that I didn't understand a lot, as well as I, didn't understand a lot about the football part since they are not areas that I have great knowledge about, so I also, can't say if everything is accurate but what I managed to get I found it very well done.
I highly recommend the book if you want a romance that goes beyond romance but is still cute, funny and quick to read.

Just wasn’t for me sadly, I got bored, too much irrelevant information thrown at you and I love dogs, but seriously this was too much even for me. It also see,Ed to be paced quite badly to me, it seems plenty of others enjoyed this so maybe it’s just me., but this one didn’t do it for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Snowed In is a sweet, romance novel by Navessa Allen, set in an idyllic, remote small town in Maine. Hilariously funny, well written with very likeable main characters.

Larger than life artist, Ella meets ex professional football player, Ben, who following the deaths of his older brother, sister in law and their young son, has retreated to the solace of Maine to get away from the spotlight and gather his thoughts.
The relationship between the pair blossoms quite naturally and I particularly enjoyed their witty banter they have.

The storyline addresses some hard pressing issues, such as the risks of footballers and soldiers developing CTE from repeated head injuries. It also touches on subjects like mental health, racial segregation and adoption.
With the addition of some adorable dogs and Ella's free spirited niece for added cuteness.

It is a lovely read, I will be following the author from now on and looking forward to reading more of her books.