I enjoyed this one well enough but the load of characters introduced did get confusing. The chronic illness rep was great and something I hope to see more in contemporary romance!

I loved the chemistry between these characters so so much! It was so good! This was such a good read. A wonderful palate cleanser,

As a person whose love language is acts of service (and therefore pushing others to be their best selves!) I was in love with our heroine Rayah! Smart, respects her body, and knows how to bring out the best in people? YES.

When Rayah pours her life savings into opening her dream wellness resort - she doesn't expect the idea not to flourish overnight. When a potential client, AKA movie star, needs help getting fit for an upcoming role - it's just the challenge she needs to make a name for herself. As Rayah and Jake clash while he's putting up walls to protect his vulnerability (and secrets) - they grow closer without even realizing that they need each other!

Male vulnerability is not often discussed. It's usually the feminine character who's physically a little weaker and the men who have the means to save the woman. I really like that role reversal and the breakdown of emotional barriers to creating a truly sweet story!

**Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

2 stars
TW; mentioning of domestic violence to a side character, death of loved ones (off page), complex trauma from sexual assault as a minor (happened off page, but discussed), life after injury, toxic family trauma, chronic illness symptoms leading to fainting, vomiting, and exhaustion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

What is up with the cute cartoon-covered romances lately having such an extensive trigger warnings list and not being properly warned? Entangled Publishing did have a content warning for the main female character's sexual assault being mentioned (you have to go to their website to read it) but as an ARC reader, this isn't divulged when applying so reviewers can protect themselves from reading the wrong book and wasting the publisher's time.

At the start of this book, it was really fun. Jake, an acclaimed TV show actor has been given the offer of a lifetime to become a superhero - and has to bulk himself to make sure he gets the gig. However, he suffers from a chronic illness that makes it almost impossible for his body to physically meet the criteria he's pushing for. He goes back home to an exclusive sports and gym complex and omits his condition from the owner and ex-gymnast Rayah. I found the initial banter between Rayah and Jake, whilst a little on the instalove spectrum, really enjoyable. Until about 20% where things Jack started to say didn't quite match up with the time spent in each other's company. It then goes from 0-100 pretty darn quickly and is somewhat unbelievable. Rayah, who is described as a prickly woman and not to cross also loses her personality trait and quickly becomes a simpering female for Jake's charms.

This is set in a small township, and the gym is run by a group of people who have become Rayah's found family, which again, was cute to begin with. It then got super dramatic and everyone was causing trouble everywhere. Add in a side character turning up with evidence of domestic violence and reeling from a death, the unravelling of Jake's lies, and then talk about Rayah's sexual assault as a minor, and I was confused why all of this had been thrust into what had seemed like a cute little small-town romance. I have no idea why it was necessary to throw in all the drama, at every step of the way. It made the storyline too amped up and the characters fell flat. There was always too much to resolve and by 60% in, I was more than done with how soap-opera dramatic this was. The shock factor was just cringe at this point, and the romance was no longer interesting in the slightest. The humour, which had been fun at the start was trying to keep things funny and light, but became on the nose. I admit to skimming the last 40% of the book because I had lost complete interest. For full transparency, I would have DNF'd this around 30% had I not been obligated to read and review this arc.

Overall, I'm really disappointed in Work It Out, because it did sound like a cute story in the premise, and the cover is gorgeous. Just goes to show that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

I liked the description of this book while browsing, and was excited to be approved for the ARC. However, this book was just not for me.

The humor aspect and overall setting was intriguing, but I found myself getting confused often while reading.

The disability representation was very cool to see! That was my favorite part of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Evan Siedler for approving this eARC in exchange for my honest review! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was floored when I saw the word POTS in the first few pages and the decent description that followed. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I think it’s pretty cool the author brought it into the story. It made the book.

The characters were well penned down and each was given enough share of spotlight which was the cherry on the cake. I absolutely loved it and had a great time reading this.

A story of overcoming obstacles, learning to trust, getting rid of dead weight, and not being afraid to tell the truth. In Bigbone, Arizona expect to find a small-town romance layered with:

🧁 Grumpy Girl
🧁 Sunshine Guy
🧁 Chronic Illness Rep (POTS)
🧁 Found Family
🧁 Forced Proximity

While we can't choose the family we are born into, we can choose the people we want to call family. Add characters that are relatable with a plot that keeps you turning page after page this story will leave you satisfied with laugh out loud moments, a few that might bring a tear or two, and a steam of scorchin to balance it all out.

Rayah Summers is trying to build a brand and business when hollywood sweeps in, what will happen when she discovers his secret? Will she let the money impact her decisions or will she figure out a way to keep him from an untimely death?

Jake will do just about anything to land his next role even if it means hiding the one thing that could truly kill him while preparing for the part. What will happen when his illness is discovered? Will he still find a way to land the part or will his heart betray him?

When choosing to read books the options are endless, if you're looking for something with a character that has a chronic illness, this story is written with care, attention to detail making the story believable and heartwarming.

☕🔥🔥🔥🔥 A scorchin hot read with secrets, forgiveness, acceptance, and characters that will connect with so many readers. Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from Entangled Publishing for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Looking forward to reading more from Eva Siedler - will there be more from Bigbone, Arizona?

Do not let the cover fool you, this is not your average romance novel. It is so much more. It is deep, raw and emotional but also sprinkled with witty commentary between all of the characters. Eva Seidler weaves the lives of both Jake and Rayah so beautifully that you feel every emotion Rayah feels as she relives here past and faces her future and you can sense the shame and failure Jake felt and lived with because of his POTS. I absolutely loved that there was more story than there was romance and that each character, even the background characters had their own past and future written out for us. I also loved that POTS was featured prominently throughout the book because it is a more common condition than some would think but not widely talked about.

Overall this book had my heart breaking one second and laughing the next the entire time. I Loved every second of it!

⭐ 5/5
🌶️ 1/5

I received an advance review copy for free from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this romance. The theme of this book was amazing. I loved that it was based around a gym. I would recommend this book

I really really loved this story, it was such a good time and I loved the characters and representation and it was just so enjoyable. I highly recommend this novel so much, and definitely would consider getting my own copy of the novel upon publication.

What I liked:
-Excellent disability representation (POTS)
-The spice was spicin’
-Strong female lead who allows herself to be vulnerable after dealing with some deeply traumatic situations (CW: sexual assualt)
What I didn’t like:
-Too many plot points/story lines and groups of characters all at once - there could have been one or two less situations (the festival, perhaps?) and it would have felt like a more cohesive read.
-Because of this, it read way too long and honestly could have been 2 separate books.
-I got the ick from some of the MMCs, specifically Blaine’s attempt at being more than friends and the relationship between Jake & Vicky.

A tighter edit and this could have been a really solid debut - there were definitely passages of great writing that got lost along the way. I will read more by this author and look forward to future stories. Thank you to Netgalley & Entangled for the advanced copy, all thoughts are my own.

Work It Out had such a great hook and really started off well. I was interested in these characters, but quickly became overwhelmed with the pacing of the story.

The dialogue, as well, began to feel too shallow and pointless towards the midpoint of the story.

While I enjoyed these characters and the overall story premise, I was left wanting just a bit more from story.

Overall rating is a 2.5 (rounded up)

I really really wanted to love this. Unfortunately it just felt a bit too insta-love to me, which isn’t my vibe. It’s also just miscommunication trope all over the place with trauma tit-for-tat. I was rooting for Jake and Ray for sure, but they were both incredibly frustrating at times. Still an enjoyable read and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to review, just wasn’t my total cup of tea.

Work it Out by Eva Siedler was obviously a labor of love. From the dedication, we know the author has some strong feelings about living with chronic illness. I loved that she gave these characters depth in that way. There is also a very big storyline about girls in sports as well so be mindful of the content warning. Overall it is a fun romp with some very likable characters (and a pig). I read an ARC.

The POTS representation is definitely the highlight of this book, especially as the male MC has to learn to share and accept. I recommend for those who like a quick connection, fast-paced rom com movie type of feel.

ARC Review for Entagled Publishing & Eva Siedler
Spicy: 🌶️🌶️
•
•
•
Christopher, I mean Jake, grew up in the small town of Bigbone AZ. But now he’s a BList Hollywood star trying to catch his first major role. Problem is, he isn’t cut enough to play the main super hero role; he’s lacking muscle tone & abs.
•
It’s a good thing his best friend happens to work an all exclusive gym owned by a former Olympic front runner, Rayah.
•
Can Rayah whip Jake into shape enough for him to get the leading role or will their feelings they grow for each other give them whiplash? Can they both let go of their pasts & be happy in the present or will they buckle beneath the weight?
•
•
I gave this book 5 stars because I feel I related to FMC character, Rayah, so much. The banter was fantastic between the two lead characters. It follows character growth well & I can appreciate that in a book. It is a bit of a slow burn but all the tension makes it worth it.

Thank you Entagled & NetGalley!

I just reviewed Work It Out by Eva Siedler. #WorkItOut #NetGalley

Unfortunately, this one didn't work out for me. The book had potential, the setting was amazing, but I felt like there was something missing for the entirety of the book. As much as I enjoyed learning more about POTS and reading from a strong FMC, the obsession of the two main characters about each other's physical appearance got tiring after a few chapters. I enjoyed the writing overall, so I might give this author another chance in the future.

Thank you to Eva Siedler, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will start with this, I love this cover! It instantly grabbed my attention. With that being said, this book felt rushed. Too much happened too fast. There wasn't any chemistry at all between Rayah and Jake.

I felt like it moved really slow. I kept waiting for something to happen and I just couldn’t get interested in any of the characters enough to want to really keep reading.