No Romeo by Donna Alam was a great romance novel.
I loved every moment of this book, especially the amazing characters.
From the very first chapter I was hooked. Every moment of this book is wonderfully scandalous, hear-gripping and heartwarming. This book was amazing. I literally couldn't put it down

Rating: 4⭐
Spice: 2.5 🌶️

Donna sure knows how to draw her audience in from the very first chapter as I was completely captivated! Featuring a runaway bride, a morally grey billionaire and some sweet revenge thrown in the mix, what's not to love?

Evie discovers her fiancé has been unfaithful behind her back, and decides to expose his infidelity at the altar. Embarrassed and having said her piece, her unplanned quick getaway ends with her falling straight onto the lap of Oliver! Their sizzling chemistry is undeniable and despite the push and pull from both parties, they give into desire and end up spending the night together.

Oliver's hatred for Mitchel runs deep, and he is out for blood. When he learns that Evie is his ex-fiancée, he makes the call to get close to her, in hopes of hitting Mitchell where it hurts the most. Evie needs a visa if she wants to stay in the country, and Oliver has just the proposition that she would be crazy to refuse... 😬

Evie and Oliver were just impeccable in this story! The witty banter between them was just top notch 🤌🏻 I thought Evie was smart and funny, 100% feisty and did her character shine though! I loved how without trying she got under Oliver's skin, unbeknownst to him. I wasn't too fond of Oliver initially, but he definitely redeemed himself with Evie. Although his initial plan was to use Evie to hold power over Mitchell, I love how he threw caution to the wind and fell head over heels for the one woman he never intended to fall for. Their love was so sweet and despite all the hidden secrets and trust issues riddled throughout the story, I'm glad they eventually got their HEA 🤗

P.S. the changing room scene at the charity shop... Was that a scene or what!!!! 😂🥵

Thank you to Donna, Montlake and Netgalley for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

From the very first hilarious chapter through to the final pages – WOW! I hadn’t read anything by this author, but I will definitely be checking out her other books! Just before Evelyn “Evie” Fairfax is to say “I Do’, she doesn’t! Instead, she reads to her startled fiancé (and the entire gathering) all of the reasons that she won’t be marrying him! Running from the church, she escapes into a car owned by wealthy Oliver Deubel. His first inclination is to ask her to leave, until he really looks at her and realizes that she is running from her fiancé (the wedding dress was a clue) Mitch…his sworn enemy. Oliver takes her to his hotel as he realizes how she may be of help…to him. As she tries to recover from the debacle, the video from the non-wedding goes viral, she has no place to live, no clothes and may even have to leave England. Oliver begins to plot his own revenge on her ex with the purchase a mansion that will soon be sold. The owner has certain criteria as to who he will sell to and Eve may just unknowingly sway the sale for him. The witty dialog between the various characters and the growing relationship between Eve and Oliver make this an excellent first book in the series! I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)

This is the first book I've read in a long time with the runaway bride theme and I loved it from start to finish.

I loved the way Eve leaves the groom at the altar and shows him off in front of everyone and the way she arrives with Oliver, who is anything but a hero, but in the end is the knight in white armor you hope will come to save you.

It's a very humorous book, -I always appreciate that in a book-, fresh and easy to read.

OK

The beginning was strong and the ending strong but I felt very slow. The characters are fun and I love Bo.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Right from the first scene, this book grabs my attention with an interesting meet-cute. However, the pace soon becomes too draggy and repetitive with readers being constantly reminded of the mmc blackmailing the fmc.

I loved the banter which was often hilarious and also the gossip column. But it wasn’t enough to entice me to finish the book.

Dnf at about 60%.

Our female protagonist, Eve, meets Oliver and quickly they develop a relationship of sorts, sometimes intimate and sometimes not. The characters are engaging and situations described are relatable. In quite a few occasions, I laughed so hard I cried, just imagining the scene. It was great writing. The author was able to effectively use language to inspire empathy, anxiety and a range of human emotions and I did become invested in these characters. At times, the story seemed to jump a step or two that I wasn't expecting but the overall reading experience wasn't impacted.
It was an enjoyable read and I recommend the book.
There are some explicit sex scenes so it's not appropriate reading for under 18s.

Thank you to NetGalley and for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

The beginning was laugh out loud, but it quickly lost my interest. I was hoping for more chemistry after the beginning scene, but the gentleman's club was a bore.

No Romeo had all the tropes I usually love—forced proximity, hate to love, ex’s rival, billionaire, but unfortunately I just didn’t like this.

It's a runaway bride story but not your typical story. The bride-to-be decides to read the printed-out text messages she has from her groom-to-be and the woman he has been sleeping with, she can only make it to the second page of four before running from the church and ending up in a car that is owned by Oliver who just so happens to be her ex’s rival in business. She had no idea and throughout the story more is slowly revealed. Oliver helps her the first but upon waking she is gone. He finds her after much searching and comes up with a plan to help her get her visa if she will help him. She has decades to go along with it but she is not as easy as Oliver has had with women in the past. She knows what she wants and she has no problem voicing her opinions as such. She stays this way throughout the book which is another reason I liked it, she stood up to him and there are things she did if you stay with the story that will show you her strength. Overall a very good book with excellent characters.

The story features a mix of tropes and situations, including opposites attract, rival's ex-fiancée, forced proximity, scandal, social media frenzy, and a business conflict. It delves into themes of friendship, activism, mysterious love, and redemption.

The narrative kicks off with a dramatic and humorous start, featuring a memorable meet-cute. Evelyn (Evie/Eve) flees her wedding after discovering her fiancé's infidelity, causing chaos. She ends up in the lap of Oliver Deubel, her ex-fiancé's biggest rival. Oliver seizes this chance to get back at his rival, Mitchell Atherton.

Despite Oliver's morally questionable offer, Eve and Oliver develop a strong connection. Eve stays in the UK, posing as Oliver's fake fiancée to remain in her newfound home. Their relationship evolves from proximity and curiosity to admiration and desire.

The story's detailed and accurate writing brings a diverse cast to life, set in the UK with authentic British characters. Eve and Oliver navigate their attraction and uncertain future, balancing deception and genuine connection. The gossip column adds intrigue and humor.

Supporting characters, including Eve's friends and Oliver's acquaintances, enrich the story. Despite obstacles and misunderstandings, Oliver's determination to keep Eve and their deep mutual understanding ultimately drive the plot toward a hopeful future.

This was such a fun read!

I loved the very original meet cute in this one and from that moment on Evie was the star of the book for me. I adored her! I grew to love Oliver but definitely had moments where I wanted to give him a good hard shake.

Their chemistry was delicious and by the end I loved their connection, I was definitely cheering on their HEA.

No Romeo was a pleasant romance book!

The beginning of the book immediately drew me in with the runaway bride (FMC) right into the car of our Romeo, Oliver. She finds out her soon to be husband has been cheating on her with her MOH and she gives in a set down before running out of her wedding ceremony.

The banter that starts with Oliver and Evelyn is off the charts. There was so much chemistry between these two! Their one night only turns into Oliver seeking out Eve the morning after for a proposition--be his fake fiance so that he can buy a property and he will help her get her visa to stay in London.

Throughout the story, Evelyn stays stubborn as she doesn't want to fall prey to the same mistakes she made with her ex-fiance while Oliver persistently pursues her. Since Evelyn is a vet, we see a dog with no personal space, a safari park, and an animal sanctuary in the story.

I rated this 3/5 stars because the book dragged a little in the middle of the story. Though I loved Evelyn's stubbornness, it became tedious. There were also a few scenes that I thought could have been edited out.

Overall, this was a fun read with lots of banter and spice.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for an ARC copy in return for my honest opinion.

Overall I liked this book quite a bit. The meet cute between Evie and Oliver made me laugh - it was just so unexpected. And for the most part I enjoyed watching their romance develop. But there were a handful of moments where I was so irritated with Oliver and it made me not want to root for him. I was all in for Evie though as she was a really great heroine. In the end I did like these two as a couple and was happy with how their story turned out. Oliver’s friends were interesting side characters so I would be excited if they were to get their own books.

Perhaps it's because I recently read a similar book with a runaway bride that this one didn't strike me as well as maybe it could be and for that I'm sorry. But the story was a bit too long and although I love me a snarky heroine, Evelyn was a bit over the top. Donna Alam is a new to me author and I'm not sure if this is how most of her FMCs are but holy moly, Eve drove me crazy. I get that she was a hot mess when she fell literally into the lap of her now ex-fiance's business enemy as she fled her wedding but the use of that snark as a sort of foreplay with the gorgeous Oliver became simply too much for me.

Eve is a good person and I was happy in the end that she found her true love and all that jazz but she grated on my nerves with her form of wit and the constant push and pull with Oliver. I will say that some of the backstory with Oliver changing his ways for a woman he can't get enough of and his desire to ruin her ex-fiance put on the back burner because of his new persona so to speak, kept my interest when I was determined to dnf this book. The secondary characters, including the 3 and 4-legged kind saved the book for me even when less agreeable ones drove Oliver bonkers.

But the love that blooms between Eve and Oliver is true and clearly saved both from a lonely life. Good friends Fin and Matt most definitely have stories to tell so I suppose I might consider giving their books a go when released. But in the meantime, No Romeo was a bit of a miss for me so I'm giving it 2.5 stars.

This book didn't really do it for me. I struggled to get into it or connect with the characters. Tropes included: runaway-bride, billionaire, ex-fiancé's rival, fake engagement.

4.5 stars! So much fun to read!

No Romeo is the first installment in, I presume, Donna Alam's new series of interconnected standalones, My Kind of Hero, feauturing Evelyn Fairfax and Oliver Deubel.

This is a story with a miscellany of troupes and situations, opposites attract, rival's ex-fiancée, forced proximity, scandal, social media frenesi and a business in between. It's as well about friendship, activism, love in its mysterious ways and redemption.

The narrative starts strong and furious, in a romantic comedy tone, and it was one of the best meet-cute I've ever read!
Evelyn/Evie/Eve in a haste to escape her own wedding day and the fiancé, now ex, she left behind after finding out he cheated, raising hell and making the proverbial s h ¡ t hit the fan on her way to the altar, where she never got to get, runs and ends up landing in a man's lap, a circumstancial savior with no Romeo bones.
Turns out, Oliver Deubel is her ex-fiancé's biggest rival, a savvy businessman and negotiator seizing an opportunity, THE opportunity to finally get back at Mitchell Atherton, his chance at a revenge long time waiting.

I absolutely loved our protagonists!
Oliver and Eve get along pretty well, even upon his indecent, morally reproachfull offer/ultimatum. I felt they gravitated to each other first, in close quarters due to Eve's obligation as a way the stay in the place she now called home and loved to practice, where Oliver was the shelter and the master planner, second through curiosity, specs of admiration and lust.

The writting is detailled and acurate, flowing steady and direct, distinguishing between a slew of characters of different nationalities that maintained their originality through language, interactions and forms of conviviality. The action is set in the UK and those who were British were very British, in their sarcastic humor, idiomatic expressions and ways of being.

Internally conflicting, we see two people very much attracted to each other, but in a situation where the future is incognito.
Eve accepting her role in Oliver's agenda as his fake girlfriend slash fiancée in a last effort to stay in the Uk, her safe haven from her contrived relationship with her family in the States, but feeling the weight of deceit regarding her friends, co-workers and acquaintances and the sympathetic man holding the key to Oliver's ultimate goal that would make his rival's head roll once and for all. And Oliver's plan that seems to feel less revenge and more like the future he didn't know he needed, the last woman on Earth he expected to want and want to do good by, only her and all she represented.
The gossip column was an ingenious touch and gave body to the intrigue and motion to the story, energetic, realistic and funny, it could be anyone, ourselves even.
And what warmed me up inside was that between Eve and Oliver it was stronger what kept them together that what might keep them apart. They understood each other in their differences, their passions and their life course and, very specially, in their want, desire and abandonment for one another. The guys and Yara with their tips, unsolicited advice and wake-up calls made for a great group of secondaries and even Nora's abrasiveness and Bo's sniffing habits contributed immensely to make this couple completely embeded in one another, so used to each other, the perspective of letting go once it all came to fruition became the incentive Oliver Deubel needed to go any lenght necessary to claim Eve for himself with forever in the horizon.
In his effort to go above and beyond, Oliver forgot that things might get out of control and for somone like Nora, distrustful by nature and suspicious of him since the beginning, it only took a tiny misunderstanding and heads would roll, in this case, Oliver's.
I can comprehend that final act, although I think it was unecessary since Eve was very intuitive and she was sure about the man she came to know, admire and love, but I agree with its importance regarding Lucy and her relationship with Oliver.

All in all it was a feel-good and very entertaining story!

Who is next?

Oliver is no Romeo, but boy, does he grow on you in this book. Eve is amazing too and the two of them as a couple really work. I did really hate the self doubt that Oliver has for himself and that Eve doesn't trust her instincts, but we eventually (and this is a long book) get to the HEA. This is my first book by Donna Alam, but I am excitedly waiting for the book we previewed at the end of this one, No Ordinary Gentleman. Thank you NetGalley and this author for an advanced copy for this 100% honest review.

This runaway-bride, billionaire, ex-fiancé's rival, fake engagement romance is book 1 in the My Kind of Hero series. This book had all of the right ingredients to make a phenomenal read, but sadly, it fell flat for me. I have read many fantastic reviews, so don't take my word for it!
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received an arc through Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was almost a DNF at multiple points throughout the story and I honestly regret that I didn't just drop it. I might be in the minority here, but I just don't think this book is ready for release yet.

First to the positives. I really liked Eve and Oliver. I enjoyed the premise of the runaway bride and the super rich and multi-faceted pretty boy. I also liked that you could get a glimpse into both of their thoughts thanks to the multi POV.

But. And this is a huge "but" which leads us to the negatives. I believe this book could have been great if only it had gone through a few more rounds of editing. Before you riot, let me explain:

Everyone basically has the same character. Everyone is witty, everyone is smart, everyone has a sharp tongue. At multiple points, conversations between two or more characters were so unclear and confusing that I genuinely didn't know who was saying what. It wasn't made clear in the context, and their individual voices were so similar that sometimes you just cannot tell who is supposed to be talking.

Next, I didn't understand Eve's sudden rejection of Oliver. She was the one who wanted a night with him and really pushed him towards it. Then when he comes back and gives her a way to solve all of her problems, she refuses...out of pride, I guess? And later when they have obvious chemistry and obviously want each other, she again refuses because....? I really don't know why. This happens on multiple occasions throughout the book as well. I always felt like I had skipped a few pages that gave reasons for the character's motivations. I assume it was meant to raise the tension, but all it did was to make me feel frustrated with the two.

Also, did you know that the book is called "No Romeo"? Because in case you didn't, the characters remind you every few pages. The first time, I thought it was cute that they said Oliver was no Romeo. But they ended up mentioning that so often that I wanted to throw the book across the room each time I saw those two words. At one point, it actually said "Oliver = no Romeo". Please, did nobody in editing think to have that changed?

These are just some of the things that annoyed and frustrated me. The saddest thing, as I said before, is that I really believe that this book could have been a great read. I just think that all of these things that I mentioned above should have been edited more. All of these are fixable complaints. Maybe my hopes were too high for this book, because I really enjoyed the premise. Or maybe this book just wasn't for me. It wasn't bad per se, it just had too many things that needed fixing in my opinion. If these are things that don't bother you, then you should definitely still give this book a try.