Jane es exmodelo, tiene una hija y está intentando poner en marcha un negocio de emparejamiento. Su ex, el donador de esperma le envía la invitación de su boda, ella se pone mal porque el tipejo le dijo que jamás quería atarse a nadie, se fue y jamás conoció a su hija y ahora 5 años después quiere conocerla.

5 años celibe
Jasper es un jugador de americano, fue compañero de equipo del protagonista del libro anterior, él y Jane se conocen desde hace años, pero ella lo ve como tonto.

No me gustó que él coquete hasta con las piedras, eso solo debería estar reservado para Jane. Realmente no pasa nada malo porque en esos momentos Jane es quien no quiere nada que ver con Jasper y el lo hace para molestarla.

Me canso ver a Jane alejandolo y consertandole citas para que luego estuviera celosa, o sea ella le estaba buscando una esposa. Sólo fueron 2 citas y él no se interesó en ninguna de ellas porque quería a Jane.


No me gustó como fue el primer acercamiento de Tomas con Londyn.


Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My Darling Jane by Ilsa Madden-Mills was every bit of charming and fun!

Ilsa Madden-Mills has a knack for mixing fun and charming and sweet elements and still making it steamy and parts emotional. I loved the sport romance aspect of the book that mixes a matchmaker that despises him and yet they can't help but fall for each other. I could right off the bat tell how down bad he was for her and how teasing her and making her mad was banter and flirting for him. I love how they both grow as individuals throughout the book. He learns how to take love and life seriously. He's used to casual and being fun but with her he has to try and work for it and not only that but as a single mom, she has to guard and protect her and her daughter. I love that he goes from aloofness to calling them his girls. I loved how he slowly warms up to the idea and fights for them and that she.makes him work for it. I thought the book was flirty, fun, steamy but also touches on subjects like trusting and learning to fall for someone and that it's okay. I really enjoyed this book and the epilogue was absolutely perfect. I couldn't think of a better ending for them. Fans of Madden-Mills or sport romance fans will love and devour this single mom and athlete hate to love romance and I cannot recommend it enough!

With her matchmaking business needing an influx of eligible men that are worth dating, Jane finds herself seeking out the last man she ever thought she would. Football phenom Jasper is not looking for a HEA, but just a good time - that is until sparks fly between him and June. Can passion ignite in just a moment between two unlikely people? Ilsa Madden-Mills will make her readers laugh out loud while at the same time hope for a HEA. A great addition to the series.

📖 My Darling Jane (The Darlings)
✍️ Ilsa Madden-Mills
🗓️ Nov 05 2024
📝 Montlake

Genre:
Contemporary romance, sports romance

Series or standalone:
Apparently this is part two of a series! I had no trouble reading this as a standalone though. It took me a while to find out which one was the previous book; My Darling Bride. Apparently Jasper and Jane are characters from previous novels and now got their own book.

<b> Tropes: </b>
❤️he falls first
❤️ single mother
❤️ football player
❤️ matchmaking
❤️ frenemies

⚠️: cults, abandonment, foster care
POV
dual, first persons POV

💭Summary 💭
Jane is a single mom who is persistent on making a name for herself and providing for her daughter. Besides having a young daughter, she dedicated herself to her (hopefully) up and coming business, a matchmaking agency. But as most beginnings are rough, she decided to go all in.
Dressed in a cupids costume she hits a sports bar. Not her choice of spending the evening, but you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. She meets her kind of nemesis Jasper, who actually decided to help her out…. The beloved star quarterback becomes her new elite bachelor. It’s just…he has only eyes for Jane…

Cover:
The font was very fitting for the agency and the agenda of the book. Plus a kind of hot guy on the cover? Won’t say no to that!

Heroine:
Jane Darling (25)
I immediately loved her. Her sense of humour, sarcasm and tenacity. Jane is a fabulous young woman who handles single motherhood and a business.

Hero:
Jasper Jannich (31)
Jasper was so much more than I expected. I didn’t expect so much depth to him and the whole cult story line .

Side cast:
Her daughter Londyn (4ish?), her ex boyfriend and sperm donor Thomas.

Diverse cast of characters?:
Right from the beginning you get different characters which all bring something unique to the table. There’s a sense of warmth and family, a lot of support going on. I love the dynamics between the different characters.

<b> character development </b>
Jane is a tough one at first, life made her. Jasper never had it easy as well, but I love his tenacity and positivity. Both grew immensely on me and I loved to watch their relationship grow.

Location:
New York City, New York, USA 🇺🇸

Fluency/Writing:
I was immediately charmed by the writing. I read one of her novels years ago and I don’t remember much, just that it was nothing to write home about? This one the other hand? Hooked from the first page.
The blurb sounded like a (bad) romantic comedy to me, but this exceeded my expectations! This book is definitely victim of a badly written blurb. I mean, this had so much more depth than I imagined. I loved the characters and the development.
I imagined something cutesy and in a way it also was, but this book exceeded my expectations. I loved the writing, super easy to get lost in, the characters were amazing and all in all, I am so happy I’ve read this.

🌶️: 4/5
😱: -
😭:2/5
❤️: 4/5
⭐️: 4/5
What I’ve learned while reading:
- queen of heavens s e x position - doesn’t it say it all? Had to look up that one 🙃
- Continuing on that note… splitting the bamboo got a whole new meaning….
Do I recommend:

⭐️Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own, I was under no obligation to review.

4.5


I'm so so happy with this book, it was exactly what I hoped for jane and jasper's story and even a few extra surprises that made it even better than I expected.

It was clear on emmygraham's book the chemistry these two have, their banter and push and pull was perfect to make them a couple, but what really makes them the one for each other is present in this book with jasper's backstory and how that makes jane realize he's so much more than what she thought with his first impression.

Jane is a wonderful character, strong and fearless but also secretly hopeful and with some emotional scars to heal, and with the help and love of jasper she does it perfectly.

Jasper is a sweetheart, a sunshine that hides some clouds but still shines, a wonderful family man and friend, who falls so hard for Jane and adores Londyn from the very start, he's just the perfect man for this darling girl.

The side characters make this book absolutely golden and hilarious (yes Babs this is for you) and I truly hope we get to read about the darling man Andrew, I'm super curious about who his love could be. And how it fits inside this big sweet loving family.

I'm always excited to read a new Ilsa book because she never lets me down, and this one is no exception.

A matchmaker single mom and a tattooed playboy football player is not exactly the love story you expect but this frenemies to lovers story is a good time! She becomes his matchmaker , setting up dates for him. Jasper is ready to settle down and Jane is not looking for love but over their time together Jasper is able to convince her to take a chance on him. an Overall adorable story with rich characters,

Darling but a little messy
I’ve read and enjoyed many novels by Ilsa Madden-Mills, and they are always well-written, witty, entertaining, and hot. Her main characters are typically a great mix of strong, broken, and tender, and her sports romances often feature overlapping characters and stories, creating a found-family feel.

‘Darling Jane’—a frenemies-to-lovers story—is no exception. We’ve already met the bubbly and sunshiny quarterback Jasper in several previous books, as well as the snarky Jane, sister of the heroine from Ilsa Madden-Mills’ last novel, ‘My Darling Bride.’

Even though I would categorize her books as mostly lighthearted with a dash of angst, they don’t shy away from exploring heavier topics such as child abandonment and the emotional trauma it inflicts, which gives them a good balance.

While it was an easy, fun read, it’s not her best. Unfortunately, it was a little messy, though it is an ARC version and might see an extra round of editing.

On a side note, I’m a little puzzled by the cover, which features a handsome man with an undercut hairstyle. However, Jasper is continually described as having shoulder-length wavy hair often worn in a bun.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with this ARC.

Jane, dressed unconventionally to promote her matchmaking business, catches the eye of Jasper, a famous quarterback. Despite their differences, Jasper becomes Jane's unexpected protector and offers to be her top client. As they navigate their feelings, they discover a mutual attraction. The story delicately explores their flaws and pasts without needless drama. Overall, "My Darling Jane" is a heartwarming tale of courage and trust as Jasper and Jane consider a future together. This book resonated with me, and I'm grateful to NetGalley, Montlake, and Isla Madden-Mills for the opportunity to review it honestly.

Out Nov 5!

A very cute frenemies to lovers book!

Definitely an opposites attract romance which made the dynamic between the characters a lot of fun to read. Jane and Jasper have to overcome past hurts in order to learn to trust & love again. I really liked how Jasper was all in for Jane. He certainly fell first and I am a sucker for when that happens. It was so cute that he just wanted her even though Jane kept matching him with other people. He only had eyes for her. Swoon worthy romance for sure!

Would recommend if you're looking for a cute & cute read.

Janes wears a toga with angel wings in a sports bar to launch her matchmaking business to raise her young daughter. She is saved by Jasper, the star quarterback, when an admirer crosses the line. He offers to be her matchmaking service's premier client to make her fall in love with him....

Love the fun and joy in the book. So many LOL scenes. The banter is top-notched. The chemistry is great between the couple. Jasper is swoony. Love how much he tries...

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Great simple story of second chances; single mum who's hesitant to love again and Quarterback who is like cannonball and forces love upon her. This second part in this series is funny, heart-opening and simply simple.

My Darling Jane bu Isla Madden-Mills
(The Darlings #2)
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 5 November 2024

On any ordinary day, Jane Darling wouldn't dream of stepping into a sports bar dressed in a toga with angel wings. But today isn't ordinary—she's determined to launch her matchmaking business to secure her young daughter's future. Her mission: attract new clients at any cost.

Her Cupid costume draws the attention of New York's star quarterback, Jasper Jannich. Though they've always clashed, Jasper steps in as an unexpected knight in shining armour when a persistent admirer becomes too pushy.

He proposes an intriguing deal: become Cupid’s Arrow’s premier client. Despite her reservations about Jasper and his playboy reputation, Jane reluctantly agrees, recognising the potential boost for her business.

As she arranges dates for him, it becomes evident that Jane is the only woman Jasper desires.

She is his goal, his endgame.

She’s not uninterested, but her heart has been burned before. To move forward, they’ll need more than just sizzling chemistry—they'll need courage and faith.

He’s ready to make the pass. Is his darling ready to catch it?

Jasper and Jane are beautifully depicted as flawed yet admirable protagonists. I found myself completely invested in their characters and eagerly anticipating their next moves. Their respective backgrounds are handled with sensitivity, avoiding any excessive dramatization.

Overall, “My Darling Jane” was an absolute delight to read. There were some intensely passionate chapters, but overall, it was a tender and affectionate journey as Jasper and Jane gradually surmounted their own biases and past wounds to explore the possibility of a future together. This read truly captured my heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Montlake, and the author, Isla Madden-Mills, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was a cute Frenemies to lovers book.

Jane is a single mother with a new matchmaking business. She is looking for love for everyone except herself. She is not interested in a love match with anyone, especially Jasper star quarterback.

Jasper is ready to settle down and what better way than to let Jane find his perfect match. The only problem is the more matches she makes for him the more he wants her.

Jasper is all in, and tries his hardest to convince Jane that they would be a good match. Jane is very reluctant, as she has been hurt in the past.

This is a cute story of how these two overcome their pasts and learn to trust again.

I really loved Jasper. I was rooting for him through the whole book. Jane at times made me want to shake her! Overall I thought this was a cute quick read.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake publishing for this book in exchange for my very honest review.

My Darling Jane, written by Ilsa Madden Mills is the second title in The Darlings series. This title is a friends to lovers, sports romance book.

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Contemporary fiction, Romance

Jasper (MMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Football Quarterback

Jane (FMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Matchmaker, single mother

While this is the second title in the series, it is not necessary to read the first book to know what is going on. Since this is the first time I have read this author I was worried I would be lost, each book has its in couple.

Favorite quote:
“Glued, screwed, and tattooed. You’re mine.”

Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, and the author, for the opportunity to read and review this title.

This was a cutie of a read. Some real passionate chapters, but mostly gentle and loving as Jasper and Jane slowly overcome their own prejudices and past hurts to see if they have a chance together. Both jasper and Jane are well described and worthy lead characters, they have faults but are kind and I totally invested in them and their next steps. Both have hard stories as to how they got where they were and these are treated sensitively and not overdone. A great romance.

Jane and Jasper are both side characters from previous books.

Jasper is a character I always wanted to learn more about. He was always funny and a loyal friend.

Jane in her sister’s book was not someone I thought I would enjoy reading about.

Jane is a single mom to a little girl. In the first book of the series, she came across as a very distant parent. It seemed like her siblings were doing the bulk of the work with the baby.

Jasper is an NFL player who enlists Jane as his matchmaker.

Both characters have their own trauma and things they need to work through.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I still think Jane’s sister Emmy’s book is superior. This was a solid 3.5 stars