There's nothing better than the angst, the pent-up desire, and the snappy banter in a book where the characters “hate each other”. Add in some sizzling chemistry, some spice that has the perfect mix of emotional and physical attraction. Two fabulously broken main characters and you get a fantastic contemporary romance that I couldn’t put down. I love it so much!

This is Jane Darling and Jasper Jannik’s journey and I didn’t want it to end!

As a child Jane Darling grew up at the Darling Bookstore, when her gran worked there. Now she spends most of her days there as the manager and her sister and her husband own it.

As a single mother Jane is starting a business hoping to capitalize on the universal emotion of love. She wants to build an empire from the ground up with a new matchmaking business, “Cupid’s Arrow” to ensure her daughter Londyn’s future. Something that is different from the usual dating apps like Tinder. But when there isn’t enough men signing up for the services, she heads to the local bar in her Cupid outfit to try and recruit them herself. And that is where she runs into him again.

Jasper Jannich, New York’s beloved star quarterback, her brother-in-law’s good friend, who she has always clashed with, comes to her rescue and offers to be “Cupid’s Arrow” premier client. Reluctantly she agrees, even with his playboy reputation and her own reservations, since this could be just what her business needs to succeed.

But as she keeps sending him on dates again and again, they start to spend a lot of time together updating his profile, it seems that maybe the only one he wants is…her! Or does he when he finds out her secret?

“I realize that life’s surprises aren’t just twists in the road—no, they’re the stepping stones guiding us to where we’re meant to be. Every unexpected turn has brought me to a destiny I couldn’t have dreamed of.”

These two were so easy to fall in love with. I swooned hard for Jasper! It was so charming watching Jasper tell her what he needed in a woman by what he saw in her. And watching him fall first, brought all the feels. While the independent Jane tried so hard to push him away, but all the while she is so intoxicated by him. With every breath, and falling deeper into his spell letting him into her heart. This story is more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. Get your copy now because you don’t want to miss out on all the juicy details!

Welcome back to the amazing world that Ms. Madden-Mills has created!

In the second book of the Darlings series, we get to read the story of Jane and Jasper.

Jane is a single mom working in the family bookstore (of my dreams) and starting her own matchmaking business. Jane is dealing with some emotional scars that she pushes to the side to focus on her career and her darling daughter.

Jasper is just wowza; he, too, is dealing with some emotional scars that make him into the man he has become.

Now, the chemistry between Jane and Jasper is fantastic, and I loved the love/hate relationship that bloomed between them, from friendship to more. It was an emotional rollercoaster that Ms. Madden-Mills was able to write with such talent.

From feelings of abandonment and not being worthy of love, Ms. Madden-Mills brings Jasper and Jane the love story that they both deserve!

I loved seeing past characters appear; it's like a reunion in which you get to catch up with how everyone is doing!

Ohhh I loved this so much! I absolutely love Jasper. He’s such a fun MMC with a heart of gold and an Ooreygooey center. From the very beginning you could just feel the chemistry between him and Jane. She is such a strong, fiery independent and guarded woman. Despite both Jane and Jasper having abandonment issues they seem to be pulled towards one another. I simply love there story. This in a book I could read again and again.

I’ve always enjoyed this authors books since I started reading them. But I have to say, she needed to really convince me to love Jane. When we meet her in book one she’s a bit of a grump and has an attitude. Even with this book, yes we saw into her mind but she still had a chip on her shoulder. I can understand it because of how she had to grow up and not only be in charge or herself but her child. She has a great family and then Jasper. He was great. His personality and I just enjoyed his character. Still wasn’t sold on Jane but she did grow on me.

I truly enjoyed this book, once I started reading it I just couldn't put it down I really enjoyed the banter between Jasper and Jane. I laughed out loud quite a few times with how Jasper just knew how to push Janes buttons.
Jane is in the middle of getting her dating business up and running so she tries to set up the perfect dates between couples.
Jasper has a like hate relationship with Jane and he tries to be friendly with her and he enjoys teasing her, so he decides he wants to try her dating business.
Absolutely wonderful read and I highly recommend this one to anyone who is looking for a light but sweet book.

The story is sexy, sweet, and engaging due to all the banter. I liked that Jasper's character is family oriented and so easygoing. A man that automatically puts you at ease. On the other hand, I didn't like Jane's push and pull much, but I did like her sense of humor. Her ability to stand up for herself. She made a good adversary to his charms. BUT he is that great and that hard to resist.

Darling! I adored this gem of a book. Jasper Jannich is truly such a squishy, precious pup, and Jane Darling needed and deserves the love he gives her. Also— Londyn is too cute! I hope we get the last Darling (Andrew) …. And maybe Dalton too?!

Fun, corky love story about a matchmaker trying to grow her business but instead finds love herself. Jane is by far the most outgoing person out there and Jasper is the star quarterback who happens to come to her rescue. These two have a spark but don't want to go there but when they do its on.

My Darling Jane was such an awesome read packed with heart. I didn’t expect it to engage my emotions the way it did. I expected it to be a fun, flirty, funny, banter filled, sexy read and while it was all those things I didn’t expect to really feel for the characters the way I did. I loved that it surprised me in that respect. I loved watching Jane and Jasper decide to take that chance on each despite what they had been through in the past. I loved watching them come together even though I wasn’t onboard with all the decisions they were making throughout the process. I thoroughly enjoyed this read and recommend to all.

This was a nice lighthearted romance. I really liked Jasper's character and his determination to win Jane's favor. I didn't get as deep a connection with her like I did with Jasper, but I find that happens a lot with the "he-falls-first" trope. It was a sweet read and I enjoyed getting some snippets from Emmy and Graham. Jasper's nieces stole the show for me! They provided some fun scenes that had me laughing out loud on a couple different occasions. The second half of the book definitely saved this story for me and overall it's worth the read.

“We’re a match, angel. I knew it from the moment I asked you out in this very bar and you told me no.”
Jane Darling is a single mom determined to find others love. She has decided that ship sailed for her, but with Cupid’s Arrow her matchmaking business she is determined to help others. She just needs more clients…

Jasper Jannich is a star quarterback and determined to push Jane’s buttons. He isn’t necessarily looking for love but if signing up for Cupid’s Arrow gets him closer to Jane he is ready.
“Ah, come on, Jane. Admit it, you love our banter. We make sparks fly. We light up the sky, angel.”

Jane and Jasper grew close while finding Jasper dates but watching them very slowly realize they may just be the most compatible with each other was a fun read!
Thank you @ilsamaddenmills and @greyspromo for the ARC!
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥: “You know you’ve got me hooked, right?”

♥︎𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦
♥︎𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬-𝐭𝐨-𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬
♥︎𝐇𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭
♥︎𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐌𝐂

✨Thoughts✨
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 romantic comedy tells the story of Jane, a single mom diving into the world of online matchmaking. When her frenemy, star quarterback Jasper, agrees to be her first client to help kickstart her business, Jane finds herself setting him up on date after date. When every date goes completely wrong and they start getting closer, it becomes clear that Jane and Jasper may be more compatible than they ever thought.

𝐉𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫 has had feelings for Jane since the very beginning, in book one, "My Darling Bride". I was excited to see their relationship unfold and I was not disappointed. Their chemistry was explosive, and their playful banter kept me laughing throughout. Jane's dedication to her daughter was also incredibly heartwarming, showing her determination to provide for her daughter.

𝐈𝐟 you’re looking for a lighthearted romcom, you need to give this book a read!

Matchmaking the football player

MY DARLING JANE, the second book in Ilsa Madden-Mills' series The Darlings , is a sweet, fun, and enjoyable read. It is a single mum, frenemies to lovers, opposites attract, slow burn romance which had angst, humour, heartache, and a lot of mixed signals.

Ex model and single mum Jane Darling leads a busy life raising her daughter Londyn, running a bookstore, and trying to ensure her matchmaking business becomes successful. Jasper Hannich is a successful NFL quarterback and has the reputation of being the typical athlete playboy, but there is so much more to him. If you have read My Darling Bride, then you'll know that Jane and Jasper don't exactly get along, even though they are attracted to each other. Jasper is ready to settle down but needs to find the right woman, so Jane signs him up to her matchmaking app, but has she done the worse thing she could ever have thought of?

Jane and Jasper both have trust and abandonment issues because of their pasts, resulting in high walls being built around their hearts, letting in that one special person could make all the difference. I loved the push and pull between them, the incredible banter, the sparkling chemistry, and the volcanic heart they shared. They both had vulnerabilities, and I love that they weren't afraid to show them. It was fun watching Jasper fall first, and boy did he fall hard, now all he had to do was convince Jane of his authenticity.

Once again Ilsa Madden-Mills has delivered another entertaining read. The secondary characters were supportive and caring, Jasper's twin nieces were hilarious, especially with some of their antics. Overall, the storyline was one I was invested in, devouring the book in a couple of hours. A recommended read.

Read and Reviewed for Reading Is Our Satisfaction

FOUR STARS

3.25/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

↓↓
Jane's new business venture is not doing to great so she enlists the help of Jasper while hoping she doesn't fall in love with him. While there were parts that I found cute I just felt a big disconnect with Jane and some plot lines and it made it hard to really enjoy the overall story.

I felt no connection to Jane. If I'm being honest, she annoyed me. The way she was all into being a matchmaker, she was extremely judgemental and I'm still wondering why she treated Jasper the way that she did in the beginning. She was mean and rude for no reason. Also the whole thing with the ex coming back into the picture was a lot and completely unnecessary.

I really liked Jasper, he's really misunderstood but such a sweetheart. I like how determined he was to woo Jane and didn't give up. I loved the support he had from his family. I liked the interactions we got of him and Londyn but it felt forced at times and there just wasn't enough interactions to make me believe they were the best of friends after pretty much the first time meeting.

This just fell flat for me quite a bit. There were parts that seemed rushed when they shouldn't have been and then there were parts that didn't have enough follow through. Also this is just a me thing but ummm what's with the cover not matching the description of Jasper. Now I get it won't always be 100% but this one.....this cover made my eye twitch with the lack of likeness to the description of the character.


𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 / 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥
💙 Sports Romance
💙 He Falls First
💙 Single Mom
💙 Slow Burn
💙 Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
💙 Enemies to Lovers

Jane and Jasper struck sparks off of each other in the first book, but some time has gone by. Jane is starting her own matchmaking business and dealing with her ex, Londyn's father. Someone from Jasper's past has reappeared, too. They begin to open up to each other about their fears and hurts, and they find that they have quite a lot in common. And those commonalities are going to be what split them up unless they can work together. I liked these characters, but Jane's inner monologue got really repetitive. I loved the epilogue because they both deserved it.

Enjoyed this 5 star story very much. An enemy to lover, single mother sports romance.

Jane is trying to make it has a single mother. She started a match making business. Jasper wants to get matched up. But while she’s trying to match him up they are getting closer and lines will be blurred.

It was a sweet fun romance that kept me entertained for hours. Although predictable, I highly enjoy reading Ilsa’s stories. It was captivating and entertaining. Beautifully written with a seamless plot. Bottomline this is a must read.

Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this book.

I am a big fan of Ilsa Madden-Mills books. They are always a touch of fun, a touch of spice, and a good story. Jane and Jasper were first introduced in My Darling Bride. They start out butting heads, but the sparks are soon flying. Jasper is a famous quarterback, and Jane is a single mom who runs a match-making business. They seem to have nothing in common, but they soon learn that they are more alike than they thought. This book was a quick and fun read for me. Just what I needed at the moment. I hope there is a book #3 in The Darlings!

I was excited for single mum Jane Darling and star quarterback Jasper Jannich’s story in My Darling Jane (The Darlings #2) and I wasn’t disappointed. I was captivated from the first page to the last line and this entertaining read will certainly appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Jane is desperate to get her matchmaking business off the ground so she can secure her daughter’s future. Playboy sportsman are not her favourite type of man but a high profile client might be just what she needs to jump start her business.
Jasper agrees to be a client but truth be told it’s Jane he has in his heart. So what happens when this couple cross the line …..one click to find out.
This book ticked all my boxes, I fell hard and fast for Jasper and I want the strong and sassy Jane in my corner. The chemistry is hot, the banter is witty and it’s well written but what took this book to the next level was watching Jasper do what ever was needed to win the love of his life over. My Darling Jane is a wonderful read that I highly recommend.

The first standalone novel in The Darlings Series, My Darling Bride, was a hit with me, but this second one fell flat. I was hoping for more from My Darling Jane. This was an okay read, but something was missing for me to completely enjoy it.

Sadly, I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Jane and Jasper. It might be related to the fact I didn't like Jane's character for most of the story. Her decisions more than once frustrated me and she made multiple wrong assumptions about Jasper. On a brighter side, Jasper was an amazing hero. This star quarterback for the New York Pythons was so much more than a player. That man was attentive, sweet, devoted and funny. He was the real highlight of the book!

I absolutely LOVED the banter/chemistry between Jane & Jasper! 🔥

📖 My Darling Jane by Ilsa Madden-Mills
📚 book 2 • The Darlings series 
(interconnected stand alones)
⭐️: 4.5/5
🌶️: open door, a few scenes

💭 overall thoughts:
I needed this duo after meeting them in My Darling Bride - while this can be read as a standalone, it was fun to have already met both MCs.

At first glance, Jane & Jasper seem to be opposites, but they actually have far more in common than they first realized.

Jane is a single mom & Jasper has a parental role in his teen niece’s lives. They’ve both been abandoned in different ways, and become somewhat of a lifeline for one another 🥹

Though Jasper is an NFL quarterback, and definitely an athlete, it was missing more sports 🙃 I would have also liked to have seen a connection between Jasper & Londyn (Jane’s daughter). We do see her connect with his nieces.

🎙 audiobook thoughts:
I absolutely adore Stella Hunter & Sebastian York as a duo! Audio was awesome.

read if you love:
💗single mom/bookstore manager
🏈 football quarterback billionaire
💋 she’s his matchmaker, but he only wants her
🔥 banter + chemistry (enemies-ish to lovers)
🌦 grumpy/sunshine (her/him)
💙 he falls first
🐢 slow burn
💕 dual 1st person pov

Thank you to Montlake & Brilliance audio for an advanced copies. All opinions are my own.