Mo. Raw. Next question.

The way I fell in love with this man and wanted to protect him at all costs?!? Ugh so so good!

This was beautiful. I loved how they were both in their own struggles but were still able to help each other. Mo deserves the world. I didn't want this book to end!

I wanted to love this and gave it two shots but I had a hard time getting into it. Just not for me but I know it will be a fun read for others.

Give Me a Shot was an engaging and thrilling read! The characters were intriguing, and the romance added a nice touch of chemistry to the story. I really enjoyed the emotional depth and the way the plot kept me hooked. A great read that kept me turning pages!

I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Mo teaches blacksmith skills at a local folk school and has carefully crafted his existence into an order that works for him; he is no drama, and likes things in his life as is. Jessica is grieving the loss of her sister, and has recently moved in order to start fresh - she has a new job and has a passion for archery, and takes refuge in this. The best place for her to practice her archery skills is at the local folk school, but has a run in with Mo and her own carefully crafted existence is thrown into disarray. The two may butt heads, but eventually are forced into each other's proximity when they must work together to save the school from closing.

There is ample chemistry between Mo and Jessica from the beginning, and the author depicts this well. I also appreciated the role of anxiety and boundaries that were explored in this book, and felt that the author did a good job of encouraging her characters to learn to communicate and trust others. I enjoyed the secondary plot of the Renaissance Fair, and would have personally loved more incorporation from that angle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine/Dell for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gia De Cadenet brings us a heartfelt contemporary romance with *Give Me a Shot*. It’s a great mix of emotion, humor, and some serious chemistry. The story follows two guarded folks who find love in a pretty unexpected place—a folk school where blacksmithing meets archery.

Mo Sarda is a quiet, no-nonsense guy who enjoys his alone time in the forge and likes his life to be nice and structured. On the flip side, there’s Jessica Anderson, a passionate professor and expert archer who just moved to Michigan and is still grappling with her sister’s passing. From the get-go, their fiery encounters are both frustrating and exhilarating.

De Cadenet nails the balance between lighthearted banter and heavier themes like grief and learning to trust again. The chemistry between Jess and Mo is impossible to miss, and their slow-burn romance is really compelling because they both struggle with opening up. Plus, their efforts to save the local folk school through a Renaissance Faire adds a fun community vibe to the whole story.

What makes *Give Me a Shot* stand out is how real and relatable the characters feel. Mo’s quiet strength is a perfect counter to Jess’s fiery spirit. Their relationship isn’t just about attraction—it’s about emotional connection and finding the courage to take a chance on love. If you like contemporary romances that mix humor, heart, and a bit of small-town charm, this one's definitely worth a read!

title: Give Me a Shot

author: Gia De Cadenet

publisher: Dell

publication date: May 6, 2025

pages: 320

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: death of a sister (inpast), bad relationship with parents, highly sensitive person, a fall/injury, grief, domestic violence leading to death (in past)

summary: Jess has moved to a new town in the wake of grief about her sister's death. In addition to her job as a teacher, she decides to reconnect with her past hobby of archery, so she joins the local folk school, where she crosses paths with Mo, the group's master smithy. Mo, a highly sensitive person, is attracted to Jess, but has a lot on his plate, with co-parenting his pre-teen daughter and taking care of his elderly neighbor. Both of them have reasons not to want to participate in the folk school's fundraising Ren Fair, but they will help out together.

tropes:

breaking down walls
working together
saving a local landmark
divorced father
neurodivergence

what I liked: 

good representation of neurodivergence
good representation of grief
friends who help
learning together
Mo's relationship with his family

what I didn’t like: 

characters aren't all white, but they never mention race
a little preachy at times about teaching reader about neurodivergence

overall rating: 3 (of 5 stars)

I loved this and the awareness brought to HSP. I've never heard of it before but was very impressed with this story. I loved Jess and with everything going on with what happened with her sister. I'm very glad it wasn't overlooked. I teared up at it. Like Mo had said even thinking of losing one of his brothers felt like a sharp stabbing pain in his body. I agree with that I couldn't imagine losing any of my siblings.

I don't think the author did enough research on neurodiverse people. It was constantly pointed out and was not written well. Outside of that the romance aspect was adorable and their connection felt genuine.

A fun romance with different settings and hobbies than one might expect. Writing was OK, but at times strayed a bit. This wasn't spicy but was rather a slow-burn.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Thank you Dell Romance for the ARC for my review!

I enjoyed this one a lot. I think the inclusion of unique hobbies and professions was a really fun part of this book. The challenges each character has to overcome during the book are also very unique and I loved getting to read a book that had all the comforts of a romance read with enough one-of-a-kind details to make it feel all its own. There were some writing style choices that sometimes took me out of the moment, such as odd line breaks or a lot of proper nouns in dialogue, but Mo and Jess’ support of each other was so genuine it was easy to push through and see how they came together.

I would definitely recommend this one!

I really wanted to love this book after really enjoying the first two books from this author in years past. There were some bright spots, but overall this one fell a bit flat for me.

Mo and Jess team up to help their local community center put on a Renaissance Faire, and in the process catch feelings for each other. Jess is new in town and grieving the death of her sister; Mo is a single dad, business owner, and blacksmith instructor. There were a lot of threads that were left unfinished in the story, and I really wanted to see more communication and relationship building between Jess and Mo. They don't spend much time together on the page before things turn physical and then we're told they have a lot of FaceTime dates, but we don't see any of it on page to watch their relationship grow. This lent to the book feeling like a lot of telling and not enough showing to make me invested in these characters.

Content flags: grief and death of sibling (it is suggested though not confirmed that the death was a result of domestic partner violence)

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this book! This book completely subverted my expectations after getting burnt out on romances that felt like the same story over and over again. This story, about Jess (a professor who is mourning a huge loss in her life) and Mo (a neurodivergent who is just trying to raise his daughter and Lee his life simple) meeting and falling for each other read so naturally. It truly was a breath of fresh air for me. The characters, Mo and Jess both, felt real. I felt like I could have met either one of them in my day to day life and again, it was refreshing to read what I felt was a realistic romance with a realistic couple. The issues they were dealing with in their own personal lives, felt real. It made me so sad reading about Jess’s issues, but at the same time reminded me to always give grace to people when you don’t know what might be going on in their lives. I also loved the fact that Mo was someone of Arabic descent and how the author was able to incorporate this fact without directly stating it. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with a MMC who was of Arabic descent before and I loved to inclusion. This has definitely become a top 5 romance book for me. 🌻🐝

I loved the first two Sarda brothers stories by Gia de Cadenet, Getting His Game Back and Not the Plan. When I heard Gia had written a story about another Sarda brother, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

Jess and Mo meet while teaching archery and blacksmithing, respectively, at the Michigan Folk School. They're each enduring significant challenges: Mo is a Highly Sensitive Person and a divorced single dad, and Jess is grieving the sudden and tragic loss of her beloved sister, Cassie. HSP is a new concept for me, and I was fascinated to learn about it in this book, and even went down an internet rabbit hole to learn more.

In addition to being about romatic love, Give Me A Shot is also about friendship. Jess's close friends Alice and Stephanie are there for her through the loss of her sister, health issues, and to help her with processing her feelings for Mo. They are the type of friends who can always count on each other's support, even when geographic distance keeps them apart.

I also loved the character of Mrs. Sargysan, the wise, elderly busybody neighbor of Mo's. They look out for each other in their own way.

It was inconceivable how much I LOVED The Princess Bride references! No more rhymes; I mean it! Anybody want a peanut?

I had a blast revisiting the other Sarda brothers and their significant others that I met in previous books. It was great to catch up with what's happening in their lives since we last met.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is just trying to put one foot in front of the other while the stress of the world piles on you, and to anyone who enjoys Renaissance Faires.

Thank you to Random House - Ballantine and Dell for providing me a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a romance with A LOT of emotions. Some books have MCs with fiery, burning passion and mad chemistry but these two had a relationship that felt very (not sure how else to describe it?!) polite and considerate. They were both constantly thinking about how to make the other feel more comfortable or checking in to make sure that they were ok, which is SO CUTE and sweet but sometimes I want less overthinking and more desire? More pining? IDK, but more. These little cuties are perfect for each other, though, and I still definitely enjoyed reading this, and I loved the archery/blacksmith aspect of it! Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Overall, I liked this. It did take me a little while to get into and the plot had too much going on, but it was an enjoyable read.

I have been waiting for this third installment of the Sarda brothers series, and I can say without reservation that Gia de Cadenet continues to grow as a writer with each book. Did I expect to find myself at a Renaissance Faire? I did not, but it was the best surprise. Our MC’s Mo and Jess are surrounded by a town of do-gooders who help them to see what they cannot recognize for themselves. Mo and Jess are both dealing with different challenges, but in her trademark style, our author handles tough topics like traumatic loss and neurodivergence with incredible sensitivity and care. I just know that you will fall in love with Mo and Jess’ tandem journeys of self discovery and learning how to love. Many thanks to NetGalley and Dell for my gifted ARC.

I did not like this book, it was not well written in my opinion, I love a well written neurodiverse person but this one was clearly Autistic but just claiming to be sensitive? Yikes, it also felt like the whole book was centered around the fact that this person was neurodivergent and or sensitive which once again I love a well written neurodivergent person but let that be in the background instead of constantly bringing it up .

I cannot personally recommend this book I disliked it that much. This book was not for me.

Thank you netgalley Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the arc

Give Me a Shot delivers an emotionally rich, slow-burn romance with just the right mix of longing, tension, and personal growth.

Mo Sarda is a quiet, reserved blacksmith who prefers the simplicity of his structured life—until Jess Anderson storms in with her crossbow and shakes everything up. Their chemistry is undeniable, even as they clash, and watching their reluctant attraction unfold was both frustrating and deeply satisfying. Jess’s grief adds an emotional weight to the story, making her journey toward healing and love all the more compelling.

The small-town setting and the fight to save the Folk School provided a charming and unique backdrop. The Renaissance Faire element was a fun touch, and I loved the way it brought Mo and Jess together in unexpected ways. While the pacing dragged a little in some spots, the emotional depth and sizzling tension more than made up for it.

If you love a grumpy/sunshine dynamic, forced proximity, and a romance that simmers before it ignites, Give Me a Shot is definitely worth a read! 🔥🏹💛

4.25 stars

This was a really cute book, if a little cheesy at times. Despite a bad first impression, Mo and Jess had a pretty much instant connection and I really liked how they just got each other. Between Mo’s neurodiversity and Jess’s grief they both had a lot going on but they really understood each others needs and were so caring with each other.
Jess’s friends and Mo’s family were also an enjoyable part of the book. They were very meddlesome but in a way where they just wanted to help out. I felt like they all pushed their respective person to be open to a relationship and helped bring Mo and Jess together.
The Ren Faire was a fun setting and pushed Mo and Jess out of their comfort zones while also helping push them together by making them work together. I liked how they both advocated for each others needs in the planning and how they could just read each others emotions and tell when they were overwhelmed.
Mo’s daughter Madison was a fun character and I really liked her relationship with Mo although there were a lot of times where she acted and was treated as much younger than she actually was. I wish we could’ve seen more of her with Jess, I feel like there was an opportunity for some good bonding moments or even to just see them meet for the first time.
This book is definitely more character driven than plot driven but if you’re looking for a cute romance with two characters always show up for and support each other with just A little bit of a Ren Faire twist then you should check this book out!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!

This book was so much fun! The storyline was very unique and I enjoyed it so much. The banter in this book was so fun!