Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellen is a fun, flirty romance that follows Jess, a sensible journalist, and Xander, a notorious bad boy artist. Jess is assigned to get a tell-all interview from Xander, but she finds herself drawn to his charm and rebellious nature. As they spend more time together, their chemistry sizzles, and Jess discovers that Xander is more than just trouble. The story explores themes of breaking rules, stepping out of comfort zones, and the excitement of opposites attracting. The pacing of the book is fast, making it a quick read, but some readers might feel that the story could have benefited from a bit more development. The characters are engaging, with Jess's growth and Xander's surprising depth adding to the appeal. The novel also touches on themes of body image and eating disorders, though these topics could have been explored more thoroughly. Overall, this is a delightful, heartwarming read for romance lovers, with dynamic characters and an entertaining plot that leaves readers wanting more.

This book wasn't for me at all. I disliked FMC from the beginning, especially her reaction to seeing MMC. Do we seriously have every female character shivering at the thought of meeting MMC and dripping like a melted candle when she finally meets him? For once I want to read about FMC who's not impressed with MMC or his looks no matter how hot he is. Just once, give me FMC who doesn't care about MMC or his looks, who is able to talk in his presence, and not someone who's hot and bothered the second she meets him. Stop with insta-lust! The blurb promised be a professional and adult woman, not a bumbling teenager who can't handle a handsome man and who's throwing herself for him in a vain hope he'll notice her.

MMC wasn't better either. I'm supposed to feel sorry for him because he's struggling when he's behaving like a child who can't find a favourite toy? And the rest of the book wasn't much better.

I didn't like the writing, nor the plot, nor the characters.

Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellen is a fast-paced, spicy romance with surprising emotional depth that gives its characters room to grow. Jess, a junior journalist trying to save her job, is assigned to interview Xander, a notorious bad-boy artist with a reputation for partying hard. Though Jess tries to keep things professional, Xander pushes her to step outside her comfort zone—and into a whirlwind of self-discovery and passion.

Jess is a relatable and likable protagonist, struggling with self-doubt and anxiety, while Xander, though a “bad boy” archetype, sees something extraordinary in her and is determined to bring it out. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the romance progresses with plenty of tension and intimate moments. However, Xander’s history of treating women poorly and some of his behavior during the story make him a challenging hero to root for. A key conflict, where Jess discovers he’s using her as an intimate subject for his art without her consent, feels particularly insensitive, especially given Jess’s insecurities and her battle with an eating disorder.

The novel’s pacing is brisk, but at times, it feels rushed. The professional aspects of the story—Jess’s article and Xander’s art—often take a backseat to the romance, leaving some plot points underdeveloped. Additionally, the ethical complications of Jess’s relationship with her subject are glossed over, which could have added a richer layer to the story.

Despite these flaws, Here Comes Trouble is an engaging read with a compelling main character and steamy romance. While Xander’s actions may not sit well with all readers, the overall story of two people finding purpose and self-worth through each other is satisfying. If you enjoy fiery chemistry and character growth, this one is worth checking out. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

Was definitely a short and spicy read. Could have used a few more pages to develop the characters more as everything moved very fast between them however still an easy and fun read for a novella

This was meh for me. I didn't feel a strong connection to either character and it was not that spicy for how much it claims to be so spicy. It was a quick novella and an easy read but just left me wanting a lot more out of it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for providing me an e-arc in change for a honest review.

This is a nice and short read, found this a face paced book that attempted to touch on sensitive topics, I enjoyed the storyline but also felt there could have been more depth to it as it was missing that bit more to get into the story and characters

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. This book was a light easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Christy McKellen for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is short and sweet and it’s a really quick read. It’s a cute opposites attract Rom-Com about Jess and Xander who both struggle with issues from their past. I think it is worth noting that the FMC mentions her issues with an eating disorder.

Overall, I thought it was a cute story. I liked the relationship between Jess and Xander, but I would have liked more time to see their relationship grow.

Expected Publication Date - March 9, 2025

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC. The characters were pretty transparent. The story was predictable. The characters could’ve developed into more if the story was a little longer. I felt like their relationship was rushed, especially at the end. The slow burn up until the end and then the end of the story was rushed could have been longer, and Better dispersed throughout the story. I was able to read the story in one day. This book is perfect for a rainy day read sitting by the fire. It was cozy, a lighthearted romance. Would definitely recommend to a young adult age grouping

Thank you Netgalley for the arc. This was an ok story. It was not spicy. Very short story that can definitely be read in 2 hours or less depending on your speed of reading.

It was a quick read but sadly I was not invested in the characters. I think it would have been better if it wasn’t a novella. It needed more pages in order for more character development.

Cute Novella with plenty of spice and banter. Nice short read and a perfect palette cleanser from longer books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Christy McKellen for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and author Christy McKellan for the opportunity to read this ARC 💕

This was a cute novella, but I think it could've benefited from being more than that. With less than 200 pages, there wasn't enough room for character development, and the relationship between the two main characters was a tad fast-paced. But it's got to be difficult to fit all that into a novella anyway.

My issue was that I really couldn't connect with the characters, and I didn't feel the chemistry between them either. But it's not a terrible read if you're looking for something short and spicy!

It wasn’t long enough for the romance to actually be spicy or interesting tbh. I wanted to learn more about the FMC’s body insecurities and how it affected her relationships.

Ever been interested in a little spicy painting session? This book is for you.

Jess is a journalist about to lose her job who some might describe as wound a little tight. Xander is an artist with a bad boy reputation whose career is on the line. Although from Jess’ POV, they start as enemies and opposites, the fact that Xander can see past Jess’ confidence and coldness and be so intrigued by her leads to a cute (and spicy) story of how these two can help each other find their way in their careers…and love.
I love and relate to Jess when she is faking it until she makes it even if she’s not feeling so confident deep down.
And of course I swoon over Xander being so attentive to Jess and her insecurities- just wanting to show her how amazing he thinks she is.

This was a great book and I’m so grateful to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Christy McKellen - allowing me to read this story for my honest opinion.

Having read quite a few of romance books in this format, this book suffers from some of the same issues that I continuously see:

There is a lot of build up to the conflict, but limited care afterwards. Everything post-sex feels rushed and like their needs to be a quick resolution to the next steamy scene. In this book in particular, it feels like parts of the plot and sex scenes are still in note form and detail was not given to either.

Another general annoyance I have with this genre is how wordy it can be. Rather than getting to the point, the dialogue tends to be very winding and made to be unnecessarily complicated. This book suffers from this as well as being redundant when talking about the feelings of the characters. This book is meant to be read in a weekend, there is not a lot of lag time between me reading chapters so I do not need a recap about the very basic and uncomplicated feelings these two individuals are having.

I feel that this book could use a little more time and care before going to print.

Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellan is a short somewhat predictable novella that takes on some rather deep themes. Jess, a journalist needs to make more of an impact at work. In an odd chain of events Jess Lafayette winds up going away for the weekend to interview Xander Heaton famous artist and lothario. Xander and Jess spend the weekend and then some discovering each other. Only to fall back into old patterns and leave apart. They learn much about themselves and connect again. It should be noted that the book deals with a previous eating disorder and body image issues.

“Here Comes Trouble” is by Christy McKellen. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, it was predictable (which at times is a comfort read for me) and there were some cute moments. On the other hand, I did some serious eye rolls at some of the descriptions (comparing stomach muscles to ski slope mogul????) and the boss’s comments to Jess (main female character) about needing to get laid [excuse you now? In what office setting is that appropriate?]. There’s not a lot of build-up between the two main characters - they nearly go from meeting to romance very very very quickly. I did like having both characters’ POVs in this book. There’s spice and it was kinda cute. The cover, in my opinion, doesn’t match the book’s contents at all - but that’s a minor nit.

3..5 stars. This was a quick read but I wish I could have had more? It almost felt too rushed for me. It had spice but I wasn't feeling connected to the characters so I wasn't loving it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very short and easy read. The two main characters were fairly two dimensional and the plot was predictable, but it was well written and I enjoyed the resolution.