This was a short romance that tells the story of journalist Jess and artist Xander. Jess gets assigned to interview Xander and he insists on her accompanying him to Italy and modelling for him. Of course feelings develop...
I have to say that I just didn't feel the attraction between the main characters and I thought the story was rather unconvincing.
If you like short and spicy stories and don't mind a story that isn't too deep this book might be one for you.

Jess a journalist for a magazine finds that if she doesn't start changing her writing style she is going to be jobless and probably have to move home. When a colleague gets stuck and can't interview local bad boy, player Xander. Jessica knows she has her work cut out for her but is up for the job. Jess was a beautiful person inside and out and I fell in love with her. I have always had a thing for the bad guy so Xander wasn't to horrible either. It was a cute "maybe" fall in love story that was a quick and fun read.

Thank you Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this work of art in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellen is a delightful and heartwarming romance that combines humor with emotional depth. The story follows two characters who are thrown together by unexpected circumstances, leading to both humorous and touching moments. McKellen’s writing is witty and engaging, with a great balance of lightheartedness and sincerity. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, and their personal growth throughout the story makes for a satisfying and enjoyable read. Perfect for fans of feel-good romantic comedies, Here Comes Trouble is a charming escape into a world of love, laughter, and self-discovery.

This is a short novel at just under 200 pages. With less time to develop characters everything seems to propel along quickly. Jess is a journalist fearful of the next round of layoffs. She gets the opportunity to do a piece on bad boy artist, Xander. He needs some good media attention for his next art show. She is set up as the good, rule following girl to his bad boy character. Yes, they both have insecurities from their pasts that help make them who they are. But for my part, I didn’t like Xander. His self absorption and encouraging her to break professional rules was not endearing. And his gesture (I won’t call it grand) left me feeling meh. I’m not sure with her insecurities that she would have opened herself in just a few days to Xander’s charm.

The basic premise is fine but the story could have used some more pages to show us they were a good match or perfect for each other.

It was a good short read but because of the length not much development could have been done with the characters. Everything felt like it happened fast and didn’t feel all the authentic.

―´⁠arc review`⁠✧

1.5★ A quick read spicy read touching deeper themes.

I personally think that making it a novella was not the right decision. I liked how the author had tried to cover many sensitive yet important topics but overall its potential felt short with how rushed the execution was. There was not enough room for the character development. It was hard to connect to the characters and their relationship cuz of the superficial quality of it. It could have done wonder with additional 100 pages. It didn't mean there were not some adorable and cute moments.
Also it was marketed as "forbidden-romance" but we didn't get any fall out of Jess sleeping with her client. It was misleading. I decided to pick this book cuz of it's forbidden theme but imagine my frustration when it was none of it.

This is my second Christy McKellen book, my first was best mistake ever, which had the same issues like this one, interesting premise but flat execution with shallow and rushed relationship development. I guess, some people might enjoy this but for me, the whirlwind fling didn't hit the mark.

Tropes:
☞ Journalist x Artist
☞ Forced Proximity
☞ Opposites attract
☞ Insta-Lust
☞ Eating Disorder rep
☞ Misunderstood Bad-boy

Big Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood books for ARC.

This was a fun read. I did enjoy it, and i think the plot showed promise, but it fell a bit flat. I feel like this was more spice than plot. Nevertheless, still an easy, enjoyable read.

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

This book follows Jess, a journalist on the verge of losing her job, who gets a last chance to prove herself by interviewing the elusive artist Xander Heaton. When he invites her to Italy to observe his work, she hesitantly accepts, despite being reserved and professional. As Xander flirts with her, Jess struggles to keep her guard up, but she soon realizes they both have emotional wounds—Jess with body image insecurities and Xander with unresolved childhood pain.

Their time together helps them heal, as Xander learns to prioritize someone else, and Jess starts to see herself through his adoring eyes. Though the romance has some spice, it is woven naturally into their emotional journey. The story is heartfelt and engaging, though the ending feels a bit abrupt, leaving readers wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Publishing for the ARC of Here Comes Trouble in exchange for an honest review!

While I loved the idea of the book, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the execution of the entire story. Jess is a journalist, and is struggling to find her groove as a writer. Her boss Pam tells her that if she fails to write a great article, and soon, she will lose her job. Jess is obviously scared to fail, but she is given the opportunity to interview famous artist Xander, then publish an article about this. Jess jumps at the chance, and goes to interview him ASAP.

Xander has a complicated past with journalists, and struggles to have meaningful relationships with women due to his life in the public eye. He expects Jess to be just another journalist, but when he meets her he is fascinated by her. He determines that she is the cure to his artist block, and invites her to Italy to be his artistic muse for a few days in exchange for an honest interview. Jess looks the tickets, and meets him there the next day.

A huge part of this book is the insecurities that both Xander and Jess have. Jess hates her body image, and would rather cover herself up and hide, covering past trauma from relationships. She has a hard time trusting Xander due to his playboy nature, and is worried he is going to use her. Xander has been mistreated by the press in the past, when they twisted his words and made him into something he wasn’t. They called him uninspired and lacking talent, and he wants to prove them wrong.

The part that I disliked about the book was that I felt like Jess was so back and forth with her insecurities. One moment she is flirting with Xander, the next she is panicking and covering up. This entire time in Italy she has only known Xander for 3 days, and is already incredibly romantically invested in their relationship. From understanding her past trauma, this doesn’t make sense, and she makes herself so vulnerable. When she sees Xander's art of her back in London, she believes that he took advantage of her vulnerability, and loses trust in him.

I feel like Christy McKellen did a lot of telling us that they were in love and such a good match, and never showed me how perfect they were for each other. Everything moved so fast, and I hate the insta-love trope more than anything. At face value, this is a cute romance, but I dislike the execution and the speed at which they actually fall in love.

Thank you for the ARC! This was just okay... it had me wanting to finish it but I wasn't that attached to the characters and storyline. I didn't like the perspective it was written in as it made it a bit more difficult to connect with the characters during certain scenes. Overall it was a good romance but I'm not too sure how much I'll be recommending it!

A cute premise, a baby journo gets their big break interviewing a notorious badboy ‘artiste’ who invites her to Italy for the week, from whence a sexual awakening of sorts happens. It sounds fun but it fell flat for me.

Straight up, as a novella length was very difficult to capture the emotion and attraction between the two protagonists. I simply didn’t connect with the characters.

Third person omnipotent voice leans to “telling” but the intimacy and emotion the characters are meant to be sharing might have read better from a first person perspective.

Despite the delicate way disordered eating was approached, the converstaion around body image felt superficial and almost an ‘excuse’ to include a prim or dowdy dressed character who sheds her insecurities in a short space of time.

The locations, London and Lake Garda, could have been anywhere.

Here Comes Trouble isn’t a bad novella, but it might have better legs as a full length script.
2.5-3*

With thanks to the author, Christy McKellen, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the eARC to read ahead of publication. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a beautiful read. The storyline drew me in quickly and I enjoyed seeing how the characters developed - how they grew to recognize childhood traumas, and how to get past them.

I really enjoyed this book! The back and forth between Xander and Jess was well done and fun. Our main girl, Jess, gets an assignment to interview artist and known playboy - Xander. While at first, Xander seems to know exactly how to get under Jess' skin, they quickly develop an understanding between the two, that definitely leads to much more. I love Xander being an artist - it really brought a fun twist to this romance (I mean, paint fights? Count me in!).

While the characters both had their own baggage (don't we all), I don't feel like their pasts were overtly dark or heavy - a nice change in the romance books space for me.

If you're looking for an enjoyable read with good chemistry, likable characters and a bit of spice - definitely give this a read!

Quick fun spicy romance! Perfect summer beach read! Hits on some delicate topics well but also doesn’t bring down the overall sassy tone of the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Christy Mckellen for this ARC! This was a quick read that I couldn’t put down. Jess and Xander don’t make sense, but their attraction and difficult pasts bring them closer. The characters mutually use each other as a muse for their work that has been struggling . Jess writing an article about Xander and Xander creating paintings inspired by Jess. I thought there could have been a bit more build up of the characters in the beginning, but otherwise really enjoyed this slow burn romance. The characters had great chemistry and the spice was excellent. The end comes together well, but I really wish we could have read Jess’ full article that she submitted. Trigger warning - childhood trauma and eating disorder. I really look forward to reading more from this author!

REVIEW: Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First five-star read of 2025!

I devoured Here Comes Trouble in just a few hours, and I loved every second of it! This novella is the perfect mix of spice, romance, and self-discovery, wrapped up in a deliciously tempting bad-boy-meets-good-girl dynamic.

Jess, the main character, is so easy to connect with - her journey of self-acceptance and growth was one of my favorite parts of the book. And her chemistry with Xander? Off the charts! Their relationship builds through forced proximity and opposites-attract tension, making for an irresistible and steamy read. The book doesn’t hold back on the spice either, it jumps right in and keeps the heat coming.

At less than 150 pages, this was a super quick and engaging read, though I honestly wish it had been longer just because I got so invested in the story! Beyond the romance, the book has a wonderful message about self-worth and taking chances, making it more than just a spicy holiday fling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Here Comes Trouble is out on March 9th, and I 100% recommend it, especially for fans of Tessa Bailey, Christina Lauren, and Ali Hazelwood. If you love bad-boy heroes, forbidden temptation, and all the spice, this one is a must-read!

Thank you Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC 🫶🏼 I’m always so grateful for having the opportunity to read books before they go public.✨
So… I really wanted to love this book. The premise sounded so fun it gave me “how to lose a guy in 10 days” vibes but it fell flat 😞.
The FMC wasn’t developed enough for me to care about her and her potentially losing a job.
The MMC wasn’t developed enough, just described as “hot” and his dialogue was cringe at times. Even tho in the book we are told he was trying to respect the FMC boundaries I felt like he was pushing her till she said “yes” it left me feeling anxious and nervous at the intimacy scenes.
The story happens in Italy and we got to see none of it… it could’ve been a fun thing to add to the story to see the characters explore the place.
The story has potential, I think a bit more pages would help to explore the characters emotional baggage better and make us care for them.
Don’t let the review detract you from reading the book, I can se why some romance readers would like it.

"Here Comes Trouble" by Christy McKellen is a romance between opposites; Jess, a hardworking journalist, and Xander, a rebellious artist. This books is definitely tailored toward readers looking for quick, passionate connections between characters. Jess is quick to change her opinion of Xander after initially meeting him. Their romance sparks almost instantly, leaving little room for tension or build-up and comes off rushed. The story is filled with steamy moments, but the plot is quite predictable. The characters have potential, but their development is somewhat surface-level, making it hard to fully connect with them. Those looking for something deeply emotional may find it lacking.

This was a quick easy read, However I agree with other reviews that it lacks something. I didn't find myself getting lost in the pages. But overall it was an okay read.

This book is very shallow, features smarmy characters, a heroine who doesn't feel beautiful and hero that insists he is, pure privilege and did I mention there's nothing to it? It's thin. Very easy read though.

They are basically just perving on each other trying to sell the reader on sexual tension and it's very tiring.