This was just okay. I really like the cover and think it's so cute and the right choice. I also think the premise had promise but it fell really flat. It felt rushed, but at the same time, very little happened of substance. I do have to give props to the author for the representation of an unusual and more rare medical condition. I myself have POTS and I loved that I finally am reading a book with this representation. I was floored and really happy that it is getting more recognition. There are some heavy topics discussed in this book, so be aware of that. I think the author handled these topics very well, given their severity. Overall, I think this was a letdown and that disappoints me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the eARC of this book.

I had no clue what I was stepping into with this one. But it had a blurb that promised big things. Alas I was let down. I think this book had so much potential but it felt rushed and at times, two dimensional. I think if the two mains had more time together, we could have seen their relationship blossom more. It did feel like they met, loved each other, broke up and then got back together. There wasn’t much to root for.

The sense of found family is what really made this book for me though. The way Rayah’s friends rallied around her in her time of need was so lovely to see and the author did really well here. Although Blaine was a bit much for me.

Another thing I wasn’t that fond of was the potential to delve deeper into the SA that Rayah went through as a young woman. It kind of got mentioned during a *spicy* scene, then put away and then brought back out when it was released in a newspaper. But we don’t really get to see how it was handled and got a brief summary at the end.

And don’t get me started on someone in the two believing they’re an alien and everyone going along with it. Oh, and the pig.

This had the chance to be a strong book and it’s sad it didn’t reach its potential.

I was so excited for this book when I read the synopsis, especially because there aren’t a lot of books about gymnasts/ex-gymnasts. But for me this wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be.

I loved the banter between Rayah and Jake. I loved the found family aspect. I loved how much Jake wanted to do whatever was best for Rayah.

I did not like the other woman/other man drama. I didn’t feel like it was necessary for the story and while everyone is over 18 in the story, I didn’t like that feelings occurred when some were underage (no feelings by our main characters). I felt like there were a lot of different story lines happening, without all of them getting resolved/the attention they deserved. I wanted a deeper connection on page between Jake and Rayah.

I would give this author another try but this book didn’t hit the mark for me unfortunately. I am excited to see what the author comes up with next.
I did receive an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What can I say, I loved it. It was raw, sweet, sassy, funny and so much more. I really enjoyed all the characters and their personalities. The slow-burn relationship between Rayah and Jake was so fun to read. If you’re looking to smile while you read the book. This is it.

Sadly this just didn’t work out for me. The beginning 15% was promising but from there, as some other reviews have noted, the tone and pacing and overall intimacy changes drastically without much having transpired between Ray and Jake.

He starts calling her cupcake after 3 days on sight (2 of those spent with altitude sickness) and heavily flirting with her which felt very abrupt and odd. Then you have Ray who until then has been described as very independent and spunky seemingly melting for Jake and accepting physical touch in front of clients…it felt wholly against her character and demeanor.

As the romance progresses I felt it just swung too much into being overly familiar without enough character development to support a true relationship.

It took me several tries to get into this book and it was a struggle to finish. It started off cute and funny. The "Bingo Harem" was hysterical. However, that was the highlight. There seemed to be a disconnect and I struggled to finish what I thought was going to be a cute and fun read. Rayah and Jake seemed like they were going to be fun getting to know.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Cute banter, interesting setting and storyline that goes beyond the typical. I would’ve appreciated a more thorough trigger warning for some of the more difficult content.

I really loved the chronic illness rep in this book it makes me feel so seen as someone with this type of disability. I also adored that it was the male lead with this difficult circumstance- it’s great to see male vulnerability in a book like this.

While the premise of this book was great, I had a hard time getting through it. The writing was well done, but it didn't click for me. However I will be buying this for my friend that I know will love it!

Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed Work it Out. One doesn’t see many books with the gym as a setting, so it was a nice change of pace. I think the romance between Rayah and Jake was sweet, but I found the pacing of it a little fast by the end of the book. The supporting characters were fun and added some levity. I also appreciated the depth of the story - this story goes beyond what you see on the cover.

Thank you again for the ARC!

I enjoyed this one well enough but the load of characters introduced did get confusing. The chronic illness rep was great and something I hope to see more in contemporary romance!

I loved the chemistry between these characters so so much! It was so good! This was such a good read. A wonderful palate cleanser,

As a person whose love language is acts of service (and therefore pushing others to be their best selves!) I was in love with our heroine Rayah! Smart, respects her body, and knows how to bring out the best in people? YES.

When Rayah pours her life savings into opening her dream wellness resort - she doesn't expect the idea not to flourish overnight. When a potential client, AKA movie star, needs help getting fit for an upcoming role - it's just the challenge she needs to make a name for herself. As Rayah and Jake clash while he's putting up walls to protect his vulnerability (and secrets) - they grow closer without even realizing that they need each other!

Male vulnerability is not often discussed. It's usually the feminine character who's physically a little weaker and the men who have the means to save the woman. I really like that role reversal and the breakdown of emotional barriers to creating a truly sweet story!

**Thank you to Entangled Publishing, LLC & NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. I received this book for free, but all thoughts are my own. – SLR 🖤

2 stars
TW; mentioning of domestic violence to a side character, death of loved ones (off page), complex trauma from sexual assault as a minor (happened off page, but discussed), life after injury, toxic family trauma, chronic illness symptoms leading to fainting, vomiting, and exhaustion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC to review. All thoughts are my own.

What is up with the cute cartoon-covered romances lately having such an extensive trigger warnings list and not being properly warned? Entangled Publishing did have a content warning for the main female character's sexual assault being mentioned (you have to go to their website to read it) but as an ARC reader, this isn't divulged when applying so reviewers can protect themselves from reading the wrong book and wasting the publisher's time.

At the start of this book, it was really fun. Jake, an acclaimed TV show actor has been given the offer of a lifetime to become a superhero - and has to bulk himself to make sure he gets the gig. However, he suffers from a chronic illness that makes it almost impossible for his body to physically meet the criteria he's pushing for. He goes back home to an exclusive sports and gym complex and omits his condition from the owner and ex-gymnast Rayah. I found the initial banter between Rayah and Jake, whilst a little on the instalove spectrum, really enjoyable. Until about 20% where things Jack started to say didn't quite match up with the time spent in each other's company. It then goes from 0-100 pretty darn quickly and is somewhat unbelievable. Rayah, who is described as a prickly woman and not to cross also loses her personality trait and quickly becomes a simpering female for Jake's charms.

This is set in a small township, and the gym is run by a group of people who have become Rayah's found family, which again, was cute to begin with. It then got super dramatic and everyone was causing trouble everywhere. Add in a side character turning up with evidence of domestic violence and reeling from a death, the unravelling of Jake's lies, and then talk about Rayah's sexual assault as a minor, and I was confused why all of this had been thrust into what had seemed like a cute little small-town romance. I have no idea why it was necessary to throw in all the drama, at every step of the way. It made the storyline too amped up and the characters fell flat. There was always too much to resolve and by 60% in, I was more than done with how soap-opera dramatic this was. The shock factor was just cringe at this point, and the romance was no longer interesting in the slightest. The humour, which had been fun at the start was trying to keep things funny and light, but became on the nose. I admit to skimming the last 40% of the book because I had lost complete interest. For full transparency, I would have DNF'd this around 30% had I not been obligated to read and review this arc.

Overall, I'm really disappointed in Work It Out, because it did sound like a cute story in the premise, and the cover is gorgeous. Just goes to show that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

I liked the description of this book while browsing, and was excited to be approved for the ARC. However, this book was just not for me.

The humor aspect and overall setting was intriguing, but I found myself getting confused often while reading.

The disability representation was very cool to see! That was my favorite part of the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Evan Siedler for approving this eARC in exchange for my honest review! I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was floored when I saw the word POTS in the first few pages and the decent description that followed. I wasn’t expecting it at all and I think it’s pretty cool the author brought it into the story. It made the book.

The characters were well penned down and each was given enough share of spotlight which was the cherry on the cake. I absolutely loved it and had a great time reading this.

A story of overcoming obstacles, learning to trust, getting rid of dead weight, and not being afraid to tell the truth. In Bigbone, Arizona expect to find a small-town romance layered with:

🧁 Grumpy Girl
🧁 Sunshine Guy
🧁 Chronic Illness Rep (POTS)
🧁 Found Family
🧁 Forced Proximity

While we can't choose the family we are born into, we can choose the people we want to call family. Add characters that are relatable with a plot that keeps you turning page after page this story will leave you satisfied with laugh out loud moments, a few that might bring a tear or two, and a steam of scorchin to balance it all out.

Rayah Summers is trying to build a brand and business when hollywood sweeps in, what will happen when she discovers his secret? Will she let the money impact her decisions or will she figure out a way to keep him from an untimely death?

Jake will do just about anything to land his next role even if it means hiding the one thing that could truly kill him while preparing for the part. What will happen when his illness is discovered? Will he still find a way to land the part or will his heart betray him?

When choosing to read books the options are endless, if you're looking for something with a character that has a chronic illness, this story is written with care, attention to detail making the story believable and heartwarming.

☕🔥🔥🔥🔥 A scorchin hot read with secrets, forgiveness, acceptance, and characters that will connect with so many readers. Caution, may lead to unexpected need to turn on the A/C. So steamy the pages ignite.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from Entangled Publishing for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Looking forward to reading more from Eva Siedler - will there be more from Bigbone, Arizona?

Do not let the cover fool you, this is not your average romance novel. It is so much more. It is deep, raw and emotional but also sprinkled with witty commentary between all of the characters. Eva Seidler weaves the lives of both Jake and Rayah so beautifully that you feel every emotion Rayah feels as she relives here past and faces her future and you can sense the shame and failure Jake felt and lived with because of his POTS. I absolutely loved that there was more story than there was romance and that each character, even the background characters had their own past and future written out for us. I also loved that POTS was featured prominently throughout the book because it is a more common condition than some would think but not widely talked about.

Overall this book had my heart breaking one second and laughing the next the entire time. I Loved every second of it!

⭐ 5/5
🌶️ 1/5

I received an advance review copy for free from Entangled Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this romance. The theme of this book was amazing. I loved that it was based around a gym. I would recommend this book

I really really loved this story, it was such a good time and I loved the characters and representation and it was just so enjoyable. I highly recommend this novel so much, and definitely would consider getting my own copy of the novel upon publication.