This is a fun romance with heart. Jake and Rayah. need each other. Jake needs to get in shape for a role while Rayah needs successful client in order to save her business. There is plenty of chemistry between the characters, but you do wonder if the secrets are what will do derail both their careers and the relationship. the plot flowed well, and the dialogue was fun all in all a great romance .

DNF 45%

I really thought I was going to love this book, small-town and forced proximity with big city boy returning to small-town but this fell flat. It read amature, like a teen girl who is crushing on a famous Chris and wants to write self-insert fanfic. There was awkward girl bashing at the beginning which felt out of character. The dialogue was fun, I loved the banter between them, but it felt very surface level. This writing just didn't go deep enough for me to keep me interested.

This book was a lovely contemporary romantic comedy that had me fully belly laughing.

Jake is a movie star with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia (POTS) and he is trying to gain muscle for an upcoming role. His condition makes it hard to exercise and he keeps it secret so that it doesn’t affect his chance at action movies.

The FMC, Rayah, is the owner of the training facility and has had a traumatic past that resulted in her ending her gymnastics career. She and Jake have an immediate connection and it is hard for them to resist one another in and out of the gym.

I like that this book has disability representation through the MMC. It bucks the norm while also providing a swoony character. I also appreciated that the FMC has struggles that she too has to overcome. Neither character is flawless and they literally have to “work it out” in order to move forward.

The banter between the MMC and the FMC and pretty much all of the characters is top tier in my opinion. There were so many instances where I couldn’t help, but crack up. The townspeople especially are hilarious! I got major Stars Hallow vibes each time I read about Jake’s grandparents and their friends. They are shameless meddlers and pop up throughout the story.

So if you are looking for a romcom with plenty of banter and a little spice, this book might be for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled publishing for this egalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this one but found myself not being able to push through the entire thing. Mostly because of a trope I hated, insta love. There’s such a quick connection between the two MCs that I never really got the tension or build up I like in a romance. There also felt like there were a lot of characters and I struggled to keep up with who was who at the beginning.

I appreciated the representation in the book and the humor. I think that I would definitely try another one of these author’s books but this one just wasn’t the right fit for me personally.

Jake is an actor, trying to get in fantastic shape to land a superhero role. He heads off to a fitness resort in his hometown to get in shape. Rayah is a former gymnast and owner of the fitness resort and is on the brink of bankruptcy…and Jake’s presence could make or break her dreams.

There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed. Jake and Rayah’s banter was great and I love the found family aspect. I loved how strong and independent Rayah’s character was too, and I think this book has potential, but it missed the mark a bit for me.

There were way too many characters and too much going on. There was Jake’s POTS, Rayah’s financial issues, drama with Jake’s agent, the hunt, Vicky’s ex, Rayah’s family issues and experiences in gymnastics…and that’s not even all of it. It was way too much for one book.

Jake’s obsession with Rayah’s height toward the beginning of the book was uncomfortable. There were so many comments about how she’s so small and feminine because she’s short, and at one point he even compared her to a Polly Pocket. I’m also not sure how many times is too many to call someone ‘cupcake’ on one page, but it was too many for my personal preference.

Finally, I didn’t love that Rayah’s experience in gymnastics was pretty much the exact story of USAG’s survivors. That piece took up a lot of storyline toward the end, but felt like it resolved way too quickly and I didn't feel like it was handled with enough care. The content warning does mention that sexual assault of the main character is mentioned, but didn’t address that this is a pretty major plot point.

This story provides some pretty awesome chronic illness and childhood trauma representation. The romance was sweet and the MMC was ADORABLE, but while cute, the story dragged a bit too much for my liking. I honestly felt like the story went on forever and I kept waiting for it to get to the point.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The hero is an actor that wants to get the lead role in an action film, but to be a candidate for the role he needs the body for it. The heroine is the trainer that helps the hero shape up for the role. Both of the main character has personal issues that they have to overcome before they could have a happy ending with each other. And thus begins the romantic journey between the hero and the heroine.

This is a nice contemporary romantic read by Eva Siedler. The book cover and the premise of the story was what grabbed my attention. There were some nice moments in the story, and there were also some other parts that needed more details for better transitions. The book also has some content warnings that readers should be aware of, and they can be found at the publisher's website. Overall, it's a nice book and I look forward to reading more books from the author in the future.


** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own. **

I really wanted to like this book, but I could never get into it. The characters were a bit quirky which I like but it was a struggle to connect with them and I ultimately found myself unable to finish reading it.

I find that sometimes, you just night a light fun romance, that you can easily read in a quiet afternoon chilling at home. And it started that way. I think I read the first half really quickly, and while I did enjoy the book, I did find that the second half was quite packed and there were just a few too many things happening. And because of that, the ending became a little rushed.
Still, I did enjoy the book. It was fun, it made me laugh and I was definitely rooting for Rayah and Jake. They both had their own struggles, and their own side story beside just their blooming romance. It was interesting to see Jake and his struggle with POTS, and just seeing that being represented in the media (books, tv). And to see Rayah have her own struggle with her business and all.
Overall, I enjoyed it. It was fun and all. Still, I do think that the first half was more enjoyable than the second half, so if you do find yourself struggling with getting into the story, this might just not be for you. Still, I do want to see more from Eva Siedler, and I do look forward to reading her next book.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review! Thank you Netgalley!

This was a perfectly cute romcom. Elite gym resort ownere and b list star trying to buff up to hopefully get cast in his dream superhero role????? Super cute! I wasn't expecting the side plot of The Hunt! I laughed so hard at the back story for it! What a funny bunch! It definitely is a very easy romcom though. You can turn your brain off and let the story take you on a cute, funny little trip. OH! I also appreciated the POTS representation! Especially since it's the big movie star that has it! Although it was a little much how much it went on trying to hide his POTS. Any good personal trainer would take it as accommodations you need. But I do understand he was on a time crunch and didn't want someone to tell him to slow down or whatever. Still, a fun time.

There's a trend that seems to be occurring more often in new books and that's where authors weave disabilities and real-world ailments/diseases into their characters' lives and backgrounds. When authors like Eva Siedler do it right, where the illness/disability is just another aspect of who the character is instead of being "who they are", it makes the story so much more enjoyable.

Siedler brings readers a very likeable MMC who just so happens to be a famous actor who also just happens to have an illness that can be managed, but has no cure. Obviously, this illness plays into the trope of secret keeping where the MMC's fear of the repercussions of revealing it leads to many questionable decisions and even causes more problems throughout. While I would have liked to see a more mature acting FMC, when we learn of her history, her almost stunted maturity in some moments makes more sense, while her other more overly mature choices in life also make more sense.

Work It Out and it's characters grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let me walk away - I finished this book in just a few hours. Jake and Rayah have just the right push/pull chemistry to keep you believing their story. The side characters also really drag you into the story - they're not one-dimensional plot pushers, they have stories of their own that I hope Siedler plans to expand on because this reader really wants to know more about their lives and see them find their happy endings.

NetGalley Review -- my rating 3/5

"Work It Out" by Eva Siedler takes place in Bigbone, Arizona...a small town with a funny name. Jake comes back home to get into shape for the shot at becoming Hollywood's next superhero. His best friend, Pierce, just happens to be a trainer at the biggest complex in the region owned by Rayah, ex-gymnast and fitness fanatic. So many storylines to follow but it has great bones!

While I enjoyed the idea of this one, there was potentially TOO many storylines to follow. A few things could've been flushed out more and a couple of characters could've been removed completely and it wouldn't have hurt the story at all.

Overall, it's good. I thought it was funny at times. If you need something lighthearted, go for it! "Work It Out" is out TODAY!

#workitout #netgalley #enchantedpublishing #arc

Work it Out by Eva Siedler

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶️

I found this story to have such a fun set of relatable characters and I loved how close the entire community seemed to be. Rayan was a strong character in appearance but she had her share of struggles we learn. While Jake we find immediately has current struggles that affect him physically and mentally. I think that through these barriers they were able to share their struggles and grow together. Such a sweet and spicy romance!

I received an ARC copy of this book and am leaving an honest review.

Thank you to Entangled publishing for my advance electronic copy via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

When actor Jake Newman learns that they are making his favorite comic book character into a feature film, he knows the role is perfect for him. The only trouble: his less-than-superhero-shaped body. So he checks himself into a private high-end training and health resort in his hometown in the Coconino forest of Arizona where his best friend promises to whip him into shape...in 90 days. There are only two problems: one, his chronic POTS disorder keeps getting in the way of his regimen, and; two, the sexy, hard-ass, litigation-shy owner of the health resort, Rayah Summers, can't know about his POTS or he's afraid she'll kick him out. But Rayah has reasons of her own for wanting to see Jake succeed--her business could very well depend on his getting the role. So how will the two of them balance their secrets with their growing attraction toward each other?

I can't gush enough about how wonderful this book is! I LOVED the mental health and chronic illness rep, and points for found family! They've both been broken, and we get to witness a lot of healthy emotional processing and unpacking. Good premise, great dialogue, and spicy spicy spicy (read: open door romance). Yay for ensuring that consent is sought and acquired, and that boundaries are established and respected, all in a realistic, natural way! Of course everything moved quickly, but who doesn't want to see that in a romcom? I appreciated the interesting cast of characters--even the "supporting" characters' development was highlighted, which made the story more full and engaging. Lots of young, attractive people isolated together=love triangles ensue! Dare I hope that a series of exploring more of their individual stories is in the works?!?

Trigger warnings: sexual abuse and assault

Very cute and going very strong until the hero started saying cheesier and cringier (?) things and the plot got all... messy and erratic.

The characters were all super fun and Siedler's humor was on point, on pace, and just perfectly written into the right spots. The original plotline was interesting and there was lots of representation of a disorder that isn't well-known. There was also a lot of growth in the main characters, especially from the hero as he accepted he wasn't going to be this big, burly guy, but that also didn't decrease his manliness, or whatever.

It started going a little downhill when it felt like there were eight different plots/conflicts all at the same time. It just felt messy, and because there was so much to be cleaned up, but ending felt a little rushed and honestly could have been stretched so we don't just see the worst part, a little of the fixing, and then a recap by one of the characters of how they fixed their issues. I would have liked to see them as they fixed the problem(s) and maybe if it were drawn out more it wouldn't feel so hurried.

The hero also needs to come up with a wider selection of nicknames/chill out on the "cupcake" business. After it started appearing several times a page, it got a little old. And the dirty talk was so cringe-worthy I'm banishing every spicy scene from my mind.

thank you Netgalley for the free ARC

This book is absolutely adorable, and should be on your radar.. along with its incredible author!

Actor Jake needs to get buff for his dream movie role, except he has a health condition that won’t make it easy.

Rayah is trying to keep her gym afloat, and Jake may be her saving grace. If only she didn’t also have other problems, like blackmail, coming her way.

I love the setting here — small-town Arizona (north, where the mountains are) is such a unique place!

It’s quirky- like our characters. Jake and Rayah are both nerds. Strong as steel with major cinnamon roll energy. I am here for it, and for them!

Not to mention the meddling grandmas in town. There were serious themes, yes, but plenty of humor to lighten the pages.

The romance here was so satisfying. I loved how Jake touched Rayah in small ways— we have a he-falls-first for a more skittish FMC, and he’s always comforting her, telling her wordlessly that he cares.

I melt, I tell you! And Rayah’s determination is nothing short of amazing. Both of the characters are incredible and kind to the point that I need more content with their sweet selves.

He calls her cupcake. I swoon!

If you want an utterly loveable romance for fans of Amy Lea and Mariana Zapata, this is for you! All the stars for this reread-worthy romance!

Thank you NetGalley and the author for providing me an ARC of this book.

I must say this is a 2.5 ⭐️ read for me. The premise of the book seemed really good and I was so excited to read it, but the execution just wasn’t there for me.

The storyline felt rushed, the dialogue was too cheesy (even for a romance book) and the characters seem to randomly overcome years of trauma by just simply saying “it’ll be ok”. There was too many things happening in a short amount of time that I wasn’t sure what was the main plot line going on and the POVs could be confusing at times.

Also I would honestly be mortified if a guy slapped my ass in front of everyone I know after meeting him for a week so pls let’s not do that.

I really wanted to love this book. I did. But it was in 3rd person, which in my opinion doesn’t work well for romance novels. The author was trying to accomplish a lot of things and explanations in a short book. I felt like I had whiplash with all the characters and how the main characters had the same issues but different people. The concept was great, just had poor execution.

I found myself thinking about my life a lot reading this book, as someone who's living with multiple forms of heart disease it hit home in so many ways, and maybe that clouded my vision reading this or maybe it made it clearer I'm still not sure.

As a whole this is a good story, one that you go into thinking it's just going to be a fluffy rom-com with some life lessons about overcoming limitations, it is that but it's also so much more, it's inspirational, it's heartbreaking, and it makes you believe in redemption on top of being that fluffy rom-com I was expecting it to be.

Overall if you're looking for a story with characters who are real, who have trauma-based baggage, and who are trying to be the best version of themselves despite it then this is the book for you.

On a very personal note, to Eva Seidler for bringing attention to different forms of heart disease, it can affect anyone and in so many ways, thank you for writing a book where it's there and part of a life but not the only part of life.


Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this E-Book, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The banter was well done. The story on the other hand fell flat for me. Though the characters were likable, they didn’t exactly stick for me to fall in love with them.

Both MCs had their struggles which I respected. I appreciated the POTS recognition. I am very familiar with the disorder and the explanation was well done. I also appreciated how Rayah’s past was addressed as well. It explained her attitude to me.

There was a moment of confusion for me. The main character Jake’s real name was Chris and it was used a few times. It took a moment to realize it was the same person, not another character. The side characters are what made me stick it out.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and to the author, Eva Siedler, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*