When I first saw the cover and title of this book, I was immediately drawn in. Who doesn’t love Sade and a 90s r&b type of love?! No Ordinary Love followed singer Ella Simone as she navigated her life during a pending divorce. Along the way, she met MLB player Miles Westbrook and sparks immediately flew. Miles was definitely a very sweet MMC. I loved how caring and attentive he was towards Ella and I loved she finally felt safe and seen in a relationship after dealing with a terrible one for years. The musical references and the voice notes between Ella and Miles definitely added to the story for me. I also enjoyed reading about the relationship between Ella and her glam squad. They were truly the perfect friend group. However, some aspects did fall a little short. I wished there were dual POVs in this story. Seeing Ella through Miles’ eyes definitely would’ve been the icing on the cake. The name dropping was a bit excessive and I wish we would’ve seen the downfall of Ella’s diddy adjacent trash ex on page. He deserved it for all he put her through. However, I am happy that Ella and Miles got their HEA!

I’ve been highly anticipating “No Ordinary Love” for a while because I read and enjoyed Myah Ariel’s first book, and also this cover is gorgeous! Ella is a singer who is currently going through a terrible divorce from her bitter ex, who also happens to be her producer, and from the very first page, Ella endeared me to her. I wanted her to win so badly because she had the worst ex ever! She meets Miles, who is one of the star players for the LA Dodgers, at an award show they both are attending, and sparks fly. Miles was such a cinnamon roll hero, and I loved him so much. He and Ella were honestly so cute. The conversations and genuine friendship between them were honestly my favorite part. I will say that a problem I had with this book is the same one I had with this author before, and it’s that this book isn’t told in dual POV. I feel like adding Miles’ POV would have honestly added depth to this book because I wanted to hear his thoughts.

Overall, I still had a good time reading this book. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley Publishing for the Arc.

"I mean, that’s what love looks like, right? Endurance. But loving yourself can also look like walking away."

I loved When I Think of You, so I knew I needed to read Myah Ariel’s second novel No Ordinary Love. Just like with When I Think go You, I was blown away with the knowledge of the character’s occupation. I was thoroughly engrossed in all of the music references. Myah Ariel’s writing is so unique in this way, and her own passion for music and movies really shined throughout both of her novels!

I even loved how Ella (the main character) was trying to Tina Turner her shitty ex! I loved seeing her realize that she not only was a victim of his predatory behavior, but that she also deserved real love and companionship.

I loved Miles and Ella, and I would have loved to see more of them together on page. You can tell they really cared for each other, but their love seemed insta-love-ish. I wish we could have gotten Miles POV, as well, because I was dying to know how much he thought about Ella. I also think we should have seen more of Ella’s turmoil over getting into another relationship so soon after being cheated on and lied to for 8 years.

I am definitely adding Myah Ariel to my auto-buy author list, and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for this early review copy. I am so honored! #BerkleyPartner #AceBooksPartner

I fell in love with Myah Ariel’s debut When I Think of You, and her sophomore novel No Ordinary Love only further confirms my adoration for Ariel’s writing! No Ordinary Love is a moving celebrity romance between Pop star Ella Simone and ace MLB pitcher Miles Westbrook who join forces for a PR stint and end up falling for each another in the process.

No Ordinary Love is a deep dive into the inner workings of celebrity PR and the way headlines skew public perception. The novel’s charm lies with Ella and Miles and the relationship they cultivate as two high profile people at the height of their careers. Ella and Miles are fully realized individuals whose dreams, traumas, and opinions are laid bare. They establish a beautiful rapport that acts as the foundation for what becomes a passionate romantic connection. Myah Ariel knows how to write toe-curling yearning, so by the time Ella and Miles get together, the delicious tension she has crafted is ready to ignite.

All of the side characters including Ella’s extraordinary team, are such a delight. These are people I can envision in real life and their conversations felt like I was listening in on the best gossip session! These are the types of people you want in your corner and they brought out a side to Ella that made her even more likable.

Ella’s contentious divorce from a high rolling music exec is a major plot point that plays out in a highly believable manner. It was empowering to watch Ella reclaim joy after being mistreated in her marriage and no one was cheering her on more than me! The resilience she achieves is no easy feat, especially after being taken advantage of while trying to attain success at a young age. Also, another quick observation I found impactful was Ella’s positive relationship to food. Diet culture (i.e. restriction) is an unfortunate reality for celebrities and the casual way Ella’s food preferences and consumption is mentioned made me smile.

It’s difficult to intersperse pop culture references without dating a piece of fiction and No Ordinary Love manages to achieve that artful balance. This is a celebrity story, so it only makes sense to include references to R&B artists, jet-setting destinations, or Baseball legends and I liked the way they were used throughout the story. I just really love this book and found the themes of public vs private image and finding love (and more importantly care) after heartbreak to be beautifully written. Myah Ariel’s characters are ones I’d love to be aquatinted with in real life and I enjoyed the experience of watching them find love.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

They say fictional men written by women eat and that’s exactly what Miles Westbrook did. Myah is a delicate writer, she writes to evoke emotions and warmth. The friendship and love shared between Miles and Elladee is so tangible you forget you’re reading about fictional characters.

In this book, we read about Elladee who at a young age became a pop sensation. A producer took interest in her talent and helped her break into mainstream and soon they hit things off and got married. However, he cheated multiple times and one day Elladee said enough and decided to get divorced. He was not ready to back down without a fight and neither was Janet Waterman. In the midst of the divorce, Ella was supposed to lay low but the universe had different plans. One meeting with MLB star player Miles Westbrook and everything changed.

This book is refreshing, it brings a sense of hope and restores your faith in humanity. You finish the book in hopes that you encounter Miles in your day to day. Myah deserves a standing ovation for this. Hats off!

In the words of Sade, this! is! no! ordinary (book)!~~~ hahaha no but seriously, this book was a gem and SO worth the wait. After Myah’s debut novel When I Think Of You (which I am still obsessed with!!), I eagerly counted down the days until I could read No Ordinary Love and wow wow wow did she knock it out of the ballpark again!! The lyrical way she arranges sentences needs to be studied 🥹

Now I may be a bit biased because I love the celebrity romance trope but this story just had everything. A perfect balance of different subplots to show the complexity of the characters, hilarious and heartwarming friendship scenes, and so many scenes where you get to watch Elladee and Miles fall in love in “realtime”. I had so many favorite scenes that I could easily envision in my mind and thanks to the great audiobook narration, it was even easier to get lost in the book.

I swear if any bonus chapters featuring Elladee and Miles are posted, I will be first in line to read! The way they truly see each other for who they are and what they stand for, I know their love is one for the record books.

Also, major shout out to the accompanying Spotify playlist! Pausing to play certain songs as they occurred in the book made the experience so much fun.

Thank you Myah for everything you did to deliver this beautiful work of art to the world!!

Pop Princess, Ella Simone’s marriage to is coming to an end. She’s fighting against her prenup and her music contract when she meets Miles Westbrook, a baseball superstar. The two enter into a PR arrangement but soon feels catch.

My Thoughts:
NO ORDINARY LOVE was soooo cute. It’s my first novel by Myah Ariel, but I absolutely want to go back and read her debut.

I adored Ella and Miles. Their romance was real and honest. The banter was swoony. The chemistry was sizzling. Just the whole story was a delight. Highly recommend for your next romance read!

What You’ll Find:
Celebrity romance (musician + baseball player)
He falls first
Broken hearts healing
Flirty messages

With just her second novel Myah Ariel has solidified her spot on my auto-buy author list. I'm usually not a fan of celebrity (by way of acting/singing, sports I can do) romance but these two totally captured me. Not only was I invested in Miles and Ella's love story but Ella's journey in finding herself and her voice in an industry that took advantage of her. In this story we get an idea of how Hollywood (and the world) treats black women. We get beautiful friendships. You may laugh, you may cry, you'll definitely be angry. But at the end of the book, you'll learn it's okay to feel emotion and it's okay to be vulnerable.

Thank you Berkeley and Net Galley for the eARC

While this is a romance book it’s truly more than just a love story. It’s a journey of finding yourself, hitting reset, and also taking a chance at love again. Oh and seeing some get their just desserts ⚖️ 😈.

The swoon 😍 Miles and Ella had some cute moments together from picnics to hot tubs and a few steamy scenes 🧺👙, but I loved the voice notes the most. Their openness and vulnerability is what had me rooting for them the hardest.

The friend group though 💜 different personalities colliding but lots of love and loyalty.

Let’s hear it for female empowerment 💪🏾 💥. The lawyer shutting down toxic masculinity and Ella standing her ground. I loved every minute of it. The author did a good job of showing how fast rumors spread and how damaging one-sided views can be.

I do feel as though Elliot’s downfall was anticlimactic and I wish we could have seen more of Ella’s transition in the music world.

If you’re looking for a multifaceted love story then pick this book up.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance and Netgalley for the opportunity to review the ARC for No Ordinary Love!

I absolutely loved this book! Myah has a way of making me feel like I am watching a movie unfold as I am watching it! I felt that way with When I Think of You as well. The descriptions and the feelings they evoke make me feel like I am right there with the characters.

Ella was such a great FMC. She felt incredibly relatable. I loved that despite such a messy and toxic relationship that essentially stole her 20s, love was still an option, trust was still an option. She never seemed like she was giving up hope. I think that had a lot to do with the people in her circle that truly wanted that best for her.

Miles had me swooning from the moment he entered the story! We need more book boyfriends like him, please! He was so protective and endearing. He didn't let his past hinder what was clearly a love worth risking public scrutiny for. He just was written so well.

Loved the friendships throughout and the family dynamic issues with both MCs were done well.

Loved it! I can't wait to see what else Myah writes in the future.

I wanted more from No Ordinary Love. I had a hard time connecting with this book. I think the pacing played a big factor in why I wasn't fully invested in the story. The pacing was very inconsistent. The story had a lot of slow moments and when things started to heat up, the pacing was too fast. A lot happens at the end and it was wrapped up too quickly. I was not satisfied with how quickly the story ended. The drama was vacuum sealed up and not treated with the depth it should have been. As a result, the story felt incomplete. I also struggled connecting with the main characters. I thought Miles and Ella's characters were a little flat. I wanted more depth from them! I just didn't feel much for them or their relationship. I wish there were more scenes between Ella and Miles. I did like how they used voice memos to get to know each other. I think I would have believed their love for one another if they had more scenes together. A big plot point was Ella's divorce. I liked that part of the story. I wanted that storyline to be expanded on a little bit more. The side characters were okay. I felt like they too could have been developed better. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I loved Myah Ariel’s last book, so was super excited for a chance to get an early copy of this book - and it did not disappoint!

The author does a great job building up the world - the pain of the main characters, both fairly fresh off their marriages ending, feels so real, and you can’t help but to be sucked right in. From the very beginning I was immediately in love with the characters, and rooting for them to find success in all of their aspirations.

I love how in depth all the characters are - although this is a romance, there’s so much more going on in everyone’s lives. Their romantic partners are important, but it’s not the main focus for either of them.

This story felt so raw and so real, and I devoured it!

I do wish we got a little more background on the MMC, and we saw the couple together a bit longer. I also wish we saw more of what happened to all of the side characters - but hopefully the open threads means a sequel is in the works!

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes romances with celebrities, baseball, or wants to read about finding love post-divorce.

I was provided a complimentary ARC from Berkley.

No Ordinary Love is a whirlwind romance between a famous singer and professional baseball player. They both have endured messy, public divorces before fate brings them together on the night of the Grammys.

The chemistry between Ella and Miles is on point and you can’t help but root for them. The author does a good job of making you invested in the other characters as well. I needed to know more about certain characters and situations so there were a few unfinished threads that made me want more.

Overall, this was an engaging romantic read. Romance books have been warming my soul lately, and No Ordinary Love delivered.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the gifted e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub Date: April 01, 2025

Another stry where Myah Ariel has swept my heart away.

I love how real and raw No Ordinary Love is. From chapter 1 starting with a messy divorce, to this slow unraveling of fierce love. What a most beautiful ride!

I found that an underlying theme here is vulnerability and its many forms. This book will make readers deeply crave romance.

I was provided a digital ARC for this book from Berkley and these are my honest thoughts. I caught myself at so many points just smiling as I read this book. I was hooked from the beginning and enjoying myself thoroughly. The whole story is told from Ella’s POV as she navigates her contentious divorce and her feelings for Miles, the pitcher for the Dodgers. This book had everything that this millennial loved. References to classic R&B singers from my prime and a cast of diverse characters that would do fabulous in a sitcom. Hilarious “real talk” moments and the support of amazing friends makes the found family trope so amazing in this book. I’m reminded of the movie “Waiting to Exhale” while reading this and the spirit of women supporting women when the odds are against us. Miles is also fabulous as a supportive green flag man. I wanted more in this book. I just didn’t want to leave. The main couple just quietly grew together from a distance and I loved how adorable it was. The story was real and sweet and romantic. I loved it and want a hundred more from this author.

Gosh, this one was lovely. I really liked seeing the progression of Ella and Miles’ relationship. I also loved that they each helped to heal something for the other.

I wish there had been a bit more of the story. Just a bit longer. There were some flashback scenes that weren’t quite necessary.

I just enjoyed this book and def recommend.

Thanks so much to @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner

I absolutely love when you can tell an author has found their stride with their sophomore novel, and No Ordinary Love is exactly that. I very recently read When I Think of You for the first time, and Myah Ariel's voice is stronger, more confident, and more ~grown up~.

Elladee is a brilliant FMC who learns as she grows and has a masterful character arc within this story. Miles was such a loving, gentle, kind, self-assured MMC who allowed Ella to meet him here he was when she was ready and not a second sooner. This alone made their love story feel perfectly balanced even though they endured a lot during their short time together. I mention a "short time" because I feel like while I wouldn't say this is more women's fiction (kinda hate that term nowadays tbh) than contemporary romance, this story is very much focused on Ella coming into herself for the first time in her life and discovering what home means to her. I would say that this book felt like the setup for an epic love story that lasts for the rest of their lives and not necessarily that I felt like they were deeply in love by the end. It was new, felt new, and gave me hope for their love to continue on, which is sometimes all I need from a romance book.

I loved all the pop culture references and how ~behind the scenes~ this novel felt. In fact, I think Ariel thrives in writing about fame and celebrity, and these aspects stand out in both of her novels. The supporting cast of characters were dynamic, fleshed out, and interesting, and they made the overall vibe of the story feel great. However, the pacing is way off in the end—specifically the last 3-4 chapters—and this felt like a shame because I easily could've read another three chapters to feel like everything got tended to properly. Elliot is a believable villain who is very Tommy Mottola/Irv Gotti coded, and my only complaint was that he was not hit by a bus.

Ariel does an incredible job capturing the insidiousness of an abusive marriage here. While abusive relationships often are depicted with a focus on the physical abuse, Ariel responsibly and carefully showcases what it looks like to be abused by someone who's never laid a finger on you and the imbalance of power in relationships where one person feels like they "made" the other.

4.5 ⭐️
1 🌶️
🚨 Pub Date: 04/01/25

This was an highly anticipated read for me this year so thank you so much to @berkleypub @berkleyromance or @acebookspub for the ARC copy of this book.

This romance was cute and had a lot of potential but lacked where it mattered most for me🫣

I’ll start with the things I enjoyed about the book the most. Ella’s friendships and their support for her was so set. Some of the moments including them literally made me laugh. The music history and artist referenced throughout the story were my favorite parts. Seeing Ella become more confident and learn herself throughout her divorce from Elliot was inspiring and I couldn’t help but cheer her on.

However…. the ball was dropped in a couple of places for me. The story seemed too quick. Not saying it should’ve been longer but there were literally times I felt I missed something because the story line would jump. It seemed to have left so much out to the point where it affected the connection between Ella & Miles for me. Miles had so much to offer as a MMC, near the end I yearned for more of him and his love for Ella. The few times Ella and Miles were in the same space were swoon worthy. He said the sweetest things and was so vulnerable . Instead 75% in we’re still dealing with Elliot?!?!


Overall the story was cute but left some to be desired! I really enjoyed the authors first book, “When I Think of You” and still would read any book written by this author.

4.5 stars!!

A beautifully written romance that tugs on the heart-strings. No Ordinary Love is the kind of book you can’t help but binge read in a single day. The romance is not only good, but the found family aspect and deep-rooted friendships bring another element to the story.

Ella Simone was thrown into the limelight at a young age by becoming a pop superstar. She’s in the midst of a nasty divorce with her music producer, cheating, power-hungry ex-husband and fighting for control over her career. She’s advised to stay out of the press when a wardrobe malfunction at an awards show causes MLB Pitcher, Miles Westbrook, to come to the rescue. Two people cut from the same cloth, their chemistry is undeniable and sparks begin to fly as they try to navigate their own scandals and come out on the other side.

I was so drawn to Ella and her resilient nature. I have so much empathy for characters who’s kindness and vulnerability are taken advantage of at a young age. I loved how fiercely loyal and protective she was over her friends. I’m also so glad she found her voice and grew a backbone after everything that went on with Elliot. Miles had me hooked from the jump!! I loved the way he carried himself and respected the women around him. He had a quiet, sweet, charm about him that I adored. The banter between him and Ella was so good. All the voice texts and small conversations they would have were so vulnerable and open. They both found comfort in each other during a hard time.

I absolutely LOVED this writing and just wish there was a littttttle more development in Ella and Miles’ relationship. I know the book is on the shorter side so it made complete sense but I would’ve loved another 100 pages of yearning and gradual development of their relationship to really drive it home. Regardless, I loved the writing and all the characters. I’m excited to find a new favourite author & to continue reading her work!!

I loved Myah Ariel's first book and new this one would be just as good! I love stories where the characters can't do anything but be together. Ella and Miles were both going through a lot but that couldn't stop them. This was a good one!!