This tender, slow-burn romance is as emotionally rich as it is quietly swoony. Mo and Jess are beautifully drawn opposites—he’s the quiet, grounded blacksmith with a soft heart, and she’s the sharp, passionate professor trying to rebuild her life after loss. Their chemistry sparks from the moment they clash (and flirt) at the Folk School, and watching them navigate grief, vulnerability, and unexpected desire is both moving and deeply satisfying.

The small-town setting, complete with blacksmithing, archery, and a charming community Renaissance Faire, adds warmth and whimsy to a story rooted in healing and connection. The author perfectly balances humor, heartache, and heat, making every interaction between Mo and Jess feel earned and electric. If you’re a fan of grumpy/sunshine pairings, found family, and slow, soulful romances that leave you smiling and a little teary, this one absolutely delivers.

This book follows Mo, a grumpy, neurodivergent blacksmith, and Jess, a college professor and professional archer, when they are forced to work together to assemble a Ren Faire to save their trade school from closing. Mo is happy to keep to himself and focus on raising his daughter, but Jess catches his attention when she moves into town. Jess is coming to terms with a tragic event in her family and learning how to continue life after loss, but she cannot help but be charmed by Mo. Both are determined to fight the feelings, but sparks fly as the Ren Faire planning progresses.

This novel feels like an honest love story, where two people put aside their differences and take the time to understand and love each other through difficulty. Mo's family is so sweet, so I need to go back and pick up the books that follow his brothers' love stories. This book is a standalone romance, but the author previously wrote books that follow the other Sarda brothers.

The miscommunication in the book is a bit frustrating, but the wonderful friendships portrayed throughout act as a nice distraction from those situations.

I think that this book is a sweet and heartfelt romance. I recommend it to readers who enjoy a lot of character development and books that portray couples who work through their trauma and emotions together.

This romance is soft in all the ways that matter—like a weighted blanket you didn’t know your heart needed. A grieving heroine meets a blacksmith with a quiet soul, and together they craft a slow, tender love story rooted in trust, vulnerability, and healing. It’s about showing up, even when you’re shattered. It’s about love that doesn’t demand fixing—just witnessing. My heart = melted.

🏷️ Tropes You’ll Find:

Opposites attract

Forced proximity (event planning FTW)

Renaissance Faire backdrop

Found family

Soft cinnamon roll MMC

Neurodivergent rep (HSP)

He brings her flowers

Grieving heroine

Single dad sweetness

Friends who say the hard things

Archery is therapy (no notes)

Blush Meter 🔥🔥/ 5

Sweet and soulful. Think slow kisses, lingering gazes, emotional intimacy dialed all the way up, and one particularly tender scene that made me curl into myself and squeal like a Victorian heroine clutching a love letter. The spice isn't constant, but when it shows up? It’s earned. Deeply emotional and never performative.

🌟 TAK Girlie Rating: ★★★★☆

Four stars for the softest man I've read this year, a heroine who felt human in all her messy, grieving glory, and a romance that respected mental and emotional nuance. I docked half a star only because I found myself wanting just a little more time inside the romantic arc—some scenes felt like emotional sketches that I wanted to see developed further. But the heart of this book? Beating and beautiful.


I went into Give Me a Shot expecting Renaissance Faire banter, flower crowns, and maybe a little rompy fun. What I got was emotional depth, affirming softness, and two broken people who never try to fix each other, but instead hold space for one another in a way that felt nothing short of holy.

Let’s start with Mo. (MO!!!) If you’ve ever screamed “WHY CAN’T MEN BE LIKE THIS?” into the void after reading a book boyfriend too good to be true, this one’s for you. He’s a blacksmith, yes, but not in the cliché gruff alpha way. He’s a Highly Sensitive Person who processes the world gently and carefully. He feels everything. He notices things. He leaves a little flower for Jess, not to impress her, but because he sees that she needs softness. That kind of thoughtfulness? Peak fictional boyfriend behavior. It was also incredibly refreshing to see HSP rep done with honesty and complexity—it wasn’t a quirk, it was part of how he loved. And this was my first time reading about it, given that I’m a self-diagnosed HSP, so I’m glad to see someone like me being represented.

Jess, meanwhile, is deep in grief. Her sister’s death has left her unmoored, and that fog of sadness colors everything she touches. She’s moved back from England and is trying (and mostly failing) to find her place again. I’ll be honest: she was frustrating at times. But here’s the thing—I didn’t need her to be likable. I needed her to be real. And she was. Her emotional walls, her avoidance, her distance—it was all familiar. Painfully so. Watching her slowly let Mo in, even when she didn’t know how to ask for help, broke something open in me.

Their romance isn’t a whirlwind or flashy—it’s steady. And yes, there are cute moments: planning the Ren Faire together, quiet laughs during archery practice, Mo being the literal best dad. But what stayed with me was the quiet intimacy of their shared grief, their willingness to ask hard questions, and the joy of being truly seen.

Also? Jess’s friends are the real deal. They call her out, not out of judgment, but love. There’s something powerful about seeing a heroine surrounded by people who won’t let her self-destruct in silence. And Mo’s relationship with his daughter? Tender and grounded. It’s rare to see a single dad in romance who isn’t just a plot device—and Mo is never that. His love for his daughter informs every choice he makes. He’s just that guy.

This book also deserves a shout-out for showing that healing doesn’t mean being perfectly okay by the end. Jess and Mo don’t magically fix each other. But they do give each other space to breathe, to feel, and to try. The romance becomes a safe room, not a solution.

🏹 Final Thoughts:

Give Me a Shot is what I call a soft-armor romance—it wraps itself around you, gently guards your heart, and lets you feel deeply without ever flinching. It’s for everyone who craves a love that whispers instead of shouts. It’s for the emotionally tired. The tenderhearted. The ones who want to believe that love can be quiet and epic.

It’s a love story, yes. But it’s also a story about showing up—for yourself, for your community, for that weird little Renaissance Faire that somehow becomes everything. I didn’t expect this book to hit me this hard. But it struck like a perfectly aimed arrow.

📚 For Fans Of:

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Love stories that honor softness

Emotionally intelligent men who listen (and really listen)

Found families, grief healing, and small gestures that land big

Until the next swoon-worthy story… happy reading and happy romancing! 💕

T.A.K. Girlie 💋

“You’ve become one of my safe spaces by letting me be who I truly am.” 🛋️🤍

a special thank you to Net Galley, Random House & Dell Romance for allowing me access to an Advanced Reader’s Copy of Give Me a Shot by Gia de Cadenet!! it’s an absolute privilege to receive an ARC & i’m so honored to be able to share a honest review in exchange. this is also the first book i received an email invite for, which was so exciting!!! (thank you again, dell romance)

🔍 publication date: may 6th, 2025

review: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (05/29/25)
just an adorable, incredibly empathetic & respectful relationship to read about (with a bit of spice).

this book brought to light a lot of difficult topics: grief, love, friendship, family dynamics, stress, mental health, parenting, and so so much more. it’s truly impressive how well thought-out these conversations were. for example, i found stress manifesting into physical pain very relatable.

i also loved the focus put on reaching out to others for help, it’s never a burden for those who care about you.

straight off the bat, Mo (MMC) was so sweet & empathetic. which does make sense as he is a HSP. i hadn’t heard of Highly Sensitive Person prior to this but i truly enjoyed reading about this representation.

this was especially true with the dual perspective chapters, where a reader could actually see what it’s like to be in his mind. speaking of his pov, i loved the emphasis listening and allowing others to speak for themselves, even if you have the good intentions.

This story was way better than I expected it be. Sometimes I read romance novels that are just "okay". You never really know what you're going to get but I'm glad I decided to give this one a chance. Mo was so empathetic and understanding and even though there was a 3rd act breakup (which I hate) it was done with love and care and with communication instead of the two characters simply yelling at each other and not listening. Jess ultimately decided in the breakup it wasn't a joint decision but I respect that Mo understood where she was coming from and knew she was only trying to do what she thought was best at the moment and didn't try to argue about it and cause more pain. The renaissance fair aspect didn't play as big of a part as I anticipated but honestly I appreciate that. Overall this was a really great story and I loved Mo and Jess's communication skills and the discussions of grief.

I really tried to get into this book. I love ren fairs, I love romance books that take place at ren fairs, like bring it on, but something about the two main characters reads off to me and I can’t put my finger on it. Despite chemistry on the page I felt no chemistry between the leads and aside from that, something in general felt off to me. Like I said, I can’t place it and the desire to pull out my Kindle for this vanished, so a few months later I admit defeat. This could be an entirely me problem, I haven’t read other reviews yet, but there’s my opinion.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

I decided to DNF this book, so will only discuss what I’ve read. I got to read 41% of the book. I’ve read the author’s other two books as ARCs, so I was ecstatic for this one.

Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. To start, this book focused too much on the MMC’s neurodivergent behavior that it became overkill. I’ve read other books before with neurodivergent characters and those included more depth and more detail to the actual plot line of the story. What I read in this book does not accomplish that at 41% in. Every other page is about Mo being a highly sensitive person and what that means, so when it got to the actual build up of him and Jess giving into their feelings, it didn’t make sense to me because the build up was lacking and the chemistry/relationship didn’t really make sense to me.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my voluntary and honest review!

An archer and a blacksmith work together to help their Folk School put on a Renaissance Faire to save the school. I LOVED the concept of this story and was excited to see some neurodivergent rep in a romance novel. However… the author’s relentless focus on the MMC’s HSP made both the story feel textbook dry and the relationship clinical.

Mo, a main character, possesses a sensory-processing sensitivity. The reader observes interaction with his daughter and siblings alongside his employees at his auto shop. By creating these scenarios, the reader see how others view him and how these interactions affect him. Thus, by the the time he and Jess' relationship builds, the reader understands what motivates his actions.

They quickly fell ( into bed) despite an initial hostile start and lack of interaction leading up to the event. An estranged relationship between Jess' parents (especially, her father) suddenly appears.

This seemed more Mo's story than Jess' despite the various breadcrumbs tossed along the book as to what befell her beloved sister, Cassie.

#GiveMeaShot #NetGalley
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Random Publishing Group-Ballantine, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this. The author handled all of the characters well and nothing felt forced. Mo’s story was touching but not twee. If anything Jess acted a little bit crass at times,but grief does weird things to us. It was nice to see the grief information handled well too.

This is exactly why I’ve been stuck on romances lately—they hit all the right nerdy spots for me as a D&D and Renaissance Fair fan. The main characters rolled nat 20s in charm and depth. Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) isn’t a stat I usually see in books, but I learned more about it here than from my last character sheet. Plus, the side quest with Jess and their friendship added some much-needed XP to the story. Overall? A wonderful, nerdy read that’s got me ready to roll initiative for the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in one sitting. I loved the storyline and thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

Cute story. It dealt with grief more than I expected and it was a little too much for me personally right now, but everything else was good.

Parts of this worked for me and parts of it did not. I love the idea of a Renaissance Faire setting but there wasn't enough of it in the story. Jess starting a new job, in a new town while also dealing with the fresh grief of her sister's passing started us off on a sad note. Mo just being a grumpy misunderstood teddy bear was okay, but he said "uhh" far too much or just grunted. The story itself was fine, and I loved Jess' friends for knocking sense into her, but ignoring her pain seems like a dumb thing to do for a professional athlete of her supposed caliber. I also wasn't a huge fan Khalil popping up again so much. He was kind of an ass to his hypersensitive brother and teased him too much. Grow up dude. I'm also disappointed by the lack of closure we get from Jess and her parents. That was actually an interesting plot point and it just got sidelined.

✨ Review ✨ Give Me a Shot by Gia De Cadenet; Narrated by Ryan Lee Dunlap & Natalie Naudus

Thanks to Dell, PRHAudio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Jess, a former competitive archer and now professor, and Mo, a mechanic, meet up at a Folk School specializing in medieval / ancient crafts, where Jess does archery and Mo does blacksmithing. Neither likes being the center of attention, but are put in the center of a Reneissance faire plan to save the school.

Both are dealing with their own combination of big feelings, anxiety, grief, etc., and this made it a heavy read for me. Jess is dealing with the traumatic loss of her sister, anxieties about life and family, separation from her family, etc., while Mo's neurodivergence and extra strong empathy make being around stress, big groups of people, and big emotions extra difficult. While all of this big messy anxiety, etc. was hard for me to read at times, I really appreciated how the two of them saw each other through it all.

(extra bonus points for Mo's amazing family, Jess's awesome friends, Mo's single fathering, and the ren faire vibes).

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: contemporary f/m romance
Setting: Ann Arbor/Detroit, Michigan
Length: 9 hours 53 minutes
Pub Date: May 6, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ renaissance faires
⭕️ single dads
⭕️ grappling with big emotions / grief / anxiety

Okay, so I was hyped for this one—blacksmith x archer? Renaissance Faire? Neurodivergence? Sign me up! But… I finished it feeling a little underwhelmed. The good stuff: Mo is a gem. A quiet, plant-loving, emotionally aware single dad who actually communicates? Rare. I think the author did a great job representing HSP rep. Jess had her moments too (any woman who threatens a man with a crossbow on sight has my respect), but she also low-key annoyed me? Like, girl, stop self-sabotaging. The angst dragged a bit, and I wish we’d gotten more of the Folk School/Ren Faire fun—that part got sidelined for heavier drama.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publsher for the ARC! Opinions are my own.

Delayed Review!

This book really surprised me! I went in not knowing what to expect and I was delightfully surprised by it! I liked that it had neurodivergence rep and that it had some heavier topics such as dealing with grief/unexpected loss of a loved one. The story was super fun and I loved hearing about how they were going to save the Folk School and about all of the different people who worked there. Overall, I just enjoyed the story,

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the e-ARC of "Give Me a Shot" by Gia De Cadenet available now!

Communication between the MCs was A+, they started off on the wrong foot and became short-lived enemies. Which I enjoyed very much. Heavy topics were discussed and written with care and sensitivity from the author.

Thank you so much to @dellromance for the advance reader’s copy of Give Me a Shot. I had a thoroughly great time reading this story that had so much heart and wit.

I’ve learned about myself that I take some time to warm up to stories centered around grief simply because it makes me uncomfortable, and Give Me a Shot is centered pretty heavily on our FMC’s grieving. I think Gia De Cadenet addresses grief with nuance and respect in this story and gives our FMC the grace she deserves. I also really appreciated the mental health/anxiety and HSP rep for our MMC. We don’t get the opportunity to read about positive mental health rep for men very often and I appreciate the way Mo is loved on despite his insecurities.

I loved the uniqueness of the setting for this story, which is a folk school that is hosting a renaissance fair to financially save the school. I’m sucker for the “community comes together and saves revered establishment from predatory corporate greed” so all of that hit the mark perfectly for me. I absolutely love renaissance faires and was excited to take content pictures of this book at the fair.

I do think the pacing of this story could have used some better editing but overall it was an enjoyable read and I’d recommend it to contemporary romance readers who are looking for something unique.

Jess and Mo are definitely a couple that I found myself rooting for from the beginning. I felt like both characters were very relatable. Jess was grieving after the loss of her sister and Mo was probably the perfect person to help her through that grief. They really complimented one another. 

I did not know much about either Renaissance Fairs or Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) like Mo before reading this book. I could tell that the author did a lot of research on both of these subjects and did a really good job writing about them. And, while I enjoyed the main characters, my favorites were the side characters. I loved Jess's friends Alice and Stephanie and the friendship she had with both of them despite the long distance between them. I also loved Mo's elderly neighbor Mrs. Sargysan and the sage advice that she gave both Mo and Jess. And, I also enjoyed Mo's family, especially his brother Khalil as he lovingly teased his brother about this blossoming romance.

I would have liked to know more about Mo's ex-wife and why things didn't work out for them. They obviously still had a good co-parenting relationship because of their daughter but that's all we know about her. And, I also would have liked the author to have done a deeper delve into the abusive relationship between Jess's parents and her relationship with both of them. It would be nice to see if a relationship has been restored between Jess and her mother in a future book. I guess I want to see some happiness for her mother too!

This book is the third installment in a series about the Sarda brothers. I read the first one, Getting His Game Back,(featuring Khalil and Vanessa) ,but I haven't read the second yet so I can attest that this book can definitely be read as a stand-a-lone. 
 
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine / Dell and NetGalley for the gifted ARC.