Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for providing the ARC.

This book was not what I expected when I first read the synopsis. While it was definitely lighthearted in many places, the story is so much more than that. It is an exploration of grief and a look into a specific type of neurodivergency that I don't think people realize is even a thing.

Mo Sarda is a blacksmithing wonder living live as a Highly Sensitive Person when he has what can only amount to a meet ugly with Jess Anderson, a former competitive archer and still reeling from the death of her sister, when she threatens him with a crossbow for allegedly breaking into the storage facility where her sister's belongings stay. Their relationship blooms when Jess and Mo meet again at the Folk Arts school they both frequent, and even more so when they are both asked to participate in a ren faire when the school's wealthy benefactor passes away.

Jess and Mo are both wary of each other initially, Mo because of having to navigate his neurodivergency with people who don't fully understand it, and Jess because she has not processed the death of her sister, and is very wary of men in general since she suspects that her sister's abusive husband may have caused the accident that killed her on purpose. The story unfolds as they both break down their walls and learn to let each other in, even though they have several stumbles and missteps. Mo is steadfast in his approach with Jess, trying to show her that he will not break, and Jess is doing everything in her power to be respectful of his neurodivergency, even if it comes off as grossly overprotective.

I really enjoyed this story and these characters. They show that grief is not always a linear path, and that sometimes our upbringing pre-wires us to react in specific ways. They show that neurodivergency is not something that someone needs to "put up with" or "tolerated" and can be exactly what we need even when we aren't sure of it ourselves. Mo is so tenderhearted and caring that it is impossible not love him. Jess never stood a chance.

This book will get you into your feels, but it really is something truly special.

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved this story and it was definitely worth the read!

Pick up GIVE ME A SHOT for:

Soft & Sweet
Until It's Not 🥵
Attentive Lovers
Shy Boy & Grumpy Girl
Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Rep

My favorite element here is how well Mo and Jess fit together. (Yes, in that way too, you naughty readers.) Mo being highly sensitive & empathetic. Jess as an active observer & that sees the goodness behind Mo's gruffness. She thrives in the safety and calm Mo provides. And Mo can trust Jess to respect his boundaries.

Overall, I loved that GIVE ME A SHOT wasn't about coping with neurodivergence, but how we with spicy glittery brains can thrive.

A critical note is more about my preference in how Mo and Jess' story was written. It is very dialogue heavy. From the synopsis, " ... if only they would be willing to give each other a shot." This actually happens very early in the book. Jess and Mo see each other very clearly and make an instant connection (confrontational meet-cute aside). They spend the rest of the book opening up to each other. Talking. A lot.

The synopsis also promises a forced proximity working relationship and a Renaissance Faire. However, there is very little of each. Mo and Jess are recruited to participate and be present for planning, but by no means are they responsible for it happening. Then the Ren Faire magically happens in the last few chapters. I feel this one under delivered on the hook that drew me in.

I hope this book finds a readership though because Mo and Jess are such beautiful characters. Their pursuit of joy after a lifetime of being misunderstood (Mo) and processing grief (Jess) fills my heart. I am glad to know characters like them.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4.25/5 stars

Give Me a Shot by Gia De Cadenet is a grumpy x grumpy romance between mechanic/blacksmith Mo Sarda and professor/archer Jessica Anderson. Mo is a single dad who’s very stable in his routine to manage his neurodivergence and is used to only being understood by his family. Jess is making a new life for herself in the wake of grieving her sister. Mo and Jess are voluntold to be the faces of the upcoming Renaissance Faire hosted by their local Folk School, where Mo teaches blacksmithing and Jess practices archery, in an attempt to raise funds to keep it from closing. Both must put aside their aversion from peopling to save what so many people (especially Mo) consider their safe place.

This book was so sweet and honestly everything I was in the mood for. The writing managed to capture these small human moments that could easily go unnoticed, but these little details in their mannerisms and such made the characters feel so *real* to me.

Mo and Jess *see* each other. They are quick to see past each other’s masks, and with every new detail that they learn about the other, they each individually take the initiative to figure out how to best understand and support each other. These characters actively taking those steps to learn and really be cognizant of *why and how* the other lives and reacts to the world and people around them are the very reason I love reading dual POV. Their journey towards each other made them develop and grow as individuals— *chef’s kiss.*

I loved reading Mo and Jess embrace each other as people. I love Jess seeing Mo’s neurodivergence as special in the most loving way. I love Mo being quietly romantic with the things he makes and the gifts he gives. <spoiler> And when the flowers and flower language came full circle— crying (most affectionately.) It was defs my favorite part of the book and had me giggling and kicking my feet.</spoiler>

And the families. I love Mo’s family (and I’m including Mrs. Sargysan here). I love his relationships with his brothers, especially Khalil and his relationship with Maddie. I love Jess’s friends, her found family. I love that they give it to her straight instead of letting her fall deeper into pain from avoiding her grief. I love that Mo and Jess have these really solid support systems beyond each other within their eventual romance.

This book was such a joy to read. Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell, for the ARC!

This book was a lot deeper than I thought it would be. There were parts that had me giggling and blushing but there was also a lot of deeper insights and thoughts in it as well. I loved the characters and want to read the other 2 books by Gia. The sweet moments were perfection and the sincerity between Mo and Jess was a breath of fresh air. The consideration they have for each other made their relationship so much better. The way Jess had to come to terms with her grief, broke my heart. Her two besties Alice and Stephanie are the perfect picture of what best friends should be. The refernces to The Princess Bride were fantastic, I loved every second of that.

Thank you to Gia de Cadenet, her publisher and Netgalley for offering me the chance to read and review this book.

4.5 stars

This book is such a great and positive departure from your typical romance novels.

First, let's discuss the heartfelt and very close to accurate representation of a character that is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). I have been very good friends with a couple of HSPs and the author does a really good job of describing their feelings, their overstimulation from noises, smells, and touching. This is the only book I have seen HSP represented in and I have read almost 600 books.

Second, let's discuss the fact that we have a couple of hobbies/sports I have never seen in a romance novel. Jess, our FMC, is very well accomplished archer and is finally finding her way back into her passion for it. Mo, our MMC, is a blacksmith in his free time and was once a collegiate rower and an Olympic alternate until he got hurt.

Third, the way the author handles Jess learning about and supporting and protecting Mo with his HSP and the way Mo is viewed as helping Jess battle through her grief of losing her sister is so very well done. It is very accurate and the intense pain that is felt by the FMC as she tries navigate the death of her sister is stellar.

Gia de Cadenet crafted a book that is a must read for anyone who is looking for a different take on a romance novel or for someone who is looking for another strong neurodivergent representation that is done well.

This was a sweet story! I love how they worked together. I also think it is great when we can read a story about parents that aren’t together and they can co parent so well. Kids deserve that. This was my first book by this author and it definitely won’t be the last.

This is really a 3.5-3.75 stars kind of book, but it just didn’t hit a 4 for me. The setting is fun, and I think it tackles heavy subjects like the physical manifestation of grief really successfully. I liked both Jess and Mo a lot, and I actually started researching Highly Sensitive People while reading this book because some stuff about Mo feels all too relatable to me.

But I just felt held at arms length by the narration, when I really wanted to connect even more with the characters. I also would have loved to see more of Mo’s daughter Maddie in important moments, and more of the ren faire and the folk school. I do think it was overall a successful story, and different readers connect with books in different ways. This one just didn’t totally work for me.

The story was fun and lighthearted and I had a good time reading it.
This was a wonderfully written romantic comedy.
I absolutely loved these characters and really enjoyed getting to know them.
A sweet, funny and heartwarming read!

I didn’t know what to expect going into this. It was part fun and part serious. I got lost in some places but overall it was a good read.

This centred around Mo, a Highly Sensitive Person, and his colleague, Jess. They are tasked with organising a renaissance faire to save their ‘school’. They are both grumpy.

It is a book about friendship, love, grief, family and community. There are sensitive issues which the author deals with gracefully and humanely.

It was an eye opener on another aspect of neurodivergence/neurodiversity and how grief can manifest in other ways.

I love how the main characters anticipate each other’s needs and experiences and work to make it better. They brought out the best in each other which was a refreshing take to the numerous romance out there.

If you are looking for something different then you should read this.

This book was so much FUN! I was sucked in from the cover and my love of the renaissance faire, and I stayed for the romance.

Mo was a dreamy hero for me, as a mom, because he’s such a good dad. Jessica was such a fun and relatable character! Their chemistry was off the charts!

Sparks ignite between a novice blacksmith and a bold professor who shares a love for archery in the touching contemporary romance, Give Me a Shot by Gia de Cadenet. This sweet, spicy, and tender novel captivated me from the start and left me yearning for more.

4.5/5 stars

Tropes:
Strangers to friends to lovers
Workplace romance
Forced proximity
Neurodivergence rep
Trauma/healing
Dual POV

This was unexpected and cute. I didn't know what I was getting into with this book other than a Renaissance Faire setting, which is fun for me. What blew me away was the emotional impact and depth of this book. My heart was gushing for these two early on. I greatly enjoyed seeing their story unfold and grow. Mo and Jess were just so cute together. This was my first book from this author but not my last. Highly recommend for fans of sweet romances full of emotion, friends to lovers, and workplace romances.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Give Me a Shot was a very sweet Slow Burn romance. The two main characters are dealing with some very complicated family dynamics as well as personal journeys. I thought this book did a really good job with delving into the emotion surrounding grieving and loss. By finding communication the MCs built a friendship that turned into romance. I also enjoyed the sub plot of saving the folk school from bankruptcy and the cast of characters involved there.

Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

"Give Me A Shot" is a beautifully crafted romance that explores the complexities of grief, vulnerability, and human connection. Mo Sarda and Jessica Anderson are two intriguing characters who, despite their initial clash, develop a captivating chemistry.

The story expertly weaves together themes of loss, healing, and finding one's passion, all set against the charming backdrop of a Folk School and Renaissance Faire. The author's writing is evocative, bringing the characters and setting to life with vivid descriptions and nuanced emotions.

Mo's quiet strength and Jess's fiery spirit make for a compelling contrast, and their slow-burning romance is both tender and intense. The supporting cast adds depth and humor to the story, making it a delightful read.

What stands out most is the author's thoughtful portrayal of grief and vulnerability. Mo and Jess's journeys are authentic and relatable, and their growth is palpable.

Overall, "Give Me A Shot" is a heartwarming and engaging romance that will resonate with readers who enjoy character-driven stories, slow-burn romances, and small-town settings.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Recommendation: If you enjoy books like "The Hating Game" by Sally Thorne, "The Rosie Project" by Graeme Simsion, or "Evvie Drake Starts Over" by Linda Holmes, you'll love "Give Me A Shot"!

Mo and Jess don't get off to the best start. But as they spend more time together trying to save the film school, they slowly get to know each other. Both have their issues but is it enough to keep them apart. Looking forward to the next books in this series.

3.5 stars

Overall, this was a sweet book. Both MCs have deep emotional journeys that they allow the other into maturely, which is why the 3rd act breakup didn't fully make sense to me for the reasoning. However, I really enjoyed learning about HSPs through Mo's character and the grief journey through Jess was well written. Her grief was complicated for many reasons, how her sister passed, her guilt for not being there, and her relationship with her parents. While that sounds like a lot, I think it was handled really well by the author. I liked that both characters were mostly great at communicating and caring for each other. There were a couple issues for me however. M'lady is maybe the worst pet name I have ever read in a book and yes it makes sense for the plot with the Ren Faire but I still hated it. I also felt that their constant "are you okay?" questions back and forth felt repetitive and slowed down the whole book for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Gia has written a couple 5 star books, and this was no different. I loved Mo and Jess, both as individual characters but also as a team. They were so thoughtful and vulnerable and made them connect with the reader right away. The setting was vibrant and the pacing worked really well.

Give Me a Shot by Gia De Cadenet follows Jess, a former competitive archer getting her life back after loss, and Mo, a neurodivergent owner of an auto shop and blacksmith hobbyist. Jess is getting back into shooting after the loss of her sister at a new range she found at Michigan Folk School. Coincidentally, the blacksmith that she threatened while cleaning out her sister’s storage unit also teaches at the school. The school decides to put on a Renaissance Faire to raise money, leading to Mo and Jess spending more and more time together. As they work through their individual issues and the date of the Ren Faire gets closer, their friendship blossoms and the tension between them heightens.

My personal opinions: I do like that Mo and Jess are both going to be big attractions at the Ren Faire, with Mo blacksmithing and Jess shooting, as it sets the stage for them to work through their anxiety and grief, respectively. I’m not a huge fan of how the texts are portrayed in this book as it is really hard to read (visually). Jess has so much to work through, but she’s making progress and I love the support she has in her friends. This book deals with life after loss, working through grief, and navigating a relationship while being kind to yourself and your partner.

This book is different than I anticipated it being, but I really enjoyed reading it nonetheless. I give it a solid 4.5. I do recommend reading this if you’d enjoy a heartfelt relationship between two people who deeply care for and intimately understand each other. Thank you so very much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this e-arc.

This book had a little of everything and I ate it up. I loved the romance between Mo and Jess and the MMC was such a softy I immediately fell in love. I loved all the pop-culture references as well as the Renn Faire theme (I was such a Renn Faire kid). I also really loved the character development and the amount they had to come in order to wind up together. Definitely recommend to anyone needing a cute, quick romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.