this book was everything and more!

first book by max monroe I have ever read and wow, it was captivating and has to be one of my fav reads of the year!

this book had some heavy topics but dealt with theme o well. a small town romance that will make you laugh, cry, and go on an emotional rollercoaster.

norah and bennett were such relatable characters. but they also just had this connection and seeing their relationship play out made me love this book.

“What I Should Have Said” by Max and Monroe is a rollercoaster of emotions that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. This novel is a beautiful blend of action, love, and drama, making it an unforgettable read.

The story revolves around Norah and Bennett, two complex characters who bring depth and relatability to the narrative. Norah, escaping a toxic relationship on her wedding day, and Bennett, struggling with a very sick daughter, find solace and unexpected love in each other's arms. Their journey from heartache to healing is both poignant and inspiring.

Max and Monroe have a knack for evoking a range of emotions. The book will have your heart soaring with joy one moment and tearing up with sadness the next. The authors' ability to create such an immersive and emotional experience is truly commendable.

The non-stop action and drama make “What I Should Have Said” a page-turner. I found myself unable to put the book down, devouring at quickly as I could. The pacing is perfect, keeping the reader engaged and eager to know what happens next.

The book explores themes of love, resilience, and second chances. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, love and hope can prevail. The authors beautifully illustrate how two broken souls can heal each other and find happiness.

“What I Should Have Said” is a must-read for anyone who loves a good love story with a side of drama and action. Max and Monroe have crafted a narrative that is as heartwarming as it is heart-wrenching. If you're looking for a book that will keep you hooked and leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling, this is it.

I can’t wait for Josie and Clay’s story!

Really enjoyed this book and cannot wait to continue the story. Was a great storyline with memorable characters. Brought me to tears. Really enjoyed the story. Thank you to Entangled for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book. This story will pull at your heartstrings. The characters were loveable and entertaining. I can't wait to read Josie's story in When I Should've Stayed! Thank you Entangled for blessing me with this e-arc.

We all know Max Monroe as the duo that brings us fun rom-coms filled with shenanigans and happy endings. Please note this is not a typical Max Monroe rom-com. Are there some laugh-out-loud moments? Yes. Are there some steamy moments? Yes. However, please understand this story is very emotional, and you should absolutely have some tissues handy. This book is phenomenal and worth reading! If you need more information about the contents of this story, please read the author's note.

After leaving her fiancé at the altar, Norah Ellis retreats to Red Bridge, her small hometown in Vermont. When Norah needs a ride, she runs into Bennett Bishop. They don’t have the best first impressions of each other, but the attraction is certainly there. Norah and Bennett cross paths several times, but none of these meetings end well. Norah needs a job and ends up working for Bennett. When she shows up at Bennett’s house one evening, she meets Summer, his daughter, and can’t help but fall in love with her. After spending more time together, Norah and Bennett develop an undeniable and intense connection. Their relationship is tested when things change with Summer, forcing them to face a heartbreaking reality.

This is a beautifully written story that will stick with me for a while! I absolutely could not put it down. I loved the evolution of Norah and Bennett’s relationship and loved their unconditional love for Summer. I felt every single emotion while reading this book. Some moments had me laughing, smiling from ear to ear, swooning hard, and crying my face off. This book grips your heart and holds onto it until the very last page. What I Should've Said explores loss and love, and I feel the authors were very thoughtful about how they approached difficult topics. This one broke me, but it was worth it. This is not a typical shiny romance story. I'm personally happy I did not read the trigger/content warnings because I feel they would have taken away from the impact of the story. I am absolutely invested in this series, and can't wait to read Clay and Josie's story.

Small town love story perfection!
What I Should’ve Said by Max Monroe is small town romance at its absolute best. I fell completely in love with the characters—every single one of them felt real and unforgettable. The emotional depth of this story was both heartwrenching and heartwarming in the most beautiful way. Norah and Bennett were everything together. Their connection was so genuine, and I loved how they pulled the best out of each other through raw, vulnerable moments. And don’t even get me started on Bennett and his daughter, Summer—those two were pure sweetness and charm. This story tugged at all the right heartstrings and left me smiling (and maybe tearing up a bit, too). I didn’t want it to end!

This is the second book I’ve read from this writing duo and this one definitely took me by surprise, but in a good way. The story was so beautifully written and so full of emotion that my heart couldn’t handle it. So, be sure to have tissues handy when reading. It is not the typical fun rom-com you may be looking for.

Norah escapes to her hometown, attempting to get away from her past. She runs into Bennet, the town grumpy pants, who also is carrying some baggage. Bennet is a single dad of a young daughter. They begin as enemies, with some choice words, but quickly turn to lovers, almost an instalove and their connection was electric.

The story dove into more heavy subject matter and was not exactly how I thought it would go, but it was definitely a hard hitting, emotional struggle that is worth the read and the heartbreak.

Good grief. This book. It ripped my heart out and pieced it back together again. I’m used to the funny rom-com style of the authors. And there was a lot of that in this book. But there were also a ton of sweet/tender moments interlaced with a crap ton of heartbreak and utter devastation. But the heartbreak led to one of the most beautiful endings. I loved this book so much I read it twice. I cannot wait for more in the series.

Let me just say this book made me laugh, smile, and cry! It’s so well written that I just had so many feelings and I really needed the time to let it settle.

I loved this story and I was l hooked from page over.

A runaway bride left an amazing life behind.... Why!?!?
The authors made us work for the answers...😜

Then came the snarky meet cute....
But oh the tears... My aching heart.
And then some lol moments to lighten the mood.

And now the anticipation for the next book in the series.

I'm not a single dad trope fan but this book was definitely a form favourite. Through I do love me a small town romance!

Put on your pink tees add some funky sunglasses and you'll be totally ready to read this and fall in love with these characters.

Max Monroe you ladies rock!

Grab the tissues for this one!
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was surely not this heartbreaking tear-jerker. The bright cover was the perfect nod to Summer, but don’t let it fool you into thinking it’s some bubbly romance.
Our FMC Norah is a runaway bride (for good reason), and heads to small town Red Bridge where her sister lives to start her life over. On the way, she meets broody Bennett. An absolute grump whose tough exterior slowly melts away, revealing the incredibly sweet and tender man underneath.
I loved their dynamic relationship, even if they went through their fair share of ups and downs. I felt like it was more authentic and real instead of just unicorns and rainbows like most romance novels.
Would absolutely recommend reading, and I can’t wait to visit Red Bridge again in book 2!
Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC!

This book just broke my heart and stitched it back together raggedy Ann style. I decreased my rating to 4-4.5 stars though because I wasn’t at all prepared for the hurt that is on this book. PLEASE read the author’s note and consider the trigger warnings of the sensitive subjects (and know that even though I did…I still didn’t know what I was getting into as the blurb for this book portrays it in such a way that you might be expecting a standard rom-com).

Norah is a hot mess at the beginning of this story, and while she has some character growth, it’s not truly explored. Regardless, I ended up loving her character.

Bennett, interestingly enough, I loved right from the beginning. Despite him being the biggest grouchy grump - I can’t explain it but I just felt like I got him (maybe because I’m a grouchy grump a lot of days these days 🤷🏻‍♀️).

This is a romance, but it’s not an easy one. You’ve been warned. I can’t give more of a warning without delving more into the trigger warnings, and that might create spoilers so I won’t do that.

My thanks to NetGalley & Entangled for digital access to this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing and Max Monroe for the eArc. My opinions are my own.

I want to preface this by saying that for me a 3/5 is a good book. One I enjoyed but that has its flaws. I would recommend the book to romance readers with a caveat that it should have had content warnings and didn't. Like most romance books, it pulls on a few expected tropes. Enemies to lovers, runaway bride, small towns, etc. However, there are some darker elements and you will likely cry by the end. If children with a terminal illness is a trigger for you, don't read this book. There are also a few instances of hands being put on people and both main characters are involved. If you need content warnings, I suggest reading through a bunch of reviews to see if this could be for you. There will be a large portion that this won't work for. There is a lot more going on than just a runaway bride finding love in a small town. Almost so much that it's a bit much.

Ah. Well. I want to start with the fact that I had no idea how much of a tearjerker this book would be. And honestly,  from the cover of the book I wasn't expecting a tearjerker. I wasn’t too thrilled to read about a very sick child. So I am telling you about the triggers of a very sick child, death, abortion, and abuse.  You would need tissues on hand. This was a love story between Norah who fled her wedding and Bennett, a father raising his daughter alone. I was intrigued as to why she would flee her wedding. I enjoyed reading parts of Norah. She had difficult choices to make and she decided to learn to love herself. By choosing herself, she was able to love others as well. Bennett was the father of a sick child who found himself caring about Norah and wanting the best for her. Together they were beautiful and loving. I loved Norah's sister Josie and best friend Lillian. I was so glad she had their support and love. I also loved Clay. He was the best friend of Bennet who was there during the difficult times. Now to the less favorable aspects of this book. The sex scenes were just okay, which disappointed me. The tragic parts regarding his daughter, Summer were heartbreaking. That was sad. I don't appreciate my romance books with the tragedy of children or animals dying. Also, the ex-Thomas and her mom didn't get the satisfactory ending I wanted. The ending though was sweet. And I need the second book of Josie and Clay. Overall, this was a sweet, poignant, sad, romantic book. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. I need a light hearted book after all the darkness I have been reading and this was it. it was fun, heartwarming, and all around cute. it's a first for me with this author and I'm glad I read it.

Beautifully written fun book. I loved this book. Not my usual go to read but it was a lot of fun. I highly recommend it to anybody to read.

What I Should’ve Said completely caught me off guard — I was not expecting the emotional journey this book would take me on either!

I love the aspect of a runaway bride that meets a quiet broody single dad! Their slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers dynamic is full of tension, vulnerability, and raw chemistry that builds beautifully over time.

What really stood out to me was how layered the story is. It’s not just a romance — it’s about healing, facing trauma, rediscovering family, and learning to love when it feels impossible. The emotional depth hit hard. One moment I was laughing, and the next I was choked up by the weight of what they’d both been through.

The father daughter aspect of the book was also truly amazing and made me think of my own relationship with my dad.

It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from grief or hard choices, but it also reminds you that there’s always space for love — even when you think you've missed your chance.

If you’re in the mood for something heartfelt, a little heavy, but ultimately healing, this book is it.

Thanks to Hambright PR, Netgalley, and Engtangled Publishing for a gifted copy of What I should’ve said!

I loved the sunniness and brightness of the cover. I really enjoyed the story. I loved Norah. She was so upbeat, determined, and positive even everything that she went through.

Bennett is the perfect grumpy book boyfriend. Once you got to know him, he is anything but grumpy. He’s caring and passionate to everyone he loves. And I loved seeing his love for his daughter and giving her the best life possible even though she has a terminal illness.

The story gave me so many feelings. I laughed, I cried, and at times I was angry. A good story can give you all the feels and still leave you happy at the end. And that’s what What I Should’ve Said.

The only complaint I have is the ending considering the events that lead up to it (I don’t want to spoil anything). I was happy that Norah and Bennett got their HEA.

I can’t wait to read Josie and Clay story in When I Should’ve Stayed.

⚠️Trigger Warning
* Terminal illness and death of a child
* Physical and emotional abuse
* Grief

What I Should've Said is the best, most heart wrenching book I've ever read by Max Monroe. It had all the sweetness, humor, and romance I've come to expect from them, but it also had me teary eyed as it pulled at my heart strings! I can't wait for the next book in this series!

When Norah's life implodes, she runs to her estranged sister. She meets Bennett on her way to her sister's house. The whole meeting scene seemed unrealistic. Norah walks into the road, makes a complete stranger stop, and then gets in their truck?

I do like how this book shows life isn't always roses but they tried to fit too much into one story, A sick child, death of a child, abusive ex, abusive mother, child abandonment, and more. This story had so much potential. If they would have kept it to just one or two issues, I think this would have been an amazing story.

I originally rated this a 5 star but when I sat to write my review, I had more issues with the story now that it has been some time since reading.