I went into this one a little blind, I kept hearing wonderful things and was so excited to dive in. I expected some humor but I didn’t expect it to break me as much as it did. This book brought me to tears several times and it was such a beautiful story in the end. I absolutely devoured it and would for sure read it again. You will definitely catch me wearing some heart shaped sunglasses this summer in honor of this book 🩷 Thank you so much to Entangled and NetGalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review!

My first book by these authors and I am WRECKED! This story was full of so much emotion and I was ugly crying. The authors did so amazing at truly portraying the emotion of the story and making you feel it so deeply.

Norah is a runaway bride who only has one place to go. She appears at her estranged sister's doorstep in the small town they all used to live in. Her sister takes her in and Norah is determined to move on from her past and make something of herself. Bennett is the town grump and he's also there escaping an unhappy life in the big city. He has an amazing little girl who needs constant care. His sole focus is on taking care of her but Norah swoops in and steals both their hearts. The drama mixed in with Norah's ex being such an awful person had me on the edge of my seat and I was filled with worry for them all.

The banter between Norah and Bennett was so fun. They were back and forth fighting their feelings but they can't stay away from each other. The relationship with Bennett's daughter, Summer, and Norah is so heartwarming. They all needed each other to finally come to some peace in their lives. The small town was fun to visit and I loved the side characters. You will laugh, swoon, and cry throughout this story so have the tissues ready!

Thank you so much Netgalley, HambrightPR, and Max Monroe for the gifted copy!

3.6 stars

This book is not sunshine and rainbows. It’s tragic and has ripped my heart out. I shed tears multiple times while reading this. Proceed with caution, bc damn.

The ending felt rushed and a little wonky. I appreciated the ties into Summer, but something about their grieving process felt unnatural.

Want a book that’ll make you laugh out, bawl like a baby, and make you want to slap someone? This book. This BOOK. It has it all. I absolutely adored Bennet and Norah, the small town, the enemies to lovers, all of it. Goodreads only lets me do 4 stars, but StoryGraph lets me do 4.5, so that’s what it’s rated. Honest to goodness, you NEED to read this. When I say I bawled, I was hand to my mouth, out loud blubbering and sobbing, snot running down my face. When I laughed, I cackled like a demonic witch from the fairytales. ⅖ peppers. Excellent book. This one’s gonna stick with me for a while.

A swoony, emotional runaway bride romance with all the small-town charm! Bennett’s grumpy artist vibes and Norah’s city-girl chaos make for sizzling enemies-to-lovers tension. With heartfelt family drama, unexpected secrets, and a summer of self-discovery, this book is a perfect mix of angst, humor, and romance. Completely unputdownable! ❤️🔥

I laughed a little. Cried a little. I had my heart pounded by a book.
I found this so fun to read and really loved how wonderfully written it was. I was addicted from beginning to end. I love a book that draws you in and actually holds you throughout. I found it easy to read and on mind when I had to put it down.
Definitely worth reading!

What I Should've Said by Max Monroe is a heartfelt romance that explores themes of love, regret, and second chances. The story follows Norah Ellis, a runaway bride who escapes her controlling life in New York to find solace in the small town of Red Ridge, Vermont. There, she connects with her estranged sister and meets Bennett Bishop, a grumpy but endearing local artist.

Norah's journey from a lift of luxury to one of self-discovery is both touching and relatable. Bennett, with his rough exterior and soft heart, provides the perfect foil to Norah's character. Their chemistry is palpable, filled with witty and genuine moments of connection.

Max Monroe's writing is engaging, balancing humor with emotional depth. The dual POV narrative allows readers to fully immerse themselves in both Norah and Bennett's perspectives. The books pacing keeps readers hooked, making it hard to put down.

This is a beautifully written romance that leaves readers feeling both weepy and uplifted. It's a must-read for fans of contemporary romance and stories about finding oneself.

Some times this writing duo is a miss for me, but I loved this one! Definitely a hit! I adored Norah! This book was well written and held my attention from start to finish. This doesn't always happen, so I feel like I need to point this out. There was a lot of emotion packed into this book--loss, heartbreak, trauma. The love story between Norah and Bennett was really wonderful. Lots of great stuff packed into this book. Loved the spice. Enjoyable characters. I highly recommend this one! Huge thanks to Entangled and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

In the end, all I could think was……what a terribly sad book.
Thank goodness for the humorous aspect. And, the grumpy/sunshine was cute.
Definitely a very emotional read!
Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I sat down and read this in one day and ignored almost all my adult responsibilities. Norah and Bennett are so volatile and perfect in this rom-com with some very serious storylines as well. It takes you on an adventure that has you feeling all the feels and it was masterfully written. While some of it was predictable, other things were not. And I made it all the way to the end waiting to find out the story of Josie and Clay and didn’t get it! I’ll be waiting to find it out, because I now NEED to know.

I am not normally a reader who pays much attention to content warnings, BUT they should be present... and they were not. I think this is a common thread across reviewers in that this book is being marketed as a light-hearted romantic comedy when in reality there are some really dark and potentially triggering themes throughout. That alone has caused me to lower my rating.

This book was not personally for me. However, I feel like someone out there would love it! I think Norah is a strong female lead and loved her!

My initial impression of this book, was that it would be a cheesy romcom or hallmark movie love story. But, boy was I wrong. This book was an emotional roller coaster of loss, happiness, and anger. And encompassed many powerful messages and themes that adult readers can relate to. I ended this book in tears of both sadness and joy.

What I Should’ve Said follows Norah, a runaway bride on her adventures in Red Bridge as she attempts to create a new life. Little does she know that her world is going to be turned upside when she meets Ben and later Summer. You follow their story as they fight their growing attraction and attempt to face their pasts. What started off as a cliche romcom of a book ended as a surprising and compelling lesson on starting over, resilience and the power of family, friendship and love.

I really enjoyed Summers character. She was playful, fun and light. Her character came alive on the page and I could vividly picture her pink sunglasses and smile. Overall, I enjoyed the relationship between Norah and Ben and I really felt the push and pull that exists through the story. I felt content with the ending and truly felt that I had become a part of this little town of Red Bridge as I watched the journey from both Norah and Ben’s view.

I was apprehensive at first, as the beginning felt cliche. Norah’s initial exit and flee to a small town from a big city didn’t feel special. But, I do applaud how fun and laughable it was, especially Norah in the coffee shop. I do wish that there had been a little more foreshadowing in the first portion of the book about Summer and who she is to Ben. I also was not fond of the slapping from Norah who didn’t strike me as violent person. It felt very out of character with her overly cautious and gracious character.

The pacing of the book was good. Not too rushed and not slow. Both Norah’s and Ben’s minds felt different, so it was easy to follow the overall story when switching between characters. I felt there was a good resolution at the end especially knowing there’s a book 2.

Overall, I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed What I should’ve Said. It was a beautiful romance story of love, heartbreak and broken people and families. We all have battles to fight and I like that all of the characters had depth and stories to them. I am very much looking forward to continuing the story of Red Bridge in Book 2.

What I Should've Said took a greater emotional toll on me than I thought it would. Yes, it was funny and lighthearted and sexy but it was also deeply sad. A sadness that still resonates with me now more than an hour after I finished it. It was a beautiful read but man I can't seem to shake off the sadness. I enjoyed this story and loved going on this journey with the characters even though it left a bittersweet and sad aftertaste. I do highly recommend it because it was amazing but just be forewarned it will do a number on your emotions. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

4.5 stars overall

Oh my goodness. So many emotions while reading this one. I haven't cried so hard or so much while reading a book in a while. I definitely encourage anyone who wants to read this one to check the CW/TW and author's note before reading. It is a steamy romance and I enjoyed Norah and Bennett's story but man did it pull at my heartstrings and did I reach for multiple tissues. I thought I had an inkling as to what the big secret was in the envelope that Norah received on her wedding day but once all the details were revealed I was so shocked. I enjoyed the ending and now I'm looking forward to getting Josie and Clay's story. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book even if it made me ugly cry multiple times. This book will pull at your heartstrings, but it is oh so good. Be sure to have tissues handy.

*ARC REVIEW*
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

This book was the epitome of the old saying “never judge a book by its cover” as it took me on an emotional rollercoaster! 😭🥺 you may see this book on the shelf and find yourself thinking it will be a super fun summer romance read and while the romance aspect may ring true, it was so much more than that. 😭🩷

🌅Norah, our FMC, runs out on her wedding day and proceeds to return to a town in Vermont. While there, she reunites with her sister and learns that things are not quite as they were when she left.

🕶️She kicks off her welcome into town by having to hitchhike a ride with one other than Bennett Bishop, a famous artist who definitely leaves an impression on her.

🌅This romance brings all the heat, family love and a true sense of how a story can make you feel so much emotionally. Max Monroe has a true talent of taking such an emotionally broken piece and turning it into a beautifully broken work of art.

🕶️I instantly connected with these characters and felt like I was part of their little world for a while. 🩷by time I finished this read, I was a train wreck and can confirm that this was the most I’ve cried reading in over a YEAR.
If you’re looking for a spicy romance that also has plenty of heart, trials, surprising twists and more, this one is for you!
*please do CHECK TW as this book tackles some very heavy topics and emotional moments*

🌅Thank you so much to Entangled Publishing, Max Monroe and NetGalley for allowing me this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review! 🥹 Opinions are my own.

Two and a half stars. I read the description and was in for a fun runaway city bride clashes with small town guy rom-com vibes, and that's what you get for about 25% of the book. I finished it, but my guard was up as soon as the FMC slaps the MMC. And especially after she slaps him a third time. And then we get to the terminally ill child.

This book should really have content warnings including ex-partner abuse, death and endangerment of a child, death of a parent, mentions of trafficking and prostitution, and did I mention the death of a chronically ill child?

This is my first book from Max Monroe and I'm not sure I'll be back. Aside from being a different book than what I expected, I was hoping for more of a journey from the FMC. She went from being kind of a pushover to... maybe still being a pushover? I didn't love the trajectory.

Yeah, this one ended up being not for me. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’m so glad that the authors put a note of warning in the beginning of this arc. While I’ve only read a few of this author’s books, they were definitely light and fluffy romcoms. This book is not.

But I loved it. It is emotional and, at times, sad. There are moments of humor, though, that are typical for them. Be ready for tissues when you read Bennett and Norah’s story. It is one I will definitely remember and I can’t wait for the second story featuring Norah’s sister, Josie.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the updated advance readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I typically really enjoy books from this writing duo but I really struggled with some of the writing decisions in "What I Should've Said" .

While I wouldn't personally recommend this book, I definitely will read future books from this duo.

Thank you Max Monroe, Net Galley and Entangled Publishing LLC for providing me with an ARC of this book.