Came for the romance, stayed for the Real Housewives style drama. I love a second chance romance, especially when one or more of the MCs have just come out of a bad marriage. When Ebony, wedding planner extraordinaire, being publicly humiliated by her cheated husband of 10 years in a town full of gossips was the icing on the cake. Lincoln, an architect and one time hookup of Ebony’s (he tried to warn her) who has been pining for her since college. Are forced to work together on a project by Ebony’s truly evil mother in law, the sparks reignite. Will they be able to finally be together or will the obstacles be too much to overcome.
First, many a people in this book have terrible karma coming for them. I mean, stepping in a wet spot with fresh socks on karmic retribution.
I loved the romance between Lincoln and Ebony, but do feel like it was slightly overshadowed by all the other drama going on. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Such a great read! As a lover of second chance romances this was everything and more!! Their love story may have started off hectic but I truly enjoyed them conquering the ups and downs! Will only be adding this book to my shelf in my library

This book is perfect for fans of Kennedy Ryan's "Before I Let Go" and Lucy Score's "Story of my life"

Ebony is recently divorced and trying to find herself again, all while planning the lavish wedding of one of her best friends and her ex-husbands brother. Just when she thought she was done dealing with her ex monster in law....here she shows up again. And did I mention she's also working along side and old flame?

This is a slow burn, second chance romance, with a strong friend group.

I adored this book, and can't wait to read more from this series and this author.

This book is a hoot.

Ebony's been divorced for a year after catching her husband and his mistress in the act while being filmed live on tv.
Because they're all high profile people, sides get taken, and Ebony has been facing harassment online.
After a year has passed, she's done grieving and ready to step out again to pick up her career as a high-end wedding planner and find love again.

This was so good. It reminded me of a mixture of rom-com and reality tv. Her ex-husband and his mother are so messy, and I loved how Ebony dealt with it and ultimately hit back. Lincoln is a gem who wears his heart on his sleeve. What I enjoyed most was that once they were in, they were both locked in. The communication between them and their friends was so healthy and refreshing.
There's a couple of open door scenes. The chemistry of Ebony and Lincoln in their daily interactions and the inside jokes they both had with their friends, however, carried this story for me.

With a full summer ahead of us, I'd say that The Divorcétante is the perfect second chance divorcée romance to enjoy in the sun.

I resale enjoyed reading this book. It was a great story, more than just a love story. It's about loving yourself, choosing yourself. It's also about friendship and how it's important to a good support system around you. I liked how it was described in this book between the girls and the guys. The drama was also a great addition.

This was a medium paced, second-chance romance. I enjoyed it overall and think the messiness of it will do well to inspire lots of discussion in reading groups (16 and up).

If surviving a televised cheating scandal, serving face at brunch, and snatching your crown back were an Olympic sport then Ebony Grace Livingston would take home the gold. 🥂👑

This book is Black Girl Luxury meets Second Chance Romance, and I inhaled every juicy, scandalous, slow burny chapter like it was gossip at the salon. Ebony went from trophy wife to ✨CEO of Her Damn Self✨ and I was living for it.

Let’s break it down:
✨Husband? Trash. Public cheating? On brand for men. 💅
✨Mother-in-law? Satan in Chanel.
✨Ebony? STUNNING. GLOWING. THRIVING.
✨Lincoln? The tattooed architect with emotional intelligence and big hands energy. HELLO, SIR. 😩👏

The tension? So thick I was holding my breath.
The chemistry? Sparks were flying before they even kissed.
And when they did kiss??!! Let’s just say I’ll never walk past a waterfall the same again. 🌊🔥

But beyond the spice and sass, this book hits you with truth: about reinvention, self-worth, and refusing to be the villain in someone else’s weak little story.

Ebony said ✨plot twist✨ and became the main character of her own damn life.

If you love:
💕 Friends to Lovers
🔁 Second Chances
💄 Luxe Black Girl Drama
💅 Petty, powerful revenge arcs
🥵 A slow burn that erupts

This book is your new obsession. Ebony Grace isn’t just finding herself, she’s giving rich auntie energy and rewriting the rules.

This was an okay read for me. The writing style was a little hard to get into and the drama was too over the top for me.
It did enjoy the chemistry between the main characters. Just wish the drama didn't overshadow the romance.

First of all, with a cover and title like The Divorcétante, I was already excited for the story inside.

We start out with a scandal and see how our FMC deals with the aftermath of it all.
Ebony has married into a family that is all about appearances, success and money. She's a perfectionist herself, but hasn't always made the best decisions. When she finds out that her husband has not only been cheating, but so much more, Ebony leaves that life behind with her head held high and wanting to only succeed with her wedding planning business. WIth a high profile wedding on the docket, her past comes rolling back in more ways than one.

Right from the start, this felt like a messy reality tv show. Lies, secrets, scandals, with a no good, horrible mother in law that was out to destroy Ebony if she wouldn't kneel to what she wants. For some reason, I didn't connect with Ebony right off the bat. I did like that she left a bad situation and made lemonade out of all the lemons, but there was just something off about her. Maybe it was that I adored Lincoln so much. He was a man that knew what he wanted and he was going to show Ebony what she was missing. Unfortunately, it took her a couple of horrible dates to see what was right in front of her.

Life after divorce is difficult to find yourself again, but Lincoln was there to pick up the pieces and show that Ebony made a wrong decision all those years ago. I liked their connection and friendship and how well they worked together and ended up liking the last half more than the first.

Overall, the growth, friendships and unveiling of secrets within the families in this book set a good foundation for more stories to come. Just wish I would've connected to Ebony quicker.

At the beginning of the book, Ebony finds out her husband is cheating on her after an appearance on a morning talk show.

She divorces him and takes time away from her event planning business to try to get her life together. She gets asked to plan her best friend’s sister’s wedding to her ex-brother-in-law. She has a life coach. She has a plan to get her groove back.

Then she finds out she is going to be working with an ex love. Lincoln is the architect in charge of the restoration of the place where the wedding will take place. She has to work closely with him to pull off the wedding of the bride’s dreams. She also has her ex-mother-in-law in charge of all of it to deal with. All while her ex-husband is trying to get her back even though he got his high profile mistress pregnant.

Y’all, this story was a whole lot of drama. Rabid fans. Social media posts. Dating concierges. And my favorite part, falling in love with the man she should have chosen to begin with.

I enjoyed every part of this book. Everything got wrapped up just as I hoped it would.

𝙰𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 & 𝙴𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠
𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Divorcetante by Mia Heintzelman was easily a 5-star read. I normally don't read books with the cheating trope, but man, this book handled that topic so maturely. It also handled the topic of what someone loves, life, feelings, and life after your partner betrays you, and also how life could be after the divorce is final, and you're free again, and reinventing your life.
Between Ebony Grace Livingston, who was raised to be flawless. A debutante-turned-elite event planner, she built a life around breathtaking galas, whispered exclusives, and the kind of connections money can’t buy. After her divorce, Ebony decides she’s done curating perfection for everyone but herself.

The audiobook is dual narrated by J.Y. Kora and Midnight Michael. They both did a good job, but Midnight Michael is easily becoming a favorite of my male narrators. They were both easy to listen to and understand. Listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, Honey Blossom Press, for the ebook, and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 🌟

"My former friend. The one who got away. Because she was never mine to begin with."

"I’m supposed to be dating, reinventing myself, starting anew. Yet with every step, Lincoln Bridges reminds me he’s a perfectly viable option. He’s always been right here. He’ll always be here."

Second Chance Romance at it's finest! 😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥

Ebony is in a position to change her life the way SHE wants after a messy and embarrassing divorce . Lincoln is the blast from the past she was NOT expecting to run into again, much less work with on her current wedding planning project. Second chances never looked so good . THE DIVORCETANTE is a romantic comedy full of close proximity, Second chances at Love, sister circles , and what it means to pave your own path.

The Divorcétante was a great rom-com book craving a rom-com second chance, with a little friend to lover’s trope story. Rediscovering yourself after a Divorce can be embarrassing, hard, depressing, and lonely. I love how Mia, allowed Ebony Grace to find herself again, She didn’t believe the lies and she did not allow her past circumstances to dictate her present or her future after a messy divorce.

Ebony Grace, was beautiful in all ways, and she learned how to love again after ending a bad marriage. She was the epitome of how a black woman can stand with grace after being Divorce. Lincoln and Ebony showed tension, but the chemistry between these two was unmatched. I also love how Mia didn’t introduce the steamy pieces until the end of the book, which allowed the characters to have a friendship/relationship first. These two really played the kissing game 

I admire how Ebony Grace also stood up to her mother who was trying to dictate her life by telling her to settle just because Julian was handsome, wealthy, despite he cheated on her and publicly humiliated her, not to mention impregnated someone. Her mother words “all you have to do is put on your crown and smile.”

That was the way of the past, women no longer must tolerate those things anymore, Shared Values, Tenderness, Loyalty, and being Intelligent are requested these days and if they’re lacking those things, women now have the right to say NO!

Grace:
Simple Elegance or Refinement of Movement
Unmerited favor of God

Takeaways:
Courage to be unapologetically me
Live life on your terms

Source: 📖🎧

This was a 5/5 ⭐ read for me!

Narrated by J.Y. Kora; Midnite Michael and they did an excellent job! Midnite’s voice was perfect!
Thank you Mia Heintzelman, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the e-ARC, and e-ALC.

This is Greenleaf without the pulpit, and Something New without the white guy but all the mess, betrayal, and reinvention you could want.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ebook!

Ebony thought she married into a life of luxury and love but behind the gated community and designer labels was a cheating husband and a nightmare of a mother-in-law. When Ebony finally finds the strength to walk away, her hell of a mother-in-law is hellbent on launching a revenge campaign to make Ebony regret ever leaving her golden boy.

Ebony is not the same woman she was ten years ago and reading how she reclaimed her voice, and stop playing nice was chef’s kiss. This is a story of survival, sabotage, and sweet revenge mixed with second chance/ friends to lovers.

It goes without saying that I absolutely love this author and this book was no exception, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be coming back for more!

This is actually the first book from The Divatantes series and I am so so glad that there are more books to come as I need to find out more from this gorgeous exclusive luxurious world!

Ebony is the debutante - turned elite event planner and is rebuilding her life after a failed marriage and attempting to start over as the perfectionist that she is.

I was instantly pulled into the binge worthy pages of this book and each chapter very easily pushed me along to the next one and the next! With the authors witty one liners and beautiful style of writing this book kept me engrossed right until the very end.

The chemistry between Ebony & Lincoln was perfect and kept me wanting more and it was emotional, a wonderful romance, the perfect amount of funny, a slow burn, full of second chances and scandal and was a perfect read for the Summer…

Calling this a banger is an understatement.

Thank you Honey Blossom Press, Mia Heintzelman and Netgalley for the ARC.

I might be exposing my age here but the book is giving Greenleaf, Single Ladies (Ebony is such a Raquel to me) and the real housewives of Atlanta AND Potomac, in the best possible way. I was HERE for all the drama.

I enjoyed the plot twists, the surprises, the dialogue and the mannerisms of the characters. Ebony was self assured and confident in her talent while coming off genuine and sincere. Many characters in her position would come off fake and putting on airs above their abilities. Her growth and self reflections were really inspiring.
Lincoln was a very good MMC. I love the gentle way he supported Ebony while giving her the freedom to connect with him at a pace that worked with how she recovers from her previous life.

I loved the side characters very much. Even the “villains” were equally realistic and entertaining.

4.75 stars because some parts slight dragged for me; but that is me problem lol. Otherwise this is a solid contemporary romance.

I have other Mia Heintzelman books on my TBR list that I think I should get to, ASAP.

The Divorcetante is a fabulous, addictive and very gossipy novel about smart women and second chances.

Ebony Grace Livingston is a fierce, strong, independent woman who had it all. Until her man decided to ruin it by cheating on her publicly. Ebony will pick herself up with the help of her dinamic girlfriends, reinvent herself, and do what she does best, work!
There is also a hot man named Lincoln that still feels a little something for Ebony, the one that got away.

I loved reading this book so much. It has successful women, a mean spirited mother in law, shady ex husband's, a manor that is being restored, and just so much glamour and bouginess to fill my heart's desires. First time reading this author, and I will most definitely read her other works.

Thank you, Netgalley and Honey Blossom Press/IBPA, for this fabulous ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

Let me start by saying, as someone who lives for the drama, I had high expectations going in, and this book did not disappoint!! The level of scandal delivered was chef’s kiss, like, think Real Housewives energy. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! It’s an emotional rollercoaster that had me feeling anxious, infuriated, and entertained, while also deeply rooting for Ebony as she rebuilt herself after her humiliating divorce from the so-called “Prince of Ellswood” that was her sad sack of a husband, Julian.

Despite every curveball thrown her way, Ebony rises above it all. She transforms into the Diva who takes back control, refuses to be anyone’s puppet, and walks with power and grace. When moments of self-doubt creep in, her Divatante friends (and especially Lincoln!) are there to remind her of her strength and worth (Cornelia, her ex MIL, didn’t stand a chance, let’s be honest).

The romance between Lincoln and Ebony is just as sweet as it is heartfelt. Lincoln is charming, sensitive, patient, and deeply supportive—total cinnamon roll energy. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the pacing of their second chance romance feels just right. There’s something magical about two people picking up where they left off, as if time paused rather than passed. You can feel their love from the very beginning. Swoooooooooooned. (Also that man is FOINE)

I loved the lighthearted tone paired with the emotional depth. The banter between friends, the pacing of the story, and the honest portrayal of divorce, self-worth, and fresh starts made this such a rewarding read. Mia Heintzelman brings a refreshing, humorous touch to complex themes—and I felt seen in so many moments.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Honey Blossom Press, and Mia Heintzelman for the advanced copy! This was a romcom I didn't know I needed!

4/5

This was my first novel by Mia Heintzlman and will not be my last.

If you like scandal, upper-society drama, or The Real Housewives franchise then The Divorcétante is for you.

Ebony Grace Livingston is newly divorced after her husband embarrassed her in the worst way and she is now reclaiming her time and taking back what’s hers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mia Heintzlman for the ARC.

Oh. My. Goodness. this was such a cute story! This book is an absolute delight from start to finish. It was heartwarming, empowering, and genuinely entertaining read.

From the get-go, Mia, pulls you into Ebony's world with such charm and wit. And speaking of Ebony, I absolutely loved how she became that Diva and took control of her life! Watching her journey of self-discovery and transformation after such a major life upheaval was incredibly inspiring. She truly embodies the idea that sometimes, the end of one chapter is just the beginning of your best one yet.

Now, let's talk about the characters who really made this story sing (and sometimes, scream). First up: Cornelia. Cornelia, count your days woman! Seriously, the audacity, the sheer nerve! Every time she appeared on the page, I was both infuriated and thoroughly entertained by her antics. She serves as the perfect foil, highlighting Ebony's grace and resilience even more.

And LINCOLN. Sigh. Lincoln is definitely Bae. He's charming, supportive, and everything you could want in a leading man. Their chemistry is undeniable, and watching their relationship unfold was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book. He's the kind of character you root for from the moment he appears.

The author has crafted a narrative that is both lighthearted and deeply resonant. She tackles the complexities of divorce, self-worth, and new beginnings with a refreshing honesty and a healthy dose of humor. The pacing is spot-on, the dialogue is snappy, and the emotional beats land perfectly.