Spoken For

Clover Hill Romance #11

by A. Lee Welles

When Nat and Ian go on a blind date, there are sparks...

But Ian Wilson has no desire to get tied down to Clover Hill. Working at Grackle Comics is fine for now, but they feel like they’re... coasting. Someday soon, their stepdad’s house will be ready to put on the market so they can move back somewhere faster-paced. That’ll help them get the fiery Nat out of their head.

Especially because she refuses to speak to them. They’re both fundraising for the same bike ride from Baymill to Maple Heights. And Nat Belanger—who owns a bike shop— is incensed when she realizes Ian is taking donations from customers she was counting on. It doesn’t matter how danged hot they are. Small problem? They both have to go on this ride. But there are a lot of people on the ride. It’ll be easy to avoid each other, because that’s definitely what they both want. Right?

A sporty, flirty romance between a woman and a nonbinary/gender-questioning person.

blind date, rivals-to-lovers, only-two-tents, small town, genderqueer

Content warnings are available in the book's front matter and on the author's website

143 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 27, 2023

Reviews

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so fun to get back into this series!!! This book in particular fits so well into the series, I think it's one of the best at building into the town - you see a lot of cameos from characters we know - but more than that, you get the community and the queerness of the town very much in this book, and it happens even more because you have this moment of the outside (which is pretty much the real world) and of having to put a mask on and not fully be yourself.
The romance itself was so good!!! I really like the background with the biking, it's not a common thing to read about, but I like as this thing they both love and it brings them together, being something they share... and then you also have this strong personalities, and how easy it is for Nat to get mad and blow up at thing, and I love Ian being more centered, and also this book being an acceptance story for them!!!
This was really great for this series, and I continue to recommend Clover Hill!!!

(I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review!!! :D )

[Sue Trowbridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming novella features a bisexual bike shop owner, Nat Belanger, and nonbinary Ian Wilson. Nat has recently taken over her dad's bike shop following his retirement, and Ian just moved to the cozy, welcoming town of Clover Hill. Ian's not intending to stay permanently, though—they're fixing up their late stepfather's home, planning to sell it and then move back to their condo in the larger city of Baymill.

After Ian and Nat are set up on a blind date that ends poorly, Ian realizes how inconvenient it is that the owner of the only bike shop in town seems to despise them—since they need a tune-up before the big ride for charity both they and Nat will be doing. When the two of them wind up having to car-pool to the starting line, however, their attraction to one another becomes difficult to ignore.

There are two things I particularly appreciated about this novella. First of all, A. Lee Welles really knows their stuff when it comes to bikes. The bike shop setting and charity race were authentically depicted, and made me feel like I was right there on the ride with Ian and Nat. Secondly, Ian's gender journey seemed very genuine, as Ian was shifting from he/they to they/them pronouns. During a scene late in the book set back in Baymill, Ian recognizes how uncomfortable they feel when they are immediately viewed as a cisgender male ("It's almost like I'm code-switching," they realize). The more open-minded community of Clover Hill turned out to be a better fit for them at this point in their life.

Note: I received an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
One of the best things about Clover Hill for me is finding new (and new to me) authors to support, so I was so happy to see that the latest installment, Spoken For, was by debut author A. Lee Welles. Welles, like other Clover Hill authors, brings their own style to the series and town, and I loved reading about these characters and their niche interests. With the premise revolving around bike racing, and one of the settings being a bike shop, I liked how the terminology and semantics were included in a way that was easy to comprehend, even for someone who doesn’t know a lot about bikes.
The upcoming bike race makes for a great backdrop for the romance, with Nat being the owner of the shop, while Ian is staying in town for the moment, to fix up their late stepfather’s house. While things don’t get off on the best foot for them, I liked watching the two of them spend time together as they help with fundraising.
While the story is queer-positive, like all Clover Hill books, I appreciate how the characters discuss the nuances of their identities, from the bi/panphobia Nat dealt with in the past Ian’s state of being “gender-complicated,” as a character in the story terms it. Those experiences help form a contrast for how much safer and affirming Clover Hill is for queer people, with Nat being happily incorporated into the community, and Ian going on a journey of both embracing their true self and deciding to stay in town.
This is another sweet installment in the Clover Hill Romance series, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for queer small-town romance.

[Ida Umphers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nat and Ian strike sparks off each other immediately and at first, they are more those of irritation that attraction. Still, there's that underlying frisson of...something. Both of them are stuck in old patterns of behavior, Ian of keeping everything too close to the vest and Nat always expecting the worst and that derail their chances for a while. Fortunately, they have friends who don't hesitate to do a bit of scheming and provide a written kick in the pants to get them to open their eyes. I loved meeting these two and learning about bike riding safety and rules as there is a bike ride/fundraiser involved in the plot and Nat owns and operates the town bike shop. Also, lay in a supply of bread and your favorite jelly, jam or preserves, because when you read about the preserves Nat makes your going to need toast immediately. The Clover Hill authors know how to write about food and drink, lol.

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming novella about two stubborn bicycle enthusiasts with all the usual Clover Hills charm and some lovely cameos! The author hosted a readalong on Bluesky earlier this year and I had a blast reading it alongside their thoughts and analysis. So fascinating!

[Littlebookterror · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoken For begins with a charming date between Ian and Nat that turns frosty once she realizes they are the one who is taking donations for the bike ride fundraiser from people who are assuming it's her.

This started lovely, I liked the chemistry between the two main characters and Ian's story in particular about technically thriving in the city but being unhappy with his life was a lovely touch.
Yet as the story continued and we get to the actual bike ride, I was not convinced the initial spark they felt warranted the quick romance they got. The biking aspect was also not as interesting as it maybe could have been?
There is not much else to the plot, so as I did not really enjoy that part, I ultimately think this novella was just okay.


{And while I understand the wish to keep this series disconnected enough that you can jump in at any point, it does feel a little odd how to be 11 books deep and I still somehow don't really know Clover Hills? This did not affect the rating of this book but my overall disappointment with the series.]

I received an advanced reading copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.