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The Ladies Who Brunch #3
Now's The Time
“Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get.”
That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man.
He wooed me with dirty jokes, 80s musical references, an obsession with Steve Harvey, and a very specific piercing. How the hell was I supposed to fight that?
However, I should have listened to my gut because my reaction to him wasn’t just physical—it was more, something I hadn’t felt since the last man I let in left me all alone, and I vowed never to fall in love again.
Six weeks later, I find out I’m the new PR spokesperson for The Los Angeles Bolts football team, a team that just signed Maddox Taylor to their roster in hopes of a winning season.
With his signature cocky swagger, he corners me in my office, intent on rekindling our connection, but the tables had turned—I was now working for his team which created a conflict of interest, and put my job and both of our reputations on the line.
But that stubborn man wasn’t taking no for an answer, and before I knew it, I agreed to date him in secret even though relationships weren’t my thing.
And when Maddox had finally had enough of me refusing to open up, I was faced with a choice—do I let go of the one man that I’ve ever contemplated letting in despite the rules I’ve lived under for the past twelve years?
Or was now the time to face my demons so I could hold onto a future I didn’t know I wanted…
TW: loss of a loved one, themes of grief
That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man.
He wooed me with dirty jokes, 80s musical references, an obsession with Steve Harvey, and a very specific piercing. How the hell was I supposed to fight that?
However, I should have listened to my gut because my reaction to him wasn’t just physical—it was more, something I hadn’t felt since the last man I let in left me all alone, and I vowed never to fall in love again.
Six weeks later, I find out I’m the new PR spokesperson for The Los Angeles Bolts football team, a team that just signed Maddox Taylor to their roster in hopes of a winning season.
With his signature cocky swagger, he corners me in my office, intent on rekindling our connection, but the tables had turned—I was now working for his team which created a conflict of interest, and put my job and both of our reputations on the line.
But that stubborn man wasn’t taking no for an answer, and before I knew it, I agreed to date him in secret even though relationships weren’t my thing.
And when Maddox had finally had enough of me refusing to open up, I was faced with a choice—do I let go of the one man that I’ve ever contemplated letting in despite the rules I’ve lived under for the past twelve years?
Or was now the time to face my demons so I could hold onto a future I didn’t know I wanted…
TW: loss of a loved one, themes of grief
402 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2024
152 people are currently reading
1354 people want to read
About the author
Harlow James
33 books1,440 followersHarlow James is a wife and mom who fell in love with romance novels, so she decided to write her own.
Her books are the perfect blend of heartwarming, addictive, and steamy romance. If you love stories with strong females, found family and friend groups, and plenty of emotion and steam with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then Harlow is your new best friend.
When she's not writing, she can be found working her day job, reading every romance novel she can find time for, laughing with her husband and kids, watching re-runs of FRIENDS, and spending time cooking for her friends and family while drinking champagne or a blended margarita.
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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Harlow-James/e...
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Website: https://harlowjamesauthor.com/
Her books are the perfect blend of heartwarming, addictive, and steamy romance. If you love stories with strong females, found family and friend groups, and plenty of emotion and steam with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then Harlow is your new best friend.
When she's not writing, she can be found working her day job, reading every romance novel she can find time for, laughing with her husband and kids, watching re-runs of FRIENDS, and spending time cooking for her friends and family while drinking champagne or a blended margarita.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarlowJamesA...
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/49499...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harlowjames...
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/b2x1q8
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Harlow-James/e...
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/harlo...
Website: https://harlowjamesauthor.com/
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March 15, 2024💜NOW AVAILABLE IN AUDIO💜
Narrated by Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan, these two brought Penelope and Maddox to life in the BEST way!
Listen NOW: http://mybook.to/nowsthetime
NOW AVAILABLE💜
Now's The Time, Book 3 in The Ladies Who Brunch Series is NOW LIVE!
See why readers are declaring this is the BEST book in the series!
Sports romance ✅
Secret relationship ✅
Workplace romance ✅
Alpha cinnamon roll hero ✅
Pierced NFL player who tells dirty jokes 😉
Sassy and empowered heroine ✅
Female friendships ✅
PLENTY OF STEAM 🔥🔥
READ Today: http://mybook.to/nowsthetime
Narrated by Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan, these two brought Penelope and Maddox to life in the BEST way!
Listen NOW: http://mybook.to/nowsthetime
NOW AVAILABLE💜
Now's The Time, Book 3 in The Ladies Who Brunch Series is NOW LIVE!
See why readers are declaring this is the BEST book in the series!
Sports romance ✅
Secret relationship ✅
Workplace romance ✅
Alpha cinnamon roll hero ✅
Pierced NFL player who tells dirty jokes 😉
Sassy and empowered heroine ✅
Female friendships ✅
PLENTY OF STEAM 🔥🔥
READ Today: http://mybook.to/nowsthetime
March 15, 2024
🎧🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧🎧
Absolute #swoonfest!
I want to be A Lady Who Brunches! Pretty pleeeeeeeease! :) I love this group of woman (and their partners) that Harlow has created, and the audiobook experiences have been superb!
Maddox and Penelope were kismet. They might not have known it (okay, so Maddox knew lol), but they were two peas that belonged in the same pod. I absolutely LOVE every characteristic that Harlow wrote in these two characters. They were perfectly imperfect, relatable, and incredibly realistic. I loved them as individuals, but I’m pretty sure I would walk on fire for them as a couple. Their story was sexy and flirty but also deeply moving and emotional. Even now, writing these few words, I’m tearing up remembering some of the real-every-day plot points that Harlow wrote in the story … the friendship, the camaraderie, the growth, the relationship building, the absolute perfection that is Penelope & Maddox! You guys … there’s a press conference and MY HEART!!!! I’ll never be the same.
Jacob Morgan surprised me in this story. I know that sounds like I’m normally disappointed in his narrations, but not really. He just has this way of sounding very detached when he’s narrating any type of inner monologue to the point where he comes across as reading rather than narrating and GAH I get twitchy! LOL BUT, he didn’t come across that way this time, hence my surprise! Erin Mallon, of course, was utter perfection and they both elevated this story for me! Well done!
Absolute #swoonfest!
I want to be A Lady Who Brunches! Pretty pleeeeeeeease! :) I love this group of woman (and their partners) that Harlow has created, and the audiobook experiences have been superb!
Maddox and Penelope were kismet. They might not have known it (okay, so Maddox knew lol), but they were two peas that belonged in the same pod. I absolutely LOVE every characteristic that Harlow wrote in these two characters. They were perfectly imperfect, relatable, and incredibly realistic. I loved them as individuals, but I’m pretty sure I would walk on fire for them as a couple. Their story was sexy and flirty but also deeply moving and emotional. Even now, writing these few words, I’m tearing up remembering some of the real-every-day plot points that Harlow wrote in the story … the friendship, the camaraderie, the growth, the relationship building, the absolute perfection that is Penelope & Maddox! You guys … there’s a press conference and MY HEART!!!! I’ll never be the same.
Jacob Morgan surprised me in this story. I know that sounds like I’m normally disappointed in his narrations, but not really. He just has this way of sounding very detached when he’s narrating any type of inner monologue to the point where he comes across as reading rather than narrating and GAH I get twitchy! LOL BUT, he didn’t come across that way this time, hence my surprise! Erin Mallon, of course, was utter perfection and they both elevated this story for me! Well done!
September 2, 2022
4.5 stars!
The Ladies Who Brunch series by Harlow James is starting to become one of my favourites she’s written, and I had been eagerly anticipating Penelope’s story after getting to know her character in the previous books.
Penelope is strong and independent, only needing a man in her life when she has an itch to scratch. She knows what she wants, to be the best in her field of PR. When she meets Maddox on an event night when he’s visiting LA, she knows that a night with the playboy star QB is not the best thing to do, but would be one of the most fun, so they spend the night together, knowing that’s all it can be, despite them both feeling like it could turn to more. Until two months later, Maddox has been transferred to the LA NFL team, and guess who is asked to do their PR… Penelope. Not wanting to appear unprofessional and admit their fling, Penelope swears Maddox to secrecy, but he sees it as a challenge. This is the one who got away, the woman he knew could become his one, if she gave him the chance. Can Maddox break down Penelope’s walls and get her to face her past, and convince her she is worthy of the happy ever after they deserve?
Maddox and Penelope started off with a bang, quite literally. Their chemistry was through the roof, and I liked how the bounced off one another instantly. Maddox was such a great hero, he had every quality you need in a guy, charm, humour, sweetness, but there was something more about him, his ability to just listen and be there for Penelope when she needed him to be, but also give her space when she needed it too. He never pushed Penelope unless he knew she needed it, hello, tying her up to a bed to get her to open up to him, but with the important things, he let her come to him, which just made for the best reunion scenes from this series so far. They both initially kept secrets form one another, but as those walls between them eroded, the truth was revealed, and it showed they had way more in common than they thought, and they had both suffered loss, which made their bond even more special.
Penelope all along has reminded me of Samantha from Sex and the City, which I am pretty sure is the vibe Harlow was aiming for and pulled it off perfectly. They have similar strengths and flaws, being incredibly sex positive, an independent woman who doesn’t need a man, at all, but she might want one on her own terms. But Penelope had a reason for keeping men at arm’s length, a past trauma that meant she would never open her heart for a man again, due to feeling guilty and not worthy of love. The connection she shared with Maddox reminded Penelope of a boy from her past, and that’s what sent her into a spiral, and convinced her it was worth keeping Maddox at a distance, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. The emotions she went through trying to heal were very moving, and it was clear how long she had kept them bottled up for. But with the support of her friends, she got through it, and came out the other side with the closure she needed. I adored her friendship group as well, as a girl who loves a brunch with her besties, it felt like I was sat at the table with my own friends in every brunch scene, the chaos, the conversations, the humour, the support and the honesty is what every girl group needs.
The story had everything I’ve come to expect from Harlow, the funny cute romantic side, the steamy, sexy, and hot scenes, but also the deeper and more meaningful conversations that actually help form a real relationship. It’s easy to get caught up in the steam and romance, but without those hard conversations about facing your pasts traumas and overcoming them, you will never fully heal.
These Ladies Who Brunch are one of the best group of friends I’ve read in a while, and I wish I was part of the gang. Penelope and Maddox’s story is my favourite from this series so far, but I can’t wait to read Noelle’s story next as her journey to love certainly won’t be easy after making some pretty huge life decisions in the first three books!
The Ladies Who Brunch series by Harlow James is starting to become one of my favourites she’s written, and I had been eagerly anticipating Penelope’s story after getting to know her character in the previous books.
Penelope is strong and independent, only needing a man in her life when she has an itch to scratch. She knows what she wants, to be the best in her field of PR. When she meets Maddox on an event night when he’s visiting LA, she knows that a night with the playboy star QB is not the best thing to do, but would be one of the most fun, so they spend the night together, knowing that’s all it can be, despite them both feeling like it could turn to more. Until two months later, Maddox has been transferred to the LA NFL team, and guess who is asked to do their PR… Penelope. Not wanting to appear unprofessional and admit their fling, Penelope swears Maddox to secrecy, but he sees it as a challenge. This is the one who got away, the woman he knew could become his one, if she gave him the chance. Can Maddox break down Penelope’s walls and get her to face her past, and convince her she is worthy of the happy ever after they deserve?
Maddox and Penelope started off with a bang, quite literally. Their chemistry was through the roof, and I liked how the bounced off one another instantly. Maddox was such a great hero, he had every quality you need in a guy, charm, humour, sweetness, but there was something more about him, his ability to just listen and be there for Penelope when she needed him to be, but also give her space when she needed it too. He never pushed Penelope unless he knew she needed it, hello, tying her up to a bed to get her to open up to him, but with the important things, he let her come to him, which just made for the best reunion scenes from this series so far. They both initially kept secrets form one another, but as those walls between them eroded, the truth was revealed, and it showed they had way more in common than they thought, and they had both suffered loss, which made their bond even more special.
Penelope all along has reminded me of Samantha from Sex and the City, which I am pretty sure is the vibe Harlow was aiming for and pulled it off perfectly. They have similar strengths and flaws, being incredibly sex positive, an independent woman who doesn’t need a man, at all, but she might want one on her own terms. But Penelope had a reason for keeping men at arm’s length, a past trauma that meant she would never open her heart for a man again, due to feeling guilty and not worthy of love. The connection she shared with Maddox reminded Penelope of a boy from her past, and that’s what sent her into a spiral, and convinced her it was worth keeping Maddox at a distance, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. The emotions she went through trying to heal were very moving, and it was clear how long she had kept them bottled up for. But with the support of her friends, she got through it, and came out the other side with the closure she needed. I adored her friendship group as well, as a girl who loves a brunch with her besties, it felt like I was sat at the table with my own friends in every brunch scene, the chaos, the conversations, the humour, the support and the honesty is what every girl group needs.
The story had everything I’ve come to expect from Harlow, the funny cute romantic side, the steamy, sexy, and hot scenes, but also the deeper and more meaningful conversations that actually help form a real relationship. It’s easy to get caught up in the steam and romance, but without those hard conversations about facing your pasts traumas and overcoming them, you will never fully heal.
These Ladies Who Brunch are one of the best group of friends I’ve read in a while, and I wish I was part of the gang. Penelope and Maddox’s story is my favourite from this series so far, but I can’t wait to read Noelle’s story next as her journey to love certainly won’t be easy after making some pretty huge life decisions in the first three books!
September 2, 2022
“I miss you, but I'll be here when you're ready. You and I are meant to be, Penelope. And that's something I will not let you argue with me about.”
I discovered Harlow James and The Ladies Who Brunch series not long ago, but I immediately liked the group of best friends and was looking forward to reading the rest of it! Now's the Time is the third installment and follows Penelope, a PR rep, and Maddox, an NFL star quarterback. They met at a party thrown by Penelope's company and ended up having a one-night stand that neither of them forgot. A few weeks later, Penelope becomes the new PR rep for an NFL team, the one Maddox was just traded to! Now they must work together and deal with their growing connection.
After reading Charlotte's and Amelia's books, I was eager to dive into Penelope's and learn more about her. From the previous installments, it's clear that she's not looking for a serious relationship and is happy with casual relationships, but you can also tell that she's hiding things from the girls. As for Maddox, he has been mentioned several times before and appears to be a party animal who is not looking to settle down in a relationship. As you read their book, you realize that they are more than that and that they are both affected by something that happened in their past. From the first time they met, the chemistry between Penelope and Maddox was amazing and I also enjoyed the way they bantered with each other. I was immediately engrossed in their relationship, filled with steamy moments but also emotional ones!
Penelope doesn't take crap from anyone and is desperate to make things work with the Los Angeles Bolts, even though it reminds her of a lot of what she's lost in the past. On top of that, she's had to deal with her feelings for Maddox and try to keep him at arm's length, for the sake of her job and her heart. But at some point, Penelope had to face her past and her traumas. I loved how she trusted the girls and learned to trust Maddox and eventually fall in love with him. Her character's development was chef's kiss!
Maddox was the perfect boyfriend material! He was instantly attracted to Penelope and knew he wanted more than just a hookup with her. He was the sweetest guy, always trying to get her attention and gain her trust. She was adamant about not starting a relationship with him, but Maddox remained patient and showered her with cute little gestures and dates. They had to keep their romance a secret because of Penelope's duties on the team, which made their development even better. I was captivated by them from beginning to end, and the last few chapters were so cute!
The scenes between the girls and Maddox and his family were also great, and overall, I really enjoyed reading Now's the Time. I'm already looking forward to Noelle's book because I love single parent trope! I initially thought she was going to be paired with Jeffrey or one of Maddox's teammates, but her love interest sounds interesting! I can't wait to see how their relationship plays out!
*ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
September 4, 2022
3.5 ⭐️
“𝙃𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚”
Penelope was one of my most anticipated girls in this series. She’s such a strong, independent women who doesn’t take shit from anyone. She has a lot of pain revolving around love and Harlow James deep dives into Penelope’s past and more. Within the first couple of chapters she meets Maddox whose very persistent, attentive, funny and not to mention drop dead gorgeous. He reminds her so much of her past and immediately puts her walls up.
It is a slow burn in ways to reveal Penelope and Maddox’s past, but also for their relationship to progress. Harlow James delivers humour throughout the entire book, raw and real characters, guaranteed spice and more!
“𝙃𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚”
Penelope was one of my most anticipated girls in this series. She’s such a strong, independent women who doesn’t take shit from anyone. She has a lot of pain revolving around love and Harlow James deep dives into Penelope’s past and more. Within the first couple of chapters she meets Maddox whose very persistent, attentive, funny and not to mention drop dead gorgeous. He reminds her so much of her past and immediately puts her walls up.
It is a slow burn in ways to reveal Penelope and Maddox’s past, but also for their relationship to progress. Harlow James delivers humour throughout the entire book, raw and real characters, guaranteed spice and more!
March 14, 2024
Reread via audio! Narrators Jacob Morgan and Erin Mallon! Releases March 15th. My original review still stands but man hearing these stories come to LIFE has been so amazing!!!!!!! These two narrators did such an amazing job and brought to life these characters! Pen’s story is a more emotional one than you ever think and these narrators made me so emotional hearing the true emotions they were invoking!
Oh Penelope! Oh Maddox! I have been so excited for Penelope’s book since Book one in The Ladies Who Brunch Series! And did Harlow DELIVER her to us on the biggest silver fucking platter!
Our girl Pen has a lot of deep hurt and it has been alluding to through the series and finally getting to peel back her layers was both beautiful and heartbreaking! She loves other people so hard sometimes she forgot to love herself!
And MADDOX! Hello book husband! Your gorgeous gorgeous dirty man! He was the PERFECT layer peeler for our stubborn Pen! He was persistent but not in a creepy way. Lol. And he was so patient and steadfast with Penelope and basically I was just constantly SWOONING AND MELTING! His corny dirty jokes and his love for 80’s music. Just *chefs kisses*
Harlow writes such relatable characters! I could see myself in both the M and F leads! And man was I laughing sooo much on this one! The whole gang just cracked me up!
The sports romance aspect was EVERYTHING to me because I’m a fucking ho for a sports romance and Harlow did it so well!!!
5 STARS!
And man Noelle’s story. I CANNOT WAIT!
Oh Penelope! Oh Maddox! I have been so excited for Penelope’s book since Book one in The Ladies Who Brunch Series! And did Harlow DELIVER her to us on the biggest silver fucking platter!
Our girl Pen has a lot of deep hurt and it has been alluding to through the series and finally getting to peel back her layers was both beautiful and heartbreaking! She loves other people so hard sometimes she forgot to love herself!
And MADDOX! Hello book husband! Your gorgeous gorgeous dirty man! He was the PERFECT layer peeler for our stubborn Pen! He was persistent but not in a creepy way. Lol. And he was so patient and steadfast with Penelope and basically I was just constantly SWOONING AND MELTING! His corny dirty jokes and his love for 80’s music. Just *chefs kisses*
Harlow writes such relatable characters! I could see myself in both the M and F leads! And man was I laughing sooo much on this one! The whole gang just cracked me up!
The sports romance aspect was EVERYTHING to me because I’m a fucking ho for a sports romance and Harlow did it so well!!!
5 STARS!
And man Noelle’s story. I CANNOT WAIT!
September 6, 2022
ARC kindly provided for the author in exchange fot an honest review
At this point I think it's safe to say that Harlow James is one of my favorite authors and that I'm going to read whatever she publishes because with each new book she outdoes herself, and even though Now's The Time didn't take away from No One Else its place as my favorite of the series, it was a story that I really enjoyed, even at the moments when my heart was breaking for Penelope & Maddox, because these two were very different from how I had imagined them, in the best of ways of course, and they made me feel many things throughout the book. Also, I LOVED reading more about these girls I love, about the guys being Maddox's biggest fans, and I have to say that I'm falling more and more in love with Jeffrey and his silly, reckless & unfiltered personality.
Since Never Say Never Penelope was the character that caught my attention the most, her strong, dominant & fun personality captivated me from her first appearance and I did not expect that her personal story was so complicated, heartbreaking and made me love her even more. Pen is a woman who uses humor to hide the pain and guilt she has felt for several years, something that surprised me and broke my heart a lot, she loves with all her being, has a big heart and is a very professional woman who has her goals very clear & rules in place to avoid being hurt again. However, everything turns upside down in her life, personal and professional, when she meets Maddox Taylor, a man who is everything Penelope has run away from and to whom she feels attracted from the first moment.
Maddox is the new quarterback of the Los Angeles Bolts, a flirtatious, friendly & very tender man who loves dirty jokes, he's the perfect balance between sexy, hot and adorable, like Penelope, he has gone through situations that have led him to be who he is and seek to be a better person every day, something I loved about his character, as well as his efforts to conquer Pen, always tell her what he thinks, feels and make hersee that she's worth it. Plus, Maddox's character adds a bit of drama to the plot with all the rumors surrounding his trade and a lot of fun with the members of his new team, especially Hayden.
Penelope & Maddox have no easy path: it all starts as a casual one night stand that turns into a secret relationship when Pen becomes the new PR rep for the Los Angeles Bolts., but in addition to the forbidden component Maddox has to fight to gain Penelope's trust, to make her let him into her heart and to show her that he is capable of being patient and understanding with her, something that she achieves from the first moment and that does nothing but scare Penelope because of the things he makes her feel, and that is that Maddox is the cutest and most tender of the men in this series and I loved reading him falling in love with Pen, having the most beautiful details with her and being what she didn't know she needed.
🏈Penelope: 5/5
🏈Maddox: 5/5
🏈Plot: 5/5
🏈Love story: 5/5
🏈Secondary characters: 5/5
🏈Universe: 5/5
🏈Cover: 4/5
🌶️3/5
🇪🇸
ARC amablemente proporcionada a cambio de una reseña honesta
A este punto creo que ya es prudente decir que Harlow James es una de mis autoras favoritas y que voy a leer lo que sea que publique porque con cada libro nuevo se supera a si misma, y aunque Now's The Time no le quitó a No One Else su lugar como mi favorito de la serie, si fue una historia con la que disfruté mucho, incluso en los momentos en los que mi corazón se rompía por Penelope & Maddox, y es que estos dos fueron muy distintos a como yo los había imaginado, en la mejor de las formas por supuesto, y me hicieron sentir muchas cosas a lo largo del libro. Además, AMÉ leer más de estas chicas a las que amo, de los chicos siendo los fans más intensos de Maddox y, tengo que decirlo Harlow, lo siento, cada vez me enamoro más de Jeffrey y su personalidad tan tonta, imprudente y sin filtros.
Desde Never Say Never Penelope fue el personaje que más llamó mi atención, su personalidad fuerte, dominante & divertida me cautivo desde su primera aparición y no esperaba que su historia personal fuera tan complicada, desgarradora y que me hiciera amarla aún más. Pen es una mujer que usa el humor para esconder el dolor y la culpa que ha sentido desde hace varios años, algo que me sorprendió y me rompió mucho el corazón, ella ama con todo su ser, tiene un gran corazón y es una mujer muy profesional que tiene sus objetivos muy claros & reglas establecidas para evitar ser lastimada de nuevo. Sin embargo todo se pone de cabeza en su vida, personal y profesional, cuando conoce a Maddox Taylor, un hombre que es todo de lo que Penelope ha huido y por el que se siente atraída desde el primer momento en que lo ve.
Maddox es el nuevo quarterback de Los Angeles Bolts, un hombre coqueto, amable, muy tierno, atento y que ama las bromas sucias, es el balance perfecto entre sexy, candente y adorable, al igual que Penelope, él ha pasado por situaciones que lo han llevado a ser quien es y a buscar ser una mejor persona cada día, algo que amé de su personaje, así como sus esfuerzos por conquistar a Pen, decirle siempre lo que piensa, siente y hacerle ver que vale la pena. Pero además, el personaje de Maddox le pone un poco de drama a la trama con todos los rumores que rodean su transferencia y mucha diversión con los miembros de su nuevo equipo, especialmente Hayden.
Penelope & Maddox no tienen un camino sencillo: todo comienza como un encuentro casual de una noche que se convierte en una relación secreta cuando Pen se convierte en la nueva representante de Relaciones Publicas de Los Angeles Bolts, pero además del componente prohibido Maddox tiene que luchar por ganarse la confianza de Penelope, por hacer que ella lo deje entrar en su corazón y por demostrarle que es capaz de ser paciente y comprensivo con ella, algo que logra desde el primer momento y que no hace más que asustar a Penelope por la cantidad de cosas que él le hace sentir, y es que Maddox es el más lindo y tierno de los hombres de esta serie y me encantó leerlo enamorándose de Pen, teniendo los detalles más lindos con ella y siendo aquello que ella no sabía que necesitaba.
🏈Penelope: 5/5
🏈Maddox: 5/5
🏈Trama: 5/5
🏈Historia de amor: 5/5
🏈Personajes secundarios: 5/5
🏈Universo: 5/5
🏈Portada: 4/5
🌶️3/5
At this point I think it's safe to say that Harlow James is one of my favorite authors and that I'm going to read whatever she publishes because with each new book she outdoes herself, and even though Now's The Time didn't take away from No One Else its place as my favorite of the series, it was a story that I really enjoyed, even at the moments when my heart was breaking for Penelope & Maddox, because these two were very different from how I had imagined them, in the best of ways of course, and they made me feel many things throughout the book. Also, I LOVED reading more about these girls I love, about the guys being Maddox's biggest fans, and I have to say that I'm falling more and more in love with Jeffrey and his silly, reckless & unfiltered personality.
Since Never Say Never Penelope was the character that caught my attention the most, her strong, dominant & fun personality captivated me from her first appearance and I did not expect that her personal story was so complicated, heartbreaking and made me love her even more. Pen is a woman who uses humor to hide the pain and guilt she has felt for several years, something that surprised me and broke my heart a lot, she loves with all her being, has a big heart and is a very professional woman who has her goals very clear & rules in place to avoid being hurt again. However, everything turns upside down in her life, personal and professional, when she meets Maddox Taylor, a man who is everything Penelope has run away from and to whom she feels attracted from the first moment.
Maddox is the new quarterback of the Los Angeles Bolts, a flirtatious, friendly & very tender man who loves dirty jokes, he's the perfect balance between sexy, hot and adorable, like Penelope, he has gone through situations that have led him to be who he is and seek to be a better person every day, something I loved about his character, as well as his efforts to conquer Pen, always tell her what he thinks, feels and make hersee that she's worth it. Plus, Maddox's character adds a bit of drama to the plot with all the rumors surrounding his trade and a lot of fun with the members of his new team, especially Hayden.
Penelope & Maddox have no easy path: it all starts as a casual one night stand that turns into a secret relationship when Pen becomes the new PR rep for the Los Angeles Bolts., but in addition to the forbidden component Maddox has to fight to gain Penelope's trust, to make her let him into her heart and to show her that he is capable of being patient and understanding with her, something that she achieves from the first moment and that does nothing but scare Penelope because of the things he makes her feel, and that is that Maddox is the cutest and most tender of the men in this series and I loved reading him falling in love with Pen, having the most beautiful details with her and being what she didn't know she needed.
🏈Penelope: 5/5
🏈Maddox: 5/5
🏈Plot: 5/5
🏈Love story: 5/5
🏈Secondary characters: 5/5
🏈Universe: 5/5
🏈Cover: 4/5
🌶️3/5
🇪🇸
ARC amablemente proporcionada a cambio de una reseña honesta
A este punto creo que ya es prudente decir que Harlow James es una de mis autoras favoritas y que voy a leer lo que sea que publique porque con cada libro nuevo se supera a si misma, y aunque Now's The Time no le quitó a No One Else su lugar como mi favorito de la serie, si fue una historia con la que disfruté mucho, incluso en los momentos en los que mi corazón se rompía por Penelope & Maddox, y es que estos dos fueron muy distintos a como yo los había imaginado, en la mejor de las formas por supuesto, y me hicieron sentir muchas cosas a lo largo del libro. Además, AMÉ leer más de estas chicas a las que amo, de los chicos siendo los fans más intensos de Maddox y, tengo que decirlo Harlow, lo siento, cada vez me enamoro más de Jeffrey y su personalidad tan tonta, imprudente y sin filtros.
Desde Never Say Never Penelope fue el personaje que más llamó mi atención, su personalidad fuerte, dominante & divertida me cautivo desde su primera aparición y no esperaba que su historia personal fuera tan complicada, desgarradora y que me hiciera amarla aún más. Pen es una mujer que usa el humor para esconder el dolor y la culpa que ha sentido desde hace varios años, algo que me sorprendió y me rompió mucho el corazón, ella ama con todo su ser, tiene un gran corazón y es una mujer muy profesional que tiene sus objetivos muy claros & reglas establecidas para evitar ser lastimada de nuevo. Sin embargo todo se pone de cabeza en su vida, personal y profesional, cuando conoce a Maddox Taylor, un hombre que es todo de lo que Penelope ha huido y por el que se siente atraída desde el primer momento en que lo ve.
Maddox es el nuevo quarterback de Los Angeles Bolts, un hombre coqueto, amable, muy tierno, atento y que ama las bromas sucias, es el balance perfecto entre sexy, candente y adorable, al igual que Penelope, él ha pasado por situaciones que lo han llevado a ser quien es y a buscar ser una mejor persona cada día, algo que amé de su personaje, así como sus esfuerzos por conquistar a Pen, decirle siempre lo que piensa, siente y hacerle ver que vale la pena. Pero además, el personaje de Maddox le pone un poco de drama a la trama con todos los rumores que rodean su transferencia y mucha diversión con los miembros de su nuevo equipo, especialmente Hayden.
Penelope & Maddox no tienen un camino sencillo: todo comienza como un encuentro casual de una noche que se convierte en una relación secreta cuando Pen se convierte en la nueva representante de Relaciones Publicas de Los Angeles Bolts, pero además del componente prohibido Maddox tiene que luchar por ganarse la confianza de Penelope, por hacer que ella lo deje entrar en su corazón y por demostrarle que es capaz de ser paciente y comprensivo con ella, algo que logra desde el primer momento y que no hace más que asustar a Penelope por la cantidad de cosas que él le hace sentir, y es que Maddox es el más lindo y tierno de los hombres de esta serie y me encantó leerlo enamorándose de Pen, teniendo los detalles más lindos con ella y siendo aquello que ella no sabía que necesitaba.
🏈Penelope: 5/5
🏈Maddox: 5/5
🏈Trama: 5/5
🏈Historia de amor: 5/5
🏈Personajes secundarios: 5/5
🏈Universo: 5/5
🏈Portada: 4/5
🌶️3/5
April 16, 2025
Audio:
4 stars for Jacob Morgan
3.5 stars for Erin Mallon
Book: 1.5-2 stars
Wow I didn’t like this book at all.. Penelope was so hard to like and some of the dialogue was cringe… I did actually like Maddox , but overall I am not sure if the last Harlow James’s book was a fluke or not with being good, because this one didn’t feel like it was written by the same author.
4 stars for Jacob Morgan
3.5 stars for Erin Mallon
Book: 1.5-2 stars
Wow I didn’t like this book at all.. Penelope was so hard to like and some of the dialogue was cringe… I did actually like Maddox , but overall I am not sure if the last Harlow James’s book was a fluke or not with being good, because this one didn’t feel like it was written by the same author.
September 4, 2022
Let me start this off by saying that I adored the first two books in this series. However, this tops them both!
In the first two books, we don’t get to see much of Penelope as a person. We just see her as the larger than life personality who is sarcastic, blunt and enjoys sex. Her character development in this book was everything. You truly get to know her and why she is the way she is. The secret she has kept for so long, even from her three best friends, broke my heart and had me grieving alongside of her. She quickly became my favorite out of the girls.
Maddox freaking Taylor! He is the perfect hero in this story. He is all alpha with a marshmallow center! His dirty jokes, to ease the tension in the room, are on point! His patience and love for Penelope are so swoon worthy. But it was his secret, so similar to Penelope’s, that truly made his heart so perfect.
The development of their relationship was raw and real and it was beautiful to read. Go grab this book! You will not be disappointed! Oh and although it is a stand alone, I do suggest reading the first two books so that you understand the friend dynamic. These girls have an amazing bond.
In the first two books, we don’t get to see much of Penelope as a person. We just see her as the larger than life personality who is sarcastic, blunt and enjoys sex. Her character development in this book was everything. You truly get to know her and why she is the way she is. The secret she has kept for so long, even from her three best friends, broke my heart and had me grieving alongside of her. She quickly became my favorite out of the girls.
Maddox freaking Taylor! He is the perfect hero in this story. He is all alpha with a marshmallow center! His dirty jokes, to ease the tension in the room, are on point! His patience and love for Penelope are so swoon worthy. But it was his secret, so similar to Penelope’s, that truly made his heart so perfect.
The development of their relationship was raw and real and it was beautiful to read. Go grab this book! You will not be disappointed! Oh and although it is a stand alone, I do suggest reading the first two books so that you understand the friend dynamic. These girls have an amazing bond.
November 22, 2022
My Favorite Couple
Penelope has been my favorite since this series started. She is that strong sassy confident woman that everyone wants to be or be friends with. I couldn’t wait to meet the man who would make her fall in love. Maddox Taylor is that man and he is book boyfriend perfection. A tattooed, pierced, NFL quarterback with a dirty mouth and a heart of gold? Yes, please! He goes after Penelope with everything he has and finally breaks down her walls. I love these two and their story so much.
Penelope has been my favorite since this series started. She is that strong sassy confident woman that everyone wants to be or be friends with. I couldn’t wait to meet the man who would make her fall in love. Maddox Taylor is that man and he is book boyfriend perfection. A tattooed, pierced, NFL quarterback with a dirty mouth and a heart of gold? Yes, please! He goes after Penelope with everything he has and finally breaks down her walls. I love these two and their story so much.
March 15, 2024
My First Ladies who brunch read and I definitely want to go back and read 1 & 2. But this book totally stands on its own. Penelope is strong and sassy and I loved her from the start. But let’s talk about Maddox. 😍 I am a sucker for a big tough man who falls first and falls hard. He’s the perfect mix of totally gone for her but also has a dirty mouth and can take charge when it counts if you know what I mean. 🔥
I did this on audiobook and really enjoyed the dual narration.
I was lucky to get an ALC for this book and my opinions are my own.
I did this on audiobook and really enjoyed the dual narration.
I was lucky to get an ALC for this book and my opinions are my own.
March 16, 2024
Thanks to The Author Agency for the ALC! Audiobook available now!
Now’s the Time
(book 3 in The Ladies Who Brunch series)
by Harlow James
Narrated by Erin Mallon & Jacob Morgan
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5/5
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces
What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Hot and flirty one night stand turns workplace romance—the longing is so good.
🤩 Forbidden in more ways than one.
🤩 Maddox is a professional football player with tattoos and piercings.
🤩 Penelope works in public relations.
🤩 MCs you just want to love and adore. The sweet, romantic things they do for each other.
🤩 When it’s finally Moddox’s point of view in chapter four.
🤩 Extra good in the audiobook because we finally get Jacob Morgan’s voice and it’s extra delicious. Maddox, the MMC, in Jacob Morgan’s voice definitely get a reaction from my body.
🤩 Penelope’s unwanted attraction is perfection, especially in Erin Mallon’s sweet, sassy, sultry voice!!!
🤩 The undeniable, irresistible chemistry.
🤩 Dirty joke appreciated—romcom goodness!!
🤩 I love Maddox’s patient and calm determination. Total and beautiful book boyfriend material.
🤩 Jealous, protective Maddox.
🤩 Amazing friends and teammates plus so much PR goodness (and scandal)—so fun and funny!
🤩 Songs in books.
What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 So much emotional baggage. Friends and teammates are good counselors to an extent, but stronger therapy representation would have been really good.
💫 Widow-type (first and only love died) trope is not my favorite so I was pretty nervous once I found this part out. But, in the end, it worked on me because they both had some trauma in their past that connected them deeply.
Now’s the Time
(book 3 in The Ladies Who Brunch series)
by Harlow James
Narrated by Erin Mallon & Jacob Morgan
Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5/5
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces
What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Hot and flirty one night stand turns workplace romance—the longing is so good.
🤩 Forbidden in more ways than one.
🤩 Maddox is a professional football player with tattoos and piercings.
🤩 Penelope works in public relations.
🤩 MCs you just want to love and adore. The sweet, romantic things they do for each other.
🤩 When it’s finally Moddox’s point of view in chapter four.
🤩 Extra good in the audiobook because we finally get Jacob Morgan’s voice and it’s extra delicious. Maddox, the MMC, in Jacob Morgan’s voice definitely get a reaction from my body.
🤩 Penelope’s unwanted attraction is perfection, especially in Erin Mallon’s sweet, sassy, sultry voice!!!
🤩 The undeniable, irresistible chemistry.
🤩 Dirty joke appreciated—romcom goodness!!
🤩 I love Maddox’s patient and calm determination. Total and beautiful book boyfriend material.
🤩 Jealous, protective Maddox.
🤩 Amazing friends and teammates plus so much PR goodness (and scandal)—so fun and funny!
🤩 Songs in books.
What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 So much emotional baggage. Friends and teammates are good counselors to an extent, but stronger therapy representation would have been really good.
💫 Widow-type (first and only love died) trope is not my favorite so I was pretty nervous once I found this part out. But, in the end, it worked on me because they both had some trauma in their past that connected them deeply.
September 1, 2022
Sweet, Sexy and heartbreakingly beautiful story!
Oh my, this series just keeps getting better. I ship Penelope and Maddox so hard! I have been anxiously waiting for Penelope’s story. She is loud, inappropriate, and funny. She is also flawed and a little damaged. I mean, I always knew Penelope was over compensating for something and that fight with Charlotte in book 1 was telling. But I never would have thought just how incredibly heartbreaking that something was.
Penelope is so strong, smart, independent and a total hustler at work. She is the epitome of Boss B. But she also pushes everyone one away, except for her girls, and even then she has been keeping a secret from them for the last 12 years.
Maddox was her perfect match in every way. His ability to make Pen laugh with a dirty joke, make her panties melt with his delectably dirty mouth, and break down the walls around her heart with his sweet caring actions and honesty, was hands down some straight #bookhubby material. Dude is #SWEXY! I love that he looks like a bad boy with his tats and pierced third leg, but really he is just the sweetest, kindest man with the best sense of humor. I mean that Pinocchio joke killed me!
I highly recommend reading this series and this story. HJ took me on a feels ride. I laughed, melted, cried, swooned, fanned my face, yelled at Penny, gasped, cried some more, and then finally laughed at all the heartwarming happiness.
One night stand/Coworkers to lovers
Super steamy chemistry
Sexy sweet bad boy QB CT
MMC works to win the heart of feisty FMC
HEA guaranteed
FAVORITE QUOTES
Home wasn’t just a place—it could also be a person.
But there are just too many flags here that are telling me Maddox Taylor is a man that could pull me back to a place that I mentally keep buried in the past.
But this hookup was not like that. And at this moment, I already know—something has shifted inside of me. Something has changed.
“Penelope,” Maddox says in a deep lilt that makes my heart skip a beat. “It sure is nice to see you again.” And right then and there, I know I am f*cked. And not in the good way like when Maddox f*cked me that fateful night.
“Give me tonight. Trust me to give us what we both need. Who wants to live life with regrets, right? Who wants to wonder ‘what if’?”
“Look at the sunset, Penelope. Remember this moment as you experience two of your favorite things simultaneously.”
“I think our souls knew we needed each other, baby. Mine recognized the guilt in yours, but perhaps together, we can completely heal.”
This man is my future. He’s my person. He broke down my walls and forced me to see that I do deserve love and that he’s the man I’ve been waiting for to show me that.
“Yeah, what’s the saying? Timing is everything?” Maddox nods. “Yup. And now’s the time when you kiss me again.”
Oh my, this series just keeps getting better. I ship Penelope and Maddox so hard! I have been anxiously waiting for Penelope’s story. She is loud, inappropriate, and funny. She is also flawed and a little damaged. I mean, I always knew Penelope was over compensating for something and that fight with Charlotte in book 1 was telling. But I never would have thought just how incredibly heartbreaking that something was.
Penelope is so strong, smart, independent and a total hustler at work. She is the epitome of Boss B. But she also pushes everyone one away, except for her girls, and even then she has been keeping a secret from them for the last 12 years.
Maddox was her perfect match in every way. His ability to make Pen laugh with a dirty joke, make her panties melt with his delectably dirty mouth, and break down the walls around her heart with his sweet caring actions and honesty, was hands down some straight #bookhubby material. Dude is #SWEXY! I love that he looks like a bad boy with his tats and pierced third leg, but really he is just the sweetest, kindest man with the best sense of humor. I mean that Pinocchio joke killed me!
I highly recommend reading this series and this story. HJ took me on a feels ride. I laughed, melted, cried, swooned, fanned my face, yelled at Penny, gasped, cried some more, and then finally laughed at all the heartwarming happiness.
One night stand/Coworkers to lovers
Super steamy chemistry
Sexy sweet bad boy QB CT
MMC works to win the heart of feisty FMC
HEA guaranteed
FAVORITE QUOTES
Home wasn’t just a place—it could also be a person.
But there are just too many flags here that are telling me Maddox Taylor is a man that could pull me back to a place that I mentally keep buried in the past.
But this hookup was not like that. And at this moment, I already know—something has shifted inside of me. Something has changed.
“Penelope,” Maddox says in a deep lilt that makes my heart skip a beat. “It sure is nice to see you again.” And right then and there, I know I am f*cked. And not in the good way like when Maddox f*cked me that fateful night.
“Give me tonight. Trust me to give us what we both need. Who wants to live life with regrets, right? Who wants to wonder ‘what if’?”
“Look at the sunset, Penelope. Remember this moment as you experience two of your favorite things simultaneously.”
“I think our souls knew we needed each other, baby. Mine recognized the guilt in yours, but perhaps together, we can completely heal.”
This man is my future. He’s my person. He broke down my walls and forced me to see that I do deserve love and that he’s the man I’ve been waiting for to show me that.
“Yeah, what’s the saying? Timing is everything?” Maddox nods. “Yup. And now’s the time when you kiss me again.”
March 29, 2024
3/29/24: Audiobook: this audiobook was exceptionally great! Erin and Jacob were phenomenal!
Every new Harlow James Hero becomes my favorite. Maddox is so sexy and sweet! I swooned so hard for him. This book has it all, one night stand, angst, chemistry, incredible steam, banter, loyal girlfriends and found family. I loved Maddox and his dirty jokes and his love of Steve Harvey. 😂
Sports romance
Secret relationship
Workplace romance
Apha cinnamon roll hero
Pierced NFL player who tells dirty jokes
Sassy and empowered heroine
Female friendships
PLENTY OF STEAM
Every new Harlow James Hero becomes my favorite. Maddox is so sexy and sweet! I swooned so hard for him. This book has it all, one night stand, angst, chemistry, incredible steam, banter, loyal girlfriends and found family. I loved Maddox and his dirty jokes and his love of Steve Harvey. 😂
Sports romance
Secret relationship
Workplace romance
Apha cinnamon roll hero
Pierced NFL player who tells dirty jokes
Sassy and empowered heroine
Female friendships
PLENTY OF STEAM
September 4, 2022
Oh man, this is my favorite in the Ladies Who Brunch series!
I have loved feisty, independent Penelope from the first book, but hearing her backstory made me fall in love with her even more. This girl hides her heart for a valid reason. Penelope does all she can to push Maddox away and he will just not have it!
Despite all the reasons why they should keep their relationship professional, they just cannot fight the pull between them! You would expect Pen’s book to be smoking hot after all we know about her (and it was!), but I didn’t expect it to be so emotional. I had to grab the tissues a few times.
But don’t go thinking that this is too serious a book. I laughed out loud at the some of the football player hijinx and dirty jokes that Maddox is fond of telling. James is terrific at giving us fully fleshed out characters with hilarious quirks and endearing imperfections.
And I cannot leave out the lady-friends who play a big part in Penelope’s journey towards healing. These friendships are just the best. So looking forward to Noelle’s single mother story next!
I requested an early reader copy of this book and these are my honest opinions.
I have loved feisty, independent Penelope from the first book, but hearing her backstory made me fall in love with her even more. This girl hides her heart for a valid reason. Penelope does all she can to push Maddox away and he will just not have it!
Despite all the reasons why they should keep their relationship professional, they just cannot fight the pull between them! You would expect Pen’s book to be smoking hot after all we know about her (and it was!), but I didn’t expect it to be so emotional. I had to grab the tissues a few times.
But don’t go thinking that this is too serious a book. I laughed out loud at the some of the football player hijinx and dirty jokes that Maddox is fond of telling. James is terrific at giving us fully fleshed out characters with hilarious quirks and endearing imperfections.
And I cannot leave out the lady-friends who play a big part in Penelope’s journey towards healing. These friendships are just the best. So looking forward to Noelle’s single mother story next!
I requested an early reader copy of this book and these are my honest opinions.
March 5, 2024
This is another FIVE STAR review for Harlow James and her newest audio release! I literally FLEW through this book and was so sad for it to end! For now 😏
Maddox and Penelope are my new favorite couple- they’re a dream team!!!
This whole time I was grinning and cheesing, had tears in my eyes and held my hand over my heart….. I felt all of the emotions but I was rooting for them THE ENTIRE TIME.
Maddox and Penelope have overcome so much trauma, their souls were connected before they even knew it, and the whole ride was just beautiful to witness.
The steamy scenes are 😮💨😮💨😮💨
Harlow James has a way with words that is phenomenal!!
I’m so excited for the next audio in The Ladies Who Brunch series!!!
Maddox and Penelope are my new favorite couple- they’re a dream team!!!
This whole time I was grinning and cheesing, had tears in my eyes and held my hand over my heart….. I felt all of the emotions but I was rooting for them THE ENTIRE TIME.
Maddox and Penelope have overcome so much trauma, their souls were connected before they even knew it, and the whole ride was just beautiful to witness.
The steamy scenes are 😮💨😮💨😮💨
Harlow James has a way with words that is phenomenal!!
I’m so excited for the next audio in The Ladies Who Brunch series!!!
September 4, 2022
Tropes: one night stand, secret relationship, sports romance, he falls first.
Just like the other books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Penelope and Maddox. Easy to get hooked on, funny and at times emotional, the romance of these had me swooning 💘
Maddox Taylor was totally a cinnamon roll boyfriend! Charming, a fan of 80's music and dirty jokes to defuse, he was determined to go for Penelope from the moment he laid eyes on her, only to find himself face to face with a sassy boss babe whose only rules were no athletes. There was a lot of past trauma here, and while Maddox preferred to speak his feelings at every opportunity, Penelope Klein chose to run from them as much as possible. The chemistry was always there, but there was also a long road of healing and trust to that deserved HEA.
Just like the other books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Penelope and Maddox. Easy to get hooked on, funny and at times emotional, the romance of these had me swooning 💘
Maddox Taylor was totally a cinnamon roll boyfriend! Charming, a fan of 80's music and dirty jokes to defuse, he was determined to go for Penelope from the moment he laid eyes on her, only to find himself face to face with a sassy boss babe whose only rules were no athletes. There was a lot of past trauma here, and while Maddox preferred to speak his feelings at every opportunity, Penelope Klein chose to run from them as much as possible. The chemistry was always there, but there was also a long road of healing and trust to that deserved HEA.
December 5, 2023
Sooo... I really didn't want to read this. I didn't like Penelope in the first two books and found her annoying. And the first two books were both 1.5/2 stars and a huge disappointment ... Just wanted to be fair, I stopped reading this series.
Scrolling through my Instagram, someone recommended this one and I ignored it. A few weeks later again. I did my research, thought about it and gave it a honest shot. I'm totally surprised 🙀🙀🙀 this was soooo much better than I hoped for!
Now's the time for number 4...
Scrolling through my Instagram, someone recommended this one and I ignored it. A few weeks later again. I did my research, thought about it and gave it a honest shot. I'm totally surprised 🙀🙀🙀 this was soooo much better than I hoped for!
Now's the time for number 4...
March 15, 2024
ALC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I’m so addicted to this series, I swear each book just gets better and better. Teddy and Erin did phenomenal job on the narration.
Maddox and Penelope were perfect for each other. When I started this book I thought Maddox was going to be our typical playboy but this man is a total cinnamon roll and he falls first and hard!
Penelope, this girl has gone through it and while some of her decisions made me want to bang my head againist a wall. I could see the pain she was dealing with and it broke my heart for her. I loved seeing her emotional growth throughout this book.
As always my favourite part was this girl group. These girls are my favorite girl group I’ve ever read. Harlow does a phenomenal job writing the interaction between these girls, you feel the love and support they have for eachother.
I cannot wait for Noelle’s book!
💛Sports romance
💛Workplace
💛Secret relationship
💛Cinnamon roll MMC
💛Spicy 🥵
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
I’m so addicted to this series, I swear each book just gets better and better. Teddy and Erin did phenomenal job on the narration.
Maddox and Penelope were perfect for each other. When I started this book I thought Maddox was going to be our typical playboy but this man is a total cinnamon roll and he falls first and hard!
Penelope, this girl has gone through it and while some of her decisions made me want to bang my head againist a wall. I could see the pain she was dealing with and it broke my heart for her. I loved seeing her emotional growth throughout this book.
As always my favourite part was this girl group. These girls are my favorite girl group I’ve ever read. Harlow does a phenomenal job writing the interaction between these girls, you feel the love and support they have for eachother.
I cannot wait for Noelle’s book!
💛Sports romance
💛Workplace
💛Secret relationship
💛Cinnamon roll MMC
💛Spicy 🥵
March 15, 2024
Penelope is working a vodka event at a LA club and meets Maddox, the quarterback from New Orleans. He over heard her talk to the assistants and he instantly is smitten and intrigued by her. They end up hanging out after she’s down with the event and have a one night stand. Months later Penelope gets assigned to be the PR for the LA football team. Upon arrival she finds out that the team has a new quarterback… MADDOX Taylor!!! Maddox makes it his mission to get her to be his… and he works hard! Penelope lost her one true love young and swore to never love again or be with an athlete again. Maddox was engaged one time but she did him wrong. Both characters have trauma and pain from the past and they both have to face it individually to move forward. The character growth was so good and the audio narrators rocked this book!
Tropes:
Office Romance
Forbidden Romance
Sports Romance-Football
Close friends group
He falls first
One night stand
Forced proximity
September 4, 2022
Now’s The Time by @harlowjamesauthor
Available Now On Kindle Unlimited
Book3 in the Ladies Who Brunch Series is available now and in my opinion, this is the strongest book in the series so far. Harlow James really did not shy away from showing some true life struggles (both a character who has faced those struggles and a character who hasn’t been ready to face them yet). Maddox & Penelope both have experienced the trauma of losing someone close to them and blame themselves for that loss. But while Maddox had worked through the trauma, Penelope has been suppressing it for years. What started as a one night stand with amazing chemistry leads to a long awaited road to healing for Penelope.
I feel like the writing and the story in this book were the strongest so far, and that’s saying a lot because I really enjoyed the first two books in this series! I think Harlow James is really finding her groove with this series, and I’m so excited to see what we get in Noelle’s book!
Definitely make sure you read books 1 & 2 before you read this book. But if you’re looking for a fun, female friendship focused contemporary romance series you absolutely have to check out The Ladies Who Brunch Series by Harlow James!
#harlowjamesauthor #ladieswhobrunchseries #romcom #newrelease #sportsromance #romancereaders #ireadromance #readmoreindieromance #romcomreaders #romcomseries #romancereader #amreadingromance
Available Now On Kindle Unlimited
Book3 in the Ladies Who Brunch Series is available now and in my opinion, this is the strongest book in the series so far. Harlow James really did not shy away from showing some true life struggles (both a character who has faced those struggles and a character who hasn’t been ready to face them yet). Maddox & Penelope both have experienced the trauma of losing someone close to them and blame themselves for that loss. But while Maddox had worked through the trauma, Penelope has been suppressing it for years. What started as a one night stand with amazing chemistry leads to a long awaited road to healing for Penelope.
I feel like the writing and the story in this book were the strongest so far, and that’s saying a lot because I really enjoyed the first two books in this series! I think Harlow James is really finding her groove with this series, and I’m so excited to see what we get in Noelle’s book!
Definitely make sure you read books 1 & 2 before you read this book. But if you’re looking for a fun, female friendship focused contemporary romance series you absolutely have to check out The Ladies Who Brunch Series by Harlow James!
#harlowjamesauthor #ladieswhobrunchseries #romcom #newrelease #sportsromance #romancereaders #ireadromance #readmoreindieromance #romcomreaders #romcomseries #romancereader #amreadingromance
March 14, 2024
What a beautiful story of hope, dealing with grief, and letting yourself move on.
4.5 Stars/2.5 Peppers
Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan did an outstanding job bringing Penelope and Maddox to life in this dual style narration. We really get to understand Penelope's back story and why she stays away from relationships. While on the surface these two seem like opposites, they learn that they have much more in common. Maddox shows the reader how to be patient and gentle with a friend (or partner) who isn't ready yet to divulge their past trauma.
This audiobook had me laughing one minute and crying the next.
Tropes:
Grief
He Falls First and Hard
Reforming Playgirl
Banter
Workplace/Football Romance
4.5 Stars/2.5 Peppers
Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan did an outstanding job bringing Penelope and Maddox to life in this dual style narration. We really get to understand Penelope's back story and why she stays away from relationships. While on the surface these two seem like opposites, they learn that they have much more in common. Maddox shows the reader how to be patient and gentle with a friend (or partner) who isn't ready yet to divulge their past trauma.
This audiobook had me laughing one minute and crying the next.
Tropes:
Grief
He Falls First and Hard
Reforming Playgirl
Banter
Workplace/Football Romance
September 8, 2022
We‘ve all been waiting for Penelope‘s story. I really loved how Harlow told Penelope‘s story!
She‘s always been a character that intrigued me. She‘s fun, fierce and doesn‘t take anything from anyone else. She has really met her match in Maddox and you could see the chemistry between them from the first page on. Those two are soulmates, even if it took Penelope a little longer to realize.
I enjoyed this book so so much!
5⭐️
She‘s always been a character that intrigued me. She‘s fun, fierce and doesn‘t take anything from anyone else. She has really met her match in Maddox and you could see the chemistry between them from the first page on. Those two are soulmates, even if it took Penelope a little longer to realize.
I enjoyed this book so so much!
5⭐️
May 22, 2025
4.5⭐️
Book 3 in the Ladies Who Brunch series is Penelopes & Maddoxs story. Penelope has been all about women not settling for lacklustre sex and personally keeping her love life strictly of the hookup variety for reasons we learn about throughout this book. She uses her sarcastic humour and take no shit attitude partly as a self defence mechanism and to keep men at arms length, which has worked great until she crosses paths with Maddox the NFL star at an event the PR firm she is works for is hosting and for the first time in 12 years he gets under her skin like no other, their chemistry is instant and after a ONS Penelope runs for the hills thinking they won't see each other again. Then Maddox is traded and Penelope is assigned to run the PR for his new team. The tension between them is still there and now add in the fact they absolutely CAN'T fool around due to their jobs and what could possibly go wrong?
This is my favourite of the series so far. I had a feeling I was going to love Penelopes story and I did... but mostly because of Maddox. He is absolute book boyfriend material, he knows what he wants and goes after it hard without being domaneering. He communicates effectively, is emotionally mature and the mouth on him was 🔥 Without going into details so as not to spoil anything... this was sitting at a 5⭐️ for me right up until towards the end. Penelope dealing with her shit happened to late for me and therefore felt rushed, we spent 90% of the book with her avoiding her trauma and for something to have affected a character for 12 years and 90% of the story the way it was resolved felt too quick and surface level for me. I wanted to go through some of the healing journey with her and we weren't given that hence why it fell just shy of top marks for me. The spice was on point and the overall sex positive vibes were great, I enjoyed watching the relationship between Penelope & Maddox develop and how much of a simp he was for her. Overall this was a fab listen with Erin Mallon & Jacob Morgan narrating. Onto book 4 I go. 🌶🌶🌶
"If anything keeps me going in life, it's these women. Honestly, they'll never know how much meeting them changed my world after the summer my life fell apart."
"Penelope may think that what happened between us can't happen again. And she's right. It shouldn't But she doesn't realize that I can be one determined motherfucker when I want to be. And right now, I'm determined to get Penelope to admit that she still wants me
Let the games begin."
Book 3 in the Ladies Who Brunch series is Penelopes & Maddoxs story. Penelope has been all about women not settling for lacklustre sex and personally keeping her love life strictly of the hookup variety for reasons we learn about throughout this book. She uses her sarcastic humour and take no shit attitude partly as a self defence mechanism and to keep men at arms length, which has worked great until she crosses paths with Maddox the NFL star at an event the PR firm she is works for is hosting and for the first time in 12 years he gets under her skin like no other, their chemistry is instant and after a ONS Penelope runs for the hills thinking they won't see each other again. Then Maddox is traded and Penelope is assigned to run the PR for his new team. The tension between them is still there and now add in the fact they absolutely CAN'T fool around due to their jobs and what could possibly go wrong?
This is my favourite of the series so far. I had a feeling I was going to love Penelopes story and I did... but mostly because of Maddox. He is absolute book boyfriend material, he knows what he wants and goes after it hard without being domaneering. He communicates effectively, is emotionally mature and the mouth on him was 🔥 Without going into details so as not to spoil anything... this was sitting at a 5⭐️ for me right up until towards the end. Penelope dealing with her shit happened to late for me and therefore felt rushed, we spent 90% of the book with her avoiding her trauma and for something to have affected a character for 12 years and 90% of the story the way it was resolved felt too quick and surface level for me. I wanted to go through some of the healing journey with her and we weren't given that hence why it fell just shy of top marks for me. The spice was on point and the overall sex positive vibes were great, I enjoyed watching the relationship between Penelope & Maddox develop and how much of a simp he was for her. Overall this was a fab listen with Erin Mallon & Jacob Morgan narrating. Onto book 4 I go. 🌶🌶🌶
"If anything keeps me going in life, it's these women. Honestly, they'll never know how much meeting them changed my world after the summer my life fell apart."
"Penelope may think that what happened between us can't happen again. And she's right. It shouldn't But she doesn't realize that I can be one determined motherfucker when I want to be. And right now, I'm determined to get Penelope to admit that she still wants me
Let the games begin."
April 10, 2024
i just had to go back and read Penelope’s book after reading about her and Maddox in Not As Planned honestly i skimmed most of the girls back stories but hers just stood out and i knew i had to know more.
“You know what the second-best part about being in the NFL is?”
“What?”
“That it led me to you.”
🏈 sports romance
🏈 forbidden
🏈 tattooed & pierced mmc 🥵
🏈 cinnamon roll mmc
🏈 he falls first
🏈 playGIRL
🏈 no third act
Penelope Klein is known for not letting men in. she’s down for a good time but not a long time ever since her high school sweetheart died 12 years ago. Maddox Taylor is portrayed as a notorious playboy, 2nd best NFL QB. always seen leaving clubs with different women so when the two meet, besides him breaking her “no athletes” rule, Penelope lets herself give in to temptation and spend the night with him. she thought she’d be safe and never have to see him again but six weeks later she becomes the PR person in charge of the Los Angeles Bolts aka Maddox Taylor’s new team.
their relationship is rocky and she makes Maddox work for it. he is the main pursuer of the relationship. Penelope likes to run but he doesn’t mind chasing. he knows there’s something different here and isn’t going to let her get away.
now here’s my double standards coming out again bc if this book had been the other way around (Maddox grieving an ex until 85% of the book i would have dnf SO FAST) they both have secrets that are kept until the last 20% but there’s no third act 🙌🏼 they finally communicate and let the other 100% in.
Maddox is portrayed as someone who goes home with a different girl every day but he’s not 😮💨 he had one girlfriend in hs that was with him for the fame that would eventually come and since his sophomore year of college he had one fwb that he would see occasionally but it ended 4 months before the book started. no mention of how long it’s been for Penelope just “a while” she isn’t sorry for her past and isn’t ashamed of her active sex life (again would probably piss me off if things were reversed but 😇)
“You know what the second-best part about being in the NFL is?”
“What?”
“That it led me to you.”
🏈 sports romance
🏈 forbidden
🏈 tattooed & pierced mmc 🥵
🏈 cinnamon roll mmc
🏈 he falls first
🏈 playGIRL
🏈 no third act
Penelope Klein is known for not letting men in. she’s down for a good time but not a long time ever since her high school sweetheart died 12 years ago. Maddox Taylor is portrayed as a notorious playboy, 2nd best NFL QB. always seen leaving clubs with different women so when the two meet, besides him breaking her “no athletes” rule, Penelope lets herself give in to temptation and spend the night with him. she thought she’d be safe and never have to see him again but six weeks later she becomes the PR person in charge of the Los Angeles Bolts aka Maddox Taylor’s new team.
their relationship is rocky and she makes Maddox work for it. he is the main pursuer of the relationship. Penelope likes to run but he doesn’t mind chasing. he knows there’s something different here and isn’t going to let her get away.
now here’s my double standards coming out again bc if this book had been the other way around (Maddox grieving an ex until 85% of the book i would have dnf SO FAST) they both have secrets that are kept until the last 20% but there’s no third act 🙌🏼 they finally communicate and let the other 100% in.
Maddox is portrayed as someone who goes home with a different girl every day but he’s not 😮💨 he had one girlfriend in hs that was with him for the fame that would eventually come and since his sophomore year of college he had one fwb that he would see occasionally but it ended 4 months before the book started. no mention of how long it’s been for Penelope just “a while” she isn’t sorry for her past and isn’t ashamed of her active sex life (again would probably piss me off if things were reversed but 😇)
August 31, 2022
Title: Now’s The Time
Author: Harlow James
Hero/Heroine: Maddox & Penelope
Tropes: Forbidden/Workplace Romance
TW/CW: Death of a loved one (happens off page but is mentioned), grief,
THE GOOD 😀
Maddox Frickin’ Taylor. He is now the proud new owner of my ovaries. Seriously, this man should be given godlike status, what an absolute sweetheart.
I’ve been looking forward to reading Penelope’s story since being introduced to her in Never Say Never. Sassy, sarcastic and takes no crap, she was exactly my kind of character, and I loved being able to delve into her background to find out what made her so wary of falling in love.
The characters of Maddox and Penelope separately were incredible, however put them together and there were serious sparks. These two had chemistry by the bucket loads and I loved the banter between them, with Penelope trying to ward off Maddox’s advances every chance she got. Let’s just say she didn’t stand a chance. Like Penelope, when Maddox found something he wanted, he didn’t give up so easily, and this is one of the things I loved about him. Not overbearing or a massive douche, he gave Penelope the time she needed to feel comfortable with them as a couple. Also, I loved how this book touched on the subject of grief and how each person deals with it. Penelope wanted to close herself off to anything pertaining to love, whereas Maddox just wanted to help those who needed it.
This book was well worth waiting for, with humour, heat and bad ass characters (Yes Penelope!), I was not disappointed. The bit with the dog biscuits had me howling with laughter (IYKYK). And now I’m chomping at the bit for Noelle’s story, no pressure though.
THE BAD ☹️
Liam. Into the bin you go, dickhead.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Loved loved loved it
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Harlow James
Hero/Heroine: Maddox & Penelope
Tropes: Forbidden/Workplace Romance
TW/CW: Death of a loved one (happens off page but is mentioned), grief,
THE GOOD 😀
Maddox Frickin’ Taylor. He is now the proud new owner of my ovaries. Seriously, this man should be given godlike status, what an absolute sweetheart.
I’ve been looking forward to reading Penelope’s story since being introduced to her in Never Say Never. Sassy, sarcastic and takes no crap, she was exactly my kind of character, and I loved being able to delve into her background to find out what made her so wary of falling in love.
The characters of Maddox and Penelope separately were incredible, however put them together and there were serious sparks. These two had chemistry by the bucket loads and I loved the banter between them, with Penelope trying to ward off Maddox’s advances every chance she got. Let’s just say she didn’t stand a chance. Like Penelope, when Maddox found something he wanted, he didn’t give up so easily, and this is one of the things I loved about him. Not overbearing or a massive douche, he gave Penelope the time she needed to feel comfortable with them as a couple. Also, I loved how this book touched on the subject of grief and how each person deals with it. Penelope wanted to close herself off to anything pertaining to love, whereas Maddox just wanted to help those who needed it.
This book was well worth waiting for, with humour, heat and bad ass characters (Yes Penelope!), I was not disappointed. The bit with the dog biscuits had me howling with laughter (IYKYK). And now I’m chomping at the bit for Noelle’s story, no pressure though.
THE BAD ☹️
Liam. Into the bin you go, dickhead.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this to read. This is my honest review.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Loved loved loved it
STEAM LEVEL: 🔥🔥🔥
STAR RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 10, 2022
The Ladies Who Brunch series by Harlow James is one of my favourites she’s written!
I knew that Penelope’s book was going to make me go through all of the feels! And I was right. As the loud and outspoken and sex positive one of the group, I knew that she was going to be a hard one to pin down in a romantic relationship, but Harlow gave us such a beautiful story and a wonderful book about allowing yourself to feel something even when the past was holding you back. Penelope and Maddox were so beautiful and hot together, I was completely blown away!
Now’s The Time has:
✨ a one night stand turned many night stand
✨ forbidden workplace relationship
✨ charmingly persistent nfl superstar hero
✨ pierced and tattooed hero, yup!
✨ badass boss babe heroine
✨ best girlfriends ever
✨ THE BANTER! THE CHEMISTRY!
✨ some really good sexy times
✨ a good amount of angst and lots of feels!
Penelope and Maddox had such great chemistry from the moment they met and their relationship hit the ground running with this book. She’s one of the best PR people in the city, working for a well-known agency, and Maddox is the hot ticket NFL player that everyone wants a piece of—so you can imagine when two people with dominant personalities meet, everything is going to be cranked up to a 100. And they don’t hold back. Except, Penelope has a rule about athletes and football players especially and Maddox has ‘trouble’ and ‘danger’ written all over him. But when her body craves him despite her hesitations and fears, she willingly throws caution to the wind. Only for everything to really get so freaking complicated!
Penelope and Maddox spend a good amount of time getting to know each other and connecting in and out of bed, and their relationship is so refreshing. There’s a whole lot of desperation and lust and desire coursing through their veins, but at the same time, their relationship is just so much more. They talk and laugh and learn about each other, there’s a lot of sneaking around because as the PR person running point for the Los Angeles Bolts—Maddox’s new football team—they have to keep things on the downlow. But they still find little ways to connect and really build that relationship.
We also got to see a lot of the other ladies, I'm a sucker for a great female friendship group and this is an amazing one! Amelia and Penelope’s deeper connection was so beautiful and at times I was tearing up because of how wonderful they are with each other.
Thanks to Harlow James for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I knew that Penelope’s book was going to make me go through all of the feels! And I was right. As the loud and outspoken and sex positive one of the group, I knew that she was going to be a hard one to pin down in a romantic relationship, but Harlow gave us such a beautiful story and a wonderful book about allowing yourself to feel something even when the past was holding you back. Penelope and Maddox were so beautiful and hot together, I was completely blown away!
Now’s The Time has:
✨ a one night stand turned many night stand
✨ forbidden workplace relationship
✨ charmingly persistent nfl superstar hero
✨ pierced and tattooed hero, yup!
✨ badass boss babe heroine
✨ best girlfriends ever
✨ THE BANTER! THE CHEMISTRY!
✨ some really good sexy times
✨ a good amount of angst and lots of feels!
Penelope and Maddox had such great chemistry from the moment they met and their relationship hit the ground running with this book. She’s one of the best PR people in the city, working for a well-known agency, and Maddox is the hot ticket NFL player that everyone wants a piece of—so you can imagine when two people with dominant personalities meet, everything is going to be cranked up to a 100. And they don’t hold back. Except, Penelope has a rule about athletes and football players especially and Maddox has ‘trouble’ and ‘danger’ written all over him. But when her body craves him despite her hesitations and fears, she willingly throws caution to the wind. Only for everything to really get so freaking complicated!
Penelope and Maddox spend a good amount of time getting to know each other and connecting in and out of bed, and their relationship is so refreshing. There’s a whole lot of desperation and lust and desire coursing through their veins, but at the same time, their relationship is just so much more. They talk and laugh and learn about each other, there’s a lot of sneaking around because as the PR person running point for the Los Angeles Bolts—Maddox’s new football team—they have to keep things on the downlow. But they still find little ways to connect and really build that relationship.
We also got to see a lot of the other ladies, I'm a sucker for a great female friendship group and this is an amazing one! Amelia and Penelope’s deeper connection was so beautiful and at times I was tearing up because of how wonderful they are with each other.
Thanks to Harlow James for generously providing me with an advance copy. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
September 4, 2022
What do you get when you pair Maddox and Penelope?
An absolute cracker of a book…that’s what you get…..heartwarming, chest aching romance with an alpha teddy bear and a feisty soft centred heroine.
This series from Ms James is just a wonderful escape and a celebration of female friendship and lasting bonds that will have you captivated throughout. Penelope is the fun loving friends but she’s fierce when defending her closest allies. Her girls are everything to her and woe-be tied anyone who tries to hurt or harm them in anyway…..but what about Penelope? How does she protect herself from unbearable hurt? She buries it of course and doesn’t let anyone close enough to see it. She then lets it’s fester for twelve years..!
Enter Maddox, Mr QB…. with a beautiful face, deliciously dirty mouth, huge caring heart and a body built for sin and pleasure, poor Penelope has absolutely no defence against this force of a man….despite her best efforts to push him away he is there for everything she throws and more. He has his own demons and reasons for the way he lives but contrary to Penelope he embraces life’s lessons and uses them to make his and those around him lives better.
He is swoon worthy, a total charmer and has a unique and hilarious way of diffusing Penelope’s freak outs!
This is such a fun addition to this series with some heartbreaking moments.
I was cheering for this couple all the way!
An absolute cracker of a book…that’s what you get…..heartwarming, chest aching romance with an alpha teddy bear and a feisty soft centred heroine.
This series from Ms James is just a wonderful escape and a celebration of female friendship and lasting bonds that will have you captivated throughout. Penelope is the fun loving friends but she’s fierce when defending her closest allies. Her girls are everything to her and woe-be tied anyone who tries to hurt or harm them in anyway…..but what about Penelope? How does she protect herself from unbearable hurt? She buries it of course and doesn’t let anyone close enough to see it. She then lets it’s fester for twelve years..!
Enter Maddox, Mr QB…. with a beautiful face, deliciously dirty mouth, huge caring heart and a body built for sin and pleasure, poor Penelope has absolutely no defence against this force of a man….despite her best efforts to push him away he is there for everything she throws and more. He has his own demons and reasons for the way he lives but contrary to Penelope he embraces life’s lessons and uses them to make his and those around him lives better.
He is swoon worthy, a total charmer and has a unique and hilarious way of diffusing Penelope’s freak outs!
This is such a fun addition to this series with some heartbreaking moments.
I was cheering for this couple all the way!
March 18, 2024
ALC Review::
The Ladies who Brunch is starting to become my favorite series and Harlow James slayed it with book #3, Now’s the Time. My heart sank into my gut on Chapter One and I knew I was in for an emotional journey. Not only was it emotional but it was HOT. We follow the lives of Maddox Taylor a Professional Football Player and Penelope a PR Rep. Maddox is visiting California where he and Penelope meet at a work event, after an immediate attraction they find themselves back at his place, after things get steamy, Penelope sneaks out in the middle of the night, hoping for only a one night fling. 6 weeks later Maddox is traded teams and Penelope is his new PR Rep. She is determined to stay far away from that attraction and Maddox is ready to jump in full force and take anything Penelope will give him. Penelope has a past that haunts her and a tragic event that has her staying away from any and all romantic relationships. She’s extremely closed off but also knows that there is something special with Maddox and they find themselves hooking up in secret. Maddox is your typical athlete playboy, or at least that’s what everyone thinks. It’s easy to see now that he has the biggest heart and the tabloid gossip is far from his truth. Maddox also has a past and the mystery of what he has gone through is so compelling it will keep you hooked through this entire story. The jokes in this book will keep you laughing and the passion between these two is undeniable. This story also has so much depth to it I was swooning over these two from the very beginning, not only them together but both of their stories were sweet and sentimental. I absolutely adore the friendships and conversations they have in this book and always get a Sex and the City vibe when listening to this series. This audiobook was performed in dual style narration by Jacob Morgan and Erin Mallon who bring out the best in these characters. The way both of their voices can pour into the emotions and vulnerabilities they are going through as well as express the passion and love these two clearly have is incredible. You can truly feel the connection with this duo.
THANK YOU THE AUTHOR AGENCY FOR THIS ALC AND THE CHANCE TO LISTEN AND REVIEW.
The Ladies who Brunch is starting to become my favorite series and Harlow James slayed it with book #3, Now’s the Time. My heart sank into my gut on Chapter One and I knew I was in for an emotional journey. Not only was it emotional but it was HOT. We follow the lives of Maddox Taylor a Professional Football Player and Penelope a PR Rep. Maddox is visiting California where he and Penelope meet at a work event, after an immediate attraction they find themselves back at his place, after things get steamy, Penelope sneaks out in the middle of the night, hoping for only a one night fling. 6 weeks later Maddox is traded teams and Penelope is his new PR Rep. She is determined to stay far away from that attraction and Maddox is ready to jump in full force and take anything Penelope will give him. Penelope has a past that haunts her and a tragic event that has her staying away from any and all romantic relationships. She’s extremely closed off but also knows that there is something special with Maddox and they find themselves hooking up in secret. Maddox is your typical athlete playboy, or at least that’s what everyone thinks. It’s easy to see now that he has the biggest heart and the tabloid gossip is far from his truth. Maddox also has a past and the mystery of what he has gone through is so compelling it will keep you hooked through this entire story. The jokes in this book will keep you laughing and the passion between these two is undeniable. This story also has so much depth to it I was swooning over these two from the very beginning, not only them together but both of their stories were sweet and sentimental. I absolutely adore the friendships and conversations they have in this book and always get a Sex and the City vibe when listening to this series. This audiobook was performed in dual style narration by Jacob Morgan and Erin Mallon who bring out the best in these characters. The way both of their voices can pour into the emotions and vulnerabilities they are going through as well as express the passion and love these two clearly have is incredible. You can truly feel the connection with this duo.
THANK YOU THE AUTHOR AGENCY FOR THIS ALC AND THE CHANCE TO LISTEN AND REVIEW.
March 16, 2024
Thank you to The Author Agency and Harlow James for the ALC! All thoughts are my own!
Now’s the time is the third book in The Ladies Who Brunch Series! This is Penelope’s story! I was so excited to get to her story when we were introduced to all the ladies in the first book!
A devastating loss for Penelope has her swearing off dating and love. Since then she has mastered one night stands without getting attached. She meets quarterback Maddox Taylor and after a fun night she leaves thinking she will never see him again. Weeks later she becomes the PR person for the Los Angeles Bolts which is the team Maddox is traded to. Can Penelope keep Maddox at bay or will she let him in?
I really enjoyed this book and getting to know Penelope more! Penelope and Max are everything! Penelope is a strong independent woman! Max is everything you want in an MMC Hot, Funny and a tad bit cocky! I love the jokes! It had me laughing. Maddox was exactly what Penelope needed! He was all in, all his attention was on Penelope and he just wanted to make her happy! I always love the he falls first trope and it was really sweet! The spice in the book was on another level! I loved it!
The narration was perfection! Erin and Jacob did such an amazing job bringing the story to life!
I definitely recommend this book and the series! I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the series!
What to expect:
One Night Stand
Secret Relationship
He Falls First
Workplace Romance
Now’s the time is the third book in The Ladies Who Brunch Series! This is Penelope’s story! I was so excited to get to her story when we were introduced to all the ladies in the first book!
A devastating loss for Penelope has her swearing off dating and love. Since then she has mastered one night stands without getting attached. She meets quarterback Maddox Taylor and after a fun night she leaves thinking she will never see him again. Weeks later she becomes the PR person for the Los Angeles Bolts which is the team Maddox is traded to. Can Penelope keep Maddox at bay or will she let him in?
I really enjoyed this book and getting to know Penelope more! Penelope and Max are everything! Penelope is a strong independent woman! Max is everything you want in an MMC Hot, Funny and a tad bit cocky! I love the jokes! It had me laughing. Maddox was exactly what Penelope needed! He was all in, all his attention was on Penelope and he just wanted to make her happy! I always love the he falls first trope and it was really sweet! The spice in the book was on another level! I loved it!
The narration was perfection! Erin and Jacob did such an amazing job bringing the story to life!
I definitely recommend this book and the series! I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the series!
What to expect:
One Night Stand
Secret Relationship
He Falls First
Workplace Romance
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