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Mr. Milner Gets Divorced
St. Paul, Minnesota
1954
Stephen Vincelli peaked in high school. Eight years later, he’s stuck at a dead-end job, living in a ramshackle boarding house, with a love life cobbled together from a handful of one-night stands. So for Winter Carnival, he’s turning a new leaf. No more hook-ups, no more bathhouses, and no more married men.
Except that as soon as he declares his intentions to the boys at Kreuger’s bar, he runs into the one married man it’s taken him eight years to forget.
Joe Milner has everything he’s ever wanted: a wife, a family, a house, and a steady job with a path to a promotion. So why is he so miserable? When Joe runs into Stephen again after eight years apart, he knows it’s too much to hope that they’ll pick up their friendship where they left off. But damn, it would be a relief to have someone he didn’t have to perform for.
As Joe and Stephen’s friendship reignites, Joe gets a firsthand look at what his life could have been if he’d been more honest with Stephen—and himself. As all his best-laid plans spiral out of control, Mr. Milner will have to decide what’s more important: fulfilling his duties, or facing up to his feelings.
1954
Stephen Vincelli peaked in high school. Eight years later, he’s stuck at a dead-end job, living in a ramshackle boarding house, with a love life cobbled together from a handful of one-night stands. So for Winter Carnival, he’s turning a new leaf. No more hook-ups, no more bathhouses, and no more married men.
Except that as soon as he declares his intentions to the boys at Kreuger’s bar, he runs into the one married man it’s taken him eight years to forget.
Joe Milner has everything he’s ever wanted: a wife, a family, a house, and a steady job with a path to a promotion. So why is he so miserable? When Joe runs into Stephen again after eight years apart, he knows it’s too much to hope that they’ll pick up their friendship where they left off. But damn, it would be a relief to have someone he didn’t have to perform for.
As Joe and Stephen’s friendship reignites, Joe gets a firsthand look at what his life could have been if he’d been more honest with Stephen—and himself. As all his best-laid plans spiral out of control, Mr. Milner will have to decide what’s more important: fulfilling his duties, or facing up to his feelings.
350 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2026
About the author
Jane Hadley
6 books26 followersJane Hadley lives under seven layers of blankets staring out into the cold tundra of Minnesota winter from behind her original wavy glass 1915 windows which she stubbornly won’t replace because old things are inherently valuable.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 12, 2026
Full disclosure: I am not capable of being unbiased about this book. First of all, I am friends with the author and read an early version of the book. But also, I have been wondering about Joe and Stephen since I clocked their tiny mention in Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen and had been waiting for their story forever!
With that caveat in mind, I can tell you that I thought about Joe and Stephen A LOT for days after reading (both times) and I am STILL thinking about them weeks later. The longing and pining was exquisite and made me have so many feelings. Also, as usual, Jane's ability to evoke a sense of time and place is outstanding. Bonus for all the excellent secondary characters - shoutout to Mae West especially! What was most remarkable to me is Jane's ability to thread the needle in ensuring a sense of justice for both Joe and Marion. Honestly, Marion is such a badass in this book and it made me want to re-read her book immediately after. But as much as Joe has (however unintentionally) screwed Marion over, I still have so much compassion for him and I just want everyone to be happy and that is exactly what Jane delivers between these two books.
With that caveat in mind, I can tell you that I thought about Joe and Stephen A LOT for days after reading (both times) and I am STILL thinking about them weeks later. The longing and pining was exquisite and made me have so many feelings. Also, as usual, Jane's ability to evoke a sense of time and place is outstanding. Bonus for all the excellent secondary characters - shoutout to Mae West especially! What was most remarkable to me is Jane's ability to thread the needle in ensuring a sense of justice for both Joe and Marion. Honestly, Marion is such a badass in this book and it made me want to re-read her book immediately after. But as much as Joe has (however unintentionally) screwed Marion over, I still have so much compassion for him and I just want everyone to be happy and that is exactly what Jane delivers between these two books.
Read
April 28, 2026A lovely little second chance romance set in the Twin Cities in the 1950s. Hadley has a real talent for conjuring up a place, and an obvious love for the places she's describing. Joe and Stephen were also delightful, and it was great fun to watch them rediscover each other. I loved the slow burn and yearning.
I received an ARC from the author, who is a friend of mine.
I received an ARC from the author, who is a friend of mine.
May 6, 2026
Loved this at times hilarious, at times melancholy, always delightful 1950s second chance romance.
May 8, 2026
St Paul, 1954. Joe Milner doesn't precisely have an unhappy marriage, but he spends so much time worrying avout things he thinks he should worry about - like the myriad other house projects piling up for him on the weekends after his job at City Hall - that he doesn't have energy to play with his kids or to romance his wife. But maybe that's part of the problem: he cares deeply for his wife Marion but little for romance. At Marion's suggestion, Joe stops for a Thursday drink at a hole-in-the-wall bar, which turns out to be frequented by his high school friend Stephen Vincelli. Stephen has a bad habit of falling for married men, and he's sworn them off. Except Joe has always been it for Stephen, and he can't help but fall all over again. Joe has to make the incredibly difficult decision to try to make a failing marriage work or follow his own heart.
Centering a romance around a main character amid a divorce can be a risk. I will say if I hadn't already read Marion's HEA first. Knowing that Marion, who has done nothing wrong in the relationship, gets someone who adores her makes Joe's perspective something I could be prepared to read. Joe married Marion because it felt like the right thing to do and she was the kind of woman he feels he should be proud to be with. Why this works for me: Jane Hadley is very sensitive to Joe's inner monologue in relation to his wife and kids. Every step towards his (and Marion's) eventual happiness is still a painful reflection on the hurt he will cause in the short term.
I always love the characters that Hadley writes, but she shines with group interactions. Stephen's regular crew at Krueger's Bar is a dynamic group of queer friends who get to be their true selves (with their nicknames) on Thursdays. We get glimpses of backstories for most of them, but it's all about how they flirt, tease, and celebrate life together. It's the place where Joe starts to understand a life outside of the closet with a small group of friends even. Hadley builds most of the story around nights at Krueger's, which brings a more joyful dynamic to a difficult time for a queer community in 1954.
Personally, I recommend you read Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen first, followed by Mr. Milner Gets Divorced, which is publication, but not chronological, order.
Thank you to Jane Hadley for an eARC. Mr. Milner Gets Divorced is out 4/30/2026.
Centering a romance around a main character amid a divorce can be a risk. I will say if I hadn't already read Marion's HEA first. Knowing that Marion, who has done nothing wrong in the relationship, gets someone who adores her makes Joe's perspective something I could be prepared to read. Joe married Marion because it felt like the right thing to do and she was the kind of woman he feels he should be proud to be with. Why this works for me: Jane Hadley is very sensitive to Joe's inner monologue in relation to his wife and kids. Every step towards his (and Marion's) eventual happiness is still a painful reflection on the hurt he will cause in the short term.
I always love the characters that Hadley writes, but she shines with group interactions. Stephen's regular crew at Krueger's Bar is a dynamic group of queer friends who get to be their true selves (with their nicknames) on Thursdays. We get glimpses of backstories for most of them, but it's all about how they flirt, tease, and celebrate life together. It's the place where Joe starts to understand a life outside of the closet with a small group of friends even. Hadley builds most of the story around nights at Krueger's, which brings a more joyful dynamic to a difficult time for a queer community in 1954.
Personally, I recommend you read Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen first, followed by Mr. Milner Gets Divorced, which is publication, but not chronological, order.
Thank you to Jane Hadley for an eARC. Mr. Milner Gets Divorced is out 4/30/2026.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Stephen and Joe were best friends in high school, self-declared soulmates even. Then they got *too* close at a party and Joe panic married. Cut to eight years later and he's working a job he loves but is being groomed for a promotion he doesn't want, his wife wants to resume relations after a nice long break after their second kid and he doesn't particularly want (or is able to) do that either. He's just stuck in a grind of disappointing his boss, disappointing his wife, and probably disappointing his kids, since he's too exhausted from all the other disappointments to be the kind of father he had hoped. "Despondence and humiliation were unpleasant, but they were also exhausting." Also living a grind? Stephen, who has his cadre of friends down at a local dive bar, but otherwise lives with his mom and works part-time jobs to get by. And slowly feels like he is disappearing into meaningless work and hookups and feeling stuck. He wants to matter to someone. "A husband, a companion, someone whose touch could reinforce that Stephen was still flesh and blood and hadn't winked out in a blink of loneliness like a dying star. Not to be melodramatic about it or anything."
This is where they are when Joe stops by Stephen's regular bar for a drink. Hadley does great work tightening the knots between them - they are in parallel feeling vulnerable for remembered intimacies (both physical and friendship-wise) but as Joe keeps returning to the bar he slowly entangles in Stephen's group of queer friends, and brings Stephen into his world of full-time work and unlocking his potential - he believes in Stephen in a way Stephen doesn't believe in himself, being reconnected provides the substance Stephen has been seeking.
Now that they are reunited, they realize "it had really always been that simple" that they were meant to be together. Easier said than done, of course, when homosexuality is illegal, and one dropped word could get them fired from their jobs. And there is the little matter of Joe being married with children, and with a boss who does not want even the hint of scandal. Hadley doesn't minimize the risks and constraints, or the cost of being together, and also clearly shows the inevitability of these two being together. "In spite of everything, there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you. It's so easy. It's like breathing."
Hadley's writing is beautiful and evocative. Stephen has "been floating around like a ghost with nowhere to haunt." and Joe goes home to his wife and kids and "The house loomed above him. He pressed down that crawling feeling in his throat and forced himself to walk inside." She builds tension and emotion so well that by the time we had our perfectly done declaration of yearning my hand shot to my mouth. This book is related to the novella (free on the author's website) Mrs. Milner Gets A Kitchen, but takes place beforehand, and can be read in either order.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
This is where they are when Joe stops by Stephen's regular bar for a drink. Hadley does great work tightening the knots between them - they are in parallel feeling vulnerable for remembered intimacies (both physical and friendship-wise) but as Joe keeps returning to the bar he slowly entangles in Stephen's group of queer friends, and brings Stephen into his world of full-time work and unlocking his potential - he believes in Stephen in a way Stephen doesn't believe in himself, being reconnected provides the substance Stephen has been seeking.
Now that they are reunited, they realize "it had really always been that simple" that they were meant to be together. Easier said than done, of course, when homosexuality is illegal, and one dropped word could get them fired from their jobs. And there is the little matter of Joe being married with children, and with a boss who does not want even the hint of scandal. Hadley doesn't minimize the risks and constraints, or the cost of being together, and also clearly shows the inevitability of these two being together. "In spite of everything, there's nowhere I'd rather be than with you. It's so easy. It's like breathing."
Hadley's writing is beautiful and evocative. Stephen has "been floating around like a ghost with nowhere to haunt." and Joe goes home to his wife and kids and "The house loomed above him. He pressed down that crawling feeling in his throat and forced himself to walk inside." She builds tension and emotion so well that by the time we had our perfectly done declaration of yearning my hand shot to my mouth. This book is related to the novella (free on the author's website) Mrs. Milner Gets A Kitchen, but takes place beforehand, and can be read in either order.
Thank you to the author for the arc.
Review of advance copy
Mr. Milner Gets Divorced is a fantastic queer historical romance. Set in 1950s Minnesota, Jane Hadley expertly tells the story of the end of a marriage and soulmates finding their way back to each other.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Joe Milner and Stephen Vincelli were best friends in high school, until That One Night. Joe went on to marry Marion, got a 9-5 job, and fathered two children before their paths cross again. Meanwhile, Stephen has been making ends meet through a variety of jobs, and spends his evenings hanging out with his queer friends at Keurger’s bar. So he’s shocked when Joe walks in for a drink, and soon they pick up where they left off. But Joe is married, and Stephen’s sworn off married men. As Joe comes to terms with being gay, though, it’s tougher and tougher for them to stay away from each other.
I adore Stephen and his queer found family. His struggles, economic as well as having to hide his sexuality, felt realistic, especially for the time period. It’s easy to see why Joe looks forward to seeing this group each week. But Hadley doesn’t shy away from how difficult it is for Joe to come to terms with being gay, and what it mean for himself and everyone else in his life.
I’m really glad I read Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen first, which is free through the author’s newsletter. If I didn’t already know for sure that this woman gets her much deserved HEA with someone who worships her, it would be 10x harder to read about the end of Marion’s marriage. There is no question that she’s done everything expected of a woman of her time, and still treats Joe with empathy, even when she suffers the consequences of his actions.
Mr. Milner Gets Divorced is a wonderful second chance queer romance. The 1950s setting is a delight, even as Jane Hadley doesn’t gloss over any of the struggles of the time period. If you are a fan of mid century historical romance, you’ll enjoy this emotional story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Joe Milner and Stephen Vincelli were best friends in high school, until That One Night. Joe went on to marry Marion, got a 9-5 job, and fathered two children before their paths cross again. Meanwhile, Stephen has been making ends meet through a variety of jobs, and spends his evenings hanging out with his queer friends at Keurger’s bar. So he’s shocked when Joe walks in for a drink, and soon they pick up where they left off. But Joe is married, and Stephen’s sworn off married men. As Joe comes to terms with being gay, though, it’s tougher and tougher for them to stay away from each other.
I adore Stephen and his queer found family. His struggles, economic as well as having to hide his sexuality, felt realistic, especially for the time period. It’s easy to see why Joe looks forward to seeing this group each week. But Hadley doesn’t shy away from how difficult it is for Joe to come to terms with being gay, and what it mean for himself and everyone else in his life.
I’m really glad I read Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen first, which is free through the author’s newsletter. If I didn’t already know for sure that this woman gets her much deserved HEA with someone who worships her, it would be 10x harder to read about the end of Marion’s marriage. There is no question that she’s done everything expected of a woman of her time, and still treats Joe with empathy, even when she suffers the consequences of his actions.
Mr. Milner Gets Divorced is a wonderful second chance queer romance. The 1950s setting is a delight, even as Jane Hadley doesn’t gloss over any of the struggles of the time period. If you are a fan of mid century historical romance, you’ll enjoy this emotional story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 stars rounded up. I have been bemoaning the low-stakes, fluffy nonsense that the genre of romance has been for a while now, so I was incredibly interested to see how Jane Hadley would pull off a book in which one of the protagonists was already married with children when the story starts. However, I'll admit that, as much as I was excited to read Mr Milner Gets Divorced because I knew Jane was a bold writer who could pull off a delicate premise, I was also a little apprehensive about how she would deal with the spurned wife character, whose story I had already read and loved. I knew I’d feel protective of Marion, who was completely faultless in the breakdown of her marriage, so imagine my relief when I saw how masterfully and respectfully Ms Hadley dealt with all the characters in the love triangle. Obviously, Joe and Stephen and the rekindling of their friendship, which turns into a romance, are given the most attention, but the author also took the time to establish Joe’s life with his family and how stifling it had become. There was almost something John Cheever-esque in the story of a repressed man living a seemingly placid life with his cherubic children and perfect hostess wife in 1950s America.
On the other hand, Stephen ran in completely opposite circles and was surrounded by a wide cast of colourful queer characters, who, although they largely provided comic relief, were never too over-the-top. It was obvious how fond the author was of all of them and how much she wanted to celebrate them and different lifestyles. Obviously, Mae West was a scene-stealer; I laughed out loud during the scene when he ineptly drives the inebriated Joe and Stephen home, but even that slapstick-y scene was expertly turned into a tender, poignant moment of longing for the protagonists.
I just fell in love with the entire cast of this book and was very touched to see how they made the best life for themselves given their circumstances. However, I will probably have to re-read Marion’s novella soon to reassure myself that she got her HEA as well.
Huge thanks to Jane Hadley for the ARC.
On the other hand, Stephen ran in completely opposite circles and was surrounded by a wide cast of colourful queer characters, who, although they largely provided comic relief, were never too over-the-top. It was obvious how fond the author was of all of them and how much she wanted to celebrate them and different lifestyles. Obviously, Mae West was a scene-stealer; I laughed out loud during the scene when he ineptly drives the inebriated Joe and Stephen home, but even that slapstick-y scene was expertly turned into a tender, poignant moment of longing for the protagonists.
I just fell in love with the entire cast of this book and was very touched to see how they made the best life for themselves given their circumstances. However, I will probably have to re-read Marion’s novella soon to reassure myself that she got her HEA as well.
Huge thanks to Jane Hadley for the ARC.
Read
May 24, 2026I really enjoyed this! It was a good romance (a little bit second chance, a little bit friends to lovers, lots of pining), but I really enjoyed the glimpse into queer culture in 1950s St. Paul. Such a unique setting. And the friend group was fun, too!
I just really enjoyed seeing Joe come in to his own and start to build a life for himself that made him happy. And I loved seeing Stephen get the relationship he so desperately wanted. They were so precious together, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
One of the MCs is married for a good chunk of the book.
Fwiw, I've read romances where someone is dating or engaged to another character that are way more ethically dubious than this was to me.
Anyways, I very much enjoyed Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen and Mr. Milner Gets Divorced! It's very cool seeing historical romances set in Minnesota, but I'm always here for non typical historical settings!
I just really enjoyed seeing Joe come in to his own and start to build a life for himself that made him happy. And I loved seeing Stephen get the relationship he so desperately wanted. They were so precious together, and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
One of the MCs is married for a good chunk of the book.
Fwiw, I've read romances where someone is dating or engaged to another character that are way more ethically dubious than this was to me.
Anyways, I very much enjoyed Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen and Mr. Milner Gets Divorced! It's very cool seeing historical romances set in Minnesota, but I'm always here for non typical historical settings!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a lovely midcentury historical MM romance featuring former high school best friends rekindling their friendship and their eventual slow burn romance. I especially loved all the scenes set at Kreuger’s bar and the cast of bar regulars and Stephen’s group of friends.
This was a lovely midcentury historical MM romance featuring former high school best friends rekindling their friendship and their eventual slow burn romance. I especially loved all the scenes set at Kreuger’s bar and the cast of bar regulars and Stephen’s group of friends.
May 6, 2026
Not me absolutely loving a romance where one MC spends a significant portion of the book still married, and frankly neglecting his children. Y'all if I wasn't cackling with laughter, my heart was breaking for Joe (and Marion and the kids, but I've read Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen so I already knew it was HEAs for everyone!)
Set in 1954, the way Hadley writes is so evocative of the time. The slang and the sayings, I adored it and felt immersed. This slow burn second chance romance comes with a whole cast of side characters who are the absolute most. Oh my god they are so entertaining! But you also really get a sense of how unsafe life was for queer people in 1950s USA.
I adored the tender moments between Joe and Stephen, the yearning and the road to seeing how they'd get to their HEA. I've been slower at eyeball reads lately but once I started this I did not want to put it down. Highly recommend for readers who love a coming out story set against real history.
Thank you to the author for an eARC. All opinions are my own. Mrs. Milner's story is free via Jane Hadley's newsletter and it also a great read - and while set after this book, they can be read in any order.
Set in 1954, the way Hadley writes is so evocative of the time. The slang and the sayings, I adored it and felt immersed. This slow burn second chance romance comes with a whole cast of side characters who are the absolute most. Oh my god they are so entertaining! But you also really get a sense of how unsafe life was for queer people in 1950s USA.
I adored the tender moments between Joe and Stephen, the yearning and the road to seeing how they'd get to their HEA. I've been slower at eyeball reads lately but once I started this I did not want to put it down. Highly recommend for readers who love a coming out story set against real history.
Thank you to the author for an eARC. All opinions are my own. Mrs. Milner's story is free via Jane Hadley's newsletter and it also a great read - and while set after this book, they can be read in any order.
April 20, 2026
This lovely prequel to Mrs Milner Gets a Kitchen features Joe, the conflicted husband, and his estranged childhood best friend, Stephen. Plus a cast of eccentric queer friends who gambol around getting into trouble like a pile of golden retriever puppies. Joe and Stephen haven’t spoken since something significant happened between them after high school graduation, but when they reconnect by chance it’s like no time has passed. Soon Joe is questioning everything in his perfectly planned life, but in 1950s America, is he brave enough to change?
Jane Hadley’s books will appeal to fans of Cat Sebastian, whose midcentury romances feature similarly rich and emotional stories, set against a politically uneasy backdrop but with real warmth. The only thing I didn’t love about this book was the epilogue, which honestly felt like an unrelated short story tacked on at the end.
Thank you to the author for this ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
Jane Hadley’s books will appeal to fans of Cat Sebastian, whose midcentury romances feature similarly rich and emotional stories, set against a politically uneasy backdrop but with real warmth. The only thing I didn’t love about this book was the epilogue, which honestly felt like an unrelated short story tacked on at the end.
Thank you to the author for this ARC to review. All opinions are my own.
April 30, 2026
If you love historical romance that isn't just the regency period, this is for you! Hadley has composed a heart wrenching and heart warming 1950s period gay romance, as the prequel to her novella Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen. I adored the novella and was excited to read this one.
Stephen and Joe were quite close friends, but drifted apart. Fast foward several years later and Joe finds himself feeling stuck even though my all metrics he's achieved the life he always dreamed of with a wife and kids and a good job. Meanwhile Stephen is working hard to make ends meet and his romantic life consists solely of one night stands and affairs.
This is a slow burn romance with a little bit of angst while Joe and Stephen work out how they can be together, as expected in a realistic historical romance for the time period. But it's also so sweet and ends well. And for those of you like me who would be worried about Joe's wife - never fear, she gets her own HEA.
Stephen and Joe were quite close friends, but drifted apart. Fast foward several years later and Joe finds himself feeling stuck even though my all metrics he's achieved the life he always dreamed of with a wife and kids and a good job. Meanwhile Stephen is working hard to make ends meet and his romantic life consists solely of one night stands and affairs.
This is a slow burn romance with a little bit of angst while Joe and Stephen work out how they can be together, as expected in a realistic historical romance for the time period. But it's also so sweet and ends well. And for those of you like me who would be worried about Joe's wife - never fear, she gets her own HEA.
May 29, 2026
This book was beautiful! Jane Hadley writes impeccable plots, dialogue and the character development was on point. It was also very interesting the see the relationship (or the breakdown of said relationship) between Joe and Marion. of which we got glimpses of in book 1, Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen. This is me trying to say that the two books can be read interchangeably; you can read about Mr. Milner before Mrs. Milner, or vice versa. And Janet, if you read her backlist, which I highly recommend, does not shy away from writing complicated relationships, but she writes them in a way that makes you fall in love with the characters, despite all the hard decisions they make.
This is also your sign to subscribe to Jane's newsletter; don't walk, run.
This is also your sign to subscribe to Jane's newsletter; don't walk, run.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a fabulous midcentury MM romance! Stephen is searching for a committed, deep relationship but keeps hooking up with married men in the bath house. Then Joe walks into Stephen's regular haunt, Kreuger's bar, and Stephen makes the mistake of telling his friends/found family that he once called Joe his soulmate when they were best friends in high school. Joe is married and miserable. The queer friends are fabulous. And the slow burn is delightful. Hadley doesn't shy away from the complexities of social expectations for straight people as well as the real risks and danger facing the queer population.
April 30, 2026
This is such a slow burn about Joe and Stephen, high school friends who reconnect and finally get their HEA. The writing and characterisation were wonderful.
I really enjoyed the historical setting of Mr Milner Gets a Divorce. This was a raw and gritty portrayal of life as a queer person in the 1950s. The precarious life they lived, constantly on the alert for being outed, was awful.
I have not yet read Mrs Milner Gets a Kitchen, but this book is set chronologically before it so I don't feel like I have missed anything. I am very much looking forward to Marion's story.
I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I really enjoyed the historical setting of Mr Milner Gets a Divorce. This was a raw and gritty portrayal of life as a queer person in the 1950s. The precarious life they lived, constantly on the alert for being outed, was awful.
I have not yet read Mrs Milner Gets a Kitchen, but this book is set chronologically before it so I don't feel like I have missed anything. I am very much looking forward to Marion's story.
I received an advance copy of this book at no charge. This is my honest and voluntary review.
May 15, 2026
I love Jane Hadley for pushing the boundaries of romance and historicals, setting this in an era that isn’t typical for HR. This book certainly has angst and drama, readers should check the content warnings, but it is an excellent story of self discovery and really delivers on the promise of romance: that everyone deserves and HEA.
Other things to note: Jane Hadley writes a great friend group and the gang here is fun and funny, especially Mae West
Other things to note: Jane Hadley writes a great friend group and the gang here is fun and funny, especially Mae West
May 24, 2026
Whew, it's tough to figure out how I feel about this book. I'm very glad I had read MRS MILNER GETS A KITCHEN first. I already know that Joe's wife Marion is going to be OK and that she's going to be better off in the end. But even then my loyalty to her really clouded my feelings for the budding relationship between Joe and Stephen. I mean, I guess it's right there in the title that it's a complicated book!
Thank you to the author for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
Thank you to the author for the copy of this book. Opinions are my own.
May 3, 2026
Very lovely exploration of second chance, with all the wit and yearning one could want in a romance. This was so interesting to see from the other side of the Milner relationship, having read Mrs. Milner's story first. Hadley is doing so many interesting things in the romance genre, with time period, place, gender and I'll be delighted to keep reading whatever she writes.
May 7, 2026
This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I'm happy to report that I enjoyed it very much!
From the moment I started, I couldn't put it down (could this be the book that pulls me out of my reading slump? We'll see).
It's super entertaining, with a beautifully executed slow burn and very sweet moments.
I loved that the author to released Marion's story first, because seeing her suffer in this book was heartbreaking, but knowing she gets her own HEA softened it a little bit.
Every 20th century histrom Jane has written has automatically become a favorite, and cant wait for whatever she writes next.
Thanks to the author for the free Arc
From the moment I started, I couldn't put it down (could this be the book that pulls me out of my reading slump? We'll see).
It's super entertaining, with a beautifully executed slow burn and very sweet moments.
I loved that the author to released Marion's story first, because seeing her suffer in this book was heartbreaking, but knowing she gets her own HEA softened it a little bit.
Every 20th century histrom Jane has written has automatically become a favorite, and cant wait for whatever she writes next.
Thanks to the author for the free Arc
May 9, 2026
Absolutely love Stephen and Joe, although coming from reading Mrs. Milner's book I was not predisposed to think well of Joe at first... But that definitely changed! Lovely, sweet, and poignant second chance romance!
May 3, 2026
So much yearning. Absolutely hilarious bar scene had me cackling.
Read
May 16, 2026Loved the story and the historical setting
Review of advance copy received from Author
Queer second chance romance against a midcentury modern backdrop with the yearn-for-yearn angst I’ve been missing since Heated Rivalry. Thank you to the author for an e-ARC.
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