Out Of Plays

by Mackenzie Madden

She doesn’t trust him anymore.
He refuses to let her go.

After a devastating divorce, Melanie spent the last year rebuilding a sense of safety for herself and her son, Oakley. It’s hard enough starting over, but it’s even harder in a small town when her ex-husband now lives with the woman he cheated with. Trust doesn’t come easily, and Melanie has no intention of risking the fragile peace she’s fought for.

Cale never wanted a relationship. He’s content with the life he’s made for himself—no entanglements and no drama. Nobody has ever tempted him to change his mind…until his guarded neighbor and her entertaining son capture his attention. He tells himself to keep his distance, but the pull toward Melanie is impossible to ignore.

When one senseless act brings Melanie and Oakley’s world crashing down again, Cale doesn’t think twice before he steps in. As he becomes a steady presence that neither of them knew they needed, Melanie has to decide whether she’s brave enough to trust again…and Cale realizes that walking away was never an option.



Genres: Second Chance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

420 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2026

Reviews

[Alina]

so authors' ideas of an mmc is for him to be a misogynistic piece of shit, who talks about the fmc as a sexual object and shit talks her being a single mother because her ex husband cheated on her?
but no my bad, it's not actually the mmc's fault🥺🥺 because he only said the most vile things because he actually really loved the fmc and was scared of his feelings so the alternative was to obliterate her and her son.
what's worst is that not only did he say it behind her back to his friend and they laughed about it, he also told her she deserved her cheating husband leaving her to her face😐😐. mmc of the year am i right ?

the only person worst than Cale ( the mmc ), was the fmc's cheating ex husband so that should tell you how disgusting he was with what he said.

Mackenzie Madden needs to catch a fucking grip with her pig mmcs

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

3.5 ⭐️

So when we start we see Mel being a single parent since her ex cheated and now showing off his "new" family around town. Mel is done because she has her son to take care of. But that doesnt stop her from checking out the towns playboy yeah she knows he has woman in his house since they leave early in the morning. Her and Cale are neighborly that's it.

Then a breakin happens and Cale starts to see something else. A kid who loves to learn and Mel who is super mom. So they give in and have a ons. Or so it seems since both keep coming back. But with a ex husband who wants to cause problems. Things get alittle messy when Mel stops the sleeping together. It gets worst when her son overheard how Cale talked about them. He said some hurtful word about Mel and him. So that made Oak not wanna be around Cale.

And honestly right there!! I would make sure Cale would never talk to us again no matter what. And I wish his family said something not "we dont get involved" 😒😒😒 but Cale slowly tries to make it up. One at a time. Making sure they knew he was sorry for what he said so hes showing them how much they mean to him. On top of that the house break ins, and the ex cause more drama.

But we get a hea for the couple/family and a few side charas. Am i going to read the next book. Idk. Depends on who it is.

Saftey- fmc sees the mmc have a one of the girls over pre relationship, and fmc goes on a date. Nothing else happens.

No ow/tiny om drama, no cheating between mmc, drama, sexy times, no virgins and ex playboy

Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶

Slowburnish
Single parent
Kidnapping of a child
Gun violence
Pyshical assault
Home invasion
Neglectful parenting
Praise kink
Safe sex/no condom
Hea
Epilogue

[Shannon Lee]

⭐️: 3.5

Main trope: This is a contemporary romance.

Additional tropes:
✅Ex/other man drama
✅Other woman drama
✅Overheard
✅Small town romance
✅Found family

Detailed spoilers/trigger warnings (if any) and final thoughts can be found below. There is a warning right before the spoiler and trigger section so you have the choice to proceed or stop reading.

Summary: Newly divorced after separating from her ex who had cheated and now lives with his affair partner, Melanie is raising her son with little to no help or support from his father. Cale is the neighbor she can’t help but notice but is too nervous to even consider approaching him. Not to mention it hasn’t been that long since her marriage ended.

Cale is a combat veteran who has seen the worst in people which has left him jaded. The one real relationship he ever had didn’t end well, which has also affected his view of commitment. He just never believed he would find anyone to get serious with, but lately he has noticed the FMC and specifically that her husband doesn’t seem to be around anymore. They also live in a small town where gossip is just par for the course, so he knows how their marriage ended.

A security threat to the FMC and her son had the MMC offering help in multiple ways, allowing the couple to grow close. Through both of the characters inner monologues, we know they are considering what might happen if they agreed for something more. The FMC’s ex-husband and the woman he cheated with cause a lot of problems for the FMC and she feels like she is catching it from all sides. She is starting to lean on Cale but then he does and says some things that the FMC can’t forgive or forget. Cale knows he really messed up and starts to grovel for forgiveness from the FMC and her son, just as things with her ex are at their worst. Showing up at important moments proves to the FMC he means what he says as she starts to move toward a place of forgiveness.

⚠️SPOILERS/SPICE/DETAILED TRIGGERS⚠️

✋
✋
✋

*There are no details of the affair her ex-husband had that are provided in this book. She just simply mentions he cheated.
*Death of a secondary character.
🌶️:2.5/5

Final thoughts: I enjoyed this story. I loved the FMC and admired her strength to handle the challenges that came while doing whatever she needed to do to put her son first. Cale was a complex character with some internal struggles that had him saying and doing some regretful things before he got his stuff together to be the man the FMC and her son deserved.

The other woman got her comeuppance which is always going to be a huge selling point for me when it comes to a book having other woman drama.

It did drag at times and I found myself skimming through some of the repetitive parts but overall this was a good romance and I definitely recommend.

[Pinky]

Trigger Warnings: Cheating ex, struggles in foster care (side character), abandonment, bullying, home invasions with destruction to personal property, arson, child neglect, dead ex (side character), slut-shaming, PTSD, references to past rape resulting in pregnancy for side character, child kidnapping, threats, parent on drugs, physical assault, talks about human trafficking, guns, murder, dead ex, child neglect

I read The Ring Thief by this author on Wattpad and LOVED it. I didn’t read the published version, so I haven’t written a review, but the grovel was amazing. So when I heard about this, I didn’t hesitate to start it. This takes place in a small town called Sterling Creek. It has betrayal and grovelling that IMO is satisfying. So many authors do small-town romances, and it feels forced. But in this, I am curious about every character. I like the FMC, Melanie’s backbone, but she isn’t memorable. The MMC, Cale, fucked up in an immature way, but he grovelled enough for me to forgive him. We don’t really learn about Cale since the story revolved around Melanie and Oakley. I would have liked to see Cale talk about his struggles in the military and his past relationship for more depth. He has tattoos, and we don’t even know what they are. Melanie’s son, Oakley, is a realistic 8-year-old, and his bond with Cale was adorable. The romance is insta-lovey, which I usually hate, but I didn’t mind since I was reading for the betrayal and grovel. I can’t wait to read more from this author!


Melanie is raising her kid Oakley alone while dealing with her cheating ex-husband, Davis. When Cale notices Melanie, he can’t get her out of his head. But Melanie doesn’t have time for him; her priority is her son.

Now for spoilers


Melanie and her 8-year-old son Oakley notice the washroom floor is moving. Melanie says she will fix it, but Oakley says that his dad, Davis, took the toolbox. Melanie says she will get tools from the store. She is short on cash since she is a graphic design freelancer. Davis was married to Melanie for 10 years (I think). They met in college, and he was sweet at first; they were both 20. She got pregnant early, so they got married and lived in a small town called Sterling Creek. He started to get distant a year or two ago, and then he cheated on her with Marcy. Davis lives with Marcy and her daughter Clarissa, who bullies Oakley and his friends. Davis is supposed to have Oakley on the weekends but barely shows up. Melanie drops Oakley off at school and buys tools. She sees her neighbour Cale walk out with a woman. I hate seeing MMC hook up with others, especially cuz I think he hooks up with another person later. It was subtle, so I could be wrong. Cale was Melanie’s neighbour for years. Once he sends the woman away, he asks if Melanie needs help. He was away on deployment since he was in the military. He works at Onyx Security. Melanie says no, but he notices the toolbox. So he takes it from her and walks into her home. He asks where her husband is, and Melanie doesn’t tell him. But Cale notices that her pictures don’t include Davis. When Cale notices the bathroom floor, he offers to call his friend Garth, who works in construction. Melanie says she will watch YouTube with Oakley and fix it herself. He says fine, but secretly gives Garth a call.

Melanie is close with a girl named Rosie, who is a 25-year-old mom. It is heavily hinted that Rosie was raped and got pregnant. Her daughter’s name is Nell, and she is 8; she is friends with Oakley. People in town slut-shame Rosie when she is a victim; fuck them. Marcy is part of the school committee. Marcy was married to Landon when she cheated with Davis. So not only did Marcy sleep with a married man, but she was also married. Not to take the blame from Davis, fuck him too. Marcy tries to push Melanie and Rosie to donate or bake for the school fundraiser. Marcy keeps calling Melanie “Mellie,” which is Davis’s nickname for her. Melanie says it’s weird that Marcy likes to call her by Davis’s nickname. Then Melanie gets a call from Garth about her washroom floor; she’s annoyed with Cale but lets Garth come over. Cale goes to the bar, and a girl named Randi flirts with him; they fuck around casually. She works at a bar owned by Benson, and I wonder if they’ll have a story. Remember how I said I think Cale hooked up with a girl after talking to Melanie? That was this moment. He’s with his friends Paulie, Jordan, and Garth. Garth asks if Cale is sure he wants to pay for Melanie’s construction work, and Cale says yes. He knows Melanie needs the help. Cale wants a distraction and zeroes in on Randi’s ass. So it’s not explicitly said if they did end up fucking, but it felt like they did; lemme know what you think.


Davis bails on a weekend with Oakley and then randomly shows up to take Oakley out for pizza. This isn’t the custody agreement, and Davis says Melanie needs to stop whining. While Cale is mowing his lawn, Oakley jumps his fence. Oakley says he knows leopards carry dead animals to trees, and so can he. So Cale starts calling him Killer, and Oakley asks to learn to mow so he can help Melanie since she hates it. Cale teaches him, and Melanie tells Oakley to tell her before he goes outside. Cale asks if Oakley would be down to play Mario Kart with his niece Lanie, and Melanie asks Oakley, who says yes. When Cale goes to his parents’ home, he runs into his sister Jaz. His parents, Bettie and Harry, are letting Jaz and her daughter Lanie stay with them. Jaz’s husband sucks, so she moved back after the divorce. Jaz tells Cale that Lanie is in a bad mood. So Cale gets Lanie to open up during dinner. Garth spills the beans that Davis cheated on Melanie with Marcy and left her. Jaz has something going on with Garth. I think their story is a second chance; Garth left for deployment, and when he got back, Jaz was pregnant and married.

At a bake sale, a lady named Jamie is selling to the kids. She owns a store called Frothy Cakes and is married to Knox. She complains about Knox focusing on work; they have the overheard trope where he spoke with OW about not wanting to be with her. They might have a marriage-in-trouble storyline later. When Oakley goes over to Cale’s place to play Mario Kart with Lanie, Jaz visits Melanie. They bond over being single moms and become friends. Oakley wanted Davis to watch his baseball game, but he doesn’t show up. Oakley’s coach is Harrison, who is a single dad with a son named Jacob. Harrison’s ex, Roxanne, left him since she didn’t want to be a mom; they had a drunk one-night stand with an accidental pregnancy. I swear everyone in this town is a single parent. When Melanie and Oakley get home, they find their house was broken into, and everything is destroyed. They didn’t steal anything, and Melanie calls the cops. Cale finds them outside and puts his arms around them. It all happened so fast; even if they are neighbours for years, they barely knew each other. The cops say that Melanie can’t stay at her place. Cale says they can stay with him. Melanie’s parents live hours away, and she hasn’t spoken to them in years. Davis grew up in the foster care system with no family. Cale installs a security system with cameras at Melanie’s place. When Oakley goes to sleep, Cale says that Melanie can let it out, calling her “Darlin,” or “Baby.” Honestly, it was too soon for this. She cries in his lap, and they start making out. Cale says he doesn’t do strings or relationships, and Melanie says she wants a distraction. So they have sex, and Melanie leaves to sleep in the guest room. Even though Cale wanted no strings, he is attached to Melanie and Oakley. When he was young, his ex cheated on him, and it was his first and only relationship. Garth fixes Melanie’s home, but no one knows who was behind the home invasion. Davis tells Melanie that she needs to sell the house since it isn’t safe. Cale overhears and defends Melanie. Davis asks if Melanie is whoring herself to Cale despite being the one who cheated. Melanie can’t afford to buy a place if they sell the house, so she says no. Cale calls Davis the wrong name, sticking with “Dipshit”. Melanie and Cale continue hooking up, and Cale starts to sleep over at Melanie’s place; the lines are blurred. One morning, they are making out and hear Oakley. Melanie kicks Cale out without clothes.

Davis takes Oakley away even though he won’t be spending time with him, threatening to take sole custody if Melanie doesn’t sell the house. Melanie ends things with Cale since she doesn’t want another man to hurt her and Oakley. Cale is pissed since he isn’t ready for things to be over. In the morning, when Oakley is heading to baseball, he is disappointed Davis won’t be there. So Cale offers to come, and Melanie is annoyed. Cale and Melanie cheer Oakley on, but Melanie tells Cale that things can’t continue. She gets a ride from Harrison, who is rumoured to have a crush on her. Nell and Oakley are together when Clarissa bullies them; we see this from Oakley’s POV. She says that Oakley’s dad left him to live with her since he doesn’t love Oakley. She says shit about Nell since she heard parents talking about Rosie. Oakley is upset, so he runs away. Melanie isn’t home, so he goes to Cale and overhears him talking to Jordan. This betrayal hurts since Oakley doesn’t have a proper father figure and trusted Cale.

“…easy fuck, no strings. Why wouldn’t I do it?” That’s Cale, even though it doesn’t sound like him. His voice is all wrong, like he’s spitting each word out.

“I never signed up to play daddy to someone else’s kid,” Cale scoffs, and he sounds annoyed. He doesn’t even sound like that when I beat him at Mario Kart, and I always win.

“It’ll burn out between us, and that’s it. I’m not playing a long game.”

Oakley throws a rock at Cale’s window and runs away; I honestly don’t blame him. Then Melanie gets a call that Oakley is missing. Luckily, a cop found Oakley and brought him to Melanie. Melanie hugs him, and he says he is sorry over and over again. He opens up about Clarissa’s bullying and how he is treated at Davis’s place. When Melanie puts Oakley to bed, Cale shows Melanie that Oakley broke his window and tells Melanie she needs to pay for it. The way he spoke to Melanie was so fucked.

“And you might want to talk to him about vandalizing people’s property.” His eyes fly over my shoulder. “Maybe you should be looking closer to home for the damage done to your place.” He smiles, but it’s not a nice one. “Clearly, your parenting leaves something to be desired.”

“It’s a good thing you ended it,” he says. “Because obviously Davis knew something I didn’t when he left you.”


Oakley heard the whole thing and told Melanie that he overheard Cale. Oakley didn’t tell her since he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, since it hurt him. The way I cried at that- this kid is an angel. Cale realizes he fucked up, and Melanie slams the door on him. Cale avoided making things official with Melanie since he was scared to lose her and Oakley. But now, he has lost her for good. Melanie leaves a cheque in his mailbox for the window, and he puts it back in hers. So she nails it to his door, and he rips it up. There is another home invasion, but this is a house fire. Harrison was injured while helping out, so he can’t coach baseball. Oakley is in a bad mood, so Melanie takes Oakley to Harrison’s place to play with Jacob. Jacob and Harrison are hilarious; I would love to see their story. Cale volunteers to coach baseball since he knows Oakley was looking forward to it. When Cale runs into Melanie at the grocery store, Oakley won’t look at him. Cale tries to apologize, and Melanie asks why Cale didn’t contact her about Oakley. When Oakley was acting out of character, she asks why Cale didn’t make sure he was okay. Cale realizes he fucked up even more, and Melanie says to cash the cheque. When Cale is coaching the team, Oakley ignores him. But Cale apologizes to Oakley about everything. He tells Oakley the truth: he makes mistakes, and he was scared to lose Melanie and him. He wants Oakley to have fun with baseball whether he forgives him or not. Oakley says he won’t forgive him yet. Cale asks Oakley to give the envelope back to Melanie. Cale blames himself for speaking about Melanie and Oakley that way, triggering Oakley to do that, saying it isn’t Oakley’s fault. So he says Melanie shouldn’t pay for the damages, and Oakley gives Melanie the envelope back.

Oakley goes to Cale, and Melanie overhears Oakley say he hates going to his dad’s house but doesn’t want to make things hard for Melanie. Cale was a good listener; he hugged Oakley to make him feel better. Melanie is fine with them getting along as long as Oakley is okay. But she tells Cale it will take more than words for her to forgive him. When Melanie is out with Rosie and Jaz, she sees Cale hugging Randi and feels jealous. Cale’s friends Landon, Garth, Paulie and Logan have a band. The girls dance, and someone gets handsy with Melanie. Cale tells the guy to back off and says that he is going to work for Melanie to forgive him. Melanie sneaks cash into Cale’s pocket and leaves. But Cale sneaks it back to Melanie, and she smiles. When Melanie is in Frothy Cakes, Marcy tries to bully her. But Bettie overhears and yells at Marcy. She is also part of the school committee and says she will get rid of Marcy. Jamie bans Marcy from Frothy Cakes. Bettie invites Melanie over for food. Melanie asks Bettie to give Cale his money back, so she does, but he gets it back to Melanie again. So Melanie surprises him with a glitter bomb in the envelope. Then Cale finds Jaz babysitting Oakley, and Oakley tells Cale that Melanie is on a date with Harrison. Jaz lets Cale and Oakley leave to ambush the date. But Harrison and Melanie don’t feel sparks. They are just friends and bond about being single parents with terrible exes.

They are interrupted by Davis, who threatens Melanie. But Cale punches him and says Davis walked into it. Everyone supports Cale and Melanie. Then Melanie gets a call from Rosie since her home was broken into while she was home with Nell. Melanie and Cale go over while Harrison takes Oakley home. Cale tells Rosie she did everything right, and they find out that a bunch of teenagers were behind the attacks. One of them is Ryan, the 14-year-old son of Levi, Cale’s boss at Onyx Security. Levi’s wife passed away 4 years ago, and Ryan took it pretty hard. Levi is Landon’s brother, and Landon was married to Marcy. So Clarissa is Ryan’s cousin, and Ryan believed everything she told him. He targeted Melanie since he thought she gave their family a hard time. He targeted Rosie since he thought Nell was bullying Clarissa. They could have killed someone. Melanie lets Rosie and Nell stay at her place. Melanie asks Cale to stay on the couch; he is grateful for the chance. Seeing him cheer up the kids the next day was cute. Melanie is wearing his shirt, and Cale loves it. Cale lets Oakley and Nell play Mario Kart and gets a call from Levi. Levi knows what Ryan did was fucked, but he’s also trying to make excuses. He thinks that Nell was bullying Clarissa and blames Davis even though Marcy was the problem too. Cale calls him out for everything and tells him that Ryan should apologize since Rosie and Nell are traumatized. Melanie finds Cale and kisses him, and Oakley finds them kissing. Melanie tells Cale to come home for dinner. Cale asks if he is intruding, but Oakley says no. Oakley blames himself since he heard Ryan talk to Clarissa and said nothing. Melanie and Cale tell Oakley he did nothing wrong. They put him to bed and make out; they get each other off but don’t have sex. Cale sleeps over, and Oakley doesn’t mind.

It’s Cale’s last day as a baseball coach since Harrison is back; Oakley is thankful to him. Cale has sex with Melanie without a condom, and Melanie doesn’t want more kids, so she’s on birth control. Cale is fine with that as long as she shares Oakley. Then Melanie gets another call that Oakley is missing. Turns out Davis took him away without telling her. In Oakley’s POV, Oakley left with Davis since he threatened to hurt Melanie. Davis takes Oakley to an abandoned shed and plans to threaten Melanie to sell the house. Oakley is roughly thrown into a room, and he is crying. We hear Davis promise someone he will get money for drugs and leave. Or the person can sell Oakley off. The police were taking too long to investigate, so Cale asked for help. Knox had to take over since Levi was away, but Levi came back to help. They located Oakley and got him out through a window right as someone was shot. I was crying when Oakley said he knew Cale would come. Davis was shot dead, and Logan got shot in the leg. Davis and Marcy were dealing drugs and neglected Clarissa. Marcy left Clarissa to party, so she was arrested. Landon has emergency custody of Clarissa. Oakley asks if this was his fault, and Cale gives him the perfect advice and reassurance. Their bond was so special, even if the romance isn’t that deep. Cale tries to talk to Melanie about resolving the envelope issue; Melanie distracts him and says she forgives him. Cale and Melanie invite Rosie, Nell, Jaz, Garth, Levi, and Ryan for a barbecue. Rosie is pissed about what Levi said to her when she ran into him. I am excited for their story; it’s gonna be angsty. 3 months later, they go on a camping trip with Rosie and Nell. Cale takes out the envelope again. It has an engagement ring, and he proposes to Melanie. Melanie and Rosie talk about getting therapy for their kids and Rosie. A year later, they’re married, but Melanie hasn’t taken Cale’s last name since she doesn’t want Oakley to feel alone. It’s Oakley’s birthday, and he had a nightmare that Cale and Melanie would start a family without him. Rosie has another baby by now. Cale surprises Oakley with adoption papers and says that Melanie and Oakley can change their last names to Evans like him. Oakley is so happy; it was the perfect ending. Excited to see Rosie and Levi’s story next!

Stay safe folks!

[Stephanie]

Out of Plays is exactly the kind of you read you need if you want both the swoons and the angst, as well as the grovel and the redemption. Our heroine Melanie has been through the wringer alongside her son, and watching these two rise from the ashes and become a family with Cale was so supremely satisfying. I had a most excellent time reading!

My heart truly went out to Melanie and her boy Oakley. Their respective ex-husband and father is the absolute worst and they had to pick themselves up after the ruin he left behind. But they did just that. They became such a beautiful family, just the two of them, two on the verge of becoming three when neighbor Cale starts to become part of their daily routines and hearts as well. I love the found family trope and this book delivers it beautifully. But to get to that happily ever after, we first had to deal with some angsty betrayal. And I thought that was executed quite well in this book, particularly in seeing how that betrayal affected Oakley in particular. This book never forgets our heroine is a mother and ensures her son is an active part of the narrative, and I think that elevated the material as whole.

As for the culprit of said betrayal, Cale really earns his redemption. He's a good man from the start but he says some hurtful things but he learns from it. Nothing is swept under the rug, it's confronted and explored delicately. And it allows for gorgeous growth in the romance between Melanie and Cale.

I also loved the bits of crumbs that set up the next book's couple! Won't be surprised at all if those two become my new favorites.

I had a brilliant time experiencing Out of Plays. This is a new favorite and the type of book I'll be returning to often!

Thank you kindly to the author for the complimentary eARC, I leave this honest review voluntarily. 4.5

[VoraciousReader]

I was disappointed with this story; there was no redemption arc here. After his massive betrayal the H kept bulldozing his way into the h’s life, even crashing her date with another man. Then, the h ended up forgiving the H because he was there during a dangerous situation. That’s such weak writing.

I also didn’t like the H; he was smug, pushy and domineering.

I’m giving it two stars because the story had good bones.

[Meg]

not bad - cute. spice is good. Cale was great MMC when he wasn’t being verbally abusive

Ok so there are a LOT of characters in this to keep straight and it’s obvious other couples are being set up. But wow the “this-person-married-X who is the-ex-of-my-sister-in-law” etc etc It’s like a giant Jenga puzzle you’re trying to put together. It’s definitely something that happens in small towns but it’s giving Alabama vibes if you know what I mean. lol

There are 5 main big points that bother me about the book:

1. Cale never actually apologizes. He never says the words. Never seems remorseful. They both just kinda move on from it after some time and after some key events occur. He apologizes to Oakley, but - never to Melanie.

2. Groveling. Ever heard of it? Passing $200 back and forth doesn’t count. Like , Melanie talked about how painful his words were… there was no time spent on watching Cale grovel and earn his way back. He just tells her that she can’t hold her ex husband’s mistakes against him and she needs to be all in with in. Like excuuuuuse me what!?

3. This book has the main kid as an 8 yo. I don’t know if the author has kids, but I think Oakley came off as more of 10 yo. And some of the other kids — they came off older as well, and then you realize they’re younger??? The pack of kids doing bad stuff ? Like , you’re not gonna have a bunch of 8yo running around destroying property. And Nell? How old is she if she’s friends with Oakley but was also spending time with Ryan who is 14?

4. Communication. Melanie says the reason she pulled away was because she knew Cale didn’t commit and do relationships. So she had to protect her son from someone that would ultimately leave. Cale got mad about that because she cut it off and he was starting to develop feelings. Then he got nasty mean and said some stuff. But — Melanie later tries to play off that they both made mistakes and needed to look forward and not be scared of loving again … that the reasons she pulled away was because of her fear of love and loss. Ummmm no it’s because he was a playa, like she previously said!!! Did the author forget?

5. The women in the book excused the men saying heinous ugly stuff about the women they supposedly love …. As men being emotionally constipated and uncomfortable with sharing their emotions and just being dumb and running their mouths. Literally, it’s a case of “poor dumb hot white guy” doesn’t know any better and said nasty crap to people and is excused for his behavior. Like ummmm it’s 2026 we aren’t making excuses for men being crappy people and partners still are we ??? … are we???

Soooo yeah.

[Mary Rose]

The best part about this was how awesome of a mom Melanie was. She always put Oakley first, and as soon as anything even threatened his well-being, she took steps to protect him. I wanted more angst from the overheard betrayal, but I applaud Melanie for shutting things down with Cale immediately and standing firm in that decision. Cale had a lot of work to do to show both Mel and Oakley that he was a better man than he had shown himself to be. I love Rosie and Jaz as side characters and am hoping we get a story for each of them, too.

[JillyB]

Overheard at its finest! Mackenzie Madden gives us another great story with no cheating between the main characters but a betrayal that really gets you in the heart!

This is the story about Melanie and Cale. Melanie is the divorced mom of Oakley, 8 and lives next door to the perpetual bachelor Cale. She started living there with her husband Davis, who ended up having an affair with the local PTA mom. They got divorced and Davis moved in with the other woman and her daughter, who is Oakley’s age and his bully! Oakley figures prominently in this story, and I have to say that the author did a beautiful job portraying him as an 8 year old boy. He is the heart of this story.

Due to Cale’s obvious bachelor status and the fact that she has been burned in love, Melanie does not encourage a relationship with her very attractive neighbor, but her son didn’t get the memo! Oakley’s dad has had a personality change over the last few years, and is cruel and dismissive of his son. He swans in here and there for his fatherly duty, but most of the time he is pretty absent. Oakley has no other male influences in his life. So, is it any surprise that Oakley would gravitate towards the adult male figure next door?

When Melanie’s house is broken into with many things destroyed she has no place to go, so Cale offers his place next door. So she accepts reluctantly and this is the beginning of a very torrid, hot, neighbors/friends with benefits scenario. This continues even after she goes back home, but then Melanie gets scared. She doesn’t want to end up hurt again, and feelings are starting to creep in. She also doesn’t want to put her son through anything more, as he has a dad who is already a big disappointment. So, she decides to break off their “situation-ship” and move on. OOOH I was so angry with her, even though I knew where she was coming from but Cale is one of the good ones….until he messes up!

Now just because she stopped her relationship with Cale, she didn’t prevent Oakley from hanging out with him. Oakley saw Cale as a safe adult, so when he was bullied at school and left during the middle of the day to go home, he sought out Cale (Melanie wasn’t home). However, he stops in his tracks when he overhears Cale telling his friend about the hot neighbor and kid…let’s just say it was hurt Cale talking, and hurt Cale was not kind. So, Oakley in a fit of anger and disillusionment throws a rock at Cale’s window! But Cale isn’t done being an epic jerk. Later that night after a frantic Melanie got her son in bed. Cale pays her a visit to inform her about the broken window…then he says a few more things. Oakley walks in on his “hero” now giving an in home performance of cruel things to say. Our Melanie is strong though, and she has a few things to convey as well and sends Cale on his way!!!

Now begins the fallout. Now begins the overwhelming regret. Some of Melanie’s strongest allies come from Cale’s own family. Cale doesn’t take long at all to realize how he messed up the greatest thing to ever happen to him. You see Cale is in love for the first and last time of his life. So, he has to do what it takes to win her and Oakley back and to keep them for good!

One way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, or so the saying goes. But a quick way to get through to a woman’s heart? Be the best human being you can with her kid. So, Cale started his apology/redemption tour with Oakley first. He was honest and straightforward with Oakley and Oakley could see that Cale was genuine. He even becomes his coconspirator in getting Melanie back!

Cale keeps showing up for Melanie and Oakley, and when life takes a dramatic frightening turn, it is Cale that makes things happen ensuring that his “family” is safe! We end up with a wonderfully done HEA and I left feeling lighthearted. The final epilogue had to go and tug at my heartstrings again making me tear up and laugh all at the same time.

I didn’t want to give spoilers, but there is some really great drama going on, and you really should experience the overheard by reading it the first time and not here.

Mackenzie Madden is able to write a story that gets you in all the feels… anger, fear, trust, disbelief, passion, laughter, but most importantly love! I want to read a romance where I feel connected to the characters, where I want, no need, to read about the side characters, and where when I am done I am happy because love reigns supreme! Makenzie Madden delivers all of this, and this is why she has become an auto buy for me. I would love to see more authors get back to this kind of betrayal and grovel where you genuinely like and want the outcome, instead of just settling with it!

So, I will go briefly over the characters. Some of them I know will feature in future books as the author has mentioned it on her Patreon account.

The Main Players:

Melanie- Married almost 10 years, divorced over 1 year. She struggles to make ends meet but is a great mom and provides a good life for her 8 year old son. Her ex, Davis doesn’t pay child support and rarely sees his son!

Cale- Hunky next door neighbor who doesn’t do relationships. He is a local boy, so family is nearby. He hasn’t paid much attention to his next door neighbor, but soon he and her son strike up a friendship. He offers them a temporary place to stay when their house is broken into and damaged! This is the beginning of a neighbors with benefits situations but our guy catches feelings unbeknownst to Mel. So, his assholery comes into play out of being hurt and not recognizing that Mel is running scared.

Oakley- 8 year old son of Melanie and Davis. You will fall in love with Oakley and your heart will break for the child that has been callously tossed aside from his dad, and relentlessly bullied by his dad’s pseudo kid, Clarissa, his affair partner’s daughter. The only adult not to disappoint him is his mom. He strikes up a friendship with Cale, and looks to Cale for guidance. Cale fills the role of dad pretty nicely, until he says disparaging words to a friend that Oakley overhears. This little boy is quickly learning that people suck !

Supporting characters we dislike:

Davis-the ex husband. I guess before the story opens we are told Davis was a decent father, crying at the birth of his son. You will not meet that man here. He is not the man Melanie married, or if he was he just did a great job hiding his true self. He is cruel to Melanie whose only fault was to love him and their son. He misses pick ups for his son, and when he gets him he often leaves him to the care of others. Not only does he conveniently forget to pay child support, but he then starts to pressure Melanie to sell the house so he can get his half of the money out of it. The good news is that Davis gets karma in the end and it comes ready to do battle!

Marcy-PTA mom, and affair partner of Davis. She was married as well, but left her husband for Davis who is now shacking up with her. She has most of the moms in town as her yes men, and the ones she hasn’t intimidated she makes sure their life is a living hell. Of course that includes Melanie and single mom Rosie. Her daughter Clarissa seems to be following dear mommy’s footsteps and is the classroom bully. However, Marcy gets a good public smackdown from Cale’s mom Bettie, and that seems to open the door for more dissent against her. When Karma is dishing out consequences, it doesn’t forget Marcy in its quest.

Clarissa-8 year old daughter of Marcy and Landon. Landon isn’t really featured in the story, but from what we can gather, if Clarissa has a chance at becoming a decent human being it will be because of her dad. She terrorizes Oakley and rubs in his face that his dad would rather be with her than his bio son. She also attacks Rosie’s daughter Nell. She is a very unlikable 8 year old, and yet the more sympathetic part of me knows that she is a product of a dysfunctional home and is probably doing her best to stay afloat!

Supporting Characters we like and some we will see more from:

Rosie and Nell- Young single mom Rosie and her daughter Nell are looked down upon due to Rosie being part of the teenage pregnancy group…Rosie’s pregnancy is mired in scandal and judgement. The town treats her like a common whore, but it is hinted at that Rosie’s pregnancy was the result of something far more sinister. She will be getting her own story(with Levi), and I already know it is going to break my heart. In the meantime, she is very good friends with Melanie and Nell is Oakley’s good friend. He also looks out for her when he can.

Jaz and Lanie- Jaz is the younger sister of Cale and Lanie is her 13 year old daughter. Sadly she has joined the cheated on wive’s club, and has moved back home for a fresh start and to be with family. She and Cale are close but they are not afraid to tell each other truths when needed. She gets along great with Melanie and becomes another friend that Melanie can count on. Her daughter is struggling with her new fatherless reality and although older than Oakley, they bond over shared experiences and video games at her Uncle Cale’s house. AND Jaz will be getting a story as well….this one sounds like it will be with one of Cale’s friends Garth!

Bettie- Cale’s mom and defender of those who have been wronged. Bettie sees what is going on in the town and has no problem setting people straight. She and her husband have a marriage others aspire to, and welcome Melanie and Oakley with open arms!

Frothy Cakes- this is a bakery run by Jamie, who is another supporter of Melanie. Her role isn’t huge but her confectionary delights will make you want to head to your local bakery. She is married to Knox who is also mentioned in the story. Now I know these two also get their own book, and I have already decided Knox is at fault 😂

As I said, Mackenzie Madden does an excellent job weaving a complete story. She gives you just enough taste of the other characters that you want to see them again, because they become part of your book family, however, and I want to stress this, the side characters enhance the story but never take it over. You never feel like she is just throwing characters in there to set up future books like some other authors.

So if you are in the mood for a romance where you genuinely love the characters and you love to run through your emotions, then I highly recommend this one! It isn’t your typical overheard and betrayal, making it a fresh read!

[Vivi]

Another AI author churning out slop.

[Joanne Farley]

Mackenzie has done it again, this book and these characters are going to steal your heart.
Melanie is a divorced mom who has to live with the fact that her husband is now living with the woman he had an affair with. Cale is a Vetran and his experirence's mean that he does not trust easlily. Oakley is a child trying to deal with the changes his life has taken and his horrible father.

Cale and Melaine start a casual relatioship which comes crashing down when Oakley hears Cale talking badly about his mom. It is such a refreshing take on the overheard betrayal trope. There is also plenty of angst and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat. Of course you also get plenty of🌶️ as well.

If you have not read Mackenzie before you cannot go wrong picking this one up when it is released.

[Jody]

This is a 4.5 ⭐️ for me.
If you love a good grovel romance, Mackenzie Madden is the Queen ( yes, I’m a fan)

This book is angsty, the FMC is now a solo mother after her husband cheated (I do love when the OW get’s her comeuppance- the snark is epic) & it’s her neighbour that is the MMC.
Also, it’s the FMC’s son who hears the crappy stuff the MMC says, which is a first for me. Therefore the grovel is REALLY good because it’s not just the FMC who has to forgive.
Differing POV’s mean you get what they’re feeling/thinking, there’s also suspense (kidnapping, legal consequences, bullying,death) - as I said ALL THE FEELS.

This is going to be weird but something that bugged me in the book was the MMC & the FMC’s son’s names.
The MMC’s name was Cale, which made me think of Kale 🥬, every time, and the son’s name was Oakley 🕶️ 🤦🏼‍♀️ told you I was a weirdo.

Edited: a recipe for the lemon bars would be good, thanks Mackenzie. This story really had me craving them 😘

[TLink]

ARC provided for my honest review.

Melanie, a divorced single mom, lives with her son Oakley in her marital home and Cale is the military vet now security expert who has been her neighbor since before her divorce. Her ex-husband cheated on her, though we are not provided with too much information on that aspect. The Ex and his AP make life difficult for Melanie in social settings, at her son's school, with the financial aspect of the home Melanie wants to stay in, and, worst of all, in the father/son dynamic with Oakley. Melanie puts up walls to protect her son and conserve her pride. Cale faces commitment issues from a prior relationship. Over time with offers of assistance around the house and then with security threats towards Melanie and her son, Cale manages to break through Melanie's resistance and they begin a FWB situationship with great chemistry. When Melanie instinctively pulls back from Cale to protect Oakley from any further hurt, a heartbreaking moment occurs when Oakley overhears Cale talking poorly about Melanie to a friend. The way Oakley was affected by this betrayal was devastating. He really looked up to Cale and was suffering from the lack of love and care from his own father. Cale has to work hard to come to terms with how he hurt Melanie and Oakley and accept his feelings for them. His determination to cement Melanie and Oakley as his family guides his redemption with Cale showing up for both of them and Oakley in particular, and protecting her and others from threats coming from the Ex's and AP's involvement in criminal activity.

For the most part, I enjoyed the plot line. There was angst, drama, criminal suspense, and backstories of the main characters that drove the story to its resolution. Madden did not dwell too much on the Ex and the AP other than to bring them forward as angst and drama facilitators. Perhaps a bit more of their backstory would have added to the overall story, though not really necessary to connect the dots on what the reader is given.

I enjoy Mackenzie Madden's writing style and feel that with this book she continues to surpass her efforts in The Ring Thief published in 2025, which I also enjoyed. Her main characters are deeply human, who have weaknesses highlighted by their insecurities and flaws, and who use personal character growth as a catalyst to their resolution as a couple. Love does not magically "fix" things in Madden's books. I also appreciated Oakley's development and the family relationship.

If you are looking for an interesting plot line, complex characters with insecurities, a satisfying reckoning for both the Ex and the AP and an HEA for the main couple, Out of Plays checks off all those boxes.

[Carole Anderson]

This is the first offering in the talented author’s Out Of Sterling series and it is filled with multiple betrayals, grovel and a consuming chemistry that transfers to a fiery love. There are themes of small town romance, ex and other women drama, overheard betrayal, found family, kidnapping and death, emotional anxiety and angst, but it culminates in a hard-won HEA for the main couple.

Melanie is newly divorced from an ex now living with his affair partner and is being put through the wringer emotionally and financially by the same ex, who has lost all interest in being supportive and caring for their son. So she has made it clear that she is not interested in a relationship and has opted to keep things simple with a casual, friends with benefits deal with her handsome neighbour. When she starts to catch feelings, she pulls back and is then betrayed by the same man and she feels as if she is making the same mistakes all over again.

Cale is a strong and confident man working for Onyx Security and his innate charm and charisma gets him all the girls and underscores his belief that he never wants to be tied down to one woman. When he enters a casual relationship with Melanie and she suddenly pulls away, he can’t understand why his feelings are hurt and he says some words about her that are ultra harsh and overheard by her young, impressionable son. When he finally admits his feelings to himself, he realises that his betrayal may never get him a second chance with the woman of his dreams.

Through many events and severe words with the ex, his affair partner and her daughter, through senseless security concerns and tragic circumstances, this story runs the gamut of emotions and anxiety and reels you in. The side characters and found family bring you moments of lighthearted humour and banter and help round out the scene. Cale was overly critical and harsh in his angsty words about Melanie’s mothering and past marriage and I wondered how we could get past that betrayal, but was convinced by the author’s creative storytelling, to believe in their fiery love.
This was a well-written, sweet yet fiery story and I look forward to more books in the series. I have thoroughly enjoyed the hours of respite this reading has gifted me and thank the author for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the arc and provide my voluntary review.

[Alexis]

✨ARC Read

This gave me the warm and fuzzies! I went in hoping to like it, and left thrilled I read it!

Melanie was married to Davis, and had their son, Oakley. Davis cheated and ends up with his mistress. The story starts off post divorce. Melanie and Oakley (the dynamic duo) are living life, and Oakley forms a friendship with their neighbor (Cale). Then, something happens and Melanie and Oakley end up staying at Cale’s for a few days 👀 forced proximityyy 🗣️ This is when they agreed to a bit of fun time with no strings attached. Cale’s POV during this is hilarious! Later, Cale is overheard saying mean things about Melanie and Oakley. Then, just when you his stupidity has peaked, Cale rises to the occasion 🫪

I loved watching the former playboy fall in love and work through these new emotions, it was funny. Then watching him make amends to Melanie and Oakley was sweet.

Melanie and Oakley are adorable! It was very heartwarming to see their relationship. She was a great mom, and he was such an awesome kid! Warning, he does experience a bit of on page bullying and abuse from side characters.

Melanie and Cale were fun together. I loved how it originally started off a mutual attraction/tension relieving “situationship”, and then it “unexpectedly” blossomed into something more. *I* also feel like Cale was basically in love with Melanie from that first night 😅 I’m going to stand on that lol. They both had their own internal struggles that had them pulling away from each other, and each handled that differently. But once he gets his head right, and she chooses to move forward they are cute.

Melanie (F) / Cale (M)
Neighbors to Lovers
Overheard Betrayal
Single Mom & Adorable Son (Oakley)
Cheating (ex, off page)
Ex & OW Drama
Dual POV
First Person POV
HEA
5⭐️3🌶️

*cough cough* wishing for a duet style audiobook for Out of Plays… asap *cough cough* 😅

[Meggi]

Mackenzie Madden continues to be one of my favorite writers. Her books are always must reads for me and Out of Plays is another win! It is full of all the humor and angst that I’ve come to expect from her! She takes the popular overheard trope and turns it on its ear with a great twist!

I loved Melanie and Cale, but Oakley was especially a standout! I loved his relationship with Cale just as much as his relationship with his mom. They were the sweetest family unit and I just adored them all. It made Cale’s words that much more shocking and I loved the way it brought out the mama bear in Melanie and also Oakley’s protectiveness. Nothing could come between mother and son and I loved that.

I could not fathom how Davis could abandon his son and choose his new girlfriend’s daughter over him. I didn’t want him anywhere near Melanie or Oakley, though. He was that bad of a human. He just kept hurting them over and over every time he showed up. Oakley is just a good kid and Clarissa was just a bully. She definitely took cues from her evil mother. She was especially terrible to Nell, who was lucky to have Oakley as a protector. Words were definitely weapons in this book and my heart hurt for Oakley, Nell, Melanie, and Rosie.

There was so much more to this book than just romance, though. The overarching mystery was compelling and built throughout the book making me wonder who the arsonists and vandals were. The pay off was satisfying and I loved the way it set up for the next book in the series. I loved Rosie and I can’t wait for her and Levi’s book. Honestly, I loved all the side characters outside of Davis and Claris’s and her mom. I want all of their stories! Mackenzie Madden really has a way of building a universe that I can’t wait to jump into!

[☆Laura☆]

Después de todo lo que vivió con su ex esposo, Melanie no está buscando volver a enamorarse, solo está centrada en el bienestar de su hijo Oakley. Su vida ya es bastante complicada sin necesidad de añadir sentimientos a la ecuación, pero Cale, su vecino, de repente parece decidido a ayudarla en todo.

Cale tampoco tenía planes de enamorarse. Lo suyo siempre había sido las cosas sin compromisos, pero Melanie y Oakley consiguen meterse bajo su piel. Al principio no pueden mantenerse alejados y dejan que su atracción los lleve a la cama y nada más, no obstante todo va cambiando poco a poco hasta convertirse en algo más profundo.




____


Al principio no me encantó que cuando empezaron algo, no se vieran esas escenas, en donde empezaron a pasar tiempo juntos, pero ya avanzando la historia creo que fue lo mejor porque realmente empezó como sexo, pero poco a poco se fueron enamorando. Y lo importante venía justo después de que Oakley escuchara a Cale hablar con sus amigos, porque fue ahí cuando por fin Cale abrió los ojos, demostró quién era realmente y dejó claro que estaba arrepentido, que antes se arrancaba un brazo que volver a lastimarlos.

Me gustó que Melanie, cuando se enteró de cómo estaba Oakley y de lo dolido que estaba por lo que escuchó, no dudara en plantarle cara a Cale y dejarle claro que ya no era bienvenido en su casa y que debía mantenerse lejos.



Gracias Mackenzie por el ARC.

[Avidreader]

In the story Melanie was betrayed by Davis her now ex-husband who is truly a disgusting person.He cheated on Melanie with an equally horrible woman. He and this ow, Marcy made her life miserable. She had to protect her son Oakley and herself from them at every turn. Her neighbor Cale was not planning to be a family man any time soon and was enjoying his single life. But Oakley stole his heart without him realizing it. And he also fell in love with Melanie. He became their savior though Melanie was reluctant to take any help from him. He quickly became a very important part of Melanie and Oakley life. While protecting herself and Oakley she put a stop on their casual relationship and Cale in frustration because of unwanted feelings for them and end of this casual which is not-so-casual relationship said something really bad about them to his friend and the worst part was that Oakley overheard him. Cale regretted his actions and then groveling began. He did everything to deserve them. After some twists and turns they got there happily ever after. They deserved to be a happy family. Davis never showed any remorse for his actions but he and Marcy got their comeuppance. I really loved the book.

[kall]

You can’t go wrong with a Mackenzie Madden book and Out of Plays did not disappoint.

I love a grovel and redemption book and this had exactly the kind of emotion I love. The story follows Melanie who is trying to rebuild her life after a painful divorce while protecting her son Oakley and keeping her peace in a small town where her ex husband still causes hurt.

My heart hurt for Melanie and Oakley. They had already been through so much and I loved them as a little unit. Melanie was such a protective mama bear and I loved that she was having none of it when it came to Oakley being hurt.

Then there is Cale, her guarded neighbour who never wanted a relationship but finds himself drawn to Melanie and Oakley. I love an overheard betrayal and this one hit because Oakley was the one who overheard it and you see how it affected both him and Melanie.

Cale really had to face what he said and I loved seeing him regret it and continue to show up for them. He earned his second chance and I really enjoyed watching their story come together.

This was emotional, angsty and full of the grovel and redemption I love. If you love single mum romance, overheard betrayal, protective FMCs and a MMC who has to truly earn his second chance, this is definitely one to pick up.

[Jane]

***I received an advanced copy of Out of Plays from the author. I was not paid for this review.***

While reading Out of Plays I loved the characters, hated the characters, and fell in love with a gossipy, small community where everyone knows everyone else's business.

I love a good second chance, grovel-redemption arc in a story, and Out of Plays certainly delivered. But, it was different because the couple I expected to have a second chance initially, had already blown their first chance with no reconciliation in sight.

Some relationships are left ambiguous enough to make you want more while others are tied up in a neat little bow, giving me satisfaction that they won't be back.

Tropes for this one include single mom trying her best with what she's been dealt in her life, an angst filled neighbor, references of drug use and violence, an ignorant ex who is an awful parent, mean girl adult that still thrives on being the center of attention at school pick up for the kids, and spicy, steamy content.

Beware if you love lemon bars because you might crave them after this one!

[Beckie Orms]

I loved this one! Melanie, Oakley & Cale have wormed their way into my heart. Oakley stole the biggest piece. There was the gut punch, the love, the suspense and the found family, small town vibe was awesome. Mackenzie, did it again!

A cpl of my favorite snippets:

Melanie & Oak -
“No, Oak. You’re the best kid ever, and your dad knows that. Okay? He just…” I try to smile, but it’s wobbly. “He got a little lost, I think.” He stares back at me, big eyes dry and solemn. “I wish he’d buy a map, then.”

Oak -
“Mom says even when we’re mad, our ears still work.”

Cale & Melanie -
“I’ll show you yours if you show me mine.” Her brow knits in confusion. “That’s not how the saying goes.” I cup my dick. “You saying this isn’t yours?” I step toward her, my hand going between her legs, groaning when I cup her pussy, the fabric of her panties damp with her arousal. “Because this sure as fuck is mine.”

[Tay]

I had been super excited to receive an ARC of “Out of Plays” since I already had it on my TBR after reading teasers in Mackenzie’s FB group and on Patreon. It did not disappoint!

Just like all the rest of her books, this was an easy read, with the perfect balance of angst, drama, spice and humor.
I tend to find myself avoiding “small town romances” due to the plot being solely about the relationship between the fmc/mmc, I will get bored halfway through and will avoid reading it.

This book had a plot separate from what is happening between Melanie and Cale, plus side characters that have their own backstories that will most likely be addressed in future books (hopefully we will see them get their own HEAs too!)

Melanie and Cale both grew and had such great character development in different ways. Oakley is one of my favorite kid main characters ever! his sarcasm and witty one liners are top notch!

Great book and I can’t wait for the rest of the series!

[Karli Mann]

Mackenzie killed it with this book. I’ve read a lot of overheard betrayals but nothing with a kiddo that overhears the betrayal. Oakley and his Mom are trying to put the pieces back together after his Dad left them for another woman. Oakley struggles with bullying from his Dad, stepmom, and stepsister. He bonds with his Mom’s grumpy neighbor. Oakley overhears Cale saying horrible things about him and his Mom, shattering his heart. You read this betrayal on page from Oakley’s POV. Cale knows he messed up and works hard to save his family. Melanie constantly deal with drama from her ex husband and his new wife. It adds suspense to the novel leading up to kidnapping, criminal charges, prison time, and even a death. Mackenzie does a wonderful job making Cale grovel, Melanie gore, and Oakley heal. Can’t wait for her next book!

[SC Girlie]

Really good story

I enjoyed the premise of this story and really did like it. However, and sorry to have a but coming, but she forgave him way too fast and the son as well. If my husband and I even have a little tiff, my son will be mad at him for months. Wait the MMC said about the FMC and the son overheard he would not have forgiven him that fast. Sons are protective of their mothers let alone single mothers. The nastiness of what he said about her was pretty rough. And then, if that wasn’t bad enough, the fact that he told her she was a bad mother and deserve to be cheated on and left? I get it. He rose the occasion after the fact, but words do hurt and I just think it was forgiven a little too fast.

[Romance Reader]

Another hit by Mackenzie Madden! Thanks for the pre-read!

I didn’t have any preconceived notions about this story before reading this so was nicely surprised at all the micro moments within the main romance; from bullying, to mystery, and everyone knowing your business (cuz small town) on top of the romance bits. Oh and the 🌶️ yep it’s in there.

I’m a sucker for the overheard trope. Did Cale grovel enough? Yeah I think so. The ways in which it was addressed was actually good. Both he and Melanie have fears and needed to work through them to get to their HEA.

The only reason this isn’t 5⭐️’s for me was the length, but again that’s more my own personal perspective.

[Sarah]

I was so excited to receive an ARC of this book, and I just loved it.
Mackenzie Madden has a gift for writing relatable characters, with an inner voice that feels like you’re listening to a friend.
I loved the quintessential small town setting complete with gossiping neighbors and the pushy mean girl. The mystery kept the story fresh and interesting, and the pacing was great.

Melanie is such a great FMC! I love her backbone and sassy personality. She and Cale are disgustingly cute together, once he gets his head out of his butt. And Oakley is a scene stealer! Overall, this is a five star read and can’t wait to read what the author comes up with next.

[ann]

Review of Advanced Copy Received from author

Every new book by Ms Madden I think, this one is my favorite and it’s true for Out of Plays too. I loved the relationship between Melanie and her son Oakley, and my heart hurt for him watching his dad move on after the divorce and seem to forget about him. The overheard betrayal is brutal especially with Oakley, I loved how Cale worked to prove how loved them both. The other side characters were just as engaging and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

[Judith]

I’ve read this twice already.

Melanie is just coming off of a nasty divorce and is trying to get her life back together with her son by her side. Her neighbour helps her out a few times and big feelings start happening…bring in a massive misunderstanding and miscalculation on Cale’s part, and some harsh words are said.
Melanie, rightly so, puts him in his place…and this begins the epic grovel, surrounded my a mysterious vandal and small town happenings!

If you want to cry your heart out, laugh out loud and fall in love with these fictional characters then read this book!

[Tea Leaves and Tome Reviews]

Oh my goodness. Mackenzie does it again! She's quickly become one of my favorite new authors.

Cale, Melanie and Oakley 😍
Dipshit and Marcy? 🤢
Rosie, Nell, and the Evans family 🥰 Bettie as a MIL is a dream come true.

Small towns can be wonderful, but the gossip? Detrimental.

The mystery? The suspense? The romance? Creme de le creme baby.

Definitely worth a read! Karma is a b when you are 😏

[Jennifer Creese]

I really enjoyed this book. I finished it last night. I love HEA with new and better H. This is an overheard type betrayal and reads really sweet. I’m a boy mom so I loved the mother son relationship. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone since this was an ARC read so I will probably add more once it’s released. This will definitely be a reread for me when I need a brain break and a steamy feel good read.