Married & Bright

by Mia Heintzelman

For pop star Bianca Esposito, superstardom is right around the corner. In two weeks she and her chart-topping Christmas hit will be on a world tour. For now, she wants to (try to) enjoy being home for the holidays. If the creepy but, sort of cute, Rideo driver staring at her in the rearview mirror actually takes her there.

There isn’t much Jaden Brooks wouldn’t do for his family, including picking up a rideshare shift to help with his brother’s medical bills and delivering his tipsy cousin home safely from a bar. He’s the guy who always does the right thing. Never abandons his family or steps out of line, which is why he doesn’t flirt with passengers or engage in awkward conversations—or ask the beautiful woman in the backseat for her number.

When Bianca and her friends end up at the same bar where Jaden picks up his cousin, it seems too coincidental. As Bianca accuses Jaden of stalking her, their heated conversation sets off sparks—and the attention of her fans. Soon, a getaway Rideo drive turns into a perfect night beneath the neon lights where hot chocolate shots and winter wonderland kisses blur into midnight marriage vows. After a media storm erupts, the pair must decide: is it possible to follow both your dreams and your heart?

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Romance, Holiday, Holiday Romance

152 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2020

About the author

The Wedding Crush releases on June 11th everywhere books are sold!

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Reviews

[RateTheRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually like novellas because I am always left wishing there was more to the story. But MARREID & BRIGHT managed to not feel like a rushed, quickie, romance. In fact, we get a decent way through this novella before these two "seal the deal" and I loved that!

Bianca is a very successful pop star on the rise. She heads home for the holidays and is bombarded by press and tabloid photographers. She even suspects her airport Rideo (LYFT/Uber) driver might be following her. It isn't until she confronts him, that she realizes how hot he is and sparks begin to fly!

There were a handful of times when a piece of the story wasn't explained thoroughly and I was left wondering "Wait, did I miss the part where they explained _____?". I think that is partly due to the rushed nature of novellas and partly due to a few oversights in the writing.

This is a great read with a super-sweet Nice Guy. The steamy scenes are epically steamy. And you will fall in love with this couple's HEA.

[Rachel J ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once more I prove to myself I do not like Insta-love trope! 🙄

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw Rideo, I thought it was meant to be Rodeo, only for me to find out that Rideo was actually a thing in Bianca and Jaden's world.
It was this Rideo thing that brought them together and yeah...just like the title says, they got married!
Who meets a complete, creepy stranger in the first chapter and gets married to them before the fifth chapter? Superstar Bianca!
I wish I could make such life-changing decisions on a whim, but life ain't no bed of roses. The story gets interesting as it gets, complicated - Jaden our Irish charmer has priorities and so does our popstar Bianca.
Married and Bianca is a story you want to read to get away from the world. Honestly, Mia Heintzelman created a world that I wanted to dive into in reality.

For a Christmas holiday read, it's a 4.5 star from me!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a super cute, steamy holiday romance!! A very quick read! I didn’t buy for one second that chase and Riley ever actually disliked each other though, they just didn’t know each other. I love a fake relationship turned real though. I’m such a sucker 😂.

I loved the entire thing! I liked the tie ins with Married & Bright as well, I thought that was sweet.

[mrsljgibbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would just like to say a very big thank you to the author for forwarding me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This little novella was the perfect, warm and cosy read.
I really enjoyed this book and loved the author’s writing style, it was wonderful - I will definitely be reading more from her soon!
I loved the main characters, Bianca and Jayden, they were just perfect and believable and I loved both of them!
It was the perfect rom-com and it would honestly make a wonderful Hallmark movie.......

[Brittany]

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

• contemporary fictional holiday romcom novella (~100 pages)
• pop star Bianca Esposito goes home to Las Vegas, Nevada for the holidays
• during her Rideo drive from the airport, she catches her Rideo driver staring at her in the rear view mirror & she thinks he has figured out who she is (she gave him a fake name to avoid being recognized)
• they serendipitously meet again later that night while out with their families & after the crowd recognizes Bianca, they all escape the nightclub together & have a fun night out
• oops, they wake up married & must keep a low profile in a villa together until they can officially annul this union!
• representation & topics discussed: BIPOC main characters, sibling with ALS, grief over loss of a parent
• steam 🌶️🌶️/5

WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW! I loved how at home Bianca felt with Jaden’s family & their Christmas festivities were ✨everything✨ I want to join their ugly sweater party haha.

This was so sweet and a feel-good Christmas romcom 🥰

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect cozy holiday read! It left me smiling and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :)

I really enjoyed the relationship between Bianca and Jaden. I found it to be very easy to believe and fall into, even though it isn't a "traditional" relationship.

I also really enjoyed the author's writing style. I wish the book had been a tad longer though. I could have done with more detail, but it wasn't enough to turn me off and I can't wait to read more from Mia Heintzelman. That just proves how much I enjoyed the story and the characters!

This book is out now - go check it out!!

*Thank you so much to Mia Heintzelman for my ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review!*

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. Married & Bright is a super cute, quick, holiday read with all the Hallmark movie vibes! Bianca and Jaden get married on a spur of the moment, the first night they meet (it is Vegas, after all). They hole up for 2 weeks with plans of getting a quick, secret annulment, but quickly find themselves falling in love. The question is, can Jaden sacrifice his private life and will Bianca give up her worldwide tour dreams?

[Gina Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cute holiday read that definitely got me in the Christmas spirit! The intensity of their relationship in such a short amount of time felt a bit unrealistic-I think if this had been a novel instead of a novella, there would have been more time for the relationship and feelings to unfold. However, I do like the author’s style of writing and would live a sequel to this book-I’m curious to know how Bianca and Jaden are doing!

[Rachel Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short and sweet read for Christmas time. I would have actually liked it to be longer for more character development, but it was enjoyable for what it was :)

[Dikshya Pattnaik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from the author in exchange of a review.

Married and Bright is a perfect holiday cozy read that makes you believe in love and sticking by the person throughout all ups and down.

Bianca and Jaden have a hilarious meet-cute which will make you love both of them.

I really enjoyed the whole set up and can absolutely see this as a Hallmark movie.
A perfectly enjoyable romantic comedy that you should get your hands on this holiday season.

[Dionne Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another holiday darling by this author. What do you get when you pair a beautiful popstar and a sexy all-around good guy, with a night of fun and too much alcohol? A reality pill the next morning that might be just what they never knew they needed. Married and Bright tugs at the heart in all the right places, with memorable characters that you root for, and the perfect dash of steam. This book put me right in the holiday spirit. I received this book as an ARC.

[Juana Neat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another very heartfelt book by this author.
I loved it. I love the characters and I’m looking forward to her next book. I can honestly see this as a hallmark movie.

[Jessica Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining

I enjoyed the story. It was enjoyable to read about Bianca and Jaden's instant attraction and connection. Nice ending, too.

[Ayla Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Married and Bright is such a sweet holiday romance! Bianca is a pop star who is finally home for the holidays. Jaden is a part-time Rideo Driver and full-time accountant, who picks up Bianca at the airport and the two continue to cross paths. And …well, Vegas happens. This novella is a love-at-first-sight story, with adorable characters. My favorite thing about this novella is the characters actually communicate. To me, it made the instant love and HEA more believable, since they still had their hurdles as a couple but they spoke about them in a healthy way.
Get ready for the holidays with this short, sweet read and don’t forget to check out Mingle All the Way by Mia!
These are the perfect books to jump start your holiday reading or read in between your favorite holiday movie.

**I received an advance copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

[Sónia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was honestly one of the worst books I've read. I didn't know this was a Christmas romance when I picked it up either.

0 build-up, insta-love, bland and one dimensional characters, 0 character growth, accidental marriage followed by a new proposal 3 days later and telling each other they're in love, random past struggle used as conflict to separate them - I could go on forever with what I hated about this one. It was an absolute mess.

I can't wrap my mind around authors thinking it's completely plausible that someone would fall in love within days of knowing each other, let alone proposing!!! I don't mind the accidental marriage trope with strangers, but I need build-up for the romance to feel credible. No insta-love nonsense.

[Alphie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This holiday novella was short and sweet... I just don’t think this book was my favorite trope. I think Heintzelman did it well, but it’s just not for me!! Does not mean it’s not for you, though! Also the speed of the relationship was just way too fast for me... I know, I know it’s a novella and they are short, but still.

SPOILER SORT OF: It felt weird that Jaden was sober (I think?) when Bianca was drunk on the night of their impromptu Vegas wedding... again I couldn’t quite figure out if he was or not but it felt off for me.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook Review 🎧

I really liked the fun premise of this book and sometimes you can meet your person and your life changes in a blink of an eyes.
THAT BEING SAID, I can’t pass the fact that Jaden was sober and Bianca off her face 😬
We gotta do better than this…

My rating system:
Narration: 3/5
Story: 2/5
Entertainment: 3/5
Emotions: 2/5
Overall: 2.75/5
Spice level: 🍦

[Turtleberry Turtleberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was a pop star home for the holidays and drunk off hot chocolate shots. He was an accountant and part time driver caught up in the moment. They get married and are then stuck together while they hide out from the media frenzy. Soon they fall in love.
This was a short and cute love story. I enjoyed it a lot.

[Camilla Leurs]

Way spicier than expected. Sweet, fun story, if a little predictable. Nice holiday read.
I listened to the audiobook and the male narrator reminded me so much of another narrator of a serious book. I couldn't picture him as a young hot thing lol. So that put me off a bit. The female narrator was great.

[nikki hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Married & Bright was a cute short (under 200pages) holiday romance! I really wished this book was longer so I could get to know the characters better and keep reading about their love story! Without giving any spoilers, I loved the plot and how it’s not a typical plot for a love story! Highly recommend this short cute holiday book! 🎄🎤🎶💍👰🏻‍♀️🤵🏻

[Camiawrites · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the third book of christmas I read for you this year, a married at first sight, slight drama ensues, and a wonder if they should have gotten married at all. Married and Bright was a 4 out of 5 stars, a surprisingly enjoyable read.

Singer superstar Bianca just wants to lay low and spend time with family and friends this christmas. Easier said than done when her best decide to take her clubbing and there she bumps into her rideshare driver, Jaden. Accusations of stalking ensue, paparazzi show up and it’s Jaden to the rescue. After a quick escape, Bianca gets to know her hero and learns that he really is a wonderful guy. Yet when she wakes up the next morning, she finds herself married to Jaden. Although this could potentially mess up her career, Bianca wants to see this marriage through with Jaden. As they fall more in love with one another, they must figure out how they can be married in the spotlight.

Aside from the married after one night, Bianca and Jaden felt like real people. Jaden seemed like a reliable, normal guy, almost to the point of coming off as boring, but that’s why Bianca liked him and that’s what made their relationship so realistic to the reader. Because Bianca craved some sort of normalcy, her being drawn to Jaden felt realistic to the reader.

I liked that the reader could see them falling in love in real time. Because they don’t know anything about each other, the reader gets to learn along with the characters. So all of the fumbling and bumbling feels natural and endearing rather than silly shenanigans trying to force close proximity, which will somehow magically turn into love.

I honestly just couldn’t put this one down. Each page I learned more and more about the characters, peeling back layers of who they are and what they desire. I kind of wish this had been a full novel only so I could spend more time with Bianca and Jaden.

The only thing I didn’t like was the back and forth of will they, won’t they stay married. It didn’t seem to fit with their character development. Other than that, Married and Bright is a 4 out of 5 stars and a must read for the holiday season.

[Emilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet (and hot), married in Vegas novella. Quick and easy to follow, ideal for a long drive, you’ll finish it en one sitting!

It was my first audiobook on Everand and it was under “unlimited”, hope this helps find the book in there!!

[Melissa Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SUCH a fun holiday novella! It’s jam packed with sizzle and swoon and sooooo much chemistry! This was my intro to Mia’s work and I’m hooked!

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute Christmas Novella. It’s a really short story but it’s got and insta love happy ever after going on.

[i_want_ all_the_spoilers · Rating 3 out of 5]

So and so. Insta love, insta marriage, third act Breakup (short) I feel the relationship happens off the page.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fast, interesting, cozy mystery of falling in love with your man and his family while still being a rock star.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t believe a word, but I had a great time. 🤶

[ShayBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Savannah Tate · Rating 1 out of 5]

A short, sweet festive read, but a bit too far on the insta love for me x