Move It or Lose It

Love Mishaps #3

by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Scarlett
Do I want to move in with my ex-fiancé?
No.
But will it probably end up being a good thing?
Also no.
Because the truth is, I'm still in love with Jude Anthony. It doesn't matter that it's been years since we've spoken or that he was the one who walked out on me. It's hard to stay mad when I understand why he did what he did.
But it's only one week. One week staying with Jude while I'm in between apartments. So I'll keep my walls up, keep my distance, and everything will be fine. I'm sure Jude doesn't have feelings for me anymore, so there's nothing to worry about. My heart is perfectly safe.
Right?

Jude
Wrong.
Because I was stupid enough to walk away from you once; you'd better believe I'm not going to make the same mistake again.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Novella, Audiobook, Fiction, Second Chance, Rom Com

Unknown Binding

First published January 13, 2023

About the author

Gracie lives in a tiny town in Idaho, where she subsists on a diet of chocolate, romance novels, and kisses from her cute family. She may or may not have a cheesecake addiction, as well as an addiction to scribbling story ideas on whatever flat surfaces happen to be nearby. Clean romance, romantic comedy, and mystery rom coms are her passion.

Reviews

[Cait | GoodeyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and sweet read. No drama, just a rekindling second chance romance. I enjoyed reading this in-between some big reads.

[Annah Conwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE TENSION

Did I read this all in one sitting? Yep. Do I regret it? Only because it didn’t last as long as I wished!
The tension in this book is perfection. These two have chemistry and I am HERE FOR IT.
Second chance romance can be hard to do, but Gracie killed it. All the things about past loves that are beautiful, with crackling tension that can only come when you really truly know someone.
It was short and fire hot and sweet and gave me all the feels! Highly recommend. Wish I could give it more stars

[Kaele’s Krazy Book Obsession · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was super cute!
If you’ve read Say Yes to the Hot Mess which follows Maya and Dex, then you know Maya’s friend Scarlett has history with Dex’s brother Jude. And this novella gives them their second chance at a HEA.

I really enjoyed reading this one. It was short and quick. No conflicts!! Second chance romance is one of my favorites. (
Jude is a chief who owns a restaurant and they end up in close contact after years apart (and since it’s a second chance story, it kind of reminded me of Lily and Atlas.)

Very fun conclusion to this series and I really liked both MCs. I wouldn’t have minded more flashbacks from before though. The ones we got were so cute! And the epilogue!!!

[Marilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet second chance romance novella free from drama and angst but full of swoony kisses and stolen glances. Makes me want to pick up the other books in the series!

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

[Sarah Monzon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet

[Modern Miss Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much @authorgracieruth for letting me read an arc of this delightful novella!

Here’s what I loved about Move it or Lose it:
• second chance romance
• the banter
• the desserts!
• 🔥🔥 kisses
• the epilogue was just perfect

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and Gracie Ruth Mitchell didn’t let me down. This was such a fun novella that can be read in one sitting (which I did) and it’s out now!

★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: make outs
TW: none

[The_Power Of_The Page · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet little romantic surprise! A fun novella with a great opening line! This will give you a sweet swoon in a quick read. I liked the meddling grandmother and the hilarious meet cute!

A great little read when you’re short on time.

[Book Savy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really sweet, but I was definitely unaware that it was a novella and had been excepting a lot more. I had been so excited for this specific plot, only for it to be an hours worth of words.

[Micah (micahs.bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart! I had no idea a little novella could hit me in the feels so much, but man, this story MELTED ME! Scarlett and Jude are just the cutest and Jude’s gestures are just so touching and sweet and I can’t even help but love them!

This is a story that will just make you so happy. I devoured it as soon as I saw it in my inbox and it put a smile on my face all day. These characters show up in Say Yes to the Hot Mess and since it’s been a minute (almost a year) since I read that, I searched “Scarlett” and “Jude” on my Kindle to remind myself of the fun moments when we were introduced to them and their history. Although reading the other books the series first is not necessary, it added a fun depth for me.

I highly recommend everything Grace Ruth Mitchell has written. I am obsessed! Her writing is so witty and the characters and situations are so real and relatable that you will connect with them and feel and love alongside them.

[Hannah the book maiden · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cherry on top to the Love Mishaps series. It’s the chocolate morsel of sweetness that you want to sneak in between all your other reads. You will have this happily ever after finished within a short amount of time. Zero angst. No wishy-washy. Just the perfect reunion of a second chance relationship. Matured and sexier the second time around, Jude and Scarlett will win your heart with the help of a meddling grandmother
You know those short stories that you wish authors would write about a side character? That’s this one. It gives us closure for our favorite red head.

[Tiffany ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨”I can categorically, unequivocally promise that I will not fall back in love with Scarlett Downing. Because to fall back in love with someone, you have to fall out of love with them first. And I never fell out of love with Scarlett.”✨

I’ve been waiting for Jude and Scarletts story for awhile and this was SO cute☺️ I kinda wish it was a full book though because I want more of their storyyy

Even though it was only 74 pages, I still loved it🥹

[Chelsie Lucas · Rating 1 out of 5]

The definition of she falls first. She falls harder. She forgives him for all of his past EVERYTHING with no grovel needed. She has no backbone. She makes him work ZERO percent.
Do not.
DO NOT READ THIS FOR ANY GROVEL- second chance- MMC tries and the FMC makes him work for it.

Read for
Second chance- MMC does nothing- FMC agrees to everything- power play for no reason- Forced proximity that had ZERO EFFECT on the story. 👍🏼
Not. A fan.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

This was so wholesome and adorable! I feel so gooey on the inside and full of love! <3

I love a second chance romance where the guy will do whatever it takes to get the girl back and that’s just what Jude did. It was short and sweet, perfect if you’re in a bit of a slump.

Loved this series and it was a perfect little ending!

Content: kissing only

[Gemma A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute and lovely story, just happened really quickly for me

[Bekah Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my fave but still good. I liked it I just feel like we could have had more of all of it...

[Megan Doubrava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute, funny novella with the same easy flowing writing that I expect out of Gracie’s books! I enjoyed the fact that it was short, sweet, and to the point and I didn’t have to wait 300 pages for the characters to admit their feelings for each other!

[Happy Reading Watching]

DNF
I know it's a novella, and it's short, but I couldn't get into the story or characters.

[k ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Ugh I’ll eat up every book you write. I love the love mishaps series and it’s one of my comfort series. Scarlet is THE female character I adore so much.

I read this book in like a day bc scarlet and Jude I ATE IT UP. ever since I read say yes to the hot mess and the other previous books I was dying to get my hands on scarlet’s and Jude’s story! I loved them both.

The nickname “red” ugh so spicy I loved it. They had so much underlining chemistry built up and I could feel it ON THE PAGES. Scarlet was such a badass female character and Jude was such a black cat bf I loved it.

Scarlet had a lot of character development throughout and her and Jude’s arc together. Wow just wow.

Tropes:

Second chance
High school sweethearts
wedding scene

I love Jude and scarlet both and THAT EPILOGUE UGH. Grace you will never ever disappoint.

[Maddie Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ || AWWWWW such a sweet and easy read. How freaking CUTE

[shiloh · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ★ | 16+
move it or lose it | gracie ruth mitchell

⇨ 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 (mini review)
This novella was cute! But honestly it didn’t really hit for me. Maybe it’s cause I’ve only read the 1st book in this series and not the second? I don’t know, it’s hard to explain why I didn’t like it, it just wasn’t my vibe.
But this is the only gracie ruth mitchell book I’ve read that I haven’t loved, so go check out her other books! :)

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have been looking for a good, clean, sweet, second chance romance and since I read the previous book in this series and thought it was cute, I had high hopes for this one. I was disappointed to say the least. First of all, I didn’t know it was a novella so it felt too rushed from the start. But, I almost couldn’t finish it because…I’m sorry, but if the guy you were engaged to up and dumps you and doesn’t speak to you for 6 years, then pretends he doesn’t know who you are when he sees you amongst his employees, then surreptitiously pulls you into a closet and basically accosts you, insinuating that he knows you can’t resist him…you don’t make out with the guy! Predatory behavior is not swoon worthy. And when a guy decides to win you back by making you jealous because he suspects you’ll show him you still care for him by “fighting for him,” 🙄 then proceeds to allow another employee to flirt with him, embarrass, and belittle you in front of him and one other person, and finds your reactions humorous…show some self respect and dignity and run, woman! Turn and walk away and never look back, because that guy never matured beyond high school.

But even if the author had skipped all that nonsense, I still think she took him back waaay too quickly. Make him prove himself trustworthy first before you just jump right back into wearing his ring. Ugh. Have. Some. Dignity! And smarts. At least the very least a sense of self preservation. I have a hard time with weak characters who show no self control. I also have a hard time with whole Taming of the Shrew vibe. 🙄

I’m not sure what book other reviewers read who said it was a sweet book with no drama or angst. Because that’s all it was that I read. 🤷‍♀️ And the only sweet part of the story was towards the end when he stops acting like a third grader and decides to be a mature adult about it all by being open and honest with her. Again, I still think she took him back way too quickly. But, it was a novella, so I feel less icky about that.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

She taunted me earlier, when I got home and found her in the guest bedroom, about falling back in love with her. I rolled my eyes and brushed it off instead of telling her the truth: that it won’t happen. I can categorically, unequivocally promise that I will not fall back in love with Scarlett Downing. Because to fall back in love with someone, you have to fall out of love with them first.
And I never fell out of love with Scarlett.

“We can be friends,” she says, her eyes narrowing slightly, “but only friends. Agreed?”
Nope. I don’t agree. Not at all.

Scarlett Downing: Do I want to move in with my ex-fiancé? No. But will it probably end up being a good thing? Also no. Because the truth is, I’m still in love with Jude Anthony. It doesn’t matter that it’s been years since we’ve spoken or that he was the one who walked out on me. It’s hard to stay mad when I understand why he did what he did. But I need a place to stay, at least until I can find something new. So I’ll keep my walls up, keep my distance, and everything will be fine. I’m sure Jude doesn’t have feelings for me anymore, so there’s nothing to worry about. My heart is perfectly safe. Right?
Judy Anthony: Wrong. Because I was stupid enough to walk away from you once; you’d better believe I’m not going to make the same mistake again.

Too short! I knew that this was going to be a novella but I didn’t realize that it was going to be this short. But I enjoyed the story and the characters greatly. 4 stars.

[Sierra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move It or Lose It

Reader’s Notes:

– this is part of a series, but can be read as a stand-alone

– this is told from Scarlett & Jude’s points of view

Review:

I love Scarlett & Jude! This second chance romance was short and sweet, but chock full of swoons moments! I loved that Scarlett didn’t want to admit that she still has feelings for Jude and that he knew her well enough to know it. I loved that Jude was determined to win Scarlett back by any means necessary. Some of my favorite scenes included: when they realize they’ve been hoodwinked, the storage closet, their date, the ring, favorite drinks, and the apology.

Summary:

Scarlett is in need of a change, but that change wasn’t supposed to include her ex-fiancé, Jude. But until she can figure a different job and a place to live, it’ll have to. In the meantime, Scarlett will just have to hide the fact that she never stopped loving Jude. Everything should be fine, right?

Jude is shocked to find Scarlett at every turn, but he’s not about to let this second chance get away from him. If he knows Scarlett as well as he used to, she is avoiding him for the same reason he wants to get close. He just needs to get her to admit it…

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, you! Yes, you right there. Have you read this adorably hilarious book yet?? If the answer is yes, yay! Go you! If not, drop what you’re doing and go read it RIGHT NOW!! I’m using all the exclamation points today for this novella because I absolutely loved it. So much so that I read it twice. Who knew how much funny snark and romantic swoon you could pack into just 62 pages?!? Jude and Scarlett are the cutest couple, snark and sparks flying all over the place and I was totally here for it. I don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’m not detailing anything here but, trust me, you need this story in your life. Especially if you’ve read and enjoyed the first two in the series. So, go grab your copy today and give yourself the treat of escaping into their world for a bit so you can come out smiling by the end. I promise, you won’t regret it!!

I received this complimentary ARC from the author. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Novellas make me so happy. Every time.
If you like second chances, small flashbacks, flirting, kisses, and a sneaky grandma who is a big dealnin the story but not really featured, I highly recommend this one.

- I really enjoy Gracie Ruth Mitchell's books
- oh Maya and Dex
- I think I read all of Hot Mess, reading Dax instead of Dex. 😂🤷‍♀️
- oh, Cynthia
- a man with a plan 👏
- I really appreciate how often forearms get credit these days. I know it's always been abs and biceps but let's not forget about forearms.
- the closet. Go big, Jude
- "It’s possible I’ve deviated from the plan." 😂😂
- the ring. Adorable
- okay. The desserts. Cute

Available in KU! Also, check out the other two books in the series. Because, why not be happy?

[Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting. It was a super short/super sweet novella. (7 chapters I think) Second chance tropes work perfect for short novellas. And I feel like I got to know the characters in the previous novel too! So I really knew the characters before even going into this. Very low drama, just a rebuild of the love that they already have for each other.
SPOILERS
The scenes from their high school sweetheart days were really sweet. (Him buying her that dress when he saw her looking at it and chocolate fondue). My other favorite part of the book was the date at the end. He not only named the restaurant after her, (Red) but he named all four of his desserts after special memories from when they were dating. I thought that was genuinely sweet and creative.

[SourCandyOrNoCandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not gonna lie – after reading Say Yes to the Hot Mess and Maid of Dishonour (yes, in that order), I was baffled looking at this cover. Those two covers were beautiful, but this one felt… homemade?

Other than that, this was a sweet book. I loved Jude’s character in Say Yes to the Hot Mess, so it was great to see him get his HEA with Scarlett in this book. I might have rolled my eyes a bit when I realised that he named his restaurant after her, though.

I also don't understand the title, but that's neither here nor there.

It feels weird giving this book the same rating as Maid of Dishonour because I liked this significantly more than that one, but this one didn't scream four stars either.

[Madeline (bookswithmadi_) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

This novella was short and sweet. It was clear that both main characters really never gave up their feelings for each other. I love that Jude tells Scarlett he's going to pursue her again and that he owns up to his mistakes. There were a few minor things that I didn't like and I wish it was longer (but just for my selfish reasons of having more to read & this didn't influence my rating). Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys clean rom-coms and is looking for a quick and easy read.

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[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novella!
It was short and sweet but hit all the good points you want in a romance story!

• second-chance romance with a good look at their history
• a great meet-cute 6 years after their split
• a meddling grandmother
• great characters
• forced proximity
• an MMC who knows what/who he wants
• Grand gestures
• swoooooooony kisses!🥰

If you enjoy romcoms, add this one to your list!! With just 7 chapters and an epilogue, it'll give you that quick shot of romantic dopamine you're needin'☺️🥰

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is a short under 100 pages book. It was super cute and had the funniest opening lines that just pulled me in. The first lines are in the 2nd photo. Thanks to some undercover matchmaking, Scarlett and Jude are working AND living together. They haven’t seen each other since their engagement ended right after high school. Scarlett wants to run and hide but Jude is ready for their Forever to begin.

The story is funny and sweet. I loved that it was a short read that I could fit in on my lunch break. I love reading when characters have their minds made up and it’s all in, to the moon or burst kind of determination.

Surprise sweetness- Never thought a dessert menu could make me want to cry.

Rating: G/PG, clean, sweet romance, closed door, some kissing