It took me some time to get into the book, but that was just my mood. Once I did, I devoured it completely. Mia’s writing made it hard to put down. I love this book—my favourite read of the year so far. I especially enjoyed how the characters experienced heartbreak and growth on their journey.

At its core, I really enjoyed this book. The author created such depth to the world these characters live in, that I honestly hope this becomes a series with the rest of Ebony's friends! My rating might surprise you that I say that, and it's because of one little detail: the insta-love had me way too ick. The first half of this book though was easily four stars. Ebony was such an fab character to root for, overcoming so much emotionally throughout this book and finding both herself and new love. So here's why this book only got three stars despite all these positive feelings about it.

- Linc and Ebony needed have more of a will they/won't they dynamic for their second chance romance. At some points where Linc is obsessing over her and hoping she feels the same, we know she does but outwardly she gives a bit of whiplash that made me second guess her as well. I would've loved like Linc having a girlfriend and realizing Ebony is still who he wants most and Ebony choosing him in a more mature way rather than the impulsivity of it all that it felt like.

- Ebony admits that she loved her ex-husand and we see her healing from the breakdown and trauma from that relationship. I wish as the reader, I could've understood more why she loved him and the better parts of him to better understand why it wasn't Linc from the get go and what made her not see him as more than a friend until that one night in college but still not choose him anyway.

- The last name plot point didn't make sense to me. It wasn't brought up enough or mentioned clearly enough earlier in the book for me to see that that was an issue to begin with. She did so much proactively like a life coach, dating concierge, that I didn't buy that she wouldn't have had that handled or if she hadn't had a really good reason for it.

- How quickly they told each other they loved each other and then quickly descending into 'baby' was way too much for me sadly. I wanted it, I rooted for it but pace wise it happened way too fast to be believable.

- The lovebirds aspect of the wedding on page 263 was appalling. The DJ calling them out on the dancefloor as the lovebirds at SOMEONE ELSE'S wedding was too selfish for me to get past. It was a sour-ish note to end on, I would've loved if they were in a hallway, heard the DJ calling for the lovebirds (meaning oh I don't know, the bride and groom???) and Linc saying, he could also mean us, and giving her a twirl around a hallway privately. WAY more appropriate than what actually happened. Another person's wedding was not the time or place and had me cringing way too hard with only ten more pages to go.

Second chance romance, the story of Ebony Grace and Lincoln. Working together but is someone out to sabotage them both?

I really wanted to love this book and I was excited for the start of it, but it unfortunately was very cringe.

Firstly, the title (especially how it's used in the story) is so cringe. Why is a grown woman still holding on to her debutante status and still identifying with it in her 30s??

There were so many elder millennial catchphrases used that so unnecessarily... Everytime the was a conversation with her friends, or she was on live with her "fans", I could picture exactly the kind of woman she/they were and.... respectfully, no.

The romance with Linc was an obvious highlight, so was the descent into madness of her ex mother-in-law.

It committed my favourite romance crime of all: proposing at a wedding.

So much potential here, hopefully the next book will hit the spot.

It had that plot element that I was looking for and was glad I got to read this. Mia Heintzelman does a fantastic job in writing this type of romance book, it had that element that I wanted in this type of book. I was invested in the characters and enjoyed the debutante element to this book.

Prepare the be thoroughly entertained! This book is for you if you have ever dealt with the following scenarios:

- a partner’s exhausting mother

- overbearing parents whom had very high expectations and/or practically planned out your entire life since childhood

- a friend who randomly ghosted you

- a childhood friend you secretly crushed on

- a stage in your life that forced you to reinvent or rebrand yourself

This romance story came with all the bells and whistles. Love, comedy, suspense, and even a little drama by way of a villain, I appreciated reading about a FMC who got her HEA because she chose to go against the grain as opposed to following it. It added more authenticity to the plot, making it more enjoyable. Not only will I be adding this to my personal library, but I will also be heavily suggesting this book to my friends and family. I look forward to reading more work from this author.

This may be my favorite book by Mia so far. Ebony is fresh off a divorce and in the midst of figuring out the life she once thought she had to her reality. I loved seeing Ebony get her groove back! Her ex husband was the worst. Total loser!! And his mom…was equally as horrible. His mom plotted on both her and Lincoln’s downfall and it made me so mad.

Who is Lincoln you ask?Lincoln, oh my, you are the best book boyfriend. He waited on the sidelines for Ebony. The pining and waiting he did for Ebony was everything. I’m glad she made him feel worthy and a valued. She had to find herself to put herself back together. So much betrayal was done to my girl and I’m so happy she got to get the last laugh in the end. The ending was so beautiful Linc was top tier and very intentional.

Let's just say I'm a little disappointed. And by a little, I mean a lot. Like, lots and lots.

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕀𝕤 𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 ᯓ★

This book promised juicy drama among the rich and scandalous — and started off strong! Ebony’s husband cheats on her, and the story kicks off with her planning a legendary comeback as a Divorcétante (a clever play on debutante). It’s meant to be her journey of rediscovering herself… and finding love along the way!

The premise? Chef’s kiss.
The cover and title? Gorgeous. The reason I picked it up in the first place.
The execution? Err... not so impressive.

★ Let’s talk names for a second.

Ebony Grace King Livingston. I'm sorry, what now? Is that one person or a royal lineage?
The love interest: Abraham Lincoln—
Oops, sorry. Lincoln Bridges.
There’s also a girl named Hillary.
Yes, I found that pretty HILLARIOUS.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕎𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 ᯓ★

Okay, I’ll admit: I was vibing with the writing at first. There was something really fun about it.
But then… things got confusing. The dialogue took a nosedive into cringeville, and I was getting lost — and not in the good, swept-away-by-the-story kind of way.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖 ᯓ★

Ebony gives Lincoln a whole list of reasons why they shouldn’t be together (none of which made much sense, by the way), and he—bless him—just smiles through it. Then, literally two paragraphs later, she kisses him. Two days later, they’re a couple. And I was sitting there like… what just happened? Hah?

Lincoln apparently always had feelings for her, and Ebony caught feelings way too fast. It all felt super insta-love, and honestly? I was ready to swoon — I wanted to swoon — but I just… didn’t.

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕊𝕙𝕠𝕨𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 ᯓ★

And the so-called villain? She was built up like this calculating mastermind — always one step ahead. But when the moment came to take her down? It was like the author just flipped a switch and made her dumb. Everything got resolved way too easily. No tension. No clever takedown. No satisfaction.

Honestly, by the end, I was just left confused and underwhelmed.

𝕀𝕟 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★

This had all the right ingredients — drama, high society scandals, a bold heroine on a mission — but somewhere between the clever concept and the actual execution, things just didn’t click for me. What could’ve been sharp and swoony turned out messy and rushed. I wanted to love it. I tried to love it. But sadly, this one just didn’t deliver the sparkle I was promised.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for honest thoughts.

I love Mia Heintzelman books. In her new book The Divorcetante does not disappoint. Our MFC Ebony Grace is on her second chance with her life after divorcing her cheating husband and Ebony had to found out in one of the most humiliating ways. As Ebony works to rebuild her career as an event planner she gets the opportunity to plan the wedding of her ex brother-in-law and one of her best friends sister the problem is she has to work with Lincoln Bridges someone that Ebony had feelings for in the past but she did not choose him. Lincoln has always loved Ebony and still does and working in close proximity with her brings back all the angst for him.
We get to see Ebony come into her own as she begins to push off all the etiquette of being a southern belle and start to make her own decisions leading us to discover the Divorcetante, This book has the friendships, love and second chances. The story shows the importance of being true to yourself and how following your heart can lead to having a life filled with the happiness and joy you deserve.

This story had me HOOKED! Ebony Grace was that girl, a former debutante turned society wife until her husband embarrassed her on live TV with a scandalous entanglement involving a well-known reporter. After the very public divorce, Ebony decides to reclaim her narrative with a bold new online persona: The Divorcetante.

Things really get juicy when her shady ex mother-in-law hires her to plan the younger son's wedding... and brings in Linc, Ebony’s old friend and long-time secret admirer. Their chemistry was undeniable and the tension was just right. I was rooting for Linc from day one and cheering Ebony on in every moment of her glow-up.

Funny, spicy, and full of heart, this was a beautifully written story about second chances, strong friendships, and finding your voice after heartbreak.

Came for the romance, stayed for the Real Housewives style drama. I love a second chance romance, especially when one or more of the MCs have just come out of a bad marriage. When Ebony, wedding planner extraordinaire, being publicly humiliated by her cheated husband of 10 years in a town full of gossips was the icing on the cake. Lincoln, an architect and one time hookup of Ebony’s (he tried to warn her) who has been pining for her since college. Are forced to work together on a project by Ebony’s truly evil mother in law, the sparks reignite. Will they be able to finally be together or will the obstacles be too much to overcome.
First, many a people in this book have terrible karma coming for them. I mean, stepping in a wet spot with fresh socks on karmic retribution.
I loved the romance between Lincoln and Ebony, but do feel like it was slightly overshadowed by all the other drama going on. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Such a great read! As a lover of second chance romances this was everything and more!! Their love story may have started off hectic but I truly enjoyed them conquering the ups and downs! Will only be adding this book to my shelf in my library

This book is perfect for fans of Kennedy Ryan's "Before I Let Go" and Lucy Score's "Story of my life"

Ebony is recently divorced and trying to find herself again, all while planning the lavish wedding of one of her best friends and her ex-husbands brother. Just when she thought she was done dealing with her ex monster in law....here she shows up again. And did I mention she's also working along side and old flame?

This is a slow burn, second chance romance, with a strong friend group.

I adored this book, and can't wait to read more from this series and this author.

This book is a hoot.

Ebony's been divorced for a year after catching her husband and his mistress in the act while being filmed live on tv.
Because they're all high profile people, sides get taken, and Ebony has been facing harassment online.
After a year has passed, she's done grieving and ready to step out again to pick up her career as a high-end wedding planner and find love again.

This was so good. It reminded me of a mixture of rom-com and reality tv. Her ex-husband and his mother are so messy, and I loved how Ebony dealt with it and ultimately hit back. Lincoln is a gem who wears his heart on his sleeve. What I enjoyed most was that once they were in, they were both locked in. The communication between them and their friends was so healthy and refreshing.
There's a couple of open door scenes. The chemistry of Ebony and Lincoln in their daily interactions and the inside jokes they both had with their friends, however, carried this story for me.

With a full summer ahead of us, I'd say that The Divorcétante is the perfect second chance divorcée romance to enjoy in the sun.

I resale enjoyed reading this book. It was a great story, more than just a love story. It's about loving yourself, choosing yourself. It's also about friendship and how it's important to a good support system around you. I liked how it was described in this book between the girls and the guys. The drama was also a great addition.

This was a medium paced, second-chance romance. I enjoyed it overall and think the messiness of it will do well to inspire lots of discussion in reading groups (16 and up).

If surviving a televised cheating scandal, serving face at brunch, and snatching your crown back were an Olympic sport then Ebony Grace Livingston would take home the gold. 🥂👑

This book is Black Girl Luxury meets Second Chance Romance, and I inhaled every juicy, scandalous, slow burny chapter like it was gossip at the salon. Ebony went from trophy wife to ✨CEO of Her Damn Self✨ and I was living for it.

Let’s break it down:
✨Husband? Trash. Public cheating? On brand for men. 💅
✨Mother-in-law? Satan in Chanel.
✨Ebony? STUNNING. GLOWING. THRIVING.
✨Lincoln? The tattooed architect with emotional intelligence and big hands energy. HELLO, SIR. 😩👏

The tension? So thick I was holding my breath.
The chemistry? Sparks were flying before they even kissed.
And when they did kiss??!! Let’s just say I’ll never walk past a waterfall the same again. 🌊🔥

But beyond the spice and sass, this book hits you with truth: about reinvention, self-worth, and refusing to be the villain in someone else’s weak little story.

Ebony said ✨plot twist✨ and became the main character of her own damn life.

If you love:
💕 Friends to Lovers
🔁 Second Chances
💄 Luxe Black Girl Drama
💅 Petty, powerful revenge arcs
🥵 A slow burn that erupts

This book is your new obsession. Ebony Grace isn’t just finding herself, she’s giving rich auntie energy and rewriting the rules.

This was an okay read for me. The writing style was a little hard to get into and the drama was too over the top for me.
It did enjoy the chemistry between the main characters. Just wish the drama didn't overshadow the romance.

First of all, with a cover and title like The Divorcétante, I was already excited for the story inside.

We start out with a scandal and see how our FMC deals with the aftermath of it all.
Ebony has married into a family that is all about appearances, success and money. She's a perfectionist herself, but hasn't always made the best decisions. When she finds out that her husband has not only been cheating, but so much more, Ebony leaves that life behind with her head held high and wanting to only succeed with her wedding planning business. WIth a high profile wedding on the docket, her past comes rolling back in more ways than one.

Right from the start, this felt like a messy reality tv show. Lies, secrets, scandals, with a no good, horrible mother in law that was out to destroy Ebony if she wouldn't kneel to what she wants. For some reason, I didn't connect with Ebony right off the bat. I did like that she left a bad situation and made lemonade out of all the lemons, but there was just something off about her. Maybe it was that I adored Lincoln so much. He was a man that knew what he wanted and he was going to show Ebony what she was missing. Unfortunately, it took her a couple of horrible dates to see what was right in front of her.

Life after divorce is difficult to find yourself again, but Lincoln was there to pick up the pieces and show that Ebony made a wrong decision all those years ago. I liked their connection and friendship and how well they worked together and ended up liking the last half more than the first.

Overall, the growth, friendships and unveiling of secrets within the families in this book set a good foundation for more stories to come. Just wish I would've connected to Ebony quicker.

At the beginning of the book, Ebony finds out her husband is cheating on her after an appearance on a morning talk show.

She divorces him and takes time away from her event planning business to try to get her life together. She gets asked to plan her best friend’s sister’s wedding to her ex-brother-in-law. She has a life coach. She has a plan to get her groove back.

Then she finds out she is going to be working with an ex love. Lincoln is the architect in charge of the restoration of the place where the wedding will take place. She has to work closely with him to pull off the wedding of the bride’s dreams. She also has her ex-mother-in-law in charge of all of it to deal with. All while her ex-husband is trying to get her back even though he got his high profile mistress pregnant.

Y’all, this story was a whole lot of drama. Rabid fans. Social media posts. Dating concierges. And my favorite part, falling in love with the man she should have chosen to begin with.

I enjoyed every part of this book. Everything got wrapped up just as I hoped it would.