This was so good and addictive!
The slow burn, the tension, the drama...
Next strong female character the character depth was good, the plot was nice and the atmosphere dramatic!

Thank you NetGalley, Honey Blossom Press and Mia Heitzelman for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Mia, girl! This book is going to be one of the best releases this summer! I laughed out loud, yelled, screamed, cried a bit in the afterglow and BLUSHED a lot (it’s always the tatted forearms!)

The Divorcétante is a delightfully beautiful small but bougie town romance of personal growth after divorce and reclaiming your story on your own terms.

Ebony Grace Livingston never truly had the chance to decide for herself what she wanted. Her story is one of a dutiful daughter who was groomed to be the perfect wife to what she thought was the perfect man.

She finds out, the hard way, that her life is perfectly crafted for an image and she is a prop, much to her dismay. Add in the rabid Luxe Ladies fanbase, the overbearing mother and the disdainful mother in law and you can imagine how this plays out publically when she decides to end her ten year marriage after she and the rest of Ellswood discover that her husband, Julian, is cheating on her with the Queen of the Luxe Ladies, Nora.

What transpires afterward is a well crafted story of a woman who was done wrong, treated like the villain. We follow Ebony on her journey to hed the idea of who she thought she was and discover who she truly is.

Part of her journey is reconnecting with an old dear friend, Lincoln Bridges. How they reconnect is wild - the ex MIL of all people!Lincoln is…my goodness…whew! Essentially, he is the man she denied herself thinking her life with Julian was what she wanted.

The tension?! Crackled immediately on page. These two were so electrifying when in the same room, I was sweating like I was there. Ebony’s fears of ruining her new life and Linc’s fears of her rejection keep them from giving in to temptation. It is a slow burn for sure, but it was the perfect way to showcase two people who had realistic fears. Add in that they have a high stakes event to plan for Ellswood’s finest which happens to Ebony Grace’s dragon of a former mother in law who seems to be intent on sabotaging Ebony’s business and newfound freedom and Linc’s business reputation so the tension was definitely there throughout the book and it kept me hooked until the very end.

The spice?! Let me just say I will never pass a waterfall in my life and never think of Ebony Grace and Linc!

I will not spoil the end nor give any more of the plot away. If you love stories of women finding themselves after disappearing in unhappy marriages and getting the second chance happy ending they deserve…this is the book for you!

P.S. I already preordered!

The cover of the book had me sold and once I read the story I was hooked. I’m so glad Ebony stayed true to her healing journey and didn’t let any of that crazy family bring her down. I’m glad she and Lincoln found their way back to each other. This was my first read by the author and now I have to go back and add the rest of her catalog to my TBR.

Ebony Grace Livingston has been cheated on by her husband of 10 years, her life as an elite debutante has been torn down in place of somehow being blamed for her husband’s affair. As she works to rebuild her business and reputation, she finds herself working side by side with a former almost love, her former best friend, Lincoln Bridges. The two reconnect, and realize they have never forgotten about their feelings for each other, as they work on making sure the wedding of the century in Elleswood’s historical Madison Manor goes off without a hitch, they realize that there are truths they have to confront. This book takes you through twists that make your jaw drop, it feels like you are watching reality tv drama. Both Ebony and Lincoln are looking to restore something, Ebony herself, and Lincoln his family’s place in Elleswood history. I loved reading this book. Lincoln and Ebony have amazing chemistry, as friends and as lovers. This is an easy read that pulls you in from the beginning, and we commit to Ebony’s journey to rebuild her business, and Lincoln’s journey to rebuild Madison Manor, and win back Ebony’s heart. Lincoln is all in and ready to show Ebony he’s the one for her as soon as he’s aware he has a chance. And once Ebony also realizes that she does want to give her and Lincoln a real shot, she also doesn’t give in, and she jumps right in.

Trope: second chance romance , workplace romance, romcom, small town romance.

General thoughts: it’s giving real housewives feel. an easy to read romcom, that will have you glued to the pages . Mia Heintzelman is a new to me author and I really enjoyed her writing style. The author has provided discussion question at the end of the book which will be great for book club pick.

Book review:
We follow Ebony Grace a southern debutante who recently divorced Julian livingston, from the legacy Livingston family of islewood. Their picture prefect marriage went through a public scandal when Ebony catch her ex husband Julian with his pants down. Ever since that scandal, the whole town is invested in her reinvention post-divorce. Ebony grace a
successful event planner navigates self-discovery, societal expectations, and the messy joy of second chances romance with her childhood love before marriage. This story is full of high societal drama , gossip and laugh out loud moment.

Ebony had the picture-perfect life that came crashing down when she caught her husband with another woman on broadcast TV. A year later, Ebony is trying to rebuild her life and her business by planning the premier social event of the season along with launching her social media blog. However, the universe throws a wrench her plans when she crosses paths with her former friend, Lincoln.

This book is so damn good. We’re not even at the halfway point, but I know this book is one of the top reads of 2025. Ebony is so relatable. I was cheering from the sideline during her journey of self-discovery. I think so many Black women can relate to Ebony’s past. Society (including some of the women in our lives) convinces us that we need to conform in order to have a good life. We’re put in positions where we have to make ourselves smaller, continuously give without reciprocity. This was evident with Ebony’s first marriage. Ebony was sold a bill of goods that lead her to invest years with a man who did not deserve a second of her time, much less a decade. I loved that Ebony took back her power and agency. She learned not to let outside voices cloud her vision of herself. Freeing herself from Livingston shackles allowed Ebony to rediscover the parts of herself that brought joy and happiness. By setting boundaries and choosing herself, Ebony made space for the kind of love she always deserved.

The chemistry between Ebony and Lincoln was off the charts. Even when all the cards were stacked against Lincoln, his love for Ebony never wavered. Lincoln always knew the real Ebony. Not the event planner extraordinaire or the demure socialite. To Lincoln, Ebony would always be the young woman who loved singing, seashells, and waterfalls. Lincoln always made it clear he wanted to complement Ebony’s life instead of dim her light.

Other takeaways: 1) I love the divatantes and Vincent (I wouldn’t be mad at a follow-up novella so we can see these characters again). 2) One thing a trifling man never runs out of is audacity (looking at you Julian). 3) Some women rather be co-conspirators than dismantlers of misogyny (bombastic side-eye at Cornelia and Mama King).

Thank you NetGalley and Honey Blossom Press for providing this ARC for review.

Thank you, NetGalley, Mia Heintzelman, and Honey Press for the advanced copy of The Divorcétante.

Ebony Grace Livingston is the main character of the book. I love how she focuses on making a comeback in her business since her divorce. She puts her efforts into making sure the event is the best. She is not only proving to others that she is capable but also to herself. Despite the bad press, it is moving on.

She does not allow her mother-in-law to interfere with her business or life. Instead, she tells the truth about her in-laws. Ebony proves that she is strong and resilient by telling her story on social media. I love how she does not allow anyone to control her.
I enjoyed seeing her pursue her passions, which include Lincoln. Their chemistry was beautiful, and I enjoyed reading it. Overall, it was a delightful book about finding yourself and living your life.

I recently got an ARC of The Divorcetante by @miaheintzelmanauthor The cover is minimalistic, which caught my attention, and the title is something that I hadn't heard before. It's a romance book, so I knew I needed to read it to tell y'all about it.
I know that I'm trying to stay away from star ratings when I do more in-depth reviews, because those are subjective, buuuut, for simplicity's sake, this book is in the 4.5 - 5 stars category. It's that good.

In the heart of a small Georgia town, a recently-divorced woman is trying to stand back on her feet and return her business to its former glory. With her ex husband trying to weasel his way back into her life and ex monster-in-law working against her, Ebony (that's our main lady here) must stand her ground and let those who obstinately keep an eye on her that she is not someone to push around.

The pacing was captivating and kept me going. The only thing that confused me was that I had to re-read some parts because some issues were not clear. I caught myself reading on and then asking "Wait, What's going on?"

If you are looking for a quick summer read full of romance, a strong woman, and featuring a hot love interest that falls hard (pun absolutely intended), this book is the one for you. There is some 🌶️ maybe about a 3/5, but it was so tastefully done that I genuinely admire this author's skill to write these scenes.

This was my first Mia Heintzelman book and it was a delight! The scandal, the drama, oh myyy. I can easily see this as a movie or series on the screen. We got Ebony who's trying to get back to herself after a divorce and having to deal with the one who got away (Hey Linc heyyyyy). She has to not only deal with her annoying ex, his equally annoying mother, gossiping from the townspeople but also hi the hottie who she now has to work with.

Ebony and Linc were both sweet and sexy as they navigated having to work together while Ebony's wicked ex-mother in law tries to stir up trouble.

Can't wait to see what the author has in store for the other divatantes.

This was fun quick romance.Ebony and Linc relationship developed really nicely.a story about a women finding herself post divorce. read on May 16,25-May 17,25

Solid book that deals with the complexities that come along with divorcing not only the person but the entire family. I loved watching Lincoln and Ebony stand up for themselves, one another, and their love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

This book was a page tuner I need more so good I loved it whewwwww thank you for this read I didn’t want it to end

I was drawn to this story by the description which is summed up to a wronged, divorced woman rediscovering herself outside of the environment she was molded to fit into. I enjoyed watching her journey and having a supportive circle around her. I do feel like there were moments where she chose to "show them grace" that felt forced due to the severity of the crime.
The fun moments between Lincoln and Ebony were so familiar and relatable because the readers know those people in real life. It's always easy to associate a familiar acting character with s real person in you life which makes the story that much better.
There were multiple plots and twists happening that may have been a bit overkill. I was 78-82% in when seemingly all problems had been resolved and it could have ended there. The scenes after the final resolution all felt prolonged with internal thought and dialogue that was unnecessary to moving along the story, but potentially continued to show readers who the characters are? But at that point of the book it is no longer necessary
This is a three star because it did start of strong and held my attention.

I have read every book of Mia Heintzelman’s and this one of the best ever , I recommend this book become a hallmark movie , I loved it and I hope I get to see more of Ebony because she’s a bad mama jama. I would write more but I don’t want to spoil it for the next reader.

Perfect, just perfect. Mia consistently writes these beautiful, complex babes, and this is no exception. Just so lovely and perfect

Okay, so boom…Imagine you’ve curated the perfect life with glam events, luxury lifestyle, a man who looks good on paper. But you catch him cheating on you and now you’re left picking up the pieces, figuring out who you are without the title, the status, or the man.

What would you do to reclaim your reputation and rebuild your life your way? This story is about starting over, setting your own standards and boundaries, and learning that sometimes the real glow-up happens when you finally start living for yourself.

Thank to NetGalley for this advance copy.

This book was a witty and touching story. I was completely sucked into Ebony’s journey into finding herself and her own value as well as her relationship with Linc. I went from laughing out loud, to gasping at the drama to being completely drawn into the connection between Ebony and Linc. I hope that Heintzelman follows up with the rest of the Divatantes.

I just started this but I will leave a partial review.
I will add more/edit my review once I finished as I really loved listening to this book being read aloud to me while I am walking my walking pad. It is funny so far and I like it!!

Thank you to Honey Blossom Press for the advanced reader copy of The Divorcétante by Mia Heintzelman!

Ebony is divorced from her ex-husband after his affair led to high society scandal. Ebony takes on a high-profile wedding as the event planner and is looking toward her next chapter of life. Who else has been hired for this wedding? Lincoln, an architect and past friend. Forced into each other’s proximity for the wedding, these two have chemistry and unfinished business with each other.

I ADORED Ebony and Lincoln! I loved the romance between the main pair and I loved Ebony’s story. There are many moments throughout I enjoyed but I was absolutely drawn into the last act of this story!

If you enjoy a forced proximity, second chance romance, this is one to check out!

This book was interesting and entertaining with a fresh, original spin on a popular trope. It was laugh-out-loud funny and packed with just the right amount of scandal to keep me turning pages late into the night. The love story was absolutely adorable—it had me giggling and kicking my feet like a teenager. A perfect mix of drama, humor, and heart. I couldn’t put it down!