📖 Title: Here Comes Trouble
✍️ Author: Christy McKellen
⭐️ Rating: 2/5
🌶️ Heat Index: 4/5
Some explicit open-door scenes
📚 Tropes: forced proximity, opposites attract, bad boy artist, breaking the rules, workplace

💌 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

Here comes trouble, followed follows Jess, a journalist trying to get the inside scoop from bad boy Xander Heaton. The premise intrigued me and sounded like something right up my alley. A fun, steamy and quick read.
Unfortunately, there were two major issues that led to my low rating, ruining the entire book for me.
In the first quarter, he says to her:
"The bedrooms have locks on the door, so you don’t need to worry about me taking advantage of you."
That was completely inappropriate and unsettling.
I would think nowadays we know better than to put things into a book from a male character we are supposed to be attracted to?!

Later in the book, he does the worst thing for me:
[Spoiler alert!!!]
We learn Jess struggles with her body and is first not comfortable showing herself to Xander. As they continue, she grows more and more comfortable with him. Without her consent, he draws her naked. She only finds out by accident, and when confronted, he just gives something like, " I thought you wouldn't care," and acts as it wasn't a big deal. He later destroys the image and makes a big gesture to get her to forgive him. For me personally, this was such a big breach of trust. I would never forgive a man for doing this.

Overall, I wish these things didn't happen because it could have been an enjoyable quick read, but these incidents just made the male character unredeemable to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book had a great premise, but didn't really work as a novella. There was not enough time for true character development, in my opinion. I felt Xander was very immature and then suddenly had an epiphany that fixed it all at the end. While the ending was really good, I would have liked to see the journey there instead of 'Oh wait! I know!'. It just didn't work. I also would have liked to see more of Jess' growth as well. The chemistry just wasn't there because the chapters weren't. Should have been a full length novel.

This was auch a cute read. I really had fun reading it.
Love the mcs soooo much
Big thanks to netgally for this book

Here Comes Trouble by Christy McKellen follows the protagonist, Jess, on a journey of living more freely and not caring what others think. Usually, Jess is very professional and sticks to following the rules, but after meeting bad boy and professional charmer Xander, Jess explores a new side to herself. She becomes a risk-taker and learns to love herself in ways she hadn't before.

This rom-com has a good amount of spice, if you're into that! Things heat up between Jess and Xander. Eventually, they realize their attraction to one another is more than just physical, and there's more to both of them than they each expected. The banter between Jess and Xander was perfect, emphasizing the trope of opposites attract. I enjoyed Christy McKellen's writing style a lot. It was a quick, easy read. One thing to note, I found Jess's character to be frustrating at times because she was constantly getting in her own way!

Overall, this was a good read and I recommend it for rom-com readers who enjoy some spice in their books. It's on Kindle Unlimited for those who want to check it out! Thank you, Boldwood Books, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Jess is the kind of woman who follows the rules, triple-checks her emails, and probably has a backup charger for her backup charger. So when she’s sent to interview the infamously broody, tattooed, and entirely too attractive artist Xander Heaton, her plan is simple: get in, get the story, and definitely don’t get distracted by his smoldering eyes or his whole bad-boy-who-paints vibe.

Needless to say… things do not go according to plan.

What follows is a fun, flirty, and surprisingly heartfelt ride as Jess tries to keep her professional cool while Xander—charming menace that he is—seems determined to throw her off balance at every turn. Their chemistry is undeniable, and watching Jess struggle to keep things “strictly business” is both hilarious and endearing.

This is one of those rom-coms that gives you exactly what you want: tension, banter, one very poorly timed kiss (or two), and a reminder that sometimes breaking your own rules can lead to something unexpectedly right.

A breezy, feel-good read perfect for a weekend escape—with just enough spice to make you glad you're reading it in private!

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

This charmer follows a plucky heroine who stirs up the perfect kind of chaos— in a good way. What hooked me was the delightful banter and how Christy spins classic romantic tropes into something fresh and fun. It’s playful and heartfelt, and I found myself smiling at each twist. While not wildly groundbreaking, it hit the page-turner sweet spot for me: entertaining, warm, and clever. Pinniest scenes are her unexpected moments of trouble-making that feel true to life and fun. A ripe 4‑star rom‑com—feel-good with just the right amount of trouble.

Fun, flirty, and impossible to resist 💘✨. Here Comes Trouble is a fast-paced romantic comedy packed with banter, chemistry, and heart. Christy McKellen crafts loveable characters and sizzling tension that builds to the perfect slow-burn payoff. I adored the playful, feel-good energy of this story, and the emotional layers beneath the fun. Perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers and laugh-out-loud rom-coms.

I really enjoyed getting into this book, it had that element that I enjoyed from Christy McKellen's writing. The concept worked well with the series and was engaged with the characters that were in the story. I enjoyed getting to read this and hope to read more. It uses the forbidden romance element perfectly and felt like it belonged with the characters.

In this funny and spicy new romance novel, readers follow sensible journalist Jess on her most difficult assignment yet, a tell-all interview with the notorious artist Xander Heaton. When the interview goes off the rails in all sorts of ways, Jess is tempted to break her own rules to solve the problem, but that never works out the way she intended. As things become more complicated for both Xander and Jess, they have decisions to make that will greatly influence their future happiness. With excellent characters, a series of entertaining complications and obstacles, and some serious chemistry, fans of Christy McKellen will absolutely love this novel for its tropes and entertainment factor. The characters and the tropes they play into really sell the novel, and their chemistry is essential to this novel’s success and readers’ interest, and McKellen has captured all of this incredibly well. The variety of settings and locations really add to Xander and Jess’s juxtaposed personalities and interests, which is a great touch and adds to the complexities and entertainment factor. Well-written, interesting, and charming, romance readers of all kinds will love this new book for its great characters, their chemistry, and the intense emotions that McKellen has brought to life.

Sensible journalist Jess is not a rule breaker, especially where her career is involved. But trying to extract a tell-all interview from notorious artist and bad boy Xander Heaton is going to test her patience… and self-control. Because she must, at all costs remain professional, respectable and stay focused on the job at hand.

But it’s not long before Jess realizes that Xander spells trouble with a capital T and is living up to his tempting reputation! Trying to keep her distance, Jess decides that maybe she could break her golden rule, just this once to get Xander out of her system and her job back on track. But one night is never enough! And she learns that actually breaking her rules once in a while can lead to more fun than sticking to them!

Love it. Cannot wait to read more.

2.5/5⭐️

I feel like stories like this shouldn’t be novellas. Soemthing like this would be more beneficial to becoming an actual novel so that there is more plot. I felt like the characters met, and then it was wham, bam, thank you ma’am. I just needed more of a slow burn! I liked Jessica to a point, but I really didn’t enjoy Xander😭 He just seemed like a tool to me. Really wanted to like this one!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Baldwood Books, and the author Christy McKellen for the ARC!”

Jess and Xander's story is a super cute opposites attract, forced proximity romance. She is a journalist, and he is the artist she is supposed to interview. I highly recommend this book to readers of Tessa Bailey and Abby Jimenez. Christy McKellen knows how to create a funny, sweet story with lots of romance.

I struggled with this one! The writing wasn’t great, the characters didn’t have much chemistry, and the spice was cheesy. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC.

The accomplished journalist Jess is assigned to interview the notorious artist Xander Heaton, known for his rebellious nature. Xander is captivating yet frustrating, and Jess must complete her interview without losing her professionalism. As they interact, Jess and Xander unexpectedly find common ground, and their mutual attraction deepens. Will Jess uphold her professional standards, or will Xander's allure prove too strong?
I'm enjoying this ARC, although it was quite predictable. I laughed a great deal, but I do wish there had been more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Christy McKellen, and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

3.5 stars

I loved xander and jess' chemistry and i'm so happy that this wasn't an insta-love book. I think that eventhough the book was quite short, you could connect with the characters and follow they backstories quite easily.

I'm just going to need an epilogue to know what happened (during) and after the exhibition, because I couldn't be left like that.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed both main characters opening up and sharing their struggles. However, I did not see much of the emotional connection between them. It seemed as if they hooked up a couple of times and then were confessing their love.

Here Comes Trouble is a spicy, fast-paced romance that pairs opposites in a high-stakes, emotionally charged setting. Jess, a rule-following journalist on the brink of losing her job, is assigned to interview the notorious bad-boy artist, Xander Heaton. Their dynamic is fueled by forced proximity, clashing personalities, and undeniable attraction.

The novel explores themes of self-discovery and vulnerability, particularly through Jess's journey with body image and confidence. Xander's character adds depth as he confronts his own past and emotional barriers. Their interactions are laced with tension and chemistry, making for an engaging read.

However, I have noted that the story's brevity leads to a rushed romance and underdeveloped subplots. The pacing may leave readers wanting more depth and buildup in the relationship. Additionally, certain actions by Xander, such as using Jess as inspiration for his art without consent, have been points of contention.

Overall, Here Comes Trouble offers a quick, steamy escape with emotional undertones. It's a suitable pick for fans of contemporary romances featuring strong-willed heroines and complex heroes.

Thank you for the ARC! Sadly unable to read as this was downloaded onto a device I no longer have access to and the book has since been archived.

Sadly, this was predictable, the characters weren't developing but rather boring. While they each had their strengths and weaknesses, they were too obvious and out in the open. I would've like to read between the lines instead of being spoon-fed everything. As this is a short novella, it could have done with a little more depth, not blurting everything out (as the characters in the story do).
I was hoping for more.