Sometimes your knight in shining armor is an elevator mechanic covered in carbon dust.
Moving to Havenwood was not on Jett Taylor’s bingo card, but neither was losing her editing job or splitting from her ex all in one month. As her neurodivergent mind begins to spiral, Jett knows it’s time to make a keep playing it safe (because that’s worked so well) or embrace the chaos that comes with chasing her childhood dream.
As with every fixation, when Jett sets her mind to something, there is no halfway. Her determination to succeed—and to find herself—means there isn’t time for distractions. Not even in the form of a grumpy, brown-eyed elevator mechanic.
Noah Slater can’t believe his eyes when the woman from his earlier entrapment call takes a seat a few barstools down. He hasn’t been interested in romance since tragedy struck Havenwood three years ago, but something about the green-eyed beauty has him hooked.
She knows she’s broken. He knows she’s perfect. If only she’d slow down long enough to listen…
Embrace the chaos and read this book! This was an absolute feel good read! This is the first book that really goes deeper with how the main character feels and deals with ADHD and anxiety. Showing the reader that it is good to step out of your comfort zone! So happy that she meets Noah by chance! They balance each other out perfectly! I fell in love with them and their group of friends in their small town. P.S. - Noah is the perfect book boyfriend 😉 I just love when he calls Jett “sweet girl”! Release Date: January 23, 2025 Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/5CDaQDd
Great read. I love the dynamic of the two MC and how the whole town supports them. I love how Noah is able to calm her anxiety with a touch. Everyone needs a Noah. I got this book as an arc. And I really enjoyed reading it. Highly recommend
This is my first 5 star ARC read, and I am SO sad that it's over. 😭
E.M. Chandler did such an incredible job writing this book! I am absolutely in love with it and seriously cannot wait for the next one (please say there'll be another one?!) I DEVOURED this book, like fighting sleep to stay awake to finish it. I was crying, laughing, cheering Jett on, fawning over Noah, empathizing with Drew, loving the guy's friendship, the slow burn romance, the closed door spice, I ate it ALLL up! This is the first book that I've put down and then wanted to immediately reread! 🙌🏻🤩
I have never related to a character before like I did with Jett. Her anxiety, internal thoughts, struggles, everything was phenomenally written and relatable. Noah Slater, Noah Slater, Noah Slater - Like who doesn't desire a man like him?! The patience, the love, the pure whole hearted way he absolutely cherishes Jett is so incredibly written. While reading this book I realized qualities in Noah that my husband possess, and it just made me love him even more! 🫶🏻
This book will live in my head rent free for a while, I already know it!! The story line, characters, their struggles and lives, there's so much that can go on from here as the story unfolds. I can't wait to step back into the small town of Havenwood✨
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars because it was overall enjoyable.
This is book one in the Havenwood series , but 50 pages in had me wondering if I jumped in midway through a series. I felt like there were relationships and stories I was in the dark about. After stopping to double check, I realized this was in fact the first book. There’s a lot of partial stories and many characters with backgrounds we don’t really have any details on. In addition to that, somehow there are a number of characters with interconnected backgrounds even when they weren’t from the same small town. 🤷🏻♀️ Jett’s bff had a previous relationship with Noah’s brother (that is barely mentioned except in a scene to say Noah helped her “escaped” from the toxic relationship?) Then Noah’s toxic brother apparently goes on to elope with the girl Jett’s brother had been dating at that time. Convoluted and not expanded at all in detail- so frankly unnecessary.
Moving on.
Jett is neurospicy, found she can’t take stimulants for her ADHD, and struggles with ADHD management and relationships. Losing her job and finding her boyfriend is cheating sets her on a tailspin. She was well written imo. Her struggles were believable. Her frustrations, as well as those of the people around her trying to relate to and live with her, felt believable. I could easily see her feelings towards the way her brother treated her, for example, yet also feel empathy for how he felt having been the “caretaker” role for her all their lives. It’s hard all around.
Noah is the squishy golden retriever book boyfriend. He has his own traumas, yet is the perfect match for Jett. He loves her as the chaotic hot mess that she is, which is perfection. I love that he never wanted to change her. He is serious #BookBoyfriendGoals.
Editing- some grammatical and formatting errors. I feel like a lot could have been pared down, or reworked to make it less confusing or erroneous feeling. His brother was described as toxic, and frankly what we saw supports it. He’s a garbage human. Not buying his “middle schoolers were mean to me so it made me evil”. So I hated the semi-reconciliation scene.
While I loved the inclusion of therapy a lot throughout the book, I hated the idea that making nice with everyone brings “closure” and healing. Hell no. You do not have to welcome people back as friends to move on. Boundaries exist for a reason. She wanted to rebuild a friendship with her cheating ex and the cheating friend for crying out loud 🙄
Overall- an enjoyable sweet read with very little to no drama. It was enough that Jett needed to heal and get on board with being desired and enough, no contrived or forced drama needed.
Sometimes your knight in shining armor is… an elevator mechanic covered in carbon dust. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.
I didn’t expect to fall this hard for a low-spice, small-town romance, but Jett and Noah completely stole my heart. Jett’s journey—messy, emotional, relentless—felt deeply personal. As someone who somewhat resonates with that neurodivergent chaos, I appreciated how real and raw her internal monologue was. You feel the spirals, the doubts, the full-force drive of her chasing something meaningful. She’s not always graceful, but she’s real.
And then there’s Noah. Grumpy, grounded, quietly grieving. He’s the kind of book boyfriend who doesn’t swoop in to fix things—he shows up, and he stays. The way he supports Jett, even when she doesn’t know how to ask for it, melted me. He falls first, falls hard, and never once tries to dim her light. He just learns how to stand in it with her.
This book gave me exactly what I didn’t know I needed: slow-burn chemistry, soft emotional beats, found family, and a small-town community that feels like home. The romance is sweet and cozy, the kind that wraps around you like a warm blanket. And while it’s low spice, it’s high in longing and tenderness.
If you’re in the mood for a romance that embraces both the chaos and the calm, give this one a read.
⸻
Tropes you’ll find in Kissing Chaos: • Strangers to lovers • He falls first • Grumpy x sunshine • Found family • Small-town setting • Neurodivergent heroine (ADHD rep) • Low spice, high feels • Emotional healing • Slow burn • Dream-chasing heroine
It’s been a tough month. Being let go from her editing job AND finding her long time boyfriend cheating in the apartment they shared. The neurospicy gal, Jett Taylor, begins to spiral downward, so she goes to see her therapist. Of course, this is the month she gets stuck in the elevator. Enter Noah Slater, cute elevator mechanic, who saves the day but not her appointment.
After seeing an emergency therapist in the nearby town of Havenwood, Jett decides it’s time to get out of her old apartment with the bad memories and start over. Small town Havenwood just happens to have a new apartment listing at the local bar. And it's an apartment next to Noah, the cute elevator guy.
Noah makes it very apparent that he wants Jett, however she doesn’t see her worth given recent events. Noah is dead set on showing her that she’s worthy, as well as letting everyone around her know how worthy she is of all her dreams.
This book hits so close to my heart. As an ADHD girlie, I see so much of myself in Jett. Reading this book makes me feel seen and not so alone. I love the representation. Noah is so wonderful for Jett, trying to make everyday tasks easier, learning all of her quirks, and teaching her that neither she nor the quirks are annoying, but endearing. I truly loved every minute of this book.
This clean romance has my heart right now. When I started this book, I was thinking that this would be a slow romance, but after getting through 20-30% of the book, it started to get really good. Noah, who is one of the main characters, is the love interest in this book. He is so thoughtful and attentive with Jett, and he just wants her to achieve everything she has ever dreamed of and have her cheering her from the sidelines. Jett has some troubles, like she has a lack of attention, and her mind can wander off really easily. Everyone in her life doubted her, and she finally meets this perfect guy who is an elevator mechanic. Everything just fits the pieces. She has some trust issues because of what happened with her ex, but she’s ready for this next relationship. To sum this book up, I would give this 4.5 stars because of the star. It wasn’t that fast as I expected, like well-paced. I had to get into it, but after that, I just gave it five stars because of that. I’m going to give it 4.5 stars. also love to read the second book in the series because this is the first book series. Can’t wait for the next book. Love to read about anyone in the friend group interested in Noah’s sister, for example. Thank you for the ARC opportunity. And I can’t wait to read more from Em Chandler.
Embrace the Chaos is my new life mantra, cause my life is very chaotic 😂🫶🏼 Thank you @emchandler.books for the chance to read and review this beautiful book💜
This book went deep into how both Jett (Chaos) and Noah (Sexy Elevator Mechanic) were dealing with different situations. Jett is dealing with ADHD and depression, while Noah is dealing with grief and family issues. I related to plenty aspects from both characters.
The way that even when Jett tells Noah that she’s not worth his time, Noah decides to show up and show Jett just how much she’s worth it🙌🏼 And when she describes how he quiets her mind 😩🥰🥰 Now THATS A BOOK BOYFRIEND🫶🏼
Overall it was such an easy and compelling read and you fall in love when the main characters and their found family!! Personally, I just wanted more progress in the epilogue but that’s me and it was still so so beautiful. So if you take away anything from this review… it’s to embrace the chaos and read this book!!💜🫶🏼💜
OMG, this was such a cute small-town romance! 🌟 So, Jett is dealing with ADHD and kinda spiraling through life when she stumbles into this adorable little town and meets this super hot elevator mechanic. Like, hello, Noah! 😍
I absolutely loved how thoughtful and supportive he was toward Jett. He totally calmed her chaos and just embraced her for who she is—like, can we get more of that in books, please? 🙌 The ADHD representation felt pretty relatable, but I did raise an eyebrow at how she got diagnosed in, like, an hour. I mean, we all know that getting a diagnosis can be a massive struggle; it took me years of fighting to get someone to take me seriously! But hey, everyone’s journey is unique, and isn’t that what makes life beautiful?
Ironically, the writing felt a bit chaotic at times—like, too much was happening, and it didn’t always mesh well, you know? But overall, I really enjoyed the plot and characters; it just felt a little messy in spots!
I can totally see potential for the other characters to grow into an interconnected series.
This was a really cute small town romance! I loved how thoughtful and supportive Noah was to Jett. He was so accommodating and we need more books representing disabilities. I think the ADHD rep was good and relatable, besides when she gets diagnosed in like an hour. That's not realistic and can be really challenging to get a diagnosis for some. Ironically I felt like the writing was a bit chaotic at times. It felt unorganized at points, like too much was going on but things weren't coming together? Overall I enjoyed the plot of the book and the characters, it just felt sloppy at times! There is so much room for the other characters to grow into an interconnected series. I would be interested if this world continues!
Loved reading Kissing Chaos! If I put gelato in the fridge I wouldn’t put it back in the freezer either. Sorry Noah but the texture definitely changes and it’s just not the same. I did put pistachios in the freezer once!
But anyways I really enjoyed reading Jett’s and Noah’s story. Love how these two were completely different and how they supported one another. Loved how their relationship gradually grew through out the book. And the way Noah went about making sure he was supportive of Jett, and making sure she was comfortable! Can I have a Noah too?!?
This was definitely a low spice book so if you don’t like your books spicy then this book is for you.
I've really enjoyed this first novel by E. M. Chandler. Having a Neuro divergent main character is a nice storyline to pursue. I'm not sure many understand the challenges somebody with these characteristics face. Chandler does a very good job of highlighting the constant inner conflict and push pull of emotional and physical reactions. Love the characters that become her friends, family really. Noah seems to come fully equipped to give her the love and encouragement to follow her dreams and to believe she has value as a person all by herself. I hope Chandler continues to build on this world she built and to fill out more of her characters for us to love.
Quick read, cute read, lowkey annoying. It’s barely 🌶️, in my opinion, which was kind of disappointing. Every character was relatable in some way, even if it was set in a Hallmark town where all dreams come true. I didn’t like how they were labeled, then suddenly not… but still did couple things… had a convo about it, and still she said “no”? And everyone around her just coddled her like that was totally normal? Accommodations are one thing, bubble wrapped environments are another. ALSO—she got shitfaced after ONE text from her ex that wasn’t even bad?? Idk, feels like we could’ve done better with the plot.
“Something about you calls to a piece of me that I swore was dead and buried. I know you said you weren’t interested, but I’d still like to know you. Even if just as friends.”
This book was so charming and so sweet. Small town romance vibes, found family, and big mental health representation. As someone with adhd, I found the FMC relatable in many ways. It was a slow build low spice romance as both main characters worked on themselves. I loved the MMC as he showed unconditional love through the whole thing.
I enjoyed this book. I really liked Noah and his interactions with Jett. I felt so sad and then so proud of her. Love her growth and his support. There were a lot of supporting characters and it was a little hard to keep up with everyone and their issues and interactions. I’m sure it’ll be better once we get their stories as this was the first in the series. #beccasbookbites ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️ I received a free copy and voluntarily leave this honest review.
Embrace the Chaos, and get out of your comfort zone!
Such a cute small town romance. Really enjoyed Jett and Noah’s story. I love how they are completely different and dealing with their own issues but supported each other through it all. Really loved how Noah supported and encouraged Jett to follow her dreams.
Jett is the most amazing FMC I have ever read. They way her mind/thoughts are written is absolute perfection. Then you have the best book boyfriend ever in Noah who is exactly what she needs. This story is perfection simple as that. Must read!
I loved this simple sweet book so much. I loved how Noah never shied away from Jett’s ADHD or what took her away from the present. When she thought she wasn’t worthy, he proved she was. He loved her “chaos”. With no third act break up, it is a short, sweet, quick read.
Solid book. Quick read. Not my favorite small town romance but far from the worst I’ve read. Finished wanting more. Overall, worth the read if you are into quick small town romance novels.
A whirlwind romance that throws two wildly different personalities into a captivating situation. Noah is a grumpy brown-eyed elevator mechanic and Jett is a neurodivergent trying to embracing the chaos. Together they explore the attraction, overcome past hurt, and vulnerability. Recommend this lighthearted and emotionally book!
Kissing Chaos was such a sweet and emotional read. EM Chandler presented two very relatable MCs that I couldn’t help but all in love with. This story follows Jett Taylor, a recently unemployed editor and Noah Slater, an elevator mechanic. Or as Jett calls him, "sexy elevator mechanic."
I loved the dynamic between Jett and Noah. Jett with her restless mind and her struggle with ADHD, and Noah, who had the ability to calm her mind despite being labeled a grump and dealing with grief. Noah had me swooning so much when he showed up for Jett both physically and emotionally. He was so supportive and just everything a book boyfriend should be.
EM Chandler delivered a sweet, feel-good read with relatable characters and a slow-burn romance full of swoon.
This is such a cute book and definitely made you feel good. This book has a great representation of how someone deals with ADHD and anxiety and how it is to have it constantly. I could never imagine how it is being in their head that never shuts off, and the facts that Noah can talk her out of her head is absolutely amazing and must be a breath of fresh air for Jett. Their relationship is absolutely adorable and makes you fall in love with them. I'm so glad that Jett steps out of her comfort zone and lives life "chaotically" after her playing it safe never seems to work out for her!
ARC REVIEW: I love Noah and Jett’s relationship more than I thought I would. As someone with anxiety, just the idea that someone can talk me out of my own head sounds delightful 😭