A new small town series from Amazon top 40 best-selling author, Hannah Cowan!
MillieI ran from the altar in a pair of heels and a white dress, chasing freedom instead of a future I never wanted.
Oak Point wasn’t supposed to be anything more than a place to rest for a little while. With no money, not a clue what I’m doing, and a desperate need to finally feel something, I meet him.
Shade is the worst kind of temptation, beautiful in the way all dangerous things are. With inked skin and eyes that see too much, he’s the last man I should be asking to help me. Yet . . . I do. And somehow, he agrees.
He teaches me how to touch and be touched. How to want, how to take. How to stop running and finally choose myself. But the more he teaches me to live, the more I want things I probably shouldn’t, like a man who swore he’d never belong to anyone.
Especially me.
Shade
She walked into the bar looking like a storm had swallowed her whole. Soaked, dazed, and still wearing the dress she should’ve gotten married in, she looked like every bad decision I’d ever wanted to make.
It would have been smart to turn her down and let her pass through town like she was supposed to. I’m not the type of guy to tangle myself up in someone else’s mess, but I just couldn’t help myself.
Millie’s got a fire in her and a talent she’s never let breathe. She has no idea how special she is. I see it in everything she does. The way she draws, the way she touches, the way she softens me without even trying.
I was never meant to keep her, but she sees parts of me no one ever has. And maybe… that means she’s meant to stay.
Hannah is a twenty-something-year-old indie author from Western Canada. Obsessed with swoon-worthy romance, she decided to take a leap and try her hand at creating stories that will have you fanning your face and giggling in the most embarrassing way possible. Hopefully, that’s exactly what her stories have done!
Hannah loves to hear from her readers, and can be reached on any of her social media accounts.
the manwhore MMC giving sex lessons to the basically virgin FMC (she wasn’t “technically” a virgin due to having a single sexual encounter that was, of course, unsatisfying) already had me with one foot out the door, but the MMC attempting to comfort her by saying, “never met a woman i couldn’t get screaming” had me full on skedaddling 🏃♀️💨
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4.5⭐️ Wow this was amazing! This is my first book from this author, and she’s definitely gained a fan 🥹
Shade is my EXACT time! A tattoo artist who claims he doesn’t do relationships, but who’s a complete simp for her and is so patient and kind to her? Not to mention the filthy mouth and all the praise! Yeah, I call dibs!
His love language was most definitely acts of service! All the little things her did for her made me want to jump through the book and hug him!
🧡 He carried her on his back because he was worried she’d trip with her heels.
🧡 He made sure to get her someone to fix the floorboards outside her cabin so her heels wouldn’t get stuck in them.
🧡 Her kept her favourite coffee creamer at his place and at the shop so that she could always have her coffee.
🧡 He let her tattoo his chest in the one spot he’s been saving for something special 😭
🧡 He built her a walk-in-closet out of his only spare room with custom shelves.
They were so cute and I can’t wait to see what comes next! I hope it’s Rowe’s story 🫦
🌸Tropes🌸 Runaway Bride Tattoo artist Boss Riches to rags (not really rags, just not rich anymore lol) Lessons 😏 Found family Filthy mouth Praise Just the tip 🫦
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
HOLY HANNAH (sorry i had to) WAS THIS BOOK EVER HOT 😮💨 i knew from the moment Hannah spilled the beans that she was writing Shade’s book that it would be (because it’s SHADE) but my goodness did i have the best time devouring this one!
not only was it piping hot (hello) but this story also had so much character development for both Millie and Shade which was truly a breath of fresh air. as a stubborn and independent girlie over here i really appreciated how Shade gave Millie a safe space to grow and find herself on her own. the way this dark and broody fully tatted man is such a touchy feely softie around her??? i was truly SAT since he drove her home the first night they met 😌 these two were immediately intrigued by each other and that’s exactly how i felt while reading this!!!
i loved their love and as per usual, Hannah’s spice did NOT disappoint 😍 if you’re looking for a spicy, small town romance with a hot tattoo artist who loves to feed (and feast on) his woman but also remind her of the badass independent woman that she is (truly a Taurus girlie’s dream come true) this book is for you!!!
A runaway bride walks into a bar, still in her wedding dress, and meets the town's local tattoo artist? Consider me intrigued. 🙂↕️
I absolutely loved this book! Millie is stuck in a loveless arranged engagement, and decides she can’t take it anymore. Her escape leads her to a bar in Cherry Peak, where she meets Shade.
Shade is shocked to see a woman in a wedding dress rush into the bar, and he’s intrigued in her story. Not long later, he’s cutting her out of her dress and suggesting she check out the town of Oak Point. Little do we know, that’s where his tattoo shop is located. 😏
I’m going to stop here so I don’t spoil any of this wonderful story, but just know that in the midst of “lessons”, Millie learning how to care for herself for the first time, and Shade discovering that he might feel more for this girl than he planned, these two make for a great time!
Thank you so much Hannah for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book - I’m so grateful I was able to read about these two characters! I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
This one was cute but forgettable tbh. Can’t tell you much about the characters or plot but I sped through this and the main characters’ dynamic was good!
really nothing original here. i feel like basically nothing happened except for them having sex. I'm interested to see where the series goes because Rowe and Tilly seem like interesting characters, but I wasn't super impressed with this one
I had fun reading this and it was really easy to pick up, but it definitely needed an editor. I found so many grammar mistakes and weird, non-sensical sentences that took me out of the flow of the story.
But, I would maybe try another of her books the next time I was in the mood for a light romance. 🤷🏼♀️
Thank you Hannah for providing me with an ARC of this absolute gem of a book!
I love a good runaway bride moment and when she finds a broody, tattooed hunk of a guy? Yes, I am hooked!
I devoured this book in one sitting, which says a lot recently as I was getting in some kind of a reading slump. I just couldn't put this down.
So Millie has been told all of her life how to act, react, who to be friends with, and so on.. On the day of her wedding to a slimebag of a man, she decided that it's enough and she runs away. And who does she ran into? Shade, a tattoo artist who is rough on the outside, but had a real heart of gold.
Since Millie is really inexperienced she makes a deal with Shade where he learns her everything there is to know so she knows what to do with possible men in the future.
As you already can imagine this leads to spicy scenes of the highest shelves. I mean, the scene in his tattoo chair, I was melting away over her.
I loved Millie's character development. She really grew from a rather shy girl into a confident woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind. When she told her parents off, I was so proud of her.
And she can really thank Shade for this journey. I mean, this in one green flag of a man. How he learned Millie to be confident and also to speak up, was just so heartwarming to read. How he also always made sure that she could make her own choices in contrary to everyone else in her life who always dictated her what to do. But don't get me wrong, he is no golden retriever (however, the barking..🤭) and is one fine specimen of a man who knows how the handle a woman.
This book was also another one where I really loved the small town vibe and the found family. The way Lacey and Shelly became Millie's ride-or-dies, but also how Daisy and Bryce tried to include her. So sweet 🥰
I am really excited to be reading more about the characters in Oak Point!
-------- Some of my favorite moments/quotes--------
- She’s trouble, but the sweet kind you almost want to let wreck you.
- I drop the key in the console and wait for him to start the car. The immediate heat that comes flowing out of the vents makes my toes curl in my socks. “Jesus, you’re small,” he mutters, fiddling with the seat settings. “You’re just unusually large,” I shoot back. “Most women find that a good thing.”
- She scoots to the edge of the couch and reaches for a fry, her smile infectious. “Thank you for dinner.” “Anytime, princess. All I ask in return is that you keep smiling like that.”
- “Could I host the first book club meeting upstairs? And don’t feel pressured to say yes. It’s your place. I know I’m just a guest here, and I’d never want to put you out or make you feel uncomfortable—” “Yes,” I blurt, my voice rough. Clearing my throat, I add, “You can have it upstairs.” “We can? You’re sure?” The happiness in those four words shoots through me like adrenaline, lighting me up on the inside. It’s painful to hide how pleased it makes me to know I’ve made her feel that way.
- “You’re more possessive than I expected you to be.” “Not possessive,” he denies with a nip at my lip. Then, his tongue glides across the wounded skin. “Just pathetically clingy.”
millie was such a relatable character and watching her grow as a person was so rewarding as a reader. hannah has a way of really capturing a characters true intentions and personalities from start to finish and i just love the way she does it. millie was a character i found myself rooting for and wanting to be in her corner as she navigated her way through her journey to find herself.
shade - you are a dream. i always love me a tattooed bad boy and shade ticked all the boxes. the way he cared for millie, his nuturing yet firm personality? everything was immaculate. i absolutely adored the way he slotted into millies life and really helped her overcome a lot of trauma that she had endured and i loved him for it. not to mention i spent most of the book foaming at the mouth over him.
the two of them combined created a really warm feeling in my chest and their dynamic was magical. i'm a huge fan of the spicy lessons trope and this one was a hit! i can't fault this book whatsoever. hannah is a phenomenal writer and this has to be one of my favourite books of the year!
first of all, thank you hannah for allowing me to read this book early - you're the best and i love you my wee lad.
✨ runaway bride 🖤 playboy x good girl 🌹 spicy lessons 🥰 self discovery 🏘 small town 🫂 found family
millie was such a relatable character and watching her grow as a person was so rewarding as a reader. hannah has a way of really capturing a characters true intentions and personalities from start to finish and i just love the way she does it. millie was a character i found myself rooting for and wanting to be in her corner as she navigated her way through her journey to find herself.
shade - you are a dream. i always love me a tattooed bad boy and shade ticked all the boxes. the way he cared for millie, his nuturing yet firm personality? everything was immaculate. i absolutely adored the way he slotted into millies life and really helped her overcome a lot of trauma that she had endured and i loved him for it. not to mention i spent most of the book foaming at the mouth over him.
the two of them combined created a really warm feeling in my chest and their dynamic was magical. i'm a huge fan of the spicy lessons trope and this one was a hit! i can't fault this book whatsoever. hannah is a phenomenal writer and this has to be one of my favourite books of the year!
Excuse me, Hannah?!? I absolutely adored Shade and Millie. They were so perfect for each other and I LOVED their whole story.
I already loved Shade from seeing him in Cherry Peak but he was NEXT LEVEL in this one. He was most definitely made to be a Hannah MMC. Tattooed, broody, rough around the edges, absolute perfection.
I loved Millie so much! She turned into such a strong and sassy girl and was the perfect match for Shade.
Together, these two were made for each other. They balanced each other out and were SO dang hot together!!
Millie & Shade runaway bride opposites attract spicy lessons small town found family
I am not quite sure what I think of this book yet. The first half felt kind of slow and at some points I was a bit bored. The last 30% though were absolutely immaculate and I couldn’t put it down so I’m feeling positive about reading more books in this series.
i’m in a slump and i skimmed some parts and read other parts and it was good, i just didn’t have the attention span to commit to fully reading the whole thing, will likely reread when i’m not in a slump
This was absolute contemporary romance perfection. This book has so many tropes that I read in contemporary romances when I started reading romance and that was my go to genre. Many of them didn't quite hit the mark for me. The playboy trope became worn out or the MMC was super misogynistic. The rich or "good-girl" was boring or annoying. Hannah Cowan has written the PERFECT "bad boy x good girl" romance and I was hooked from start to finish and am utterly obsessed. While our MMC, Shade, is categorically a playboy he's also a good sweet dude that doesn't sh!t-talk women that aren't the FMC. Our FMC Millie is rich and "innocent" but not a virgin, she's just lacking experience and a good reference point for "good" experiences through all of life related things. She actively decides that the life experience that she's had at 26 in her current life is not how she wants to continue living, so she runs from that life and ends up in a quaint little town but straight off the bat she recognises that complete strangers in this town are nicer to her than her own family have ever been to her. Watching Mille grow as a person and develop a backbone was super satisfying to read. Shade softening to someone new and allowing himself to feel for this girl he knows is so far from his world and is very likely not to stay was *chefs kiss*. The "show me how" moments were actually hot and not cringey imo. Shade was so patient and really prioritised Millie - both emotionally and physically. If you're after a fun time with some smutty scenes. Show Me How was exactly what I didn't even know I needed.
Thank you to Hannah and her team for the gifted ARC.
I loved this one so much, I started reading and became immediately obsessed with Millie and Shade. The good girl x playboy trope never misses, and add to that spicy lessons? Ding ding ding you've got a winner!
If you've read the Cherry Peak series, then you've heard of Shade, Bryce's best friend and tattoo artist, and I loved that we got to know all about him in this story! I also loved the Bryce and Daisy glimpses (my faves!) and the introduction of a new small town.
Hannah does spice so well, and the way these lessons progressed from a flame to a burning inferno was simply *chef's kiss*. I'd have taken lessons from Shade too, no questions asked, because that man is FIIIIINE. Tattooed, a bit gruff around the edges but with a heart of gold...yes please!
I loved Millie's growth too, how she starts off insecure and groomed to be perfect at all times, to getting to know herself and her wants and needs, and actually growing a backbone and using it on her crappy family. I was cheering her on when she finally stood up to them, I was so proud of my girl!
Add this gem to your tbr if you enjoy small town romance with lots of heart and spice, with spicy lessons between a good girl and the playboy she makes fall head over heels for her.
Thank you to Hannah Cowan for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
Are you kidding me with this?! Another small town romance from my girl Hannah and she absolutely killed it. Oak Point has had me curious since we heard about it in the Cherry Peak series and I knew Shade was going to OWN me.
I absolutely adored this book, this town, and these characters. Sometimes I feel like the first book in a new series can be a bit slow just do to building an entire new world but i absolutely did not feel that way with this book. Hannah had me drawn in by the first chapter.
I loved the dynamic between these two characters too. They were so completely different and I think that’s what made them so perfect together. Shade was all rough edges and Millie was all soft sweetness. These two could not have complimented each other more and the way they brought out the best in each other was perfect.
I LOVE a spicy lesson moment and they’re so underrated. This book really focused on the teaching moments and I loved every second of it. They were hot and vulnerable at the same time.
I am SO excited for Rowe’s book and his back story! Oak Point has me SAT.
♥️Runaway Bride 🖤Playboy x Good Girl ♥️Spicy Lessons 🖤Self Discovery ♥️Small Town 🖤Found Family
“I’m someone women seek out when they want their memory f***ed away, princess.”
She’s still shy, a bit awkward as she leads us, parting my lips with hers. Her confidence is growing, though, and it’s f***ing hot to feel.
“I don’t need you to watch over me, Shade,” “Alright, but I want to anyway.”
Oh my gosh do I love Millie and Shade!! This story had me hooked from the beginning! Millie running away from a future that was planned for her, and then a chance encounter with Shade who didn’t stand a chance. We follow along as Millie finds herself on this new journey and along the way also gets Shade to agree to teach her and give her the sexual experiences she has missed out on. These two are complete opposites. Millie is all pink, high heels and skirts. Shade is all tattoos, muscles, and loves black. But together they fit and compliment each other perfectly and I have fallen in love with them!!
Tropes: Small Town Runaway Bride Playboy x Good Girl Spicy Lessons Found Family
This was SO good. Mark Shade down as yet another Hannah man that I am completely OBSESSED with!! This story was so much fun, steamy, and super adorable in the best ways.
Millie finally springs herself free from her life just before she's forced to marry someone she doesn't love. Her family only cares about their name, money, and all that comes with that kind of life. Marrying their daughter off for a business deal and controlling her life is their status quo. When Millie runs away and finds the small town of Oak Point, she never would have guessed how much it would change her life for the better.
Shade is the local tattoo artist whom we previously met in the Cherry Peak series as Bryce's friend. But this book gave us a much deeper look at Shade as a person, and oh my, he is something else!! I loved this man and everything he did for Millie, but most of all the way he supported her.
I'm already so in love with this small town and cannot wait for more! Thank you to Hannah and her team for the ARC!
I’ve been obsessed with Hannah Cowan lately and recommending the Cherry Peak series to everyone I know! So you bet I was excited to receive an ARC for this new book. It’s the first book in the Oak Point series.
If you’ve read Stealing Sunshine (Cherry Peak), then you’re already familiar with Shade and his playboy vibes. This book did a great job at following the time line, and continued with Bryce working there as an artist (she gets the job at the end of Stealing Sunshine).
I loved being introduced to another small town, and I can’t wait to read more about Oak Point and the other lovable characters:) I loved seeing Millie and Shade’s growth throughout the book! Seeing them admit to their feelings was too cute! Shade would bust doors for his princess!
Hannah Cowan knows how to add spice in her books without disrupting the plot of her story. Just like her other books, the spice is there and it’s so good! Don’t get me started on the sexy tattoo session!!!
This book was so freaking good!! 😭💖 You know I’m not usually the biggest fan of the whole friends-with-benefits trope, because sometimes it takes away from the love story itself — but with this one, it was so different. You actually felt them become friends first, and the intimate moments didn’t feel awkward or forced at all. Everything just happened so naturally between them, and I think that was my favorite part. 💫
Millie is such a resilient, amazing female character and I absolutely loved her connection with Shelly. And that moment when we finally find out Shade’s real name… probably my favorite scene jeje
Overall, the story was just so good. Hannah’s writing is incredible — she has this perfect way of mixing bold, intimate moments with real romance throughout. 🩷📖
Also I need a man who pays attention to everything now