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Been There Done That

(Leffersbee #1)

Hope Ellis (Goodreads Author)

3.81 · Rating details · 1,307 ratings · 240 reviews

Theirs was a forever kind of love, until it was stolen.

ZORA LEFFERSBEE’S once perfect life is no longer perfect. Her tenure at the University is in question, funding for her employees uncertain, and her faux-fiancé, Jackson James’s unpredictability is wearing on her last nerve. Just when Zora is convinced things can’t get more complicated, life proves her wrong.

What the he ...more

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Kindle Edition, 398 pages

Published March 31st 2020 by Smartypants Romance

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· 1,307 ratings · 240 reviews

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Mar 26, 2020 lazybookconqueror rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pennyverse, arc, smartypants-romance, 2020books

Be still my heart ❤️

description

This is the story of Zora Leffersbee and Nick Rossi - the one that got away. Literally. After secretly proposing to his childhood sweetheart at age 17, Nick finds himself in a difficult situation and decides to skip town, leaving Zora only with a small note.

Zora is heartbroken, but life must go on. 12 years later she bumps straight into him. She's working nonstop to guarantee tenure at her University, but it so happens that Nick needs help with the project she's working with. ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Penny Reid marked it as to-read

** NOW AVAILABLE IN KINDLE UNLIMITED **
GAH! You can finally grab 'Been There Done That' by Hope Ellis FREE in Kindle Unlimited! Go forth and do the thing!

** LINKS **
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2sEcF4a
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2uafgmG
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/37eZEge
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/30DJvi9

** BLURB **
Theirs was a forever kind of love, until it was stolen.

ZORA LEFFERSBEE’S once perfect life is no longer perfect. Her tenure at the University is in question, funding for her employees unce ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 DJ Sakata rated it really liked it

Shelves: family-drama, adult-contemporary-romance, small-town, southern

Favorite Quotes:

“You remind me of that stripper in the movie. The really big one? Dark hair?” I coughed. “Uh, stripper?” One corner of her mouth went up in a sly smile. “Don’t sound so shocked. I might look like an old lady to you, but this girl’s still got a little oil left in her can.”

By all rights, this guy should be a stooped-over accountant with the eyesight of a mole. Justice demands it.

I don’t want one of your conquests to brain me with a can of peas in the middle of the Piggly Wiggly and ...more

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Mar 31, 2020 Z - literaryeffect rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020, 2020-favorites, arcs, bipoc-authors, bipoc-characters, favorites-romance

“Zora, that’s us. It always has been. No matter what space, problems, or people were between us. We belong together. Fate wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Right off the bat, I was so excited about this book when it was announced. I’m a sucker for the second chance romance trope. The fact that this is set in a small town and also serving the childhood best friends to lovers trope just enticed me even more.

Nick and Zora are childhood friends turned lovers who got separated. They meet again 12 ...more

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Dec 21, 2021 Lacey (laceybooklovers) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-of-color, adult, friends-to-lovers, contemporary-romance, second-chance-romance, listened-to-audio

This was a solid second chance romance! The main characters here were childhood best friends to lovers, but something happened with the hero that he had to leave town unexpectedly and leave the heroine. She was left devastated and they don’t see each other again until over a decade later, and he’s got a lot of making up to do.

I really enjoyed this romance! It’s heartfelt and emotional, and the whole cast of characters is great. I am always going to be a sucker for a hero who tries to do everythi ...more

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Feb 09, 2020 Smartypants Romance marked it as to-read

** NOW AVAILABLE IN KU **
This fabulous second-chance romance from Hope Ellis takes place in Green Valley of the Penny Reid Universe. We’re excited to learn more about the Leffersbee Family!! You can check them out FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

** LINKS **
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2sEcF4a
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2uafgmG
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/37eZEge
Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/30DJvi9

** BLURB **

Theirs was a forever kind of love, until it was stolen.

ZORA LEFFERSBEE’S once perfect life is no longer ...more

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Mar 02, 2020 Hope Ellis marked it as to-read · (Review from the author)

'Been There, Done That' is now free to borrow on Kindle Unlimited!!!!! ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Lana (Bibliomedico) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adult-fiction, romance, e-books, fiction, second-chance-romance, worth-your-time, diverse-books, 2020-favorites

For More Reviews , Interviews and Recommendations , Check Out My Blog : https://bibliomedico.wordpress.com/
********************
Thanks To the Author and the Publisher For Providing me With an Advance Reader Copy.
********************
The Authors of Smarty Pants Romance Continue to provide us with amazing romance novels with great characters and interesting plot .

Been there done that , is an incredible second chance romance , with the most awesome characters I've read about this year .

I r ...more

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Jul 24, 2020 Antonella rated it liked it

Shelves: interracial-couples, small-town, second-chance-romance, meh

for second chance romance to work I need some significant reason for the separation & grovel but both things were just really meh here... everything felt flat... and even though the side characters were cute & funny, I am not even sure I want to read more about them...
as romance book this was disappointing
but as a debut novel, this is a promising work

2,5 stars

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Mar 21, 2020 Nicole Emerald Book Reviews McCurdy rated it it was amazing

Been There Done That: The Leffersbee series book #1 by Hope Ellis

#Review

#SmartypantsRomance

#ComingSoon

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘“I don’t wanna go back, Zora.” It wasn’t me saying it. The words took on a life of their own, slid past my mouth, crawled, arrowed to her. “Not without you. I want you back. I want us back.”

“I’m trying to be an adult. I’m trying to be a professional, a colleague, your friend, as much as it hurts. Isn’t that enough?” Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes as she sighed out, “Haven’t you ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Korrie’s Korner rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs

3.75-4 stars for Hope Ellis’ debut novel!

“When I left here, I left a part of me with her. It’s always been her for me. She’s all I’ve ever wanted. She’s all I’ll ever want.”

I absolutely love second chance romances, especially when they loved each other as kids, and on in their teenage years. I also love interracial romances so this was a win win situation for me from page 1.

What I loved about this book was Zora, and her strength of not only being a Doctor, but how smart she was, and incredibly ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 E-Reader Addict rated it it was ok

I love a good second-chance romance! Is Been There Done That a good one? Well...not quite.

Zora and Nick were the best of friends growing up, which then turned into young love when they were in high school. But shortly after making plans to get married and leave Green Valley after graduating, Nick gets himself into some trouble and leaves Zora behind with only a short five sentence note. Devastated, Zora goes on with her life.

Twelve years later, Nick shows up back in Green Valley as a successful I love a good second-chance romance! Is Been There Done That a good one? Well...not quite.

Zora and Nick were the best of friends growing up, which then turned into young love when they were in high school. But shortly after making plans to get married and leave Green Valley after graduating, Nick gets himself into some trouble and leaves Zora behind with only a short five sentence note. Devastated, Zora goes on with her life.

Twelve years later, Nick shows up back in Green Valley as a successful business owner developing a relationship with the university where Nora works. But a partnership with the university isn’t the only thing Nick’s interested in developing, and he knows he has an uphill battle winning Zora back.

There were a couple things I did like about this story. The big one is that Zora was good and mad at Nick for disappearing, and stayed mad for a good long time in the book. I also really liked how willing Nick was to apologize for what he did, and apologized several times. He didn’t come barging in with a cocky smile and expect that would fix things, nor was Zora swayed to quick forgiveness by Nick’s hawtness. I don’t like when forgiveness is given so quickly or never earned, so it was good to see that not be the case here.

But so much of the book was bogged down by all the internal lamenting, all the inner turmoil. I get that Zora is still hurt and wonders if she could - or should - trust Nick again. I get that Nick has regrets. Having to read them over and over again slowed the pace of the story to a crawl.

Also, in order for a second-chance romance to really work for me, the reason for the separation has to make some sense. I can’t go much into what happened since I don’t want to give anything away, but there really wasn’t a good reason why Zora had to be kept in the dark about why Nick left. Do I understand Nick’s reason for staying away so long? Nope. Given the terms under which he wanted to make his “triumphant” return (which I totally DID get), he could have gone back to Zora far sooner than he did.

I really wanted to like this book. This is Hope Ellis’s first book, and I love discovering brand new authors - if they can give a fresh voice to the story they want to tell. Sadly, this one seemed too much like what so many other authors are spitting out these days with all the repeated internal monologues and self-inflicted, contrived angst. Add in a plethora of editing/proofreading errors and this wasn’t as pleasurable a read as I was hoping for and it took me five days to get through it. On the upside, Ms. Ellis does a fantastic job with character dialogue (which is a big plus in my opinion), and her wordplay is often creative and fun, so I have high hopes for this new author. Hopefully she learns to tighten things up so there’s not as much extraneous, repetitive, fluff in her next book.
...more

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Apr 09, 2020 Nerdread rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: diverse-main-characters, cute-cover-romance, black-authors

Am i the only one who got Lauren and Cameron from Love is Blind Netflix show vibe from the couple in the book!?!? They’re totally similar and it made me appreciate the book even more!!

I surprisingly enjoyed it more than I thought I would to be honest! Second chance romance is one of my least favorite trope in books so when I started reading this book my expectations were moderately low. But the book handled certain situations that are often found in second chance romance very well and I wasn't ...more

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Jan 19, 2021 Ezinwanyi Chinyere rated it liked it

Shelves: review-books-completed, romance, contemporary-romance, 2021-books, author-of-color, interracial-romance, own-voices, second-chance-love

3.5 Stars.
I am on the fence about this story. I sorta liked it but had issues with a couple of things mainly the character and plot development.

This was a basic second chance romance. Zora Leffersbee and Nick Rossi were childhood friends and they eventually fell in love. They planned to start their life together after high school but for no reason she understood, Nick left town one night with no explanation. Zora was heartbroken, but eventually moved on.

Twelve years later, when Zora's department 3.5 Stars.
I am on the fence about this story. I sorta liked it but had issues with a couple of things mainly the character and plot development.

This was a basic second chance romance. Zora Leffersbee and Nick Rossi were childhood friends and they eventually fell in love. They planned to start their life together after high school but for no reason she understood, Nick left town one night with no explanation. Zora was heartbroken, but eventually moved on.

Twelve years later, when Zora's department needed funding, a tech company came to the rescue. At that meeting, she found out that Nick, her first love, was one of the CEOs of the company. Nick's company had the medical app that could save jobs in her department and possibly elevate her career. In order to make the joint venture work, Zora had to find a way to make peace with the man who broke her heart and left her behind over a decade ago without an explanation.

Second chance romance aren't my favorite because most of the time I am unhappy with the length of separation and/or the "miscommunication" that led to the separation.

At the beginning, the reader was made aware that Zora's career was at an unstable point. Then the man who left her came back at a time where she was professionally vulnerable with his cape on to save the day. Of course he was rich, stable and doing well. Twelve years is a really long time to not contact the person who say you love but have been watching from a far. He could have come back to her, found a way to explain himself or work his way back into her good graces. If she hadn't needed the medical app, would Nick be attempting to talk to Nora? In addition, the author teased about the secret that cause Nick to abandon Zora for three quarters of the book so by the time I finally figured it out, I felt underwhelmed by it. It didn't feel worthy of devastation his abandonment caused and so it couldn't reconcile that explanation.

It was clear that they were hot for each other. Their young love was an innocent one and a true one so it endured but I had a hard time giving Nick grace after all that time. That is my dilemma with second chance tropes. ...more

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Feb 08, 2022 mia (semi-hiatus) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: illustrated-covers

Because forever does last always. It does when it's us

Nick and Zora were childhood friends until Nick abruptly left one day. He returned after a 12-year absence, determined to make amends and reclaim Zora.

This book had many tropes such as childhood friends to lovers, second chance, one bed, inter-racial relationship.

I have to say that the main feature of this book was the longing and tension between them. They were like two magnets that's going to get attracted to one another anytime soon. T ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 bruna rated it really liked it

Shelves: arcs-2020

"All I want is you. I want to live with you, laugh with you, make love with you. Have kids with your hair and heart. And then make up with you over all the stupid things I'm sure I'll do."

“Been There Done That” is a second chance romance that follows the story of Zora Leffersbee and Nick Armstrong. They were friends since their childhood, but during their last year of high school, Nick left without explanation. After 12 years apart, he goes back to Green Valley determined to apologize and "All I want is you. I want to live with you, laugh with you, make love with you. Have kids with your hair and heart. And then make up with you over all the stupid things I'm sure I'll do."

“Been There Done That” is a second chance romance that follows the story of Zora Leffersbee and Nick Armstrong. They were friends since their childhood, but during their last year of high school, Nick left without explanation. After 12 years apart, he goes back to Green Valley determined to apologize and get Zora back.

Hope Ellis’ writing was very real and convincing, so I became invested in their relationship from the beginning. The angst, longing and tension between them are definitely one of the strongest aspects of this book. After the awkwardness and hard feelings passed, it was amazing to see their reconnection as friends and as partners. I loved how natural everything was and how funny and sweet they were with each other.

Zora Leffersbee is an incredible doctor who is struggling to get the necessary funding to keep her research going and to pay for her employees. She is also feeling a little lost because she’s not really happy with her work anymore. Since most NA romances focuses more on the relationship and not on the characters as individuals, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to see that her work problems were one of the main plots of the book. Hope Ellis used this plot not only to show us what made Zora such a badass professional, but also to address important topics such as racial bias in patient/doctor communication.

However, it’s important to say that Zora is so much more than her profession. There are no words to describe how much it means to me to see a black girl not relegated to the sidelines for once. Zora is a light, funny and amazing character who wants to find her space in the world and really make a difference. She’s also a dreamer, a romantic, a great friend, an amazing sister and the perfect partner for Nick. I loved seeing her standing up for herself and chasing her true dreams.

Nick Armstrong was the perfect gentleman. He fell in love with Zora when they were kids and never looked back. He’s the kind of character you want to protect from all evil because he’s just too pure and amazing to be true. I was delighted that he was always trying to improve himself and do right by Zora. Seeing the guy being a little more in love with the girl than the girl with the boy will never get old, I’m not gonna lie lol

I also loved that Zora and Nick had such nice friends. Eddie and Leigh were the perfect support system for both of them and I enjoyed how well they interacted with each other. Walker was another great surprise and I’m praying that he will have his own book soon, especially if his love interest is a character that we came to know and love *wink*.

There were two things that bothered me and made me not give this book 5 stars. The first one was the fact they spent 12 years apart. I get Nick’s reason for staying away in the beginning, but I think he could have chased Zora way earlier since she was always “the one” for him. The second was that (view spoiler).

Besides that, this is a solid book with great characters and an amazing setting. Now I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the rest of the Leffersbee family.

*ARC kindly provided by Smartypants Romance and the author in exchange for an honest review* ...more

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Jun 03, 2020 Tina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: interracial-romance, romance-contemporary, z2020-reads

Thus was a nice little read.

I thought the author did a good job of creating a deep background for the main characters of Zora and Nick. The chemistry between them was great. And I believed in their second chance romance.

I especially enjoyed Zora's work and the author's depiction of it in the course of the story. I work in Higher ed so I always enjoy when higher ed gets represented fairly accurately in romance novels, which is rarer that you might think.

And finally, the supporting characters were ...more

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Feb 22, 2021 maggieandteddy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, smartypants, second-chance-romance, author-new-to-me, small-town, heroine-is-a-dr

Re-reading- actually it's the audio again!! So good- better than I remember.
I love Zora & Nick.......Good ol' Jackson James is a great supporting character. <3 OMG !!
AND...I just noticed a (sneaky mention of a character in another book :O !!) -it's near the end of the book. Hold on... for the AH HA moments. *more reads to follow!
++++++++++++++++++

I've been meaning to read this since this book came out. I love so many of the smartypants books.
This takes place in Green Valley, TN, the home town Re-reading- actually it's the audio again!! So good- better than I remember.
I love Zora & Nick.......Good ol' Jackson James is a great supporting character. <3 OMG !!
AND...I just noticed a (sneaky mention of a character in another book :O !!) -it's near the end of the book. Hold on... for the AH HA moments. *more reads to follow!
++++++++++++++++++

I've been meaning to read this since this book came out. I love so many of the smartypants books.
This takes place in Green Valley, TN, the home town of the Winston Bros (awesome series by Penny Reid). Zora Leffersbee is 2nd cousin to Simone Payton, who was the heroine in Dr Strange Beard. (Winston Bros book 5).
I will say that you could read this as a standalone. Really! Jackson James is a supporting character (and I do mean "character"). I won't spill too much about Jackson's role. He's pretty much the same as when he appeared in the Winston's books. He's deputy sheriff and loves to pull over drivers and write tickets-like they're candy. Jackson, Zora & Nick have known each other since they were kids.
Nick comes back to Green Valley after 12 years, He and Zora were high school sweethearts. They were engaged until Nick had a family emergency. He left town suddenly. Zora thought he would come back, but eventually gave up any chance of ever seeing him again.
The book opens up after 12 years has passed. Zora is angry that Nick dares to show his face. She stays angry for quite a while. She does ask for an explanation. The reason for waiting for the explanation wasn't explained to Zora, or me- the reader. Zora's parents play a role that is revealed later.
Zora is a Medical Dr who's applying for tenure that is contingent on her raising grant money for her research group. I love the chemistry between Zora and Nick. Zora and Nick have to interact professional. Nick is obviously thrilled by it. Zora is not so happy about it.
Zora starts to understand what Nick has gone through. He's a professional success, but had a very rough time getting there.
I loved Zora's parents- especially her mom.
I also loved Zora's bff Leigh. I started to understand Jackson James-he and Zora have a unique relationship.
I listened to the audio, but I will be buying the kindle book. Hope Ellis' writing is so good. I will be highlighting so many passages. I highly recommend the audio - Chris Brinkley and January LaVoy. ...more

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Mar 26, 2020 Come_read_with_me_ rated it it was amazing

5++++ Stars

I can't even begin to explain how much I loved this book!! Fake relationships, childhood sweethearts, second chance romance oh this book had it all!! It genuinely had me gripped from the very first page!

Zora and Nick were childhood sweethearts. They challenged each other, grown up together and they knew from a very young age they had something special. They were soulmates, until one tragic night that changed everything.

Twelve years later, Nick reappears. Where has he been all this ti ...more

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Aug 13, 2021 Saby Westcliff Bedwyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A great second chance romance with a pining hero! I love second chances that start out in the MCs teens, and this one had Nick return as a billionaire (yay!)
Docked one star because of the incessant discussion about feelings, why they broke up the first time around etc etc. Would def read more from this author.

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Mar 28, 2020 Amy Dickinson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As I jumped into Hope Ellis’s Been There Done That, a SmartyPants Romance, I went in curious. I mean, in looking at her GoodReads profile, this is the only book attached to her page. Without any background, you hope for the best obviously. Given the other authors in the SmartyPants Romance universe, I expected insightful, nuanced storytelling, grounded by the Green Valley community surrounding the beloved Winston Family. After reading Ellis’s book, I realized very quickl Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As I jumped into Hope Ellis’s Been There Done That, a SmartyPants Romance, I went in curious. I mean, in looking at her GoodReads profile, this is the only book attached to her page. Without any background, you hope for the best obviously. Given the other authors in the SmartyPants Romance universe, I expected insightful, nuanced storytelling, grounded by the Green Valley community surrounding the beloved Winston Family. After reading Ellis’s book, I realized very quickly that you get this and so much more. Nothing makes me more joyful than reading a first-time author (to me and maybe others) and getting my “socks knocked off” because that is INDEED what Ellis has done with this first book in the Leffersbee series.

Ellis coins this romance a second-chance romance. And it is that. As I was reading this story, my brain ran over this idea of second-chance romance. What makes a story that uses this trope successful? What allows us to surrender ourselves as readers to the idea that two people separated in their youth could and would find each other again, igniting a latent love? I realized that, for me, for this trope’s believability, I need this type of story to be a slow burn. I become inflamed when a heroine (or hero) jumps quickly back into a relationship with a past love especially when their counterpart broke their spirit. This type of story requires a careful plodding that quietly and insistently builds the chemistry to a point where it must be satisfied or the story will lose its power. Acting upon this too early removes the needed development of their reunion, and waiting too long loses readers. In my opinion, there is a fine line in developing this trope, and Hope Ellis writes this brilliantly. Zora, the heroine of Been There Done That, is an empowered woman. She’s independent, intelligent, and insightful. When Nick, her childhood love, returns and seeks her out after breaking her heart and soul twelve years prior, if she had run straight to him, the story would have muddled its message of control and balance. As Ellis draws these two nearer to exposing their truths, in a way, Ellis replicates her message. Nick breaks their coupling twelve years earlier for reasons related to control. Ellis crafts their journey towards reconciliation and redemption slowly so that her characters can evolve and accept their truths. It’s a lesson for her readers. As Nick and Zora find their way towards each other, they find more of themselves and an equity in their relationship that might not have been there previously. Ellis’s conjuring of this second chance trope is perfectly balanced that the reader feels satiated with Zora and Nick’s eventual coupling.

As well, Hope Ellis’s biography notes that she is “a behavioral outcomes researcher by day.” Her profession clearly influences the tertiary plot of Been There Done That. Beyond the developing romance of this book is a motif about healthcare. As an academician, Zora’s story includes us in discussions about the current healthcare system in the US. Her work and her conversations with Nick allow us access to its problems. Even more, Ellis’s dextrous characterization of Zora to take on this system’s ills does two things: it acknowledges Ellis’s insertion of herself into her storytelling which allows us insight into her own occupational challenges and it lends a gravity to Nick and Zora’s romance, making Been There Done That more intentional in its creation. This book is more than a Penny Reid-inspired romance; it’s an admonishment to “fix the system” of its problems. While Nick Armstrong/Rossi has the means and power to effect some change, Ellis also shows us a “lay person’s” effect too. There is clear craftsmanship in this discussion throughout the story. Even more, it’s timely given how our world is currently handling the COVID-19 crisis. At the very least, Ellis’s story is a magnifying glass for a national and global problem.

Beyond Ellis’s careful handling of this story’s second chance trope and the reconciliation of her characters, along with a secondary message about the fragmented and complex healthcare system, we find Ellis the wordsmith. I’m a fiend for good prose. When authors have the capacity to engage a reader with the way in which they string words together into sentences, paragraphs, and pages, I fall. I love a storyteller who finds words that infuse emotion without needing to describe the emotion. There were so many moments in this book when I appreciated Ellis as a writer. From her play on the movie ideal of Nick and Nora as Nick and Zora to sentences that emoted the challenges of this couple, there is an intentionality in Hope Ellis’s writing that manifested a romance that felt intentional. I think that’s the difference between someone who quickly writes a book for the masses and someone who recognizes a story as a purveyor of thought and truth. If Been There Done That is Hope Ellis’s first book, then she hit a triple that turned into a home run on her first at-bat.

This is what I know after reading Ellis’s book. She MUST write more. Specifically, I NEED more books in the Leffersbee series. There are more stories to tell about Walker, Leigh, and Tavia. She has piqued my curiosity and earned herself a new fan. I haven’t even touched on the diversity of this story, it’s brilliant connection to Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers, and it’s insistent that independence is found in both the power of the individual and the completion of the self in a great love. Those are all AMAZINGLY worthy topics to consider for this book and more of what you will LOVE about it. If you are a Penny Reid fan, Jackson James is here in all of his glory (dear LORD, I need this man’s story), and we earn more of the Leffersbee family. However, if you are a Hope Ellis fan (or a new reader), then you are in for the best treat of second chances and sultry homecomings.
...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Brandy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a fun debut novel by an author I will look for in the future. And, of course, I adore anything set in the Pennyverse of Penny Reid.

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Mar 22, 2020 Erica Testa rated it really liked it

Been There Done That
“Been there done that” is a beautiful, heart warming second chance romance.

Nick and Zora were childhood sweethearts who life separated. Their story is character driven. As the story goes on, you are given insights into pieces of their past and the misunderstandings that accompany any love young story, especially one cut short. That being said- This story was absolutely unique and I never felt like our characters, past or present, were immature. They became mature far before Been There Done That
“Been there done that” is a beautiful, heart warming second chance romance.

Nick and Zora were childhood sweethearts who life separated. Their story is character driven. As the story goes on, you are given insights into pieces of their past and the misunderstandings that accompany any love young story, especially one cut short. That being said- This story was absolutely unique and I never felt like our characters, past or present, were immature. They became mature far before their time and truly are trying to live their lives the way they see best, whether or not that is for their own self. This book has quite a bit of detail and a healthy dose of introspection.

When Nick and Zora come back together, first professionally and then personally, it is such a treat. Nick is the most delicious almost alpha, but also painfully sensitive and sure that this woman is what he wants. His love for Zora is the love that reminds me WHY I love to read Romance novels. It is all swoony, romantic, all consuming and feels so very real. Zora is ridiculously bright and also so funny. I routinely found myself laughing at her thoughts. She is strong and self sufficient, she takes on to much as we all do sometimes and I loved watching their relationship ease each other’s burdens.
They truly know each other best.

I want to call it a slow burn, but I don’t know if that’s an accurate description as the sexual tension begins within the first meeting of our main characters. It’s more of a ripe, thick burn of a romance novel. And once they give in, man alive do they give in. It is steamy and utterly romantic how much these two know and care for one another.

The side characters are stellar, they all offer a little something extra, you see a whole new side of Jackson James and it is both delicious and fun, and makes me yearn for a little more of the soft underbelly of this guy. I know Penny Reid is planning his story in 2020/2021, and Hope Ellis did a fantastic job of introducing and leaving you wanting more for this sometimes frustrating yet well loved “Pennyverse” character. This was a whole new side of Jackson and I am here for it. The Leffersbee family reminded me of another prominent Green Valley family in the best way, and I am looking forward to more of them. And can I just say I do hope we get a Leigh and Walker story in particular from Hope in the future. 😊

Smartypants Romance continues to just amaze me and I cannot wait for more. ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 M.E. Carter added it

Now I want to marry into the Lefferbee family!

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Mar 21, 2020 LianaReads blog rated it really liked it

Blog tour https://lianareads.home.blog/2020/04/...

4.5 stars
A very well written second chance love story with great characters and interesting ways to find their happily ever after.
It’s a slow burn romance about two lives that even after many years apart can’t get over their love for each other.
I’m always looking forward to going back in the Green Valley and to have read about that Easter egg that I’m so intrigued it’s a big bonus in this book.
Can’t wait to read more books by the author becau ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Paula Phillips rated it liked it

The second round of Smartypants Romance novels includes the start of a new series called "The Leffersbee Series' and the introduction to a new author Hope Ellis. The Leffersbee Series first book starts with the introduction of Nick Armstrong and Zora Leffersbee. The book starts with Nick getting into trouble after attacking the Iron Wraiths motorbikes and he is in hospital, it sounded like his mother was too. During his hospital visit, we have the Senior Sheriff Jackson James and the Mum and Dad ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Lenore Kosinski rated it liked it

Shelves: arc

https://celebrityreaders.com/2020/04/...

I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — This one started off as a solid 4 star, and I was really intrigued about what went down that caused Nick to leave, and how their reunion was going to go. Both characters seemed solid and likeable. I loved the ownvoices aspect to Zora. And I’m always down for a book with smart/nerdy characters. It wasn’t more than 4 stars because something ab https://celebrityreaders.com/2020/04/...

I received a free copy through Smartypants Romance in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

3.5 stars — This one started off as a solid 4 star, and I was really intrigued about what went down that caused Nick to leave, and how their reunion was going to go. Both characters seemed solid and likeable. I loved the ownvoices aspect to Zora. And I’m always down for a book with smart/nerdy characters. It wasn’t more than 4 stars because something about the writing just wasn’t capturing me…it isn’t something I can articulate, I just know I was very distracted while reading it.

My distractedness got worse as the book went on, and part of the problem is that the pacing didn’t quite work for me. The story dragged on longer than I liked, and there were definitely parts that felt repetitive. A part of me wonders if the ARCs that got sent out were earlier copies than intended, because there were more typos/consistency errors/etc than I normally expect. I think the story would definitely have benefited from some condensing in places.

Sort of related to that is that while I liked both Nick and Zora, that was about it. I didn’t really connect with either of them, and I didn’t always understand their emotions and choices. I appreciated the way the end worked out, and that they both had room to grow and forgive, but by that point I was kinda tired of the push and pull.

While on some level I understood where Nick’s controlling tendencies came from, it really didn’t make him a very likeable character. But I also had a hard time connecting with his shrewdness and ambition… His love of power and influence just wasn’t something that drew me in. I did appreciate the emotional moments we got to share with him as he confronted his past, and started to understand what drove him and what he was looking for from life.

And then we have Zora. She’s described as this awkward nerdy woman, but she wasn’t what I was used to in that vein. Which doesn’t make it bad, but I didn’t connect with her kind of awkward. I had a hard time making a connection with her most of the time, and I honestly don’t know why. I didn’t get the dynamic she had with her family (though I enjoyed the fun moments with Walker), and I didn’t quite understand all of what she was struggling with in her search for funding. I did LOVE learning about what she was doing, and seeing a higher level perspective of what motivated her, what she wanted to improve.

Strangely enough, Jackson actually humanized Zora the most. I loved their crazy friendship and their bantering. They felt like good friends, and I appreciated their weird dynamic.

I enjoyed Nick and Zora together, but I wasn’t super duper swoony in love. And again, I don’t know why. I guess I just didn’t always feel the chemistry personally. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t there, just that I didn’t connect with it.

As for the rest of the side characters? I didn’t really connect with many of them. I didn’t always understand the bits of humour that were here and there (like stuff from Zora’s Mom) — they went over my head.

So yeah. This book started off strong, but in the end just wasn’t quite a match for me. There were definitely some great moments (hence the extra half star), but I just had a hard time connecting in the end. Ah well. ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Kahea rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, fiction, reviewed, second-chance, arc, dirty-talking-alpha-males, 4-stars, crazy-family-goodness, romance, 2020-books-read

Check out an Excerpt HERE

***4 ‘#TeamZora’ Stars***

This was a fun read, a little slow at times, but overall a fun read chock full of the things I love about Green Valley while getting to know a whole new set of characters that I’m looking forward to getting to know a whole lot better.

Zora and Nick. Zora I really liked. She may be on the more introspective, quieter side of the scales, she isn’t without spine and I really liked watching as that spine got stronger as the story progressed. Nick.
Check out an Excerpt HERE

***4 ‘#TeamZora’ Stars***

This was a fun read, a little slow at times, but overall a fun read chock full of the things I love about Green Valley while getting to know a whole new set of characters that I’m looking forward to getting to know a whole lot better.

Zora and Nick. Zora I really liked. She may be on the more introspective, quieter side of the scales, she isn’t without spine and I really liked watching as that spine got stronger as the story progressed. Nick. It was hard not to like Nick. He’s had it rough and his determination to do better and care for those he loves was admirable, but lemme tell you, the number of times I wanted to Gibbs smack him were many. His intentions were good, but sometimes he just missed the mark.

As for their second chance romance. Overall, I liked it. The emotional connection between Nick and Zora was easy to see, whether it was through their shared history, or seeing how, even after many years apart, they simply knew each other. And though I did tend to be #TeamZora in almost everything, I could understand why Nick believed he needed to do the things he did even if I didn’t agree. And though I felt the resolution of the last roadblock to their HEA was rushed, I can’t deny that I really liked how everything ended up for them.

As this is a debut for the author and putting it out into a world that is so beloved by so many, I think she did a really good job overall. I was hooked from the start, I enjoyed the dual first person POV’s and I’m totally looking forward to getting to know all of the Leffersbee’s as this series progresses. The one thing that I had an issue with was the pacing. Things started off great and I was all in, but as various issues started to pile up and the resolutions of those issues was slow in coming and seemed to overshadow the reconnection of Nick and Zora, my focus started to waffle and I needed to take a break, but then again it could be just a “me” thing. But in the end, I think that this book was a great addition to the pennyverse and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where this author takes us in the future.

~ Copy provided by SBPR & voluntarily reviewed ~ ...more

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Apr 05, 2022 Cyndi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

For me, this one skipped back in time. But that's because I didn't read them in order. I already read a bit about this heroine in Totally Folked. But it was cute watching Jackson James before Raquel came back into his life. They even mention him going to one of her movies.
But back to this story; Our heroine has been burned by the hero before. He left her after making plans for a future with her. We learn what happened at the beginning of the book. Basically, everyone knows why he left, but our ...more

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Apr 01, 2020 Shanna Matheo rated it really liked it

Very strong start! I will be keeping up with the Lefferbees.

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About Hope Ellis

Hope Ellis

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Hope Ellis believes romance novels can bring us all closer to world peace. She will never admit that she read her first romance in grade school, but accepts that she's completely addicted now.

Hope is a behavioral outcomes researcher by day and writes sexy romances featuring hot nerds and strong heroine ...more