Surprise, maybe not so much surprise, but here I am with a review for Love Utley by SJ Tilly. There isn’t a single book by her I won’t read and I’m pretty positive at this point I’ll love each and every one of them. SJ Tilly writes contemporary rom-coms with plus size women, obsessive men, and stories that might make you feel all sorts of ways.
Love, Utley by SJ Tilly
Love, Utley by SJ Tilly is a contemporary rom-com published on June 27th, 2024. It has 428 pages and can be found on Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, and the author’s website here. I read this book on KU and will purchase the physical copy for my trophy shelf one day.
Premise
Hannah and Maddox shared one night locked in a library together before tragedy struck back home for Hannah. While she was scraping by trying to make ends meet. Maddox had gone off to become a well known professional football player. Fifteen years later and Hannah gets word that the company she works for has been bought … by none other than Maddox.
She followed his career, you know casually. Sure, she still thinks about that night in the library. And, yeah, she might be a bit upset he never called her after she left a letter with her phone number in his mailbox, but it had been fifteen years. What she wasn’t expecting was that Maddox would also remember their shared night, and he was just as upset as she was that she disappeared on him.
“I am a bad bitch. I deserve this job. I’ve earned this job. And I will not be flustered by some fucking man.” – Love, Utley by SJ Tilly
Triggers
Triggers found in the book:
- Car accident (no serious injuries)
- Mention of past stroke in parent
- Explicit sexual scenes
My Thoughts
SJ Tilly is a comfort author of mine, if she writes it, I will read it. Her books will cure a book hangover or a slump so fast. Even rereading them. While I was refreshing my memory with Love, Utley and writing down the quotes to share the story sucked me in again.
Insta-love type stories can be tricky, it can be difficult to feel what the characters are feeling so quickly. However, Tilly does an amazing job of letting the reader feel the emotions running through the story, and this book is no different.
There were several scenes that had me cracking up. Specifically the ones where Maddox got jealous. Where some of his thoughts slightly unhinged, sure, but we love that. Hannah is a strong main character, that even though life led her down a path she wasn’t expecting, she made due and helped her family get through the hard times.
“Maybe we can arrange a company game of dodgeball, and I can chuck something at his face.” – Love, Utley by SJ Tilly
If you like dirty talk, get ready for Maddox. Spice, as usual with SJ Tilly, slid nicely into the plot, and there was plenty of it. The tension and dynamic between the main characters was equally well done, though be prepared for a “Oh, I’m gonna kick his ass,” moment.
Both characters have a bit of a chip on their shoulder from their past and a lot of assumptions were made. Eventually they grew and figured out how to communicate with each other. I also liked seeing how Maddox basically had to grovel for forgiveness.
Maddox is the slightly obsessed MMC we all love, while Hannah is a sweet heart who refuses to let life get her down. For her, family is the major priority in her life, and there were a couple of small twists in the plot. And the overall vibes of the story is the one who got away with heat, and laugh out loud moments.
Who Would Like Love, Utley by SJ Tilly?
Tropes in this book include:
- Long Lost Love / Missed Connections
- Retired Football Player
- Boss/Employee
- Jealous Possessive MMC
If you are a fan of Shain Rose, Ana Huang, or Elsie Silver, you will likely love Love, Utley by SJ Tilly and it’s companion Dear Rosie.
If you’ve read Love, Utley, or you are adding it to your TBR, let me know in the comments below. I love interacting with other readers about books I loved.