Give Me a Shot

A Novel

De: Gia De Cadenet

Narrado por: Ryan Lee Dunlap, Natalie Naudus

Sparks fly between an amateur blacksmith and an outspoken professor with a passion for archery in this heartfelt contemporary romance from the author of Getting His Game Back and Not the Plan.

Mo Sarda carefully guards his peaceful life from other people’s messy feelings. He co-parents his daughter with no drama, sits quietly at family gatherings, tends to his beloved plants, and volunteers to teach blacksmith skills at the local Folk School. No one seems to get him, except for his family, and that’s completely fine with Mo—there’s no one else he needs. Then along comes Jessica Anderson and her damn crossbow.

After the unexpected death of her sister, Jess has made new roots in Michigan to move forward with her life. Her grief still stings, but she’s excited to start her professorship job and continue pursuing her passion for archery. Luckily, her new town has a Folk School with ample practice space. Then Jess has a combative run-in with Mo and all her plans to avoid complicated feelings start to crumble. No one should look that hot banging an anvil.

Before long, the two are drawn to work together to save the beloved Folk School from closing its doors. The heat is on them to plan a Renaissance Faire to raise the much-needed funds, but the more worthy pursuit could be the fire growing between them—if only they would be willing to give each other a shot.

©2025 Gia De Cadenet (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“What a delight! Give Me a Shot is sweet, spicy, and thoughtfully tender.”—Chloe Liese, USA Today bestselling author of Two Wrongs Make a Right

“A sensitive and sexy ren faire treat that is sure to delight fans of Jen DeLuca and Helen Hoang, Give Me a Shot is absolutely packed with heat and brimming with midwestern charm! Gia de Cadenet deftly balances humor and heart in this tender exploration of grief and vulnerability. It’s not to be missed!”—Ellie Palmer, author of Four Weekends and a Funeral

A new and wonderfully different approach to a romance novel.

4.5 stars

This book is such a great and positive departure from your typical romance novels.

The narrators did a fantastic job bringing this story to life!

First, let's discuss the heartfelt and very close to accurate representation of a character that is a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). I have been very good friends with a couple of HSPs and the author does a really good job of describing their feelings, their overstimulation from noises, smells, and touching. This is the only book I have seen HSP represented in and I have read almost 600 books.

Second, let's discuss the fact that we have a couple of hobbies/sports I have never seen in a romance novel. Jess, our FMC, is very well accomplished archer and is finally finding her way back into her passion for it. Mo, our MMC, is a blacksmith in his free time and was once a collegiate rower and an Olympic alternate until he got hurt.

Third, the way the author handles Jess learning about and supporting and protecting Mo with his HSP and the way Mo is viewed as helping Jess battle through her grief of losing her sister is so very well done. It is very accurate and the intense pain that is felt by the FMC as she tries navigate the death of her sister is stellar.

Gia de Cadenet has crafted a book that is a must read for anyone who is looking for a different take on a romance novel or for someone who is looking for another strong neurodivergent representation that is done well.