Give Me a Shot by Gia de Cadenet (May 6, 2025) Thank you to PRH Audio and Dell Romance for the gifted advanced listening copy of this beautifully tender, emotionally rich romance.
Mo is a man of routine – he finds comfort in control and calm. As a highly sensitive person (HSP), he experiences the world with heightened sensory and emotional awareness, and he’s built a quiet, meaningful life around that understanding. Between running his auto repair shop, co-parenting his 12-year-old daughter, and volunteering as a blacksmith at a local folk school, he’s doing just fine, until he meets Jess.
Jess is navigating overwhelming grief after the loss of her sister, the emotional distance from her parents, and the pressure of a demanding new job – all while her body sends signs she can’t ignore. The folk school, where she practices archery, offers her a rare sense of peace. And it’s where she meets Mo.
When they’re unexpectedly partnered to organize a Renaissance Faire to help save the school, the two begin spending more time together – and slowly, beautifully, begin to unearth their vulnerabilities. As trust builds, so does an intimacy that neither was expecting but both deeply need.
This book is gentle, complex, and incredibly human. I hadn’t encountered HSP representation in romance before, and Mo’s perspective was both eye-opening and deeply moving. Watching Mo and Jess navigate emotional trauma, grief, and the fear of being a burden (while still making space for love) was profoundly touching.
Mo and Jess are soft in a world that often demands hardness. And this story honors that softness in a way that feels like a balm.
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts Ryan Lee Dunlap and Natalie Naudus deliver a grounded, heartfelt performance that perfectly captures the emotional nuance of the story. At 9h 54m, it’s a quiet, powerful listen that lingers long after it ends.
Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Audiobook Performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Book Smart Kate 