lifting the weight from her shoulders
Ellie Hayes is struggling. After losing vision in one eye, she was told that she may have Multiple Sclerosis. She’s still young, but that possibility scares her. She already deals with the pain of endometriosis, and she’s not sure how much more betrayal she take from her body. But when her boyfriend tells her that he can’t handle her medical issues, and that is a one betrayal too far. She moves out immediately
Ellie finds a house with a sparkly For Rent sign, and knocks on the door. What she finds inside are three young guys who are all clearly into weightlifting. Ellie tries to leave, thinking that this is not a house that would give her the peace she’s seeking, but the guys encourage her to stay. She looks around the house, which is nice, and they show her the room that would be hers. The house is warm and cozy, and her room would be perfect. And not only that, there is also a job available.
The gym where they work out (and two of them work) is in need of someone to help with the front desk and social media. Ellie has a job freelancing custom lesson plans, but she wants to save some money in case she’s facing large medical bills in the not-so-distant future, so she is happy to take on another job. Plus, she could use the distraction, and the job comes with a membership to the gym. Ellie likes the idea of using her body while she can, so that gym membership is the perfect perk for her.
Ellie agrees to move in with the guys, who immediately throw a party. Ellie doesn’t usually drink much, so when she gets tipsy and finds herself in the bathroom, her natural tendencies come out. She starts cleaning. She is still cleaning in the bathroom when she is joined by an even bigger, hunkier weightlifter. He helps her clean, and then the two of them find themselves making out.
It’s not until Ellie’s first day at work at the gym that she realizes the guy she cleaned the bathroom with is the brother of one of her roommates, as well as her new boss, Ian. Ian had been a professional lifter until an injury sidelined him, and now he owns the gym. As Ellie meets the regulars and joins in classes, she realizes that there is a genuine community there, and that she is becoming part of it. But if it turns out that her fears are true, that she does have MS, will she still be a part of that community? Or will she find that she won’t be acceptable to her new friends, and to Ian, if she’s not healthy?
Ellie Hayes and the Himbos is a sweet rom com with so much heart. Yes, there are gym rats who may not be school smart, but they are kind and thoughtful and full of surprises. I was reluctant to read this one, mostly because of the title. I was afraid that these “himbos” would be reduced to stereotypes of dumb jocks, and that is just not what happens. I fell in love with all these characters and didn’t want this story to end. This is a fun, spicy rom com that is also a heart-warming story about finding your people. It’s about taking chances on a new life and pushing yourself to see just how much you can accomplish. It’s one of those books that I finished and wanted to start all over again. Don’t let a goofy title stop you from taking a chance on Ellie and her roommates.
I listened to Ellie Hayes and the Himbos on audio, narrated beautifully by Ellie Gossage. I loved the experience of listening to this book, but be aware that some of the scenes do get really spicy, if you’re someone who listens to audio books in public. But listening to this book was pure pleasure, from the first scene to the last
A copy of the audio book for Ellie Hayes and the Himbos was provided by Forever and Hachette Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.
