ARC Review

Better Lait Then Never by Ellie Blackbourne

Raven Patten

Feb 17, 2026

Rating:

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🌶 🌶

📱 Ebook ARC

📆 Release Date: February 24, 2026

🖋 Author: Ellie Blackbourne

⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️

Tropes:
🤍 Friends to lovers
🏒 Forced proximity
🤍 Always been you
🏒 Only one bed
🤍 He risks his life in a snowstorm to save her
🏒 No 3rd act breakup
🤍 Snow storm
🏒 Boy obsessed
🤍 Hockey player x Cafe owner
🏒 "You can take me"
🤍 Size difference
🏒 Cinnamon roll MMC
🤍 Low angst
🏒 Small Town Romance
🤍 He Falls First
🏒 Banter
🤍 Touch her and die
🏒 Yearning
🤍 Sunshine x Grumpy

Plot

I love Ellie and have ARC read for her on her last book, I Can Be The One, and I was so excited when I got the email that I was chosen again!

This is a novella, so it was short and sweet, under 200 pages. It does contain a happily ever after, which is always a plus for me. It’s a best friends to lovers story about a cafe owner, Noelle and her hockey player best friend, Cole. They get stuck in his mountainside chalet during a snowstorm after he rescues her from her should-be-condemned apartment.

I loved that we got a little bit of back story about Noelle’s mom and we got a tiny glimpse into how Noelle and Cole became best friends. It’s a not so slow burn because it IS a novella, but you can feel the yearning and sexual tension on the page. The pacing was really good for a novella, didn’t feel rushed but also didn’t feel drug out.

Characters

Noelle is such a sweet and lovable character. She does seem to be the grumpy one of the pair and I absolutely love it. She, obviously, hides her feelings from Cole for a solid 15 years. Like, WHAT?! All the while, this man was head over heels for her and was talking his teammates ears off about it. Also, I love the plus size rep with Noelle.

“Nothing we talked about as kids was important enough to miss that chance.” Noelle
“No,” Cole says, “but you are.”

Cole? MY BABY COLE?! He is such a golden retriever x sunshine vibe and I was rooting for this man. To hide his feelings for so long thinking Noelle didn’t feel the same, while she was doing THE EXACT SAME THING?! Together they were the perfect mix of characters and played off of each other so well.

“It’s the full truth. In a starless sky, you are my guiding light. There is nothing in this universe that could outshine you, nothing that could steal my breathe away like you did just now.”

There weren’t many side characters, but that’s okay! I liked how the focus was simple on Noelle and Cole. It allows you to appreciate the characters that much more.

Final Thoughts

Forever grateful and thankful that I am able to do this, I am able to read my favorite authors books before they are released to the rest of the world and then share my thoughts?! Dream come true.

The story was perfection. Just the right amount of spice, “miscommunication”, yearning from Cole was just, chefs kiss, the happy ending was the cherry on top. I truly hope we get more stories with these 2 because they are hilarious together. I would love to see more side characters that we meet in Noelle’s cafe because you can tell that they make the restaurant what it is outside of Noelle. This little novella was a perfect addition to the Sleighbell Springs and EllieVerse!

Overall, it’s being added to my favorites shelf along with everything else Ellie has written.