No Ordinary Love

This week, Myah Ariel released her second novel, No Ordinary Love. It follows her previous book, When I Think of You, this time diving into the music industry, a woman going through a brutal divorce, and the new chance at love she finds along the way.

Why I Chose This Book:

I wanted to read Myah Ariel’s previous book, and I still intend to get back to it soon. But when I heard about No Ordinary Love, I knew I had to start here. Any book about music is my jam. Here, it’s modern R&B and pop inspired by 1990s and 2000s legends.

What I Liked:

So! Much! Music! There are countless references to R&B artists and specific songs throughout this novel, and it really places everything perfectly in terms of the kind of artist Ella Simone is. Her stage name is inspired by the greats Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. She covers songs by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, and even the novel’s title comes from her own song “No Ordinary Love,” itself an interpolation of Sade’s song of the same name. From start to finish, this novel is infused with music and a love for it.
And music business! Ella is a Grammy-winning artist, and we get to see the behind-the-scenes of her professional life, albeit not while recording new music. From attending award shows to filming music videos to dealing with the media and her controlling label, we get to see what it’s like beyond the music itself.
Emotions are on full display. I didn’t realize how emotional this book would be going into it. Ella is going through a rough divorce and has a lot of feelings of self-doubt. This novel isn’t heavy, but it does show Ella at her most vulnerable, and it makes her all the more endearing.
Sweet romance in the aftermath of betrayal. Let’s not forget that this is a romance! In the midst of her divorce from her cheating husband, Ella is also finding love with Miles Westbrook, a pitcher for the LA Dodgers. He is such a sweetheart! He’s open and honest, kind, and everything Ella deserves. He has a stutter, something I rarely see in books, which is another plus.

Final Thoughts

I completely loved No Ordinary Love. Both Ella and Miles are such likable characters and I enjoyed seeing them open up to each other. Ella’s team is wonderful, too. This is the perfect novel for anyone who loves music, especially R&B and pop of the ’90s and 2000s. I am officially a fan of Myah Ariel and will be reading more of her books!

Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy No Ordinary Love here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	New York; California
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	April 1, 2025
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

A PR partnership between a pop superstar and a pro-athlete bad boy turns into so much more in this swoony romance from the acclaimed author of When I Think of You.

Ella Simone’s popstar life is what dreams are made of. Her eight year marriage to renowned music producer, Elliot Majors, has helped garner the hits, awards, and adoring fans to prove it. But when Ella tires of Elliot’s many infidelities, she decides to fight for her independence despite the ironclad prenup that threatens her career.

To help her case, Ella is under strict orders to stick to The Plan: no headlines, no rumors, no rocking the boat. But this strategy is thrown a curveball after an awards show wardrobe snafu and quick rescue by Miles Westbrook, MLB’s most eligible player, sends the tabloids into a frenzy. Amid tricky divorce proceedings, Ella’s magnetic connection with the charismatic pitcher might just be her downfall.

Now the pressure is on to turn a scandal into an opportunity and give their teams what they want: a picture-perfect performance that will shore up both Ella and Miles’ reputations. But as the lines between reality and PR begin to blur, Ella will either stick to the choreographed life she knows so well, or surrender to a love that could set her free.

About the Author

Myah Ariel is the author of debut contemporary romance WHEN I THINK OF YOU (Berkley ’24). Her early love of movies led her from Arkansas to New York City where she earned a BA in cinema studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She also holds an MA in specialized journalism for the arts from USC Annenberg. For several years Myah worked across multiple roles in the film and entertainment industry before pivoting to work in academia. As a medical mom and a hopeless romantic, Myah is passionate about inclusive love stories.