Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: No Good Mitchell
AUTHORS: Riley Hart & Devon McCormack
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 226 pages
RELEASE DATE: November 19, 2020
BLURB:
BRODY
A night on the town after a long workweek at my family’s distillery should include shots and dancing–not a hot kiss with a handsome stranger. I’m straight…at least, that’s what I figured until I find myself locking lips with a sexy city boy. Now all my circuits are going haywire, and the spark that ignites between us makes me even more curious.
Unfortunately, I kissed the one man who’s off-limits: Cohen Mitchell–the sole surviving heir to the Mitchell Creek distillery, a rival neighbor my family has feuded with for nearly a hundred years. Until he arrived in town, no one knew there were any Mitchells left. But the business-savvy city slicker has taken an interest in his legacy. Nothing means more to me than my family, so whether I like it or not, I have to keep my hands off the sexy, green-eyed beauty who Big Daddy has not-so-affectionately dubbed that “No Good Mitchell.” Problem is: my hands have other plans…
COHEN
I never expected to inherit a distillery from a father I had never known. That’s how I find myself in a tiny Georgia town where everyone knows a family history I’ve been kept in the dark about. The townsfolk all have a different story about my ancestors, with two things in common: illegal activity and Mitchell vs O’Ralley forever.
Maybe I shouldn’t like Brody O’Ralley, but I didn’t grow up with this stupid family feud. I enjoy touching him, kissing him and–oops–I’m falling for the man with sweet Southern charm and a big heart. Between the O’Ralley patriarch hating me, getting the Mitchell Creek distillery off the ground, and working through my own family issues, I know I should stay away from Brody.
But I won’t, and staying away is not what he wants either. I crave all the time with my country boy as I can get, even if it’s breaking the rules. After all, I am a No Good Mitchell.
REVIEW:
The delightful No Good Mitchell is an absolute pleasure to read with its well-rounded characters, spirited humor, and an interesting setting brought to life. It’s all tied together into a compelling story written by duo Riley Hart and Devon McCormack. They are accustomed to writing together and their synergy as a writing pair is seamless. This novel shines from the combination of their skills.
Allow me to introduce the Hatfields and McCoys. I mean, the Mitchells and O’Ralleys. Their feud is of monumental, Montague and Capulet proportions. It stretches back generations and is the result of a stolen whiskey recipe and stolen women. This feud drives the plot and sets up the conflict for Cohen Mitchell and Brody O’Ralley.
Despite that teeny tiny inconvenience, Cohen and Brody are a wonderful couple with strong chemistry. Individually, they have been thoughtfully developed as characters with depth. Cohen calls Brody his sweet Southern boy. Brody is a kind man who’s extremely devoted to his father, three brothers, and sister; mom died several years earlier, devastating the family. They all work the O’Ralley Distillery together in Buckridge, Georgia.
Brody thinks Cohen is “intriguing and beguiling”. Cohen is a business whiz and a loyal friend. Like Brody, he still suffers from the death of his biological mother who died when he was a young child. He never knew his father and feels abandoned and unwanted. He’s struggling to figure out who he is and where he belongs, which is an important theme in the book. Beneath a cocky façade is vulnerability and waning confidence. Now, at the age of thirty-three, he’s notified that the father he never knew died and left him an inheritance, specifically, the Mitchell Creek Distillery in rural Georgia. Cohen and his best friend/almost-brother, Isaac, travel to tiny Buckridge to check it all out. What Cohen isn’t planning on is meeting country boy Brody and feeling mutual attraction on his first night in town. Brody is caught even more unawares, considering he always thought he was straight. Since they don’t divulge their names, what neither knows is that their families are arch enemies.
What boosts this novel to a 5 heart/star rating is the humor. It’s all about the banter, which is flirty and playful, not snarky. It feels very realistic for the early stages of a relationship between men with strong personalities like Cohen and Brody. Their dynamic is highly entertaining. In chapter after chapter you’ll enjoy their one-upmanship of cockiness and a faux competition of sexual prowess. These two – especially Cohen – are as smug as all get out in their banter. They even compete to see who can make the other come first.
As we both seemed determined to impress the other, we found ourselves shifting into one position after another, as though we were filming a Kama Sutra documentary.
One of the funniest discussions of “feelings” I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading occurs in Chapter 24. I just have to know which author wrote it so I can bow to them.
The supporting cast is full of strong personalities, including Isaac, and Brody’s family. Tertiary characters, such as the Buckridge townsfolk who know all of poor Cohen’s business, provide plenty of amusement. The town itself is animated through the pens (keyboards?) of Hart and McCormack. I could drop in for a day and feel right at home at the Mitchell Creek swimming hole or Murray’s grocery store. I just need to brush up on my Southern accent from when I went to college in South Carolina years ago.
My only complaint about the book is with the ending, and it’s a matter of my personal preference which other readers might not share. Cohen and Brody work hard for and receive a well-deserved happily ever after, but I was disappointed that other characters got the HEA I would’ve preferred for the leading men. However, this in no way whatsoever dissuades me from highly recommending No Good Mitchell. And I have to say, I love the title, based on Cohen’s unfortunate nickname. This is a sweet love story with substance, smart humor, and strong writing. Expect to be smiling a lot. Enjoy!
RATING: 
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