ARC Review: Inked Playboy Next Door (Men of Mill Creek #2) by Elodie Ashwood
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Series: Men of Mill Creek #2
Author: Elodie Ashwood
Published February 23rd 2026
Goodreads Synopsis
It was reckless. No names. No strings.
A night I've dreamed about ever since.
Now my fantasy lives next door.
I came to Mill Creek to disappear.
New town. New job.
A quiet life where the biggest crisis is a cat with a [nosy] owner problem.
Then the bartender next door came home from abroad.
Tattooed. Shirtless — I mean shameless.
Grinning at me like he knows exactly what I sound like when I fall apart.
Because he does.
He’s chaos wrapped in ink and a dangerous smile.
He's loud when I need silence. Reckless when I crave control.
He calls me wildflower like it's a dare.
But he sees me — not the version I perform for everyone else.
The one who wears black lace under pearl buttons and pretends she doesn't burn when he's close.
I swore I'd never let another man have power over me.
Gabe doesn't want power.
He wants me.
I'm finally learning what it feels like to be chosen instead of controlled.
But the man I ran from just found my new address.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via Booksprout. This in no way impacted on my view.
Dr Lillian Rockwell fled Chicago, and her abused ex, for the small town of Mill Creek, and she is finally finding her feet as a veterinarian six months later. Her colleagues and friends are all kind and welcoming, and Lillian can finally breathe again. However, she can't stop thinking of the steamy night she spent with a stranger when she first arrived, and both her dreams and nightmares come true when she finds out he is her new neighbour, newly returned from Japan, and he is not about to lose her gain. Gabe Thomas has always been known as a bit of a player, but his night with his wildflower before he left for Japan has stayed with him, and he knows that if he finds her, he will do anything to be worthy of her. But meeting Lillian as his neighbour, and new to town, he soon realises there is more than meets the eye, and she is running from something. Will Gabe be able to prove his worthiness, or will he fail her?
As soon as I saw that the second book in this series was available for review, I couldn't stop myself from requesting it. I loved the townsfolk of Mill Creek in the first book, and seeing how Lillian and Gabe fit with them all in Inked Playboy Next Door, I was so happy. Lillian might be new, but she fit with Lexie, Jenna, and Shauna so well. They really became true friends, who had each other's backs through thick and thin. And there were plenty of ups and downs in the book. It was refreshing to see the way that they didn't shy away from pain, and some of the plot lines are clearly setting up for subsequent books. I really hope that Jenna and Travis' book is next - they definitely have the enemies to lovers trope down to a hat!
Dates Read:
February 11-12, 2026
Rating
4 Stars
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