Tag: marriage of convenience

Book Review: The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1) by Harper St. George

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance
Length: 344 pages
Author: Harper St. George
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New to wealth and to London high society, American heiress Cora Dove discovers that with the right man, marriage might not be such an inconvenience after all. . . .

Cora Dove and her sisters’ questionable legitimacy has been the lifelong subject of New York’s gossipmongers and a continual stain on their father’s reputation. So when the girls each receive a generous, guilt-induced dowry from their dying grandmother, the sly Mr. Hathaway vows to release their funds only if Cora and her sisters can procure suitable husbands—far from New York. For Cora, England is a fresh start. She has no delusions of love, but a husband who will respect her independence? That’s an earl worth fighting for.

Enter: Leopold Brendon, Earl of Devonworth, a no-nonsense member of Parliament whose plan to pass a Public Health bill that would provide clean water to the working class requires the backing of a wealthy wife. He just never expected to crave Cora’s touch or yearn to hear her thoughts on his campaign—or to discover that his seemingly perfect bride protects so many secrets…

But secrets have a way of bubbling to the surface, and Devonworth has a few of his own. With their pasts laid bare and Cora’s budding passion for women’s rights taking a dangerous turn, they’ll learn the true cost of losing their heart to a stranger—and that love is worth any price.

DOWN BAD FOR MOC.

Gosh I eat this trope up. Every time. I should have read this so much sooner. MISTAKES WERE MADE. I am grateful to have rectified this now. I loved the chemistry between Leopold and Cora. There’s a great slow burn and many moments where you get to see them work together and let each other in. It’s sweet and heated and wow did I fly through this book.

I liked how the over arching story wove into the romance. I liked seeing the hints about Cora’s sisters and getting all of the background info on her family. I loved having Leo’s POV too (and I do wish the audiobook was dual narrators!!).

Any kind of third act nonsense that would have bugged me was swiftly handled and boy do I love COMMUNICATION. We love a man who falls hard y’all. Many memorable scenes and I’m stoked to continue the series!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 3ish open door; moderate innuendo
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: attempted kidnapping

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ARC Book Review: Student Union (The Undergrads #1) by Julie Murphy

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: New Adult Romance
Length: 294 pages
Author: Julie Murphy
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From #1 New York Times–bestselling author Julie Murphy comes a sexy rom com about a college marriage of convenience that goes way beyond chemistry 101…The first in a trilogy of romance novels that follows a group of girls as they navigate love, friendship, and new adulthood, this is perfect for fans of Elle Kennedy and Hannah Grace.

CLOVER ROWAN WALSH knows The Plan™.
1. Get a full ride to her dream school, Wexley University.
2. Conquer the school of business.
3. Say goodbye to the paycheck-to-paycheck life she and her mom have known for years.

There’s just one hiccup. With the first semester rapidly approaching, Clover learns her housing grant has fallen through. But a loophole presents Married couples can live in the dorms for the price of one student. Clover is willing to sacrifice the sanctity of marriage . . . even if it means proposing to the one person she swore she’d never speak to again.

Bennett Andrew Graves is the only heir to the Graves Coffee empire. After spending his first year at Wexley, squeaking by in classes and becoming personally acquainted with the female student body, he is looking forward to living off campus. Until the girl he grew up with (and whom he completely devastated years ago) walks back into his life with the most absurd Will you marry me?

Bennett can’t refuse Clover. He owes her this, but that doesn’t change the fact that these two can barely carry on a conversation without getting at each other’s throats. Forget about sharing a dorm—much less one bed.

But as Clover and Bennett hide the true nature of their marriage, they find that playing house isn’t all that bad—especially with certain marital benefits in the mix. In fact, Clover and Bennett are soon forgetting the most important part of their fake marriage of convenience . . . that it’s supposed to be fake.

Thank you to the publisher for a gifted ARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook.

NOT QUITE FOR ME.

Y’all know I basically jump at any book that has marriage of convenience as one of the leading tropes because I love that stuff. And I’m aware that MOC is usually a suspension of belief but this one felt even more of a stretch than usual. With everything happening so fast in the first chapter I had no moment to catch up and get on board.

I didn’t mind the romance between Clover and Bennett. There were many good moments (not the make-out when only she was drunk). I liked that Bennett took care of her and was genuinely trying to make amends for a mistake in high school. I do love a protective scene and this one had a few.

The college atmosphere was a bit over the top in the lust and d*ck joke department. While I get it, it also didn’t serve the book well and I don’t think needed to be added as heavily as it was. I mean, the second half felt like mostly spice and the book is less than 300 pages?? The slow burn had been so good too!!

I’m not sure I’ll read the next couple in the series. I’ll think about it, but if it follows a lot of these same lines I might not be charmed.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door; high innuendo
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: attempted assault, catfishing (recounted), bullying

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ALC Book Review: The Heir (Crownhaven #1) by Sophia Travers

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 488 pages
Author: Sophia Travers
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two rival families. A marriage between their heirs. In public, it’s love. But in private? It’s war.
Aiden Prince is the arrogant heir to the old money family that destroyed mine. He’s hazel-eyed and sharp-jawed, the golden boy of high society.
I’m the girl who’s never belonged in his world.
At sixteen, I poured my soda on his loafers. He told me to lick it off.
At eighteen, I learned the truth—Aiden’s family took everything from mine. I vowed to make everyone who mocked us eat their words.
At thirty, I have the chance to get back everything Aiden’s family stole…but I have to marry Aiden to do it.
In public, we’re the perfect couple. But in private? We’re playing a dangerous game—the first one to desire the other loses.
I’ll never give an inch to Aiden…until I see who he is beneath his cold exterior.
He’ll do anything to protect me.
His touch sets me on fire.
His world doesn’t want me. My family doesn’t want him.
We promised to divorce once our deal is done…and we each lose everything if we fall in love.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for an ALC.

I THINK I LIKED IT?

I know a lot of us have some kind of line when it comes to what works for us regarding spice. And while I did LOVE that this was a marriage of convenience there was one issue, but we’ll get into it.

So YAY for moc, that’s the reason I picked this book up in the first place. AND that it’s a duet audiobook. That absolutely delivered. If you’re interested in reading this one, go for the audiobook!! I also genuinely liked the connection between the MC’s. There was good banter and soft moments and a lot of opportunity for growth and self reflection between the histories. I even liked Aiden and Emory as standalones too. Which made the chemistry all the better.

Many of the family dynamics worked for me too. The ridiculously dramatic ones and the strong sibling bonds. I thought they were balanced well and it kind of makes me want to read more of these books to see the other siblings.

BUT. What did take me out was the overuse of spicy scenes for the sake of it. I just don’t love unnecessary pages. I could have done with a few less and would have been more engaged with the story.

Will I read the next book?? I DON’T KNOW. I tried a new to me author though and that’s always fun.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: I lost count
  • Violence: mild

Book Review: The Marriage Effect (Washington Wolves #3) by Karla Sorensen

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 300 pages
Author: Karla Sorensen
Publisher: Dutch Girl Publishing
Release Date: June 12th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Logan Ward doesn’t want any more women in his life.

Being a football player and legal guardian to his four younger sisters means his playbook is full. However, one of them just landed in the hospital, which gives his brother the shot he needs to challenge Logan for custody.

Legal counsel says there’s only one thing Logan can do—find himself a wife.

Paige McKinney doesn’t always think things through.

Like walking away from her modeling career without a thought of what might come next. She really doesn’t think it through when she proclaims herself Logan’s fiancé at the hospital, simply because the sexy—albeit grumpy—football player forgot his cell phone at a party and security won’t let her pass. It’s not her fault it was overheard by the worst possible person.

A bargain is struck, and a fake marriage is the perfect solution. But the simple solution creates a whole new problem: they’re not as different as they seem. The reluctant groom has fire inside him, and his impetuous bride is about to light the match.

BEST OF THE BUNCH.

After not loving the first in the series it was recommended that I try this one, and they were right! I enjoyed this one so much more. Marriage of convenience for the win. ALWAYS.

I really liked the chemistry between Paige and Logan. There’s an immediate heat there and a willingness to help each other out in both of their respective predicaments. I looooved the relationships built between Paige and Logan’s sisters. It felt very true to nature and the ups and downs of emotions and building connections and growing up.

There was something still missing for me in the romance. I think with the short nature I’m missing those last extra pages that build out the romance a little more for me. I did think it had a great slow burn and I loved seeing them finally give in to each other.

It’s a fast read, it has the football content and was exactly the binge listen I needed.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open; moderate/high explicit
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: parental abandonment (side characters), custody battle for children, discussions on weight and modeling career

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