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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
This was brilliant as always. I loved how they started, typical first meet( loved it) and then their faces when they realized they going to be working very close together priceless. He knew what needed to be done and did it no matter what. I respect his choice in telling her that he won't be able to love her until he works through all his issues and can keep promises he makes to her. I am certain that when he proposed the arranged marriage he was already inlove with her but refused to admit it and hid behind the business part of it as armour and that make the romantic in me swoon. Absolutely brilliant story once again and we can not under any circumstances forge Tiny( an absolute sweetheart of a puppy)
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ARC Review
DNF @ 60%
While I love a good bodyguard romance, I had a lot of trouble getting into this story or liking the characters. I gave it the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but have decided to stop at 60%. The writing was very much Tell not Show, and the dialogue was stiff and odd. The FMC is somehow both extremely dense and extremely good at reading minds, depending on the moment. And I wasn't into the MMC's extreme dominance.
3⭐ for the bones of the story, and in case the last 40% got super good. 2.5🌶️ for the kink so far.
I received an advanced copy of this book, and this is my honest review. Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for the ARC.
DNF @ 60%
While I love a good bodyguard romance, I had a lot of trouble getting into this story or liking the characters. I gave it the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but have decided to stop at 60%. The writing was very much Tell not Show, and the dialogue was stiff and odd. The FMC is somehow both extremely dense and extremely good at reading minds, depending on the moment. And I wasn't into the MMC's extreme dominance.
3⭐ for the bones of the story, and in case the last 40% got super good. 2.5🌶️ for the kink so far.
I received an advanced copy of this book, and this is my honest review. Thank you to the author and Hambright PR for the ARC.
Book Review: THE RELUCTANT WIFE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Author: L. Steele @authorl.steele Thank you to L.Steele and Hambright PR @hambright_pr for my gifted copy. The Reluctant Wife is a transformative tale that masterfully weaves together intense chemistry, heart-pounding action, and swoon-worthy romance, leaving readers invigorated and inspired. Ryot, a former Marine turned bodyguard, and Aurelia, a resilient and adventurous princess, share an undeniable connection from the start. As Ryot works to protect Aurelia from harm, their fake marriage adds an extra layer of tension, allowing their sizzling chemistry to shine. This beautifully crafted story balances romance, intrigue, and suspense, with danger lurking around every corner. While the villain's identity may be predictable, the twists and emotions will keep you invested in the journey. Aurelia's intelligence, passion, and determination make her a truly inspiring heroine, while Ryot's commanding yet vulnerable nature makes him impossible to resist. If you're looking for a romance that will uplift and empower you, The Reluctant Wife is an absolute must-read. It's a heartwarming, action-packed, and steamy romance that will capture your heart and imagination. #hambright_pr #lsteeleauthor #TheReluctantWife #BookLovers #RomanceReads #NovelAddict #Bibliophile #BookCommunity #FictionFan #ReadingTime #PageTurner #BookishVibes #thedavenports #read #readers #readreadread #readmorebooks #readingtime #ReadingCommunity #readersgonnaread #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #books #bookshelf #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Hambright for the ebook I received of The Reluctant Wife.
I'm not usually big on royalty romances but I do love a bodyguard romance so I decided to give this one a try. There were some things I really enjoyed and some things that definitely needed another edit.
Princess Aurelia of the fictional island country of Verenza slips her security one night and goes to a bar. She's approached by a creepy man who won't take no for an answer so she pretends one of the other men in the bar is her husband. They immediately have chemistry and end up making out but Aurelia runs off. She thinks that's it until the next day, she finds out that man in the bar is not only her new bodyguard, he's also Ryot Davenport, of the famous (multi-billionaire) Davenport family. Ryot served in the royal marines and has a spot on the board of his family's company so he doesn't need to work but he's wasting away, lost in his own messy past without a purpose so he takes the job. Someone has been making pointed, specific threats against Aurelia and Ryot needs to figure out who the perpetrator is before he loses his cool with Aurelia and acts on the chemistry between them.
Let's start with the things I liked about this book. I enjoyed the family dynamics with the Davenports, especially Ryot's relationship with his brother Tyler. Their relationship felt lived in, which added to the depth of Ryot's character. I also thought the chemistry between Aurelia and Ryot jumped off the page, especially when they had extended scenes alone. The first half of this book, before the characters acted on their attraction, was well-paced and I thought the suspense elements were incorporated into the romance plot line in a compelling way.
Things went off the rails a bit in the back half of the book. First of all, the back half of this novel needed some serious editing. I read the same handful of sentences about Ryot's anatomy (you know what I'm talking about) multiple times. If you're going to describe his c*ck multiple times, I need different adjectives. There were also some really repetitive scenes and the plot dragged after the big act three low moment. If you're going to separate the characters after their low moment, you need to have something compelling to keep them apart. It felt forced. I also thought the suspense plot became kind of silly in the back half of the book. I figured out who did it pretty early on and the character's reason felt super flimsy. I needed more.
The biggest issue I had with this book was that there was a power exchange dynamic between Ryot and Aurelia with absolutely no discussion of hard and soft boundaries or safe words. I understand that romance is a kind of fantasy, especially royalty and billionaire romance, but it is irresponsible to have a Dom-Sub relationship on page with no discussion of boundaries. This felt particularly egregious because the heroine has basically no sexual history.
Overall, this book was a mixed bag. Some things were fun, sexy and super readable, some things were a mess.
I'm not usually big on royalty romances but I do love a bodyguard romance so I decided to give this one a try. There were some things I really enjoyed and some things that definitely needed another edit.
Princess Aurelia of the fictional island country of Verenza slips her security one night and goes to a bar. She's approached by a creepy man who won't take no for an answer so she pretends one of the other men in the bar is her husband. They immediately have chemistry and end up making out but Aurelia runs off. She thinks that's it until the next day, she finds out that man in the bar is not only her new bodyguard, he's also Ryot Davenport, of the famous (multi-billionaire) Davenport family. Ryot served in the royal marines and has a spot on the board of his family's company so he doesn't need to work but he's wasting away, lost in his own messy past without a purpose so he takes the job. Someone has been making pointed, specific threats against Aurelia and Ryot needs to figure out who the perpetrator is before he loses his cool with Aurelia and acts on the chemistry between them.
Let's start with the things I liked about this book. I enjoyed the family dynamics with the Davenports, especially Ryot's relationship with his brother Tyler. Their relationship felt lived in, which added to the depth of Ryot's character. I also thought the chemistry between Aurelia and Ryot jumped off the page, especially when they had extended scenes alone. The first half of this book, before the characters acted on their attraction, was well-paced and I thought the suspense elements were incorporated into the romance plot line in a compelling way.
Things went off the rails a bit in the back half of the book. First of all, the back half of this novel needed some serious editing. I read the same handful of sentences about Ryot's anatomy (you know what I'm talking about) multiple times. If you're going to describe his c*ck multiple times, I need different adjectives. There were also some really repetitive scenes and the plot dragged after the big act three low moment. If you're going to separate the characters after their low moment, you need to have something compelling to keep them apart. It felt forced. I also thought the suspense plot became kind of silly in the back half of the book. I figured out who did it pretty early on and the character's reason felt super flimsy. I needed more.
The biggest issue I had with this book was that there was a power exchange dynamic between Ryot and Aurelia with absolutely no discussion of hard and soft boundaries or safe words. I understand that romance is a kind of fantasy, especially royalty and billionaire romance, but it is irresponsible to have a Dom-Sub relationship on page with no discussion of boundaries. This felt particularly egregious because the heroine has basically no sexual history.
Overall, this book was a mixed bag. Some things were fun, sexy and super readable, some things were a mess.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have devoured every single book in The Davenports series and when I saw The Reluctant Wife was Ryot’s book I was beyond excited. He’s been so angry in the previous books and to see what made him feel that way was surprising. The meet cute between Ryot and Aurelia was so “knight in shining armor” when he saved her some from creepy guy at a bar. When she pretended that he’s her husband and they shared a hot smooch the chemistry was off the charts, it helped he’s incredibly hot. And when he ends up being her personal bodyguard, be ready for the spicy tension. The Reluctant Wife has a great plot, amazing characters, a bit of mystery, action and delicious spice. Another 5-star book from L. Steele.