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mayawata_'s review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
You know? I don’t think the “significant other’s/siblings” trope is for me. I haven’t read a lot of books with that storyline and I think this solidified it. I didn’t hate the book, but compared to the Dreamland Billionaires series and the Windy City series, this one just didn’t feel as deep and the characters seemed like their default mode was guilt, shame, and tears. While they had their moments of strength, the character development felt lacking. Granted, the situation that surrounds this plot is not one I’m familiar with, so maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about. But personally, character development wasn’t what it could’ve been. I am looking forward to the other stories tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy
absolutely_court's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
_msmarian_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an interesting, yet challenging read. It was my first of the "Marriage of Convenience" trope.
While I couldn't wait to devour more of the relationship between Ares and Raven, I was really struggling with Hannah constantly getting in the way & her manipulative ways. It was frustrating watching Raven getting pushed around by her family, and every bit of happiness constantly being taken away whenever she got it.
But in spite of the negatives, I gave the 4 stars for the way Ares loved Raven and fought for her in spite of the conflicting relationship they had, and of course, for the extremely *spicy* scenes (of which there were A LOT to consume!).
While I couldn't wait to devour more of the relationship between Ares and Raven, I was really struggling with Hannah constantly getting in the way & her manipulative ways. It was frustrating watching Raven getting pushed around by her family, and every bit of happiness constantly being taken away whenever she got it.
But in spite of the negatives, I gave the 4 stars for the way Ares loved Raven and fought for her in spite of the conflicting relationship they had, and of course, for the extremely *spicy* scenes (of which there were A LOT to consume!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Body shaming
koistyfishy's review
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 Cupcake Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I am pretty sure that this book was filled with crack as I was pretty much addicted. I am not really sure why I was so captivated, mesmerised or hypnotised but this was legitimately almost impossible to put down. I sacrificed sleep to read this! I was thinking about this non-stop when I was not reading this! And when I was reading, I was fighting with myself to devour the story but also pace myself so it wasn't over too quickly... it was impossible to put down!
So this is a dual POV that follows Ares and Raven. Ares is the eldest son of this very wealthy family and the CEO of a media production company. Raven is a gorgeous supermodel and fashion designer. Raven also happens to be in love with Ares, even though he happens to be her best friend's brother and her sister's fiance. Ares's family has a tradition that all the members of the Winston Family have an arranged marriage, and when Raven's sister gets cold feet, the wedding has to happen one way or another and Raven ends up walking down the aisle...
There is so much ANGST in this book... like to the extreme that it's mentioned as a "trigger warning" at the start of the book. I am pretty sure this is one of the factors that influenced why I loved this so much as I could physically feel the tension and emotional baggage these characters have and seeing how they dealt with their soap opera ridiculous life was predictable but entertaining.
I really liked how Raven grew as a character and learned to stand up for herself. She has been gaslighted, overlooked and taken for granted by her family. To see her push back and be selfish for her, setting those personal boundaries and standing up for herself was really one of the best things in the book. I was her biggest cheerleader and it provides a really important message that everyone should be able to stand up for themselves, even if it is against family. No one, not even your family, your sister, or your mother is allowed to cross your own personal boundaries!
The development of the relationship was strange especially for Ares, as I felt it switched VERY QUICKLY into the "My Wife" mentality. I found I preferred him and his banter with Raven before they were together. Almost all their interactions and dialogue were along the same vein of fidelity and not straying from the marriage - which are all valid points to discuss as there is a sense of contractual fidelity in a marriage...But the possessiveness came about very, very quickly. I needed a little more of Ares realising that he never actually loved Hannah. I wanted to see more of him getting over her and coming to terms with his love for Raven. A lot of stuff happens in a span of a month and his switch from engaged to in love with Raven bordered on Insta-lovie.
I was very set on giving this a full five stars because of how much I was enjoying the drama and the angst until about the 70% mark of the book when I started getting frustrated as it was almost too over the top. These situations do not happen in real life and I was taken out of the magic and blatantly reminded that I'm reading a book. The conflict, the plot twists and the reactions of everything felt so scripted.
I also found the smut to be very very repetitive and formulaic. It would follow the same pattern and almost every scene would have Raven pressed up against a wall with Ares carrying her with his hands in her hair. Now I do get that she is a tiny supermodel and probably weighs as much as a feather, and Ares is a super busy businessman who still manages to look like a picture-perfect Adonis with a 6-pack... but it kinda takes you out of the story when you have to constantly question the physics of a smut scene...AND THE HAIR GRABBING.... It was so much, that every time I saw the words I would roll my eyes...
Ultimately, this book is not perfect, and if I think too long about it, it had its issues and I keep finding more... but this was the second billionaire romance that I have read recently and I absolutely enjoyed the shit out of it! I had a great time reading it as it was a perfect escape to relax and get out of your head.
Your Trope Summary:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Best Friends Brother/Sister Ex-Fiancé
▶ Arranged Marriage
▶ Billionaire Romance
▶ "My Wife"
▶ SO MUCH ANGST!!!!
▶ Soap Opera Level Drama
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
I am pretty sure that this book was filled with crack as I was pretty much addicted. I am not really sure why I was so captivated, mesmerised or hypnotised but this was legitimately almost impossible to put down. I sacrificed sleep to read this! I was thinking about this non-stop when I was not reading this! And when I was reading, I was fighting with myself to devour the story but also pace myself so it wasn't over too quickly... it was impossible to put down!
So this is a dual POV that follows Ares and Raven. Ares is the eldest son of this very wealthy family and the CEO of a media production company. Raven is a gorgeous supermodel and fashion designer. Raven also happens to be in love with Ares, even though he happens to be her best friend's brother and her sister's fiance. Ares's family has a tradition that all the members of the Winston Family have an arranged marriage, and when Raven's sister gets cold feet, the wedding has to happen one way or another and Raven ends up walking down the aisle...
There is so much ANGST in this book... like to the extreme that it's mentioned as a "trigger warning" at the start of the book. I am pretty sure this is one of the factors that influenced why I loved this so much as I could physically feel the tension and emotional baggage these characters have and seeing how they dealt with their soap opera ridiculous life was predictable but entertaining.
I really liked how Raven grew as a character and learned to stand up for herself. She has been gaslighted, overlooked and taken for granted by her family. To see her push back and be selfish for her, setting those personal boundaries and standing up for herself was really one of the best things in the book. I was her biggest cheerleader and it provides a really important message that everyone should be able to stand up for themselves, even if it is against family. No one, not even your family, your sister, or your mother is allowed to cross your own personal boundaries!
The development of the relationship was strange especially for Ares, as I felt it switched VERY QUICKLY into the "My Wife" mentality. I found I preferred him and his banter with Raven before they were together. Almost all their interactions and dialogue were along the same vein of fidelity and not straying from the marriage - which are all valid points to discuss as there is a sense of contractual fidelity in a marriage...But the possessiveness came about very, very quickly. I needed a little more of Ares realising that he never actually loved Hannah. I wanted to see more of him getting over her and coming to terms with his love for Raven. A lot of stuff happens in a span of a month and his switch from engaged to in love with Raven bordered on Insta-lovie.
I was very set on giving this a full five stars because of how much I was enjoying the drama and the angst until about the 70% mark of the book when I started getting frustrated as it was almost too over the top. These situations do not happen in real life and I was taken out of the magic and blatantly reminded that I'm reading a book. The conflict, the plot twists and the reactions of everything felt so scripted.
I also found the smut to be very very repetitive and formulaic. It would follow the same pattern and almost every scene would have Raven pressed up against a wall with Ares carrying her with his hands in her hair. Now I do get that she is a tiny supermodel and probably weighs as much as a feather, and Ares is a super busy businessman who still manages to look like a picture-perfect Adonis with a 6-pack... but it kinda takes you out of the story when you have to constantly question the physics of a smut scene...AND THE HAIR GRABBING.... It was so much, that every time I saw the words I would roll my eyes...
Ultimately, this book is not perfect, and if I think too long about it, it had its issues and I keep finding more... but this was the second billionaire romance that I have read recently and I absolutely enjoyed the shit out of it! I had a great time reading it as it was a perfect escape to relax and get out of your head.
Your Trope Summary:
▶ Dual POV
▶ Best Friends Brother/Sister Ex-Fiancé
▶ Arranged Marriage
▶ Billionaire Romance
▶ "My Wife"
▶ SO MUCH ANGST!!!!
▶ Soap Opera Level Drama
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pregnancy
noellelovesbooks's review
Content Warnings: sexual content, toxic relationships, toxic friendships, and emotional cheating.
Okay look...I started reading this because I saw a quote from like the 3rd or 4th book...and you know me...I love to immerse myself into entire worlds. Even saying that I knew this book wasn't for me, which is why I'm not giving a rating to my review.
In general I don't read books where someone hooked up with one sibling and then immediately start a relationship with another one. When it's in a fantasy and it's an arranged marriage where the two who are engaged never meet and a sibling steps into the wedding...I LOVE that shit...but it's rare for me to like the premise in a contemporary novel.
Knowing this premise wasn't for me I was still initially intrigued by the friendship between the two main characters and wanted to see how it would play out in their marriage. The emotional back and forth within themselves and then with each other...quickly became grating...I'm surprised my eyes didn't stay in a rolled position tbh.
Although this one definitely grated on my nerves I am excited to read book two and hope that I enjoy it and can continue with the series.
Okay look...I started reading this because I saw a quote from like the 3rd or 4th book...and you know me...I love to immerse myself into entire worlds. Even saying that I knew this book wasn't for me, which is why I'm not giving a rating to my review.
In general I don't read books where someone hooked up with one sibling and then immediately start a relationship with another one. When it's in a fantasy and it's an arranged marriage where the two who are engaged never meet and a sibling steps into the wedding...I LOVE that shit...but it's rare for me to like the premise in a contemporary novel.
Knowing this premise wasn't for me I was still initially intrigued by the friendship between the two main characters and wanted to see how it would play out in their marriage. The emotional back and forth within themselves and then with each other...quickly became grating...I'm surprised my eyes didn't stay in a rolled position tbh.
Although this one definitely grated on my nerves I am excited to read book two and hope that I enjoy it and can continue with the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Pregnancy
kat7794's review
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
ladylaurenexplorer's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
4.5!
The only kind I have for the story is the quick turnaround from the ‘love’ and relationship with her sister to loving her.
Oh than that everything was so good I really felt for her a lot of the times the angst was pulsating often.
It’s also crazy how her family incorporated, her sisters childhood sickness into having her be the center of their lives even as an adult.
To the point where the h even feels that her family would never choose her first and it kind of shows.
I definitely like the consequence for the sister and I wish it was a little bit more devastating so I could actually see it happen, but just knowing that it happened and knowing that her the future is gonna be horrible for her made me giggle.
The only kind I have for the story is the quick turnaround from the ‘love’ and relationship with her sister to loving her.
Oh than that everything was so good I really felt for her a lot of the times the angst was pulsating often.
It’s also crazy how her family incorporated, her sisters childhood sickness into having her be the center of their lives even as an adult.
To the point where the h even feels that her family would never choose her first and it kind of shows.
I definitely like the consequence for the sister and I wish it was a little bit more devastating so I could actually see it happen, but just knowing that it happened and knowing that her the future is gonna be horrible for her made me giggle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
abcdefgerda's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I genuinely enjoyed this book throughout and it kept me hooked from start to finish which is no easy feat to accomplish
I did get serious whiplash from all the times a character seemed to have made up their mind about it/accepted something but had changed their mind by the next chapter. But like not in a bad way? I think I might need to do some soul searching about why I loved this book as much as I did (and I will do so by finding and reading the rest of this series and probably more).
Like this book tore out my heart, then stomped on it, then repaired and put it back, then kicked it into a den of hungry lions, then fixed it again. I've been a mess, not gonna lie, and this book is (like at least 60%) at fault for it.
Ares is such an adorable but edgy simp-dom? I don't think its a phrase but it should be and he should be the definition. Never have I seen a (fictional) man who is so sexily domineering but at the same time so simpily sweet and accommodating and caring.
And Raven! I did not expect this My Sister's Keeper stuff but oh man did it wreck me!! (It's one of my fav movies of all time)
Anyway I'm off to continue the series!
I did get serious whiplash from all the times a character seemed to have made up their mind about it/accepted something but had changed their mind by the next chapter. But like not in a bad way? I think I might need to do some soul searching about why I loved this book as much as I did (and I will do so by finding and reading the rest of this series and probably more).
Like this book tore out my heart, then stomped on it, then repaired and put it back, then kicked it into a den of hungry lions, then fixed it again. I've been a mess, not gonna lie, and this book is (like at least 60%) at fault for it.
Ares is such an adorable but edgy simp-dom? I don't think its a phrase but it should be and he should be the definition. Never have I seen a (fictional) man who is so sexily domineering but at the same time so simpily sweet and accommodating and caring.
And Raven! I did not expect this My Sister's Keeper stuff but oh man did it wreck me!! (It's one of my fav movies of all time)
Anyway I'm off to continue the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Child abuse
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pregnancy
raconteur's review
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
What a mess! And the sisters thing is so not well written at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Body shaming, Pregnancy, and Eating disorder