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trizie81's review against another edition
3.0
I tried and ...I think too much about the plot. It just doesn't add up. I like the author's writing and how she paints the characters but for one thing there were a few spelling mistakes which I totally hate and second it's in parts not plausible. I don't mean the cheating which got some readers riled up. It's the first few chapters-having a "mail-order bride" is nothing new. But teaching her all about sex even with "exercises" and checking her virginity by a doctor ..in the western "Catholic" civilization? .. and in the end her in laws that organized all of that turn into the sweetest persons? Just not plausible for me. Sorry.
sonialusiveira's review against another edition
3.0
From my recent reads, it seems like I'm on a arranged marriage trope romance kick lately. Arranged by RK Lilley is pretty unique in itself despite the common trope. I really like the book and was just breezing through it. I kinda like how Noura didn't feel any pressure from anyone to enter the contract marriage and how she is showing so much strength. That is, until about the third quarter of the book. I enjoyed the first 85% or so first part of the book so much because I kept expecting a twist: why Noura sold herself off, how Calder will learn about it in the most terrible way possible so he'll regret his actions toward her when it was all too late, and I'll cry with some Kleenex on hand. But alas, that twists never came; at least not in the way expected. The last quarter of the book felt so rushed and ends abruptly.
rrr18's review
emotional
mysterious
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
jacjacs's review against another edition
4.0
this one is a reread for me and I forgot how much I loved the Castelo family and Chester. they were my favourite parts of the book!!
nicreads5's review
4.5
I enjoyed this book. The ending was a bit rushed but other than that it was great.
lauraelovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A really fun marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers romance
I’m a sucker for books where the MMC treats the FMC poorly and then comes to regret it. So often books like this start out great but then fall short for the regret/grovel. Thankfully this book followed through pretty well
I’d be really interested to see more stories from the side characters, especially Jovie and maybe one of Caulder’s brothers (speaking of, it was odd that his brothers were mentioned a few times but we never actually met them properly)
I’m a sucker for books where the MMC treats the FMC poorly and then comes to regret it. So often books like this start out great but then fall short for the regret/grovel. Thankfully this book followed through pretty well
I’d be really interested to see more stories from the side characters, especially Jovie and maybe one of Caulder’s brothers (speaking of, it was odd that his brothers were mentioned a few times but we never actually met them properly)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Eating disorder and Death of parent
octopusgarden's review against another edition
3.0
I was so unbelievably excited to read something of R.K. Lilley's as it has been SO LONG since a new book has come out. I have to say, it was a little too cheesy for my taste and the ending seemed too sudden and rushed. The plot had purpose and I enjoyed the writing style as always but I wish there was a little more. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this book.
olovesbooks's review
4.0
I HAVE NEVER WANTED TO PUNCH A "HERO" SO MUCH IN MY LIFE.
Calder...Banks--WHATEVER--pissed me off. I wanted to reach my hand through the screen and throttle him. I wanted to throw my ipad at the wall.
Now that I have that all out of the way.....If you like arranged marriage and an a**hole hero...THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. He sends her mixed signals throughout the first part of the book. He stays in a different apartment and cheats on her. Made me sick, but the cheating is off page so I guess thanks for that? He insults her at every turn and gets upset when he can't get a rise out of her because she is hard to read. He made assumptions about her and all of them were false when he saw how big her heart was and how much people loved her and were drawn to her.
The groveling is A1 and I was so happy she made him work for it because YES QUEEN. A book that can bring out that much emotion in me, must be good so I gave this book 4 stars.
Calder...Banks--WHATEVER--pissed me off. I wanted to reach my hand through the screen and throttle him. I wanted to throw my ipad at the wall.
Now that I have that all out of the way.....If you like arranged marriage and an a**hole hero...THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU. He sends her mixed signals throughout the first part of the book. He stays in a different apartment and cheats on her. Made me sick, but the cheating is off page so I guess thanks for that? He insults her at every turn and gets upset when he can't get a rise out of her because she is hard to read. He made assumptions about her and all of them were false when he saw how big her heart was and how much people loved her and were drawn to her.
The groveling is A1 and I was so happy she made him work for it because YES QUEEN. A book that can bring out that much emotion in me, must be good so I gave this book 4 stars.
frenchpressbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
While I really enjoy the trope. And it started off great. There was too much that lacked for me... but what I did like...
1. Strip the characters down and I actually did like them.
2. I loved Chester and the secondary crew
3. I love that she made him work harder for it at the end
What I didn’t like...
1. The constant repeating of the fact that why sold herself became annoying...we already knew that why do we have to hear it every other page it felt like.
2. Important topics were glosses over. Or handled in a way that made it seem like they were normal things...like starving yourself. While I get that’s the model reality I felt like it could have Been handled in a way that didn’t feel like it was being glorified
3. Her reasoning for doing it was lacking. I wanted more depth than that 🤷🏾♀️
While I really enjoy the trope. And it started off great. There was too much that lacked for me... but what I did like...
1. Strip the characters down and I actually did like them.
2. I loved Chester and the secondary crew
3. I love that she made him work harder for it at the end
What I didn’t like...
1. The constant repeating of the fact that why sold herself became annoying...we already knew that why do we have to hear it every other page it felt like.
2. Important topics were glosses over. Or handled in a way that made it seem like they were normal things...like starving yourself. While I get that’s the model reality I felt like it could have Been handled in a way that didn’t feel like it was being glorified
3. Her reasoning for doing it was lacking. I wanted more depth than that 🤷🏾♀️
pilloflife's review against another edition
1.0
Oof, that was an awful experience!
I never want to revisit this.
I was made to believe this was a hot enemies-to-lovers, so that's why I picked up the audio.
Awful, awful hero!
Even worst heroine!
The heroine, I liked her motives at first, because I respect women who know the value of money and would do anything to get it, and she was doing great at first. And I always love stories that start this way: the character was in it for something else but then falls in love unexpectedly.
But then she starts (falling?) for the hero, way too fast... A hero who calls her horrible names and cheats on her...? What the fuck?! No way. This is not the type of heroine I want to read about.
At some point, she even claimed she was "turned on" after the hero practically humiliated her...? And it wasn't even a hot thing, the hero was blatantly disgusting and rude to her!
Um... Girl, I liked you at first but the fact that you don't even try to tell this man off for his disgusting behavior towards you is very much off-putting and disappointing, and gag-inducing.
And I would totally get it if the reason she was taking the abuse was because of the money, but in her POV, she claimed to be so attracted to the hero, claimed to want his attention so much, that I'm like...
Girl, he just called you a cum-dumpster.
Have you no shame? Do you not value yourself? Why do you care at this point if this man loves you or is attracted to you?
Don't read this book unless you want to rip your eyes out.
And I do notice this is a trend with this author. She has her heroines act like doormats to awful, cheating heroes. I also read her Tristan and Danika series a while back and had a similar experience, I just could not stand how the heroine just lets the cheating hero walk all over her like she was dog-shit.
The only good series I have read from her is the Up in the Air series, a few years ago, which I may need to revisit now, if only to see if my initial good judgment of it was correct.
Because if her other books are like this, maybe Up in the Air was not as great as I remembered...
I never want to revisit this.
I was made to believe this was a hot enemies-to-lovers, so that's why I picked up the audio.
Awful, awful hero!
Even worst heroine!
The heroine, I liked her motives at first, because I respect women who know the value of money and would do anything to get it, and she was doing great at first. And I always love stories that start this way: the character was in it for something else but then falls in love unexpectedly.
But then she starts (falling?) for the hero, way too fast... A hero who calls her horrible names and cheats on her...? What the fuck?! No way. This is not the type of heroine I want to read about.
At some point, she even claimed she was "turned on" after the hero practically humiliated her...? And it wasn't even a hot thing, the hero was blatantly disgusting and rude to her!
Um... Girl, I liked you at first but the fact that you don't even try to tell this man off for his disgusting behavior towards you is very much off-putting and disappointing, and gag-inducing.
And I would totally get it if the reason she was taking the abuse was because of the money, but in her POV, she claimed to be so attracted to the hero, claimed to want his attention so much, that I'm like...
Girl, he just called you a cum-dumpster.
Have you no shame? Do you not value yourself? Why do you care at this point if this man loves you or is attracted to you?
Don't read this book unless you want to rip your eyes out.
And I do notice this is a trend with this author. She has her heroines act like doormats to awful, cheating heroes. I also read her Tristan and Danika series a while back and had a similar experience, I just could not stand how the heroine just lets the cheating hero walk all over her like she was dog-shit.
The only good series I have read from her is the Up in the Air series, a few years ago, which I may need to revisit now, if only to see if my initial good judgment of it was correct.
Because if her other books are like this, maybe Up in the Air was not as great as I remembered...