Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
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
⭐️⭐️✨️ 2.5 stars
Moment of honesty, Raven's mom, dad, and sister Hannah, alongside Ares and on occasion Raven herself needed to get decked in the throat.
Moment of honesty, Raven's mom, dad, and sister Hannah, alongside Ares and on occasion Raven herself needed to get decked in the throat.
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
AD/PR - I recently took part in the tandem read along for The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura. I always enjoy these readalongs as it is a fun way to share my thoughts with others and vice versa.
The Wrong Bride is a billionaire romance and it’s the first book in the Windsor series. It has the found family trope which I personally enjoy and the miscommunication trope which I do not.
I found the plot to be relatively engaging, albeit very simple. I enjoyed the spicy scenes and thought that they were done well. Spicy scenes can often be rather cringe but overall, these were good and realistic. The characters were a tad one dimensional and I think that Hannah, despite her being the villain was the most developed. I hated her and that’s a good thing, it shows how good her character was.
Ravens insecurities annoyed me as they kept on coming back, it was the same thing over and over which makes me sound unsympathetic but that is not the case. In contrast, I found Ares to be a huge red flag. He may love Raven but I did not like his controlling behaviour and how he wanted the world to know she was ‘his’, it’s a no from me. The fact that he kept calling her ‘baby’ repeatedly also drove me crazy.
I liked the relationship between Raven and Sierra, this felt the most genuine of all relationships explored in the book and gave off the vibes of girls look out for one another. Overall it was a fun read, and if you are looking for an easy read with good spicy scenes then I would recommend it.
Thank you to @tandemcollectiveuk for inviting me to take part in the readalong.
The Wrong Bride is a billionaire romance and it’s the first book in the Windsor series. It has the found family trope which I personally enjoy and the miscommunication trope which I do not.
I found the plot to be relatively engaging, albeit very simple. I enjoyed the spicy scenes and thought that they were done well. Spicy scenes can often be rather cringe but overall, these were good and realistic. The characters were a tad one dimensional and I think that Hannah, despite her being the villain was the most developed. I hated her and that’s a good thing, it shows how good her character was.
Ravens insecurities annoyed me as they kept on coming back, it was the same thing over and over which makes me sound unsympathetic but that is not the case. In contrast, I found Ares to be a huge red flag. He may love Raven but I did not like his controlling behaviour and how he wanted the world to know she was ‘his’, it’s a no from me. The fact that he kept calling her ‘baby’ repeatedly also drove me crazy.
I liked the relationship between Raven and Sierra, this felt the most genuine of all relationships explored in the book and gave off the vibes of girls look out for one another. Overall it was a fun read, and if you are looking for an easy read with good spicy scenes then I would recommend it.
Thank you to @tandemcollectiveuk for inviting me to take part in the readalong.
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
Silly little love story that I did thoroughly enjoy.
raven & ares.
5 ❤️
arranged marriage
best friend’s brother
childhood friends to lovers
found family
sister’s ex
“it’s always been you”
-
Raven has always been a quiet storm, unexpected yet powerful, and despite what she might think, I never stood a chance against her.
-
“You, Raven Windsor, are the single most unexpected yet best thing that has ever happened to me. I wasn’t truly living before you. You drive me fucking insane in the very best way. You make me laugh every single day, and you, my beautiful wife, make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I thought I knew what love was, you know? I thought it meant compromise, selflessness and patience. Now I know better. True love is maddening, all-consuming, and it’s fucking selfish, Rave. It’s impatience and counting down the minutes until you get home. It’s being petty about all the men sliding into your DMs and it’s fucking you raw on our brand-new sofa because I need you with an intensity that extends beyond the physical. It’s decorating our home together and actually caring about the details, because I want our home to be ours. It’s arguing with you when I normally would’ve let things go, simply because when it’s you, I actually care about every single little fucking thing. That, Mrs. Windsor, is love. Or at least, I think it is, because how else would you define the way I feel? You’re everything I didn’t realize I needed, and now that I’ve had you, I can’t go back to a life before you. Not ever. No matter what.”
5 ❤️
arranged marriage
best friend’s brother
childhood friends to lovers
found family
sister’s ex
“it’s always been you”
-
Raven has always been a quiet storm, unexpected yet powerful, and despite what she might think, I never stood a chance against her.
-
“You, Raven Windsor, are the single most unexpected yet best thing that has ever happened to me. I wasn’t truly living before you. You drive me fucking insane in the very best way. You make me laugh every single day, and you, my beautiful wife, make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I thought I knew what love was, you know? I thought it meant compromise, selflessness and patience. Now I know better. True love is maddening, all-consuming, and it’s fucking selfish, Rave. It’s impatience and counting down the minutes until you get home. It’s being petty about all the men sliding into your DMs and it’s fucking you raw on our brand-new sofa because I need you with an intensity that extends beyond the physical. It’s decorating our home together and actually caring about the details, because I want our home to be ours. It’s arguing with you when I normally would’ve let things go, simply because when it’s you, I actually care about every single little fucking thing. That, Mrs. Windsor, is love. Or at least, I think it is, because how else would you define the way I feel? You’re everything I didn’t realize I needed, and now that I’ve had you, I can’t go back to a life before you. Not ever. No matter what.”
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My Initial Thoughts
I was drawn into this because I am totally in my romance era right now, but also the cover is absolutely stunning isn’t it!? I loved the tropes and straight away the dual POV drew me in. Theres something about having both sides that just appeals to me so much.
Plot
The plot has everything. Drama, heartache, backstabbing, rejection. I loved the way the writing flowed. I know this has mixed reviews but honestly Ares and Ravens story is something special. I enjoyed the tension they had between them and hated Hannah with a passion. The fact that I could feel so many emotions while reading the book is something in itself!
Characters
Plot
The plot has everything. Drama, heartache, backstabbing, rejection. I loved the way the writing flowed. I know this has mixed reviews but honestly Ares and Ravens story is something special. I enjoyed the tension they had between them and hated Hannah with a passion. The fact that I could feel so many emotions while reading the book is something in itself!
Characters
So the characters… Ares is the MMC and totally a walking red flag, he is possessive but in the same sense he also gives everything his all, especially when it comes to marriage and his family. Raven just is the most kind hearted soul and it really shows. She puts others often way before herself and her own needs. Watching her grow within the plot lines was a highlight of the book for me. Hannah and her mother, oh my goodness, the way they made me so angry! They aren’t humans with nice personalities that’s a given, but to be written in such a way to make you feel the anger and hatred towards them, shows just how amazing the writing for this is. The Windsors are a family I absolutely can not wait to carry on reading for as all their personalities just from the glimpse we see in this book are so unique and different.
Recommend
If you like romance and are a fan of the tropes age gap and found family then this could be the one for you. If you like interconnected standalones and love when each character gets their own story. Pick this up!
Favourite Quotes
“I’m tired of the pretentiousness, the fakeness, of living in a world of make-believe. I’m craving genuineness”
“Cupcake.”
“Ares I want love. Real love. I want a happy marriage and a faithful husband.”
“So long as it’s within my power, there’s nothing I won’t give you, Raven. No matter what you ask, it’s yours – and that includes me.”
“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t share well, and I can be quite jealous. The moment you and I got married you become mine.”
“Good Girl.”
“She doesn’t realize it, but she could ask me for the moon and I’d try to give it to her. There’s nothing I won’t do for her.”
Favourite Chapter/s
Chapters 30, 37, 67 and 70.
Summed up in one sentence
Favourite Chapter/s
Chapters 30, 37, 67 and 70.
Summed up in one sentence
The perfect found family romance.
Overall Wrap up
I enjoyed this so much, and I’m not sure if it’s because I could completely feel for Raven and her family situation, or the amazing writing. The found family trope is so strong and resonated with me a lot, but I loved being pulled along with Raven into the full flow of the life of Are’s Windsor. The book had me with the dedication alone, making me know before chapter one I was going to enjoy this. I think given this book has so many mixed reviews, I am glad I don’t read them before opening the book because everyone has their own thoughts and honestly everyone thinks differently. I loved the fact that Catharina made it possible to follow on the love story by giving access to the extra chapter at the end of the book if you wanted to. I was surprised to feel the emotions so intense as it has been while, but the hatred I felt for some characters was intense.
Stars.
4.5
Spice.
3
Book Information: The Wrong Bride by Catharina Maura.
Genre – Romance.
Pages – 368 pages.
Tropes -
Age Gap.
Pages – 368 pages.
Tropes -
Age Gap.
Arranged Marriage.
Found Family.
Billionaire MMC.
Available on Kindle Unlimited – Yes – Full series available on ku.
Available Formats – Kindle and Paperback.
Publishing Information – Published on 15th October 2022.
Format in Which I Read – Paperback.
Where my copy come From – Readalong with Tandem Collective.
POVs – Dual POV, both Ares and Raven.
Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines – Single Timeline.
1st or 3rd Person – 1st Person.
HEA, HFN or Cliffhanger – HEA.
Series or Standalone – Book 1 out of 6 in The Windsor series, all interconnected standalones.
Trigger Warnings – Please check content warning if necessary.
Available on Kindle Unlimited – Yes – Full series available on ku.
Available Formats – Kindle and Paperback.
Publishing Information – Published on 15th October 2022.
Format in Which I Read – Paperback.
Where my copy come From – Readalong with Tandem Collective.
POVs – Dual POV, both Ares and Raven.
Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines – Single Timeline.
1st or 3rd Person – 1st Person.
HEA, HFN or Cliffhanger – HEA.
Series or Standalone – Book 1 out of 6 in The Windsor series, all interconnected standalones.
Trigger Warnings – Please check content warning if necessary.