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henrismum's review against another edition
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
3.0
First by author - Suzanne Enoch
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: This book had some romance, but when I put it in my pile, I thought it was a romance-romance. I guess the writer has authored many novels which are strickely of the romance genre.
Will I read more by the author?Probably Not Maybe Highly Likely
I'd like to see what else Ms. Enoch has written, but I'm unsure how many are unavailable in audiobook form.
The narrator was Sarah Nichols. I love her work with the Sparks & Bainbridge series. Ms. Nichols sounded uniquely different in this book.
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: This book had some romance, but when I put it in my pile, I thought it was a romance-romance. I guess the writer has authored many novels which are strickely of the romance genre.
Will I read more by the author?
I'd like to see what else Ms. Enoch has written, but I'm unsure how many are unavailable in audiobook form.
The narrator was Sarah Nichols. I love her work with the Sparks & Bainbridge series. Ms. Nichols sounded uniquely different in this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Infertility and Death of parent
caitlin_bookchats's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
To be fair, I went into this book extremely wary of the premise. Using children just long enough to keep an inheritance? Even if the point was that the couple would grow and see them as actually human beings, it's still starting your book by having your couple dig themselves a hole.
But I also thought it might be an opportunity for a relatively rare couple dynamic. A marriage of convenience where the man is secretly in love and the woman thinks it's just a business arrangement. The book is just too jam packed with things happening to really properly show any of that growth though.
The realization that our couple do maybe actually want to be parents was perhaps the best developed but it still contained a lot of have wavey "they're rapscallions but of course they can't trust us and they bring us joy."
The way working as a team to parent (kind of) the kids helps Will and Emmeline to see each other in a new light is so underdeveloped the I almost missed when they actually admitted they were interested in each other as more than business partners.
I don't think the book had to be open door or more explicit, but the emotional development was just not there?
And the threat of the dastardly brother, thrown in for conflict and an outside threat, really distracted from what I wanted which was the development of this family and their life towards each other.
I will say that perhaps the best thing for readers might be that even when they resolve they're relationship, at least at the end of the book there is no magical pregnancy planted by the power of love. Wherever fertility struggles Emmeline had do seen to persist even after she and Will become adoptive parents. (Even this! Underdeveloped! What are Emmeline's and Will's feelings around their struggles to have children???)
Anyway, ymmv but I was frustrated.
But I also thought it might be an opportunity for a relatively rare couple dynamic. A marriage of convenience where the man is secretly in love and the woman thinks it's just a business arrangement. The book is just too jam packed with things happening to really properly show any of that growth though.
The realization that our couple do maybe actually want to be parents was perhaps the best developed but it still contained a lot of have wavey "they're rapscallions but of course they can't trust us and they bring us joy."
The way working as a team to parent (kind of) the kids helps Will and Emmeline to see each other in a new light is so underdeveloped the I almost missed when they actually admitted they were interested in each other as more than business partners.
I don't think the book had to be open door or more explicit, but the emotional development was just not there?
And the threat of the dastardly brother, thrown in for conflict and an outside threat, really distracted from what I wanted which was the development of this family and their life towards each other.
I will say that perhaps the best thing for readers might be that even when they resolve they're relationship, at least at the end of the book there is no magical pregnancy planted by the power of love. Wherever fertility struggles Emmeline had do seen to persist even after she and Will become adoptive parents. (Even this! Underdeveloped! What are Emmeline's and Will's feelings around their struggles to have children???)
Anyway, ymmv but I was frustrated.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Abandonment, Bullying, and Death of parent
Minor: Infertility
lizbeth12's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
CW- assumed infertility, glossing over adoption issues
Fmc has invented 2 children to keep the home she lives due to a convoluted inheritance contract her family has. Mmc is in love with his wife, knows both about fictional children, because he has let her friend zone him in their marriage.
Hugely problematic issues with how they deal with the emotions and stability of the fake kids they ‘borrow’ to keep their lie alive.
I’m glad I finished it because it helped me remember that when all these issues started the mcs were very sheltered 20 yos. That said, I honestly would have felt better if they had to deal with more personal consequences. The fallout affecting the staff and the kids is used as a reason to not let this happen.
I didn’t finish the book liking the mcs, but that’s ok. I did feel like they grew some.
Fmc has invented 2 children to keep the home she lives due to a convoluted inheritance contract her family has. Mmc is in love with his wife, knows both about fictional children, because he has let her friend zone him in their marriage.
Hugely problematic issues with how they deal with the emotions and stability of the fake kids they ‘borrow’ to keep their lie alive.
I’m glad I finished it because it helped me remember that when all these issues started the mcs were very sheltered 20 yos. That said, I honestly would have felt better if they had to deal with more personal consequences. The fallout affecting the staff and the kids is used as a reason to not let this happen.
I didn’t finish the book liking the mcs, but that’s ok. I did feel like they grew some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Classism, and Child abuse
eamily's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Cursing
Minor: Classism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, and Physical abuse
noellelovesbooks's review
4.5
I received a copy of this ARC through a Goodreads Giveaway
Content Warnings: Infertility discussed, classism, toxic family relationships, poverty, loss of parents, violence, and abuse.
Emmeline’s love of her childhood home, now her and her husband’s home, lead her down a very twisty road in an attempt to keep it. In order to keep the house, they were supposed to have a child within the first 5 years of their marriage. As they’ve been married 8 years now, and still reside in the house, Will never thought to question why they haven’t been asked to vacate. When Emmeline frantically informs him of the party they need to attempt, with their two children, he’s in shock as they have no children.
Knowing how much Emmeline has always loved their home Will is determined to help figure out how they can keep it. After attempting to think of friends’ children they could potentially borrow they land on the idea of borrowing orphans. How hard could it be to borrow a couple orphans and train them in how to act like a gentleman and lady in roughly 6 weeks?
Based on the summary I’d thought this was going to be a historical romance with the second chance trope as well as shenanigans due to the storyline. I was pleasantly surprised that this book is so much more. This book felt less like a romance between husband and wife and more a love story of found family and the steps you’ll take to keep it.
I absolutely adored that we bounce between the POVs of so many characters in this story. Getting to hear everyone’s inner thoughts, as the pretend family starts to feel more and more real, was so touching. This book gave me such warm and fuzzy feelings as Emmie and Will grow closer to the children and experience parenthood at a fast pace. And then seeing George and Rose start letting down their walls and learn to trust Emmie and Will. 🥰
If you’re looking for a historical fiction book full of love, found family, shenanigans, and trying to pull the wool over a grumpy old man’s eyes…I highly recommend getting ahold of this book after its September 20th release!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Classism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
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