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A review by olivialandryxo
The Temporary Wife by Catharina Maura
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
It took two chapters for me to be hooked on Ares and Raven, and I fell completely in love with them as the book went on. Between that, and how intrigued I was by the foundation set for Luca and Val, I had high hopes for their book. I couldn’t wait to start it.
So imagine my disappointment when I felt absolutely nothing for the two of them at all. There were cute moments and funny ones, sure, but I never truly got attached. For far too much of the story, it didn’t feel like they had any real chemistry, and Luca wasn’t being charming; he was being an asshole. Even when things shifted somewhere around the halfway point, when I could finally see a connection forming and Luca found his footing as both a lead and a lover, I was never rooting for them. I wasn’t invested. And that’s really the crux of the issue here, I think. Everything else I could say comes back to this.
Well, almost everything. If there’s one thing I loved in both books, it was seeing the other Windsors come together to support the two leads when the going got rough. They’ve got such a great dynamic. I love the siblings, and how wholly they welcomed first Raven and now Val into their circle. This might well be my favorite part of these books, and I’m looking so forward to more of these moments as I continue the series.
On the other hand, if there’s one thing I didn’t love in either book, it’s Grandma’s actions in the final third. Once again, I’ve got beef with Grandma.I fully expected something to happen that would lead to Luca and Val breaking the newlywed rules and suffering the consequences. But even so, I hated the way Grandma evicted Luca without a single bit of remorse. I was proud of him for talking back to her as he complied, for telling her that he hoped these rules were worth losing a grandson because he would never come back and he would never forgive her. I just wish he’d actually stood his ground. I wish he and Val had cut ties with her and moved to Canada for a fresh start, away from her and all of her crap. It would’ve been so satisfying, even more so if the siblings took their side and followed suit. That there was a brief mention of them refusing to come to family dinner isn’t enough. Grandma needs to face some real consequences for her actions. I don’t care if she says she had their best interests at heart. I don’t care if Val is technically right about her and Luca’s relationship only getting stronger as a result. The fact that they forgave her so easily and are now back in the family like nothing ever happened means Grandma won’t learn a gods-damned thing. It means she’ll just keep being a manipulative, controlling asshole, because none of her grandkids will properly stand up to her. And I’m salty about it.
Alright, I think I’m about done. This book wasn’t inherently good or bad, but it also wasn’t anything I’d hoped it would be. I really hope I enjoy the next one more.
Current ranking of the series:
So imagine my disappointment when I felt absolutely nothing for the two of them at all. There were cute moments and funny ones, sure, but I never truly got attached. For far too much of the story, it didn’t feel like they had any real chemistry, and Luca wasn’t being charming; he was being an asshole. Even when things shifted somewhere around the halfway point, when I could finally see a connection forming and Luca found his footing as both a lead and a lover, I was never rooting for them. I wasn’t invested. And that’s really the crux of the issue here, I think. Everything else I could say comes back to this.
Well, almost everything. If there’s one thing I loved in both books, it was seeing the other Windsors come together to support the two leads when the going got rough. They’ve got such a great dynamic. I love the siblings, and how wholly they welcomed first Raven and now Val into their circle. This might well be my favorite part of these books, and I’m looking so forward to more of these moments as I continue the series.
On the other hand, if there’s one thing I didn’t love in either book, it’s Grandma’s actions in the final third. Once again, I’ve got beef with Grandma.
Alright, I think I’m about done. This book wasn’t inherently good or bad, but it also wasn’t anything I’d hoped it would be. I really hope I enjoy the next one more.
Current ranking of the series:
- The Wrong Bride (I strongly suspect this one will be my favorite)
- The Temporary Wife
Representation:
- Latina protagonist and side characters (one is also disabled, and uses a cane and wheelchair)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity and Medical content
Minor: Abandonment
Sexual content is explicit but consensual. One protagonist lost both parents as a child, and the other had one parent walk out. One protagonist’s grandmother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and given home caretakers. (It’s Val’s abuela. She dies in the last third of the book, off-page. Val attends her funeral, and grief sends her into a deep depression. ) There are also discussions of past infidelity across multiple relationships, relating to both protagonists and one’s parents, and how that’s affected each of them.