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A review by katemc7
Stolen Vows by Penelope Black
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-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
4.5
This was a SOLID 4.5 stars for me! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED GRAHAM!! I had a feeling there was so much more going on under the surface with this man. And OMG was I right. I absolutely LOVED reading these two. I felt like I was falling in love right alongside them. I loved that this was a bit of a twist on a second chance since they had never really had a go, but they kept running into each other. I loved the way that Graham showed up for Francesca- over and over again. And how his love language was definitely in gifts. I loved how even though they were a marriage of convenience- they both went into it with feelings for each other. Graham was such a protector and borderline grump- I liked the reaction his family had to how he was around Francesca. Everything just seemed very natural between the two of them. Francesca was wonderful!! She was so strong and independent. She didn't want to fold under the wing of her parents empire and how they had setup her structured life. She wanted things for herself. I loved watching Graham help build up her confidence.
Graham is a hacker by trade. He is into cybersecurity. There is really only one person he has looked for that he hasn't been able to track down. Until he sees her in the coffee shop of his town. It's like fate is speaking to him because she is HERE. But it's not there time. She isn't here to stay until several years later she is. And now Graham decides he is not going to let her go again. Not without learning everything he can about her. Why is she her? Who is she? Why can't he stop thinking about her? But instead of bombarding her, he starts to show up for her. He brings her treats. He watches what she likes. He finds himself enjoying this slice of time they have together every week. He finds himself wanting more. When they do kiss, it's like he has been waiting for her all his life at least since when he saw her for the first time all those years ago. So when he finds out that she needs help. That her family has put her in an unbeatable position. He doesn't hesitate. He asks her to marry him. They can do this and both have benefits on the other side. The thing is that he doesn't want there to be an on the other side. He is going into this with the idea that he gets to keep her. And the more they live together the more he knows he can't live without her. But when her family throws a curveball to get her back, he realizes that they underestimated their love for each other. He will just have to prove them wrong.
Francesca has been "committed" to a man she doesn't want to marry since she can remember. She has become a lifer in regards to being a student to avoid the inevitable I do's between them. She tries to enjoy herself and gain her independence. She is determined to be different from her family. She is also determined to stop thinking about Graham. The boy now man that she seems to keep running into at different points in her life. Points where she can't stay. But now she has moved to Avalon Falls. She has inherited her aunt's bookstore. And though she is thinking about him, she doesn't expect to see him. She also doesn't expect to feel the things she does WHEN she seems him. She doesn't even know him. But it's like her soul knows him. And so when he starts showing up every week to walk and talk with her, she loves it. She likes seeing him be more open around her than others. She likes the way he smiles at her and how he makes her smile. But when she gets overwhelmed by her family threats, she doesn't expect what he offers. He wants her to be his wife. He wants to offer her his protection and his house. Maybe his body too? All she knows is she is now married and NOT to the man she thought she would be married to. She finds herself loving this with him. How they are building on their chemistry. And how she hasn't felt like this before. But when her family traps her without her realizing will he come like he says he will? Because one thing she knows is this marriage has never been fake for her.
This was a TRUE slow burn. I loved all of the spice scenes without physical contact- it just added to the burn. It added to the scene when they did finally get together- it was THAT MUCH BETTER. The chemistry between them was wonderful- it was electric! I also loved the kindle shoutout and how the highlights from her books played into their experience together. Genius Penelope! I can't wait to see whose book will be next- is it Abby and Mason maybe? And will there be one about Florence? I am not in her camp right now but am thinking Penelope can get me there. If you haven't picked up this series, I definitely recommend it for the found family and small town vibes!
Thank you to Valentine PR and Penelope for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review :)
Graham is a hacker by trade. He is into cybersecurity. There is really only one person he has looked for that he hasn't been able to track down. Until he sees her in the coffee shop of his town. It's like fate is speaking to him because she is HERE. But it's not there time. She isn't here to stay until several years later she is. And now Graham decides he is not going to let her go again. Not without learning everything he can about her. Why is she her? Who is she? Why can't he stop thinking about her? But instead of bombarding her, he starts to show up for her. He brings her treats. He watches what she likes. He finds himself enjoying this slice of time they have together every week. He finds himself wanting more. When they do kiss, it's like he has been waiting for her all his life at least since when he saw her for the first time all those years ago. So when he finds out that she needs help. That her family has put her in an unbeatable position. He doesn't hesitate. He asks her to marry him. They can do this and both have benefits on the other side. The thing is that he doesn't want there to be an on the other side. He is going into this with the idea that he gets to keep her. And the more they live together the more he knows he can't live without her. But when her family throws a curveball to get her back, he realizes that they underestimated their love for each other. He will just have to prove them wrong.
Francesca has been "committed" to a man she doesn't want to marry since she can remember. She has become a lifer in regards to being a student to avoid the inevitable I do's between them. She tries to enjoy herself and gain her independence. She is determined to be different from her family. She is also determined to stop thinking about Graham. The boy now man that she seems to keep running into at different points in her life. Points where she can't stay. But now she has moved to Avalon Falls. She has inherited her aunt's bookstore. And though she is thinking about him, she doesn't expect to see him. She also doesn't expect to feel the things she does WHEN she seems him. She doesn't even know him. But it's like her soul knows him. And so when he starts showing up every week to walk and talk with her, she loves it. She likes seeing him be more open around her than others. She likes the way he smiles at her and how he makes her smile. But when she gets overwhelmed by her family threats, she doesn't expect what he offers. He wants her to be his wife. He wants to offer her his protection and his house. Maybe his body too? All she knows is she is now married and NOT to the man she thought she would be married to. She finds herself loving this with him. How they are building on their chemistry. And how she hasn't felt like this before. But when her family traps her without her realizing will he come like he says he will? Because one thing she knows is this marriage has never been fake for her.
This was a TRUE slow burn. I loved all of the spice scenes without physical contact- it just added to the burn. It added to the scene when they did finally get together- it was THAT MUCH BETTER. The chemistry between them was wonderful- it was electric! I also loved the kindle shoutout and how the highlights from her books played into their experience together. Genius Penelope! I can't wait to see whose book will be next- is it Abby and Mason maybe? And will there be one about Florence? I am not in her camp right now but am thinking Penelope can get me there. If you haven't picked up this series, I definitely recommend it for the found family and small town vibes!
Thank you to Valentine PR and Penelope for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review :)