The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
_msmarian_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an interesting, yet challenging read. It was my first of the "Marriage of Convenience" trope.
While I couldn't wait to devour more of the relationship between Ares and Raven, I was really struggling with Hannah constantly getting in the way & her manipulative ways. It was frustrating watching Raven getting pushed around by her family, and every bit of happiness constantly being taken away whenever she got it.
But in spite of the negatives, I gave the 4 stars for the way Ares loved Raven and fought for her in spite of the conflicting relationship they had, and of course, for the extremely *spicy* scenes (of which there were A LOT to consume!).
While I couldn't wait to devour more of the relationship between Ares and Raven, I was really struggling with Hannah constantly getting in the way & her manipulative ways. It was frustrating watching Raven getting pushed around by her family, and every bit of happiness constantly being taken away whenever she got it.
But in spite of the negatives, I gave the 4 stars for the way Ares loved Raven and fought for her in spite of the conflicting relationship they had, and of course, for the extremely *spicy* scenes (of which there were A LOT to consume!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Body shaming
koistyfishy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
4 Cupcake Stars â
Spicy Level: đ¶ïžđ¶ïžđ¶ïž/5
I am pretty sure that this book was filled with crack as I was pretty much addicted. I am not really sure why I was so captivated, mesmerised or hypnotised but this was legitimately almost impossible to put down. I sacrificed sleep to read this! I was thinking about this non-stop when I was not reading this! And when I was reading, I was fighting with myself to devour the story but also pace myself so it wasn't over too quickly... it was impossible to put down!
So this is a dual POV that follows Ares and Raven. Ares is the eldest son of this very wealthy family and the CEO of a media production company. Raven is a gorgeous supermodel and fashion designer. Raven also happens to be in love with Ares, even though he happens to be her best friend's brother and her sister's fiance. Ares's family has a tradition that all the members of the Winston Family have an arranged marriage, and when Raven's sister gets cold feet, the wedding has to happen one way or another and Raven ends up walking down the aisle...
There is so much ANGST in this book... like to the extreme that it's mentioned as a "trigger warning" at the start of the book. I am pretty sure this is one of the factors that influenced why I loved this so much as I could physically feel the tension and emotional baggage these characters have and seeing how they dealt with their soap opera ridiculous life was predictable but entertaining.
I really liked how Raven grew as a character and learned to stand up for herself. She has been gaslighted, overlooked and taken for granted by her family. To see her push back and be selfish for her, setting those personal boundaries and standing up for herself was really one of the best things in the book. I was her biggest cheerleader and it provides a really important message that everyone should be able to stand up for themselves, even if it is against family. No one, not even your family, your sister, or your mother is allowed to cross your own personal boundaries!
The development of the relationship was strange especially for Ares, as I felt it switched VERY QUICKLY into the "My Wife" mentality. I found I preferred him and his banter with Raven before they were together. Almost all their interactions and dialogue were along the same vein of fidelity and not straying from the marriage - which are all valid points to discuss as there is a sense of contractual fidelity in a marriage...But the possessiveness came about very, very quickly. I needed a little more of Ares realising that he never actually loved Hannah. I wanted to see more of him getting over her and coming to terms with his love for Raven. A lot of stuff happens in a span of a month and his switch from engaged to in love with Raven bordered on Insta-lovie.
I was very set on giving this a full five stars because of how much I was enjoying the drama and the angst until about the 70% mark of the book when I started getting frustrated as it was almost too over the top. These situations do not happen in real life and I was taken out of the magic and blatantly reminded that I'm reading a book. The conflict, the plot twists and the reactions of everything felt so scripted.
I also found the smut to be very very repetitive and formulaic. It would follow the same pattern and almost every scene would have Raven pressed up against a wall with Ares carrying her with his hands in her hair. Now I do get that she is a tiny supermodel and probably weighs as much as a feather, and Ares is a super busy businessman who still manages to look like a picture-perfect Adonis with a 6-pack... but it kinda takes you out of the story when you have to constantly question the physics of a smut scene...AND THE HAIR GRABBING.... It was so much, that every time I saw the words I would roll my eyes...
Ultimately, this book is not perfect, and if I think too long about it, it had its issues and I keep finding more... but this was the second billionaire romance that I have read recently and I absolutely enjoyed the shit out of it! I had a great time reading it as it was a perfect escape to relax and get out of your head.
Your Trope Summary:
ⶠDual POV
ⶠBest Friends Brother/Sister Ex-Fiancé
ⶠArranged Marriage
ⶠBillionaire Romance
ⶠ"My Wife"
ⶠSO MUCH ANGST!!!!
ⶠSoap Opera Level DramaÂ
Spicy Level: đ¶ïžđ¶ïžđ¶ïž/5
I am pretty sure that this book was filled with crack as I was pretty much addicted. I am not really sure why I was so captivated, mesmerised or hypnotised but this was legitimately almost impossible to put down. I sacrificed sleep to read this! I was thinking about this non-stop when I was not reading this! And when I was reading, I was fighting with myself to devour the story but also pace myself so it wasn't over too quickly... it was impossible to put down!
So this is a dual POV that follows Ares and Raven. Ares is the eldest son of this very wealthy family and the CEO of a media production company. Raven is a gorgeous supermodel and fashion designer. Raven also happens to be in love with Ares, even though he happens to be her best friend's brother and her sister's fiance. Ares's family has a tradition that all the members of the Winston Family have an arranged marriage, and when Raven's sister gets cold feet, the wedding has to happen one way or another and Raven ends up walking down the aisle...
There is so much ANGST in this book... like to the extreme that it's mentioned as a "trigger warning" at the start of the book. I am pretty sure this is one of the factors that influenced why I loved this so much as I could physically feel the tension and emotional baggage these characters have and seeing how they dealt with their soap opera ridiculous life was predictable but entertaining.
I really liked how Raven grew as a character and learned to stand up for herself. She has been gaslighted, overlooked and taken for granted by her family. To see her push back and be selfish for her, setting those personal boundaries and standing up for herself was really one of the best things in the book. I was her biggest cheerleader and it provides a really important message that everyone should be able to stand up for themselves, even if it is against family. No one, not even your family, your sister, or your mother is allowed to cross your own personal boundaries!
The development of the relationship was strange especially for Ares, as I felt it switched VERY QUICKLY into the "My Wife" mentality. I found I preferred him and his banter with Raven before they were together. Almost all their interactions and dialogue were along the same vein of fidelity and not straying from the marriage - which are all valid points to discuss as there is a sense of contractual fidelity in a marriage...But the possessiveness came about very, very quickly. I needed a little more of Ares realising that he never actually loved Hannah. I wanted to see more of him getting over her and coming to terms with his love for Raven. A lot of stuff happens in a span of a month and his switch from engaged to in love with Raven bordered on Insta-lovie.
I was very set on giving this a full five stars because of how much I was enjoying the drama and the angst until about the 70% mark of the book when I started getting frustrated as it was almost too over the top. These situations do not happen in real life and I was taken out of the magic and blatantly reminded that I'm reading a book. The conflict, the plot twists and the reactions of everything felt so scripted.
I also found the smut to be very very repetitive and formulaic. It would follow the same pattern and almost every scene would have Raven pressed up against a wall with Ares carrying her with his hands in her hair. Now I do get that she is a tiny supermodel and probably weighs as much as a feather, and Ares is a super busy businessman who still manages to look like a picture-perfect Adonis with a 6-pack... but it kinda takes you out of the story when you have to constantly question the physics of a smut scene...AND THE HAIR GRABBING.... It was so much, that every time I saw the words I would roll my eyes...
Ultimately, this book is not perfect, and if I think too long about it, it had its issues and I keep finding more... but this was the second billionaire romance that I have read recently and I absolutely enjoyed the shit out of it! I had a great time reading it as it was a perfect escape to relax and get out of your head.
Your Trope Summary:
ⶠDual POV
ⶠBest Friends Brother/Sister Ex-Fiancé
ⶠArranged Marriage
ⶠBillionaire Romance
ⶠ"My Wife"
ⶠSO MUCH ANGST!!!!
ⶠSoap Opera Level DramaÂ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Pregnancy
anniereads0714's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Stalking, and Infidelity
jasantij's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
3.75
This was a good read, cute even. I just couldnât get into how the mmc kept doubling back to the fmcâs sister. This story was honestly twisted. Raven deserved better but Iâm just happy she ended up growing a pair and getting her happily ever after. I donât think itâs a story , Iâll read again and wonât read the second book either. Again cute and nice read, just slightly not for me.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Pregnancy
teambedward123's review against another edition
3.0
Let me preface this by saying that I hate angst. Itâs one of the reasons I avoided this for so long. But you know, well-written books, at the speed I read, can be hard to come by. And so going into it, I knew I wasnât going to have a hehe-haha good time. Those first handful of chapters, I almost threw my kindle across the room. Yes, Ares and Raven were cute and had great sex, but was it worth all the moments my anger at the situation spilled into the interactions I had with actual people around me? Idk. Donât know if Iâll read again.Â
I will say though, Hannah and Mom can both choke on a donkey dick. Was it really all resolved, cause it didnât feel like it. Ravenâs a better person than Iâll ever be.Â
I will say though, Hannah and Mom can both choke on a donkey dick. Was it really all resolved, cause it didnât feel like it. Ravenâs a better person than Iâll ever be.Â
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
megcarrick's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Medical content, Alcohol, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse
kami_to's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
bellebriones's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
livvy1709's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Bullying
melissaslibraryy's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Tropes: arranged marriage, unrequited love, âshe fell first but he fell harderâ, best friends to lovers, sisters ex fiancĂ©, love triangle, 10 year age gap, billionaire w/ a millionaire, found families
All I knew going into this book was that it was the fmcâs hidden first love for her sisters fiancĂ© and WOW! I absolutely love this couple. I love that weâre able to see Ares realize that heâs had feelings for Raven all along and is as in love with her as she is with him. Their chemistry, both romantic and sexual, was amazing and their build up had so much angst because of the way they got together is just đ€đŒ I felt so bad for Raven and reading about her relationship with her mother and sister whoâve done nothing but gaslight and guilt her all her life which lead to her insecurities made me want to just through the screen and cuss them out ! The only good thing that came from those arguments was seeing Ares defend Raven and make her realize that itâs ok to stand up for yourself without fearing the outcome. Iâm happy they got their well deserved HEA and I canât wait to read the next book in the series!Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
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