teacupsandtropes's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the authors and publishers for providing an ARC of Reluctant Groom.
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. They were short and some of them I wish were longer - or made into full length novels. I love myself a good age-gap story and these fulfilled that need in spades. The "forced marriage" trope, or marriages of convenience, is one that I don't read often but sometimes I just have a hankering for a particular trope or character archetype. This anthology gave me a lot of different tropes and content that made a mood reader like me VERY happy.
I do think that there should be more prominent trigger warnings displayed. I've noticed this in other friend reviews as well. I, myself, don't have any triggers when reading, so none of this content was an issue for me. However, I would hate for other readers to pick it up only to find it brings up something traumatic for them, or it's something they can't stomach reading about. This anthology is not the darkest I've ever read - not by far - but some readers may think differently.
Overall, I think I discovered some great new to me authors in this anthology and I'll be eagerly waiting to see what they put out next.
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. They were short and some of them I wish were longer - or made into full length novels. I love myself a good age-gap story and these fulfilled that need in spades. The "forced marriage" trope, or marriages of convenience, is one that I don't read often but sometimes I just have a hankering for a particular trope or character archetype. This anthology gave me a lot of different tropes and content that made a mood reader like me VERY happy.
I do think that there should be more prominent trigger warnings displayed. I've noticed this in other friend reviews as well. I, myself, don't have any triggers when reading, so none of this content was an issue for me. However, I would hate for other readers to pick it up only to find it brings up something traumatic for them, or it's something they can't stomach reading about. This anthology is not the darkest I've ever read - not by far - but some readers may think differently.
Overall, I think I discovered some great new to me authors in this anthology and I'll be eagerly waiting to see what they put out next.
vrstal's review
1.0
2.5/5. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
Reluctant Groom is an anthology featuring age gaps and reluctant grooms: from arranged marriages, blackmail, marriage of conveniences, and those struggling to make the next step of commitment.
As an overall note, there was more bad than good within this anthology unfortunately. While I knew there were sometimes be dark themes, consent issues, there is still a responsibility for the editor or authors to provide trigger warnings for each story. I believe this for any book, so I'm not just picking on this one. Instead, I'll do my best to provide them in my review. I will be rating these in the order I read them.
October Surprise by LJ Longo
Content Warnings: Racism, homophobia, past sexual trauma, blackmail
Tropes: Blackmail, forced marriage, age gap, opposites attract, femme MC
Kink: None
Rating: 2/5
3rd Person, Single POV
I did research on this author because I was curious, but Longo is a white author. The reason I wanted to figure this out is because there is a use of calling one of the black characters "feral" with "mysterious" dark skin. I do not understand the choice in doing this, even if both your characters are black. I could tell they put some research into cultural aspects as they're brought up - but I cannot speak to accuracy or sensitivity, besides what stood out to me as wrong.
Romance wise, this book was just sad. The sex scenes were "meh" at best, the writing is awkward, and so many times was Sunshine called a bitch. There is an implication of these two characters having a sexual relationship when Sunshine was underage, and there is clear trauma bonding when Sunshine was a young child that I think causes an uncomfortable dynamic. While this story does turn in the last bit or so, most of all it was these two harming and manipulating each other. Also, lots and lots on politics.
Sins of the Father by Hannah Morse
Content Warnings: Homophobia, unsafe BDSM, blackmail
Tropes: Blackmail, forced marriage, celebrity, age gap, revenge
Kink: Domination/submission, sensation play, bondage
Rating: 3/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
Sins of the Father features a forced marriage by blackmail, where Beau intends to take his revenge by marrying the son of his high school enemy (and crush), while there are benefits of money and opening the door of acting for the younger MC. I found the angst around Tucker, the younger MC's dad, interesting as it all came together and how it was solved. This had the aspects of "ignoring you" angst I enjoy in this type of forced marriage plot. I also liked the sex scenes, with the bit of BDSM and the discussion of what safe BDSM looks like.
The writing was non-offensive, and overall, I think this is a decent read in this anthology.
Protecting Chauncey by Cooper McKenzie
Content Warnings: Pedophilia
Tropes: Arranged marriage, age gap, dad's best friend
Kink: N/A
Rating: 1/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
So, the beginning of this plot as Marco wants Chauncey to be part of the "business" (whatever that means, vaguely criminal?), and apparently wants to get with him including marriage. We don't learn his true reasons until the end, and it honestly still doesn't make sense. Anyway, his mother's solution to this problem is to marry Chauncey off to the other MC, who is a family friend he grew up around. We learn that this family friend had sexual feelings for Chauncey as soon as he hit puberty (so, maybe around 13 or so?), and that is why he bought a ranch and moved to Texas when Chauncey was 16 so he didn't act on his feelings. Chauncey knew he was gay from a young age, and while he could see the family friend as attractive, he had not lusted over him as a child or anything.
Uhhh... what the fuck? What was the point of this dimension to their relationship besides how fucked it is? I am never into a story where a much older man lusted after a younger man since he was a child. No thank you. He even called him jailbait and how he had waited until it was legal. AND. He calls Chauncey "C-Man", a nickname he used for him when he was a young child in some affectionate way you'd use "sweetheart" or "baby". Gross and annoying.
The end drama with Marco still didn't make sense to me and while you get an HEA... just no.
Making it Real by Marie Medina
Content Warnings: Dubcon, blackmail
Tropes: Forced marriage, age gap, closeted MC, debt, blackmail, instalove
Kink: N/A
Rating: 1/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
This was another story I very much disliked. Marcus is extremely unhinged, never taking no for an answer. It starts in the beginning when these two apparently were a one-night stand after a good date, and then he took the other MC's phone and demanded all the reasons why they couldn't continue to date. After explanations *and* refusals, including that the other MC was the son of the man who Marcus was buying the company from, he still didn't let up. After he dubcons him into sex, he decides to out the MC to his father and threaten if he doesn't go along with the engagement he will walk away from the deal and leave his family in debt.
The sex isn't well written, for what it is worth, but we continue to have a very unhinged story as Marcus manipulates the other MC and never listens to his wants. When finally the other MC pushes for a breakup and says he will accept the consequences, Marcus says he will end the engagement.... by planning a wedding and essentially giving him no option but to marry him, along with another blackmail three-month deal. It was awful.
Worth the Risk by Allyson Young
Content Warnings: Blackmail, discussion of illness
Tropes: Forced marriage, blackmail, age gap, debt, boss/employee, mutual pining, reformed playboy
Kink: N/A
Rating: 1/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
Worth the Risk is an "alpha/alpha" romance where the older boss wants to marry his subordinate who he has wanted for a long time. His subordinate also has pined for his boss but has seen many men go through those doors and doesn't want to invest in something casual, and would prefer a long-term relationship. So, he hasn't wanted to pursue anything with him. Never fear! His boss decides instead he will just blackmail him into marriage by threatening his job if he doesn't marry him.
Of course, the subordinate MC has family depending on his money with severe health troubles and sisters he is trying to put through college, so it's basically asking him to cut off his own hand or marry his boss. He is resistant because he doesn't want his heart broken and, well, no one wants to be forced into anything. Still, having no other choice, he accepts the marriage proposal. There is back and forth between them, angry conversations, and more shifty stuff the boss does until he gets his HEA.
There were severe formatting and editing issues in the first half, with line breaks happening in almost every sentence. Needs to be fixed.
Not So Sham Wedding by Megan Slayer
Content Warnings: Homophobia
Tropes: Marriage of convenience, boss/employee, friends to lovers, mutual pining, rich/poor, Definitely Not Legal Will Stipulations
Kink: Public sex
Rating: 2.5/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
This has the usually funny "definitely not legal" stipulations for a will, such as marriage that must specifically last a year and whatever else the father had in his will with this one. The romance is between Hudson and Lucas -- Lucas is his younger PA and best friend, and Hudson is the boss and older man. Not wanting to marry a woman, Hudson asks Lucas to marry him who feels unworthy and awkward about the idea.
It is revealed they both pine for each other, but Lucas has a secret about a "bad past" (spoiler: it is not that bad) and associated trauma with talking about it. Hudson still gets mad though he wasn't told even though it happened so long ago anyway and the fact that the father's homophobia was the biggest issue. We learn how long these two have known each other, such as the fact Hudson had loved Lucas since he was an underage teen when they met (!), which I hate. Hudson would've been 33. What the fuck.
Anyway, there's an out of place second sex scene that I believe the author was just doing to make something up for word count, because it didn't match the character's personalities. This story was very "meh".
Room With a View by James Cox
Content Warnings: Discussion of family death, divorce
Tropes: Age gap, established relationship, BDSM club, rich/poor
Kink: D/s, impact play, Sadism/masochism, exhibitionism
Rating: 4/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
Finally, some good fucking food. With this, the "reluctant groom" aspect is how Paul has seen the more devastating effects of marriage within his family and while he likes Billy and has been with him for two years, he doesn't want to commit to marriage. Not to mention the insecurities he has around how different their class status is, with him struggling to make money and Billy being so wealthy (even if self-made).
Billy is also his Sir and Dominant. Billy has proposed to him multiple times but has only gotten a 'no', and wasn't given the reasons why. So, he sets out to woo Paul and find out the truth. Here we get cute dates, not filled with just sex but showing him pampering and romance. They have some hot sex scenes btw, and we see how these two communicate on the fields of sex and romance.
The writing in this was excellent, and I liked how this was an idea of taking a chance on love -- and that they were there for each other. I do recommend reading this story if you feel like reading something from this anthology.
Reluctant Groom is an anthology featuring age gaps and reluctant grooms: from arranged marriages, blackmail, marriage of conveniences, and those struggling to make the next step of commitment.
As an overall note, there was more bad than good within this anthology unfortunately. While I knew there were sometimes be dark themes, consent issues, there is still a responsibility for the editor or authors to provide trigger warnings for each story. I believe this for any book, so I'm not just picking on this one. Instead, I'll do my best to provide them in my review. I will be rating these in the order I read them.
October Surprise by LJ Longo
Content Warnings: Racism, homophobia, past sexual trauma, blackmail
Tropes: Blackmail, forced marriage, age gap, opposites attract, femme MC
Kink: None
Rating: 2/5
3rd Person, Single POV
I did research on this author because I was curious, but Longo is a white author. The reason I wanted to figure this out is because there is a use of calling one of the black characters "feral" with "mysterious" dark skin. I do not understand the choice in doing this, even if both your characters are black. I could tell they put some research into cultural aspects as they're brought up - but I cannot speak to accuracy or sensitivity, besides what stood out to me as wrong.
Romance wise, this book was just sad. The sex scenes were "meh" at best, the writing is awkward, and so many times was Sunshine called a bitch. There is an implication of these two characters having a sexual relationship when Sunshine was underage, and there is clear trauma bonding when Sunshine was a young child that I think causes an uncomfortable dynamic. While this story does turn in the last bit or so, most of all it was these two harming and manipulating each other. Also, lots and lots on politics.
Sins of the Father by Hannah Morse
Content Warnings: Homophobia, unsafe BDSM, blackmail
Tropes: Blackmail, forced marriage, celebrity, age gap, revenge
Kink: Domination/submission, sensation play, bondage
Rating: 3/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
Sins of the Father features a forced marriage by blackmail, where Beau intends to take his revenge by marrying the son of his high school enemy (and crush), while there are benefits of money and opening the door of acting for the younger MC. I found the angst around Tucker, the younger MC's dad, interesting as it all came together and how it was solved. This had the aspects of "ignoring you" angst I enjoy in this type of forced marriage plot. I also liked the sex scenes, with the bit of BDSM and the discussion of what safe BDSM looks like.
The writing was non-offensive, and overall, I think this is a decent read in this anthology.
Protecting Chauncey by Cooper McKenzie
Content Warnings: Pedophilia
Tropes: Arranged marriage, age gap, dad's best friend
Kink: N/A
Rating: 1/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
So, the beginning of this plot as Marco wants Chauncey to be part of the "business" (whatever that means, vaguely criminal?), and apparently wants to get with him including marriage. We don't learn his true reasons until the end, and it honestly still doesn't make sense. Anyway, his mother's solution to this problem is to marry Chauncey off to the other MC, who is a family friend he grew up around. We learn that this family friend had sexual feelings for Chauncey as soon as he hit puberty (so, maybe around 13 or so?), and that is why he bought a ranch and moved to Texas when Chauncey was 16 so he didn't act on his feelings. Chauncey knew he was gay from a young age, and while he could see the family friend as attractive, he had not lusted over him as a child or anything.
Uhhh... what the fuck? What was the point of this dimension to their relationship besides how fucked it is? I am never into a story where a much older man lusted after a younger man since he was a child. No thank you. He even called him jailbait and how he had waited until it was legal. AND. He calls Chauncey "C-Man", a nickname he used for him when he was a young child in some affectionate way you'd use "sweetheart" or "baby". Gross and annoying.
The end drama with Marco still didn't make sense to me and while you get an HEA... just no.
Making it Real by Marie Medina
Content Warnings: Dubcon, blackmail
Tropes: Forced marriage, age gap, closeted MC, debt, blackmail, instalove
Kink: N/A
Rating: 1/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
This was another story I very much disliked. Marcus is extremely unhinged, never taking no for an answer. It starts in the beginning when these two apparently were a one-night stand after a good date, and then he took the other MC's phone and demanded all the reasons why they couldn't continue to date. After explanations *and* refusals, including that the other MC was the son of the man who Marcus was buying the company from, he still didn't let up. After he dubcons him into sex, he decides to out the MC to his father and threaten if he doesn't go along with the engagement he will walk away from the deal and leave his family in debt.
The sex isn't well written, for what it is worth, but we continue to have a very unhinged story as Marcus manipulates the other MC and never listens to his wants. When finally the other MC pushes for a breakup and says he will accept the consequences, Marcus says he will end the engagement.... by planning a wedding and essentially giving him no option but to marry him, along with another blackmail three-month deal. It was awful.
Worth the Risk by Allyson Young
Content Warnings: Blackmail, discussion of illness
Tropes: Forced marriage, blackmail, age gap, debt, boss/employee, mutual pining, reformed playboy
Kink: N/A
Rating: 1/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
Worth the Risk is an "alpha/alpha" romance where the older boss wants to marry his subordinate who he has wanted for a long time. His subordinate also has pined for his boss but has seen many men go through those doors and doesn't want to invest in something casual, and would prefer a long-term relationship. So, he hasn't wanted to pursue anything with him. Never fear! His boss decides instead he will just blackmail him into marriage by threatening his job if he doesn't marry him.
Of course, the subordinate MC has family depending on his money with severe health troubles and sisters he is trying to put through college, so it's basically asking him to cut off his own hand or marry his boss. He is resistant because he doesn't want his heart broken and, well, no one wants to be forced into anything. Still, having no other choice, he accepts the marriage proposal. There is back and forth between them, angry conversations, and more shifty stuff the boss does until he gets his HEA.
There were severe formatting and editing issues in the first half, with line breaks happening in almost every sentence. Needs to be fixed.
Not So Sham Wedding by Megan Slayer
Content Warnings: Homophobia
Tropes: Marriage of convenience, boss/employee, friends to lovers, mutual pining, rich/poor, Definitely Not Legal Will Stipulations
Kink: Public sex
Rating: 2.5/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
This has the usually funny "definitely not legal" stipulations for a will, such as marriage that must specifically last a year and whatever else the father had in his will with this one. The romance is between Hudson and Lucas -- Lucas is his younger PA and best friend, and Hudson is the boss and older man. Not wanting to marry a woman, Hudson asks Lucas to marry him who feels unworthy and awkward about the idea.
It is revealed they both pine for each other, but Lucas has a secret about a "bad past" (spoiler: it is not that bad) and associated trauma with talking about it. Hudson still gets mad though he wasn't told even though it happened so long ago anyway and the fact that the father's homophobia was the biggest issue. We learn how long these two have known each other, such as the fact Hudson had loved Lucas since he was an underage teen when they met (!), which I hate. Hudson would've been 33. What the fuck.
Anyway, there's an out of place second sex scene that I believe the author was just doing to make something up for word count, because it didn't match the character's personalities. This story was very "meh".
Room With a View by James Cox
Content Warnings: Discussion of family death, divorce
Tropes: Age gap, established relationship, BDSM club, rich/poor
Kink: D/s, impact play, Sadism/masochism, exhibitionism
Rating: 4/5
3rd Person, Dual POV
Finally, some good fucking food. With this, the "reluctant groom" aspect is how Paul has seen the more devastating effects of marriage within his family and while he likes Billy and has been with him for two years, he doesn't want to commit to marriage. Not to mention the insecurities he has around how different their class status is, with him struggling to make money and Billy being so wealthy (even if self-made).
Billy is also his Sir and Dominant. Billy has proposed to him multiple times but has only gotten a 'no', and wasn't given the reasons why. So, he sets out to woo Paul and find out the truth. Here we get cute dates, not filled with just sex but showing him pampering and romance. They have some hot sex scenes btw, and we see how these two communicate on the fields of sex and romance.
The writing in this was excellent, and I liked how this was an idea of taking a chance on love -- and that they were there for each other. I do recommend reading this story if you feel like reading something from this anthology.
stephanieeemk's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley and the authors and publishers for providing an ARC of Reluctant Groom.
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. They were short and some of them I wish were longer - or made into full length novels. I love myself a good age-gap story and these fulfilled that need in spades. The "forced marriage" trope, or marriages of convenience, is one that I don't read often but sometimes I just have a hankering for a particular trope or character archetype. This anthology gave me a lot of different tropes and content that made a mood reader like me VERY happy.
I do think that there should be more prominent trigger warnings displayed. I've noticed this in other friend reviews as well. I, myself, don't have any triggers when reading, so none of this content was an issue for me. However, I would hate for other readers to pick it up only to find it brings up something traumatic for them, or it's something they can't stomach reading about. This anthology is not the darkest I've ever read - not by far - but some readers may think differently.
Overall, I think I discovered some great new to me authors in this anthology and I'll be eagerly waiting to see what they put out next.
I thoroughly enjoyed these stories. They were short and some of them I wish were longer - or made into full length novels. I love myself a good age-gap story and these fulfilled that need in spades. The "forced marriage" trope, or marriages of convenience, is one that I don't read often but sometimes I just have a hankering for a particular trope or character archetype. This anthology gave me a lot of different tropes and content that made a mood reader like me VERY happy.
I do think that there should be more prominent trigger warnings displayed. I've noticed this in other friend reviews as well. I, myself, don't have any triggers when reading, so none of this content was an issue for me. However, I would hate for other readers to pick it up only to find it brings up something traumatic for them, or it's something they can't stomach reading about. This anthology is not the darkest I've ever read - not by far - but some readers may think differently.
Overall, I think I discovered some great new to me authors in this anthology and I'll be eagerly waiting to see what they put out next.
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