A review by nefeliatmn
The Temporary Wife by Catharina Maura

4.0

I started it mid week not thinking too much of it and I honestly couldn't put it down. I even stole a few moments at work to read a few chapters. Now, this is the 2nd book in a series of books but it can be read alone with just a few give aways from the first one. The main characters, Luca and Valentina have been working for years together and they walk a very thin line of hate between them but they are a very powerful duo in the industry! Quite in the beginning of the book, Luca starts being jealous about Valentina and other men - so it's a guy falls first- and after a heated moment between them, their dynamic changes. Val also starts realizing she has crossed that hate line and since Luca is arranged to be married to some other woman she tries to quit. He obviously is COMPLETELY opposed to that and he does everything in his power to prevent Valentina from leaving- pretty toxic not gonna lie. Her grandmother is sick and goes missing and he uses the opportunity to find her into one to coerce Valentina into marrying him. Yes I was not the biggest of biggest fans about it but he kind of admits that t was a pretty shitty thing to do so we're gonna roll with it. It has a lil bit of a fake dating element but not really and everything turns out pretty chaotic. The only reason that it gets 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the toxicity being borderline too much for me and also the fact that his ditty talk was a bit cringe at times.

Memorable quotes:
You were never a pawn," he says, his voice soft. "You were always my queen... Everyone knew it but you.”

We don't need you to do anything for us and you don't need to make yourself useful. You just need to be yourself."