GRR Reviews Fake Marriage to Her Best Friend by Kacy Cross

NOTE: The book is also titled as "Fake Marriage Favor"

Nomi is tired of losing. She had already lost the defense of her brother from fraud charges, which also meant closing the lawfirm they founded. She was not about to give up on the city council election... However, she has one leaked compromising photo that her opponent would use against her. She needs help from the other person on the photo, her best (platonic) friend, Malone. // Malone and Nomi are platonic friends for a long time, and Malone wasn't looking for love. Having the ex-fiance stole his entire company definitely soured the mood. When Nomi proposed that they get (fake) married to solve her PR problem, he accepted. That's what best friends do for each other, right? But neither expected the turn of their feelings when they actually kissed...

Somehow, the characters aren't that nice. They are sweet and they have sob stories, but really, marriage of convenience just to repair her CHANCE of repairing her reputation? It somehow just feels very... selfish and egocentric. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews My Big Fat Fake Wedding by Lauren Landish

Violet wants to let her grandpa "papa" (with a few months to live) walk her down the aisle. When Collin proposed, she readily accepted, then Collin backed out. But Violet refused to let Collin see her cry. She just needs a new groom... // Ross hates being the scapegoat. How was he to know the distraught woman he was escorting to a ride was a preacher's wife, when he was ambushed by paparazzi? When his father told him he needs to settle down, Ross only saw one way... Find a "fake" fiancee. // Ross was surprised to learn that Violet needed to get married, fast, and so did he. It'd be a match made in heaven, if not for they being nemesis throughout their school years. It'd be acting of the century for them to act lovey-dovey... But is there real affection behind the barbs? Does it even matter, when time's running out?

I am conflicted about this novel. On one hand, the rom-com potential is off-the-charts. The enemies-to-(sorta-pretend)-lovers was handled perfectly, with each escalation pushing things tighter and tighter. I don't even mind the ending when someone showed up and ruined everything, as it makes for a great darkest hour. On the other hand, the sex scenes don't quite flow right after the tension and comedy bits. And I don't think it wasn't quite explained properly how the nemesis got the "incriminating evidence". 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Keith by M S Parker

Keith can't believe his brother, Matt, is willing to marry a spoiled socialite Nikolette just so her daddy will save his family foundation with a cash infusion. Keith met schoolteacher/waitress Veronica at a social event, and despite being attracted to her, decided Veronica is much better suited for his brother Matt. So he set them up together on a date, to break up Matt's plans. Let's just say nothing actually happened according to plan...

Nice, a very nice mix of tropes, and a couple surprises along the way. It's Cyrano mixed with a marriage of convenience and a sibling triangle (of sorts). I kinda hope for bigger karma on Nikolette though. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Marry Me at Dawn by Lucinda Whitney

Gabriela came out of the emergency hospital feeling very down... She just found out that she can no longer bear children. Her cousin put her up in a resort in the Azores, so she can hide out and hopefully figure out what to do from there. // Damian vowed to be the opposite of his philandering father by never giving his heart to anyone. He revived the family business, and was doing great, until Social Services handed him baby Claire, legally his as his name is on the birth certificate. He hid out in the Azores... at the same resort... When Gabriella showed up by accident. // Damian found Gabriella beautiful and great with the baby. When his lawyer and best friend told him to marry her for a year, he barely hesitated, and Gabriella, perhaps overwhelmed by a chance to have a family, even if it's a fake one, said yes. But will this family last? And what happens when Damian found out who the father REALLY is?

Good twist at the end (on who's the father), how the fake relationship built up slowly. But I think Gabby was a bit too fast to give up on Damian. 4/5

GRR Reviews her Guardian Boss Fake Fiance by Sarah Gay

Samantha moved across the country to start a new job around Christmas break and met Teddy, her new boss, at the airport. He invited her to dinner, where she found his ex Tisha was stalking him, so she pretended to be his fiancee and he agreed. But when their car leaving dinner had a collision, Samatha was paralyzed... and Teddy married her to make sure she got better. Almost two years later, Samantha has recovered from that day, and Teddy is often there, but he has a job running a travel empire. Teddy told her that she'll let her go at 2 years. And she told herself it's best for him too. Why can't they admit their real feelings for each other?

Not really feeling the Christmas magic for this one. Circumstances are contrived, and why does Teddy feel so "responsible" for her injury that he married her while she's still loopy from the pain meds? 3/5

GRR Reviews The Billionaire's Alternate Marriage by Tami Dearen

Rylie had been crushing on Jarrett, even though Jarrett dated her twin sister Carlie. But Carlie dumped Jarrett for a singing career in Nashville. Years later, Carlie is hiding out from a scandal and living with Rylie... when Rylie found that Jarrett has moved in next door, and is now a billionaire. But Jarrett wants to adopt Gabe and despite his riches, he can't seem to get adoption approved... unless he got married. The logical choice would be Carlie, who can use a boost for her career, being associated with a billionaire. But when timing did not work out, Jarrett ended up marrying Rylie instead, as a marriage of convenience. It's just to adopt Gabe, they said to themselves... Each was convinced that the other wanted someone else... Can they ever admit their real feelings?

Good setup and no logic holes or plot holes I can see, just a lot of inconvenient timing (like Carlie fell sick just before the marriage timing) but if rom-coms can do it, so can regular romances. 4/5

GRR Reviews Her Loyal Protector by Cami Checketts

Kaytlyn left her home a decade ago, having had enough of her father's emotional abuse. She drifted and eventually met Jacob, who treated her like a second daughter next to his own daughter, Jennifer. And Jacob is worth billions. Kaytlyn is also fond of Cameron, Jacob's bodyguard. But when Jennifer got married, she slowly started to change. Not even Kaytlyn's being surrogate for Jennifer's baby can mitigate her simmering rage. And it turns out Kaytlyn wasn't just a surrogate... The baby is half hers (they used her egg without telling her) And Jacob is dying... Reluctantly, Jacob enacted his final plan... He will "marry" Kaytlyn, and claim the child as his heir, and NOT A SINGLE PENNY will go to Jennifer and her husband to fuel his narcissistic political ambitions. Jacob's confidant and bodyguard, Cameron (who already wanted to date Kaytlyn), will protect Kaytlyn. Kaytlyn must protect her child and her charitable foundation from Jennifer and her politician husband. and Jennifer, feeling deep rage for the "betrayal" by her father, vowed revenge...

The plot seems a bit too complicated, and half of the legal maneuvering, like forcing Cameron to stand aside, seems to be superfluous, esp. with Jennifer's public outburst during Jacob's funeral in front of hundreds. And the final fight seems to be way too convenient due to a TSTL moment. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews The Cowboy's Imperfect Plan by Hayley Wescott

Tyler used to be a rodeo champ, but he got married, had a kid, then the marriage turned sour, he went off the deep end, became a drunkard, and lost custody. But he is a foreman for a rancher who regarded him as the son he never had. And he's been years sober. When the rancher had a stroke, he found out about the will giving him the ranch... with a caveat... // Adaline just found out that her mother had lied to her all her life... Her father was not dead, and in fact, left her a ranch... with a caveat... She has to marry Tyler for a year. Adaline was a recovering addict herself, but less than a year sober. Would a marriage help or hurt Tyler's custody battle, when Adaline kept her struggles secret?

Baby custody battle and marriage of convenience is nothing new. But having it in the same novel with weird will, sudden family, and hidden past? That's at least an interesting combination. 4/5

GRR Reviews Her Billionaire Cowboy's Fake Marriage by Hope Moore

Wade found that his grandpa's will requires him to marry someone within 90 days, for at least 90 days, to keep the family ranch, else he and his brothers can kiss their inheritance goodbye.  And with only a few days left, he did not expect to find any one good enough... Until he ran into a waitress named Allie... // Allie is down and out, working multiple jobs to keep her mother's care funded, but she can't abandon her mom after death of her dad. Accepting his outrageous proposal may solve all her problems... but is this a con? or just the miracle she had been hoping for?

Typical fish out of water, different worlds, but with a good polish on the tale. 4/5

GRR Reviews Treasured by Thursday by Catherine Bybee

Gabriella survived her ordeal (see book 6) and chose to start over as a new matchmaker for Alliance far away in the US. When her latest prospective client billionaire Hunter Blackwell refused to come clean about his reasons for a marriage of convenience, she rejected his application. However, he can't take no for an answer... for his own reasons. Instead, he applies leverage: his private investigator dug up about her past that she wanted to keep hidden... and two accounts she didn't know about on the other side of the world. She reluctantly agrees to the marriage... with some interesting additions to the pre-nup. In the meanwhile, she managed to log into those accounts from afar and changed the access code to them. Unfortunately, that also turned her into a target... as the real owner of those accounts is Diaz... the evil mastermind behind Gabi's suffering (in book 6), and he really wanted his money back, that he'll come to the US to deal with Gabi and Hunter personally... even as Hunter revealed the reason why he needs to marry ASAP...

I am not too sure about this one. While the premise sounded fine initially, Gabi seems to just fold with little reason when she has the entire Alliance to back her up, but somehow she wanted to "deal with it herself" (but it could be that she wanted to prove herself, it's almost plausible). Also, she somehow found accounts in foreign banks, and was able to gain login and password to those accounts just like that? That seems a bit far-fetched. These plotholes are pretty glaring when previous novels didn't have such problems. 4/5

GRR Reviews Irresistibly Rugged by Victoria Pinder

Dylan was one of the family framed and only marriage to Lois got him out. While the charges against them were dropped, Dylan is going to resolve the threat once and for all by finding and convicting the masterminds behind the operation. However, Dylan didn't know that his wife, Lois, is a spy for the other side... Lois just wanted to get out from her fate... marrying a guy she hated, or stuck in her cult leader father's clutches. Marriage is supposed to get her out with some money to start over somewhere else. She never counted on being used to frame a whole family... and being the actually guilty one. But can she come clean, even as the conspiracy closes in around them?

Sort of works, sort of doesn't. The schtick of a fake wife spying for the other side was used in all the other books and it's getting a bit old by this point. The final confrontation reads like an old pulp fiction plot (tie the victims to one of those highrise window washing platforms, with a bomb, to drop them at press of a button). It reads as if it's pulled from a plot generator. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Cinderella Undone by Nicole Snow

Kendra always loved Knox from afar... Until Knox got his dad's business partner's daughter pregnant, got a daughter, then the other women simply disappeared. Not even lots of money and private investigators can find her. With death of Knox's father, Knox is supposed to become a full partner for Black Rhino, but Knox is instead sent to acquire diamonds, legal or illegal, in some of the douche-y-ist places on Earth with his team. Now the boardroom fight is getting ugly, when the other partner is threatening to take away Knox's kid to force him to accept a buyout. So Knox needs a plan... He'll engage and marry Kendra (a platonic best female friend), which should deflect any court attempts to re-evaluate custody. Kendra will help Knox even though he had not only broken but crushed her heart years ago, and Knox will make her a Cinderella, all her dreams come true, live with a prince, get her degree, whatever. But Kendra has her own enemies... and things took a seriously twisted turn when both enemies united to ruin both Knox and Kendra...

I'd say this may be one of Nicole Snow's worst novel to date. The plot is over-the-top and getting more impossible as the darkest hour approaches. The idea that the "bad guys" can suddenly get FULL custody of a child by (censored) and (censored) and two psychologists, neither have ever met the subject, is simply impossible. Not to mention the mother was (spoiler-censored). And who writes hand-written notes to lawyers nowadays? The end fight is a deus ex machina where the military and mercenary veteran failed to follow basic combat tenets: make *sure* the enemy is down and out. Sure it's emotional, but with all the holes in the plot it felt more like melodrama than drama. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Irresistibly Charming by Victoria Pinder

Hannah had a fortune... the operative word is on "had". She trusted a cult leader and lost it all. So when the said leader told her he has a way for her to earn it all back, and get her family jewels back too, she's hesitant. But if all she had to do is to marry a guy to get him out of prison, stay married for 30 days, then divorce him, it's good, right? That is until she met Logan Bentley in person... // Logan can't believe his entire family, including mom in the hospital for cancer treatment, was arrested on trumped-up charges. Now that someone wants the brothers to get married before putting up bail is even stranger. But since they can't do anything from behind bars, what do they have to lose? Logan liked Hannah, and he vowed to help her recover her own fortune and put the cult leader behind bars. But the wives all seem to have their own agendas, having mostly been recruited by the same cult leader, who's doing bidding for some hidden mastermind. Does Hannah still want to get divorced? Will she help the Bentleys prove their innocence... or was she being swindled again?

Not too sure about this one. The reasoning for the conspiracy seems okay, but 'trumped-up charges' that would result in the arrest of the entire family, yet can be bailed out, really makes no sense at all when you think about it. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Single by Saturday by Catherine Bybee

NOTE: To get the full effect, please read the series starting from book 1.

Karen is the perfect Hollywood wife, except she's keeping a huge secret... She's in a fake marriage of convenience. Her husband, blockbuster star Michael, is actually gay, but needs a wife to stop speculations. She'll get a nice payout after a year and a divorce. And that's only a few months away. Until Michael's brother, Zach, crashed their anniversary party... Karen was not ready for the feeling when she's around Zach. And when Michael was guilted into taking a trip to see the whole clan back in Utah, Karen has to keep Michael's secret... and her own infatuation with Zach. But when Karen and Zach decided to help a teenage couple escape abusive parents... Things went side-ways very quickly...

Catherine Bybee has a knack of turning what started as a romance into romantic suspense and actually have everything make perfect sense. The darkest hour was masterfully handled and explained. The setup for Karen started at the end of book 1, was handled by book 2, and made references to book 3's adventures. So you really should read the series from the beginning. 5/5

GRR Reviews Forbidden Crown by Victoria Pinder

Prince Antonio had to be married before his 30th birthday to inherit the throne, but he's out of time, with barely two weeks left. And his father is ill. He advertised for a secretary but is secretly auditioning for a bride of convenience. When Kristin, an American student, applied, he saw the perfect candidate. She needs money to finish her degree. He needs a bride. Why not a marriage of convenience, as they are attracted to each other? She agreed, but their trip to Avce coincided with a communist coup-de-tat against the reigning royal family. Who can be trusted? Will they survive?

Eh, didn't feel much about this one. Chemistry is minimal, it's mostly adventure and the whole idea of prince auditioning for a bride of convenience is a trope. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews Irresistibly Lost by Victoria Pinder

NOTE: 48-page prologue novella, not a full novel

Aaden needs to marry to get an inheritance he didn't want. And the only one he ever wanted was Sienna, the woman he had to leave at the altar once... For a very good reason: he wanted her to live instead of succumbing to the danger around his family. But circumstances have changed. He will marry her, then divorce her, thus leaving her with plenty of money to protect herself. It was the best he can do. But Sienna can't let go. She thought she was over him, but she wasn't. But is that enough to make a "fake" marriage work?

Motivation is a little vague here, but the angst is fine. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Married by Monday by Catherine Bybee

Carter is running for governor of California and needs a wife to "settle down" his image. He's rich and handsome, but too many women just saw him as a conquest or rich sugar daddy. The "candidate" he had in mind is Eliza, his best male friend's wife's best friend, and a matchmaker. They seem to squabble, but in a somewhat flirting way that left both a little breathless. But Eliza prefers to be in the background for a reason... and if Carter wants her, there will be nowhere to hide her secrets...

Interesting pivot from mystery to romantic suspense, with all the proper karmic payouts done properly. 5/5

GRR Reviews Irresistibly Played by Victoria Pinder

Roy Bentley knew despair. Someone destroyed his family's reputation and framed them for crimes they did not commit. He's trying to restore all that. Then he meets Caitlyn. // Caitlyn agreed to work with police undercover to help a friend under a cult's spell. But when the friend agreed to marry a different Bentley brother, Caitlyn agreed to spy on Roy and the entire family. But soon it became clear that the Bentleys are just normal people, not a crime syndicate. Is the police she agreed to work for on the right side of the law? Did she already fell for Roy? What will he do when he found out she's a spy?

Jumping in at book 5 didn't quite help my comprehension, as there are a lot of little details that are not fully covered in the book itself. You'd get more out of the series if you start from book 1. With that said, the plot and the conflict made sense for the most part, except the size of this "grand conspiracy" feels just a bit too big. There are references to Pinder's other works, such as "House of Morgan" series. 4/5

GRR Reviews Trusting the Billionaire by Cynthia Savage

Audrey is divorced and soured on love. She just wanted to run her non-profit for abused women, but that's failing too. Then her best friend got her heart broken by a guy who bragged about using some super seduction technique learned in a class and it worked to get her into bed. Audrey is determined to find out who's the douche 'super seducer' and make him pay... // Asher is brainy, and he he teaches techniques to talk to women. He let one woman get away from him before, and he's regretted it ever since. When one of his clients threaten to ruin him since he doesn't preach what he taught (i.e. he has no mate of his own), he found Audrey... the one that got away. A marriage of convenience would be perfect... He'll fund her non-profit, in exchange to get the client off his back. She agreed, because she believed Asher is the douche super-seducer teacher, and she'll stay to get the proof. AND Asher's secretary didn't like her boss married at all...

Well, this is a rom-com, so it didn't get THAT dark. But the mixed agendas were used to full effect here. Nice job. So why not 5/5? Because Audrey sure has a LOT of free time to mess with Asher instead of running her charity. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Negotiated Marriage by Noelle Adams

Molly and Luke have a marriage of convenience for already three years. He's the CEO, and she was one of the employees. They don't actually have sex, and that's why he wants to renegotiate the terms and add it to the agreement, without emotional entanglements. But she's not the kind that can have sex without giving her heart... and her "husband" never said he wanted it... or even has one...

Hmmm... the trope was subverted by making them already in a marriage of convenience then adding sex on top of it. I'm just not too sure it was explained well enough why Luke was the way he is, and how did living three years with his "fake" wife softened him up. 3.5/5