Summary
His secret wife just filed for divorce…
If there’s one thing in her marriage Claire Brady can count on, it’s the media keeping her abreast of her husband’s every sordid liaison, financial conquest, and nomination as America’s most eligible bachelor.
Ha!
How the press hasn’t discovered her is a mystery, but after nearly a decade of pretending their tragic marriage didn’t exist, she’s ready to make it legal… and then promptly flee the country.
Getting served divorce papers for breakfast isn’t something Ryan Brady intends to be civilized about. His marriage may be long over, but he’s not letting Claire go without hashing out their past once and for all.
Review
When one of your favorite authors writes your favorite trope, you’re thrilled. And I was mostly satisfied. But I think this story deserved to be extended–as it is, it affects the way the reader see the characters.
Which favorite trope, you ask? The estranged couple on the verge of divorce. It’s kind of like second chance, but not really: even separated for several years, the couple still has an inalienable connection. Here the thing is, they still need to reacquaint themselves with each other, as they didn’t keep contact through those years and they changed a lot. But the response to ending what once was is visceral–the divorce can’t be, and they’ll do whatever they can to avoid it, unknowlingly, and each in their own way.
Claire and Ryan married young because of an unexpected pregnancy. While they may have been in love, they mostly did what they had to do. So when tragedy strikes, Claire decides to leave Ryan. But they never divorced. Until present day, when she serves him with the divorce papers: she thinks it’s the last step in rebuilding her life. But Ryan can’t let go. He traps her into a settlement negotiation.
See the title? Claiming a need for closure, they start a physical relationship for as long as it’ll take to distribute their assets. But by spending time together–not always naked–they slowly fall in love with the person the other has become.
So my problem with this is that, since it’s quite a short novel, we don’t see much of the interactions outside the bed–or wherever. Hence the ‘falling in love again’ feels rushed and underdeveloped. Because of the fast pace, you may even doubt they had feelings for each other in the first place. And Ryan appears just controlling, almost abusive. I feel like they really deserved to have their story told from start to finish.
Other less important elements are barely touched upon, like Claire’s relationship with her parents. Sure, they aren’t vital to the love story, but it would have helped with shaping up the characters.
Quickie
- Series: standalone
- Hashtags: #billionaire romance #second chance #estranged couple
- Triggers: child loss, medical condition, cheating (though they’re separated, they’re still married)
- Main couple: Claire Brady & Ryan Brady
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + Claire really had rebuilt her life
- – this story deserved a longer book, some things were rushed
Stalker mode
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