I was up until about 2 am reading and finished about 3/4 if it. I just couldn’t stop.

I give it 4 stars. There’s so much I loved about this book and so much that annoyed me. But in the end this book had me reading ravenously and feeling so many emotions. To me it’s a unique and memorable story! I definitely recommend anyone try it.

I actually loved the first third of this book. The sex is so hot, and you see such sweet sides of both main characters.

While I did enjoy the book a few things prevented 5 stars from me. First of all, it’s pretty obvious the hero’s a straight up jerk. I mean, you start to understand him and love him but then he does a complete 180 and becomes unlovable again. I didn’t like that there were such long separations (I understand the 8 years but the fact that he is gone again for 7 months?!) I could have done with WAY more groveling and some more begging for forgiveness form him. My heart broke for him and with him but damn....I don’t know if I would have had a HEA if I was the heroine 😂 And that brothel scene, while forgivable to me, went a little further than I would have liked.

Knowing what I know now about the book (the deception, the secret baby, the separation of the beginning of the marriage) I don’t know if I would have given this book a chance. Those are all things that make me choose another book instead. They are just not my favorite tropes. But I’m so glad I just jumped in without knowing anything about it (I have actually started not reading the back covers/synopsis because I get expectations and assumptions lol) because it was done extremely well.

I would have preferred some more balance with the sex as it’s all in the beginning except one scene. I also thought the “evil plot” was fairly predictable but that’s fine.

I’ll be getting a copy of this book to own at some point, as I’d consider this a reread for me 😍