The always amazing Robin Covington kicks off a new series with a book that is so good it just may be her best yet. Seriously, this book is amazingly good. Saying I loved it does not cover my feelings for this story and these characters.

When the author said she was going to write a full length male/male romance, I may have squealed in excitement. I knew Robin Covington could pull it off and boy did she!!! I’ve had the pleasure of reading this book twice since I got it and let me tell you dear reader, this book is knock your socks off good.
I know I keep saying how good it is, sorry I can’t help it. But it really is. I’m struggling to find the words to give it justice. This story sucked me in from the opening pages, dragged me through every emotion, had me wanting to throw it across the room at one point and left me in giddy gooey happiness by the end and I loved every second of it.

Just wait till you meet and fall in love with both the Blackwell men in Isaiah and Evan and the oh so wonderful Victor. They are all so special that you can’t keep from falling in love with them from the first moment you meet them.

This was a beautiful love story between two men who instantly gravitate towards each other and somehow find the other part of their soul while doing it. Yes the chemistry is off the charts hot between Isaiah and Victor, but for me it was the deeper connection they had that I loved.

The sinuously beautiful dancer and the widower athlete shouldn’t be a perfect pairing but they are and watching them open up to each other and fall was a fantastic thing to behold. Seeing them fight the pull of attraction and more, priceless and hot. Really hot.

I must mention Evan, Isaiah’s son who is hands down one of the most unique characters I have ever read. I LOVED him. Oh and Isaiah’s mother, she is one in a million and lovable.

I could gush on more, but I won’t because I honestly can’t recommend this book enough. There is nothing better than when you put a book down and keep thinking about it and this is one of those books. Robin Covington you have given us a book that will stay with me forever.

So total is 1.5 stars for Evan as the only and I mean the only redeeming quality of this book.

First off the blurb lies. Plain and simple it lies. There is nothing genderfluid about Viktor. Wearing make up twice and lingere does not gendefluid make. Neither does the uncomfortable hyper masculine way Viktors body is constantly described. Like shoving in your face how many muscles he has and how manly his body is. Like yes, he is a dancer and has muscles, but this nor how his body hair looks like when draining, pasta is needed.

Second the actual genderfluid queer character is Isiah''s son Evan. Who he does not deserve because he is so utterly clueless on what that boy needs. THE only good point in this book is when Evan verbally bitch slaps his father about how Evan will never be able to pass for CisHet which Isiah does not understand at all. And the fact that Isiah blamed Viktor for Evan sticking up and defending himself from abuse is disgusting. Cause clearly my husband being an activist means my queer son shouldn't defend himself and is being uppity.

Evan and Viktor both deserve better than Isiah. I don't care if he was still grieving his perfect husband who was a downlow straight passing queer. That doesn't give you leeway to be a disgusting asshole. Little to no time is given to him not actually being an asshole to Viktor.

Second thing wrong: getting married in vegas does not mean your asylum is going to be granted. It means they are going to look at it more skeptically than before.

So overall let me just say gay men can be effeminate and wear make up that does not immediately make them genderfluid. If Viktor was supposed to be genderfluid I would have liked that to be shown more. Evan who actually seems genderfluid deserves his own story ans Isiah doesnt get much redemption in this book..

The blurb as I said before ticked off so many correct boxes for me but was a huge let down. This seems to be a new series so I might check out the next one.

I will also chalk it up to arc formating but there were so many formating and structure problems with this arc such as going from spaced out paragraphs to walls of text, random symbol inserts and missing spaces after way to many commas

His Convenient Husband is a short but sweet read. There's a dash of angst, an arranged marriage and some mutual pining.

On one hand we have Isaiah Blackwell. He a NFL player but shy and quiet, keeping to himself so he can raise his son away from the spotlight. Having lost his husband a few years back he's certainly not looking for a replacement.

On the other hand we have Victor Aleksandrov. He's out and proud and refuses to be anyone but himself. Originally hailing from Russia, this ballet dancer is applying for political asylum and isn't about to stop championing human rights and shedding light on his country's violation of them.

Isaiah and Victor share a passionate one night stand...and then a marriage.

This short read was a lot of fun. Isaiah and Victor clash but ultimately fall in love. I particularly liked Evan, Isaiah's son. It would have been nice to see the world expanded a little, this is very much focused on the relationship between Victor and Isaiah, and with the family being built with Evan. So we don't see into the respective ballet and football worlds Isaiah and Victor inhabit but it is nonetheless a sweet and entertaining read.

When I saw this book, I was attracted by the title which brought a smile to my face. The marriage of convenience trope is a popular one in romance and I've read a few in my time. Indeed some of them I remember very fondly.

Covington does not offer a trope bending read, the usual marriage of convenience trope is what you get, with it's beautiful, perfect and good mc's and it's angsty moments. Not a read for those who like deep diving into the human psyche but rather a surfing experience into a trope beloved by many.

3.5 stars.

Isaiah Blackwell is a pro football player who lost his husband three years ago. He is raising his 14-year-old son, Evan. Evan looks up to the professional Russian ballet dancer seeking asylum in the US, Victor Aleksandrov. Isaiah and Victor meet after one of Victor's perfomances, and the two are attracted to each other, but decide that nothing should come out of it because Isaiah feels he already had his chance at love, and has Evan to worry about now. However, after Victor's asylum is denied, Isaiah offers to marry him so that Victor - who is very publicly vocal about gay rights - is not sent back to his country and possibly killed. The two try to navigate their new reality as newlyweds and try to determine the nature of their relationship behind closed doors as well.

Reading about Isaiah and Victor falling in love was great. Victor is an interesting character, and different from MCs in other books in the genre. There is angst there which keeps it interesting, but since we get to hear the story from both sides, it doesn't hit you as hard as it could have, which drags it down a little for me. I would also have liked to hear more about Victor's life and problems in his home country, and Evan's - Isaiah's son - navigation in the genders and his sexuality.

So, like many other folks in the book community, I got all a-twittah when I saw this book rec'd on Twitter, doubly so after reading the synopsis. However none of my expectations were met, and they were fairly low considering Covington is an another I have never heard of or read before, and I actually feel slightly.. misled.

First of all, I want to get the good out of the way : representation. It's there. What with a lead who is African-American, with an adopted biracial son who is also bisexual, and the romance between two men, I mean, that's pretty solid. Not to mention a lot of dialogue around human rights, queer activism, and speaking out against hate. Secondly, the trope. Who doesn't love the fake marriage/married for [insert reason that basically means avoiding sexytimes for most of the book to ratchet up expectations] trope. Delicious. Also there's a snarky Brit bestie who I enjoyed quite a bit.

However, the actual execution, the pretty mediocre writing, overexplanation of things that didn't need a simple explanation much less a complex one, glaringly obvious flubs or lack of proper set-up in some scenes (like, the big "okay fine we love each other, lets get married for real" moment happens in front of a giant audience and there's no mention of a microphone being turned off for the moment to be private. you want me to believe no one will make a stink over the fact that they just admitted their marriage was done for the sole reason to keep someone from being deported? that no fuss was made? I'm all for grand gestures but nope), some instances of corny dialogue (you're cute, no you're cute, no, youuu), stupid actions/reactions just to make the plot move (or not, as it were, two steps forward, four hundred back), and the total lack of a genderfluid character (as promised/described in the synopsis), left a lot to be desired and negated any potential fun or deliciousness.

The upside? This is novella length, so you won't be forced to invest much time in getting to the inevitable happily ever after. But sadly this felt like the rough draft of a good idea that should probably have a lot more time devoted to it. And maybe some actual effort to make a genderfluid character more than just an effeminate gay man who wears eyeliner.

1.5 "sex doesn't have to lead to feelings, I have conducted several experiments on this, and I can assure you it's true" stars


** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

The blurb definitely had me exited.A gender fluid ballet dancer and a NFL player....just my thing.Unfortunately this did not live up to expectations.


The Story.

Victor is a Russian ballet dancer currently seeking asylum in the US.He's very vocal and passionate about gay rights,something he's not prepared to change.

Isaiah is a NFL player,preferring to live his life away from the public eye as much as possible.He lost his husband three years ago and is raising their adopted 14 year old son,Evan.He's terrified of going through the pain of loss again.

The two men hook up one night but Isaiah makes it very clear that's all it will be.When Victor is denied asylum Isaiah makes him an offer.....they will get married and have a marriage of convenience.No sooner said than done and off to Vegas they go!


Despite my rating this isn't a bad story but there is one issue that couldn't be overlooked.But,I'm going to start with what I liked,

-I really liked Victor,I thought he was a beautiful character inside and out and I absolutely loved how he bonded with Evan.

-Evan,I found him quite fascinating and would love to read his story when he's older.

-it's my first read by this Author and the writing style definitely worked for me.


Negatives,


-Victor is described in the blurb as being Brash,loud,and gender fluid.Firstly I really didn't consider him brash at all.He was loud in respect of his opinions but all he was doing was standing up for his beliefs.If I hadn't read the blurb for this there is absolutely no way I would have thought Victor was gender fluid.Wearing make up and one reference to lingerie DOES NOT make someone gender fluid.And his gender intentity is never mentioned or discussed in the book.He came across as a slightly effeminate man and that's all.This is definitely a major issue as I'm sure a lot of people might be drawn to this book because of the blurb.

-I never really warmed to Isaiah and hated his treatment of Victor at times,he does redeem himself in the end but it was just a bit late for me.


Conclusion:

The blurb promised a lot but definitely didn't deliver and my rating reflects that.

While I enjoyed the premise--a football player marries a ballet dancer in order to keep him in the country--things fell a bit flat for me. First, Isaiah proposes to Victor out of the blue after he insists nothing could happen between them and forces them to keep their distance. I understood the purpose of it, but considering he wanted to keep his space from Victor, the suddenness of the proposal didn't sit right.

Then there's Isaiah himself. I wanted to like him. I felt for him, being a widower and single father. But I didn't care for the way he treated Victor. It was ok to have sex with him, but only in the guest bedroom, not his. He lets Victor get close and gets his hopes up that they could have an actual relationship, then pushes him away time and time again. He always makes Victor feel like an outsider. When the owner of his football team makes a slight towards Victor right in front of him, Isaiah didn't even stick up for him. Honestly, his gesture towards the end of the book was sweet, but I thought it was too little, too late. It definitely didn't make up for how he treated Victor throughout the book.

I liked Isaiah's son, Evan. He's not afraid to tell Isaiah that his treatment of Victor isn't right. He's bi-racial and often likes to dress in women's clothing. And while this gets him bullied, he always tries to find the right way to handle it. He, like Victor, is not afraid to speak out.

I would have liked the book more if it weren't for Isaiah. He brought down the book for me. The constant push and pull he had going on with Victor was too much. Victor deserved better, even if the marriage started out as a marriage of convenience.

**A copy was provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This was not the book for me. It was just a little to much over the top drama for me. After the first chapter you could predict the outcome of the book, so I skimmed over most of the book and that was more than enough for me. Sorry, it just wasn't the book for me,

Isaiah is a veteran NFL player, widowed, with a teen son, uninterested in a new relationship three years after the death of his husband. He is out publicly, but has always been low-key about his private life. He meets Victor, a ballet dancer, through their mutual agent. Victor is Russian, in the U.S. on a one year contract with an American ballet company. During that time, Victor has been outspoken against the Russian mistreatment of queer people. He has requested asylum to stay in the U.S. past his original contract.

Victor and Isiah make a fast, intense connection, and then Victor's asylum request is denied. He will be in danger if he returns to Russia, perhaps even killed. Isaiah suggests they get married so Victor can stay. It is a marriage only for Victor's immigration status, Isaiah says, even though the two of them are deeply attracted to each other, and Victor has a growing relationship with Isaiah's teen son as well.

The emotional journey of this book is very satisfying. Isaiah's internal conflict is clear and resonant, between his undeniable attraction to Victor, and his wariness of a relationship after the death of his husband. Victor's straightforward desire to have a marriage and family with Isaiah also rings true. The connection between them is palpable, and Victor's bond with Isaiah's son makes it even more special.

The part that didn't work for me was Isiah's NFL career. Nothing about it rang true. It just isn't believable that there would be an out NFL player and it wouldn't be a big deal. Also, there was nothing about the enormous commitment of being an elite ballet dancer or professional football player. Both careers are incredibly demanding in terms of time and physical effort, which puts pressures on family and relationships. None of that was brought into play.

Every moment of the relationship between Isaiah and Victor rang true. Every hesitation was believable, and the depth of their emotion was apparent on every page. These were two mature, complicated men who, in spite of challenges, could make a genuine connection.

3.5 stars. Over all I did like the premise of this book but what I didn't like was how Isaiah treated Viktor at times, especially the scene at the school which really pissed me off. Yes I understand that Isaiah didn't want to allow himself to fall in love again because he didn't want to lose that love again (his husband had died 3 years previously whom he loved with all his being). Another part that really made me mad was Isaiah telling Viktor that he could have a relationship with someone else as long as he was discrete. Really?? The speech at the end more than made up for the way he treated him. The last issue is I didn't really care how it ended. Instead of the re-marriage I would have liked to have seen them settled in their life a year or so in the future. This was a new author for me & I look forward to reading more by her.

This 5+* story explodes stereotypes while celebrating love in the tale of a quiet and somewhat reserved African American NFL player, widower and father of one, who is paralyzed by his stunning, immediate attraction to a Russian ballet dancer.  The fabulous and gender fluid Victor, with his black eyeliner and lip gloss was every bit as drawn to quiet Isaiah and to his artistic young son.  Although Isaiah is grieving the loss of his husband Stephen, and paralyzed by the fear of further loss, he can't resist the charismatic Victor, renown dancer and Russian human rights activist.  This story draws every emotion from your soul as we participate in the attraction and fears of these two men.  The author definitely paints a picture that surrounds the reader, "sensation crept along his skin and lit up his nerve endings". .. "when it comes to loving.., being scared is never the acceptable answer"

A marriage of convenience involving a quiet black masculine NFL player and a loud and out genderfluid Russian ballet dancer whose asylum was denied and this story could have been pulled from the pages of the L.A. Times.  The setup provides so much opportunity for opinion, controversy, and emotion.  I LOVED this story and although the author is new to me, I am going to check out the backlist!

Well. This book was pretty much Clash of Expectations vs. Reality for me.

I primarily picked this up for two reasons. A) genderfluid Russian dancer and a black football player fall in love. B) Sports romance with possible great amounts of hurt/comfort and grief. Hello, that's for me.

But. Reality didn't sit right with me. After mulling it over for a day or two, I've come to two conclusions. If you're looking for a book with tangible, on-page genderfluid rep? This is probably not the book for you. I'm not sure if the pertain who wrote the blurb put the genderfluid in there for Reasons, or the author wants the book to be read that way. In the end though, what remains is that I wouldn't have known Victor is genderfluid from the book. There are very vague hints, mentioning of androgynous clothing and make-up. But he was mostly described as an effeminate gay man, and his gender identity was never mentioned, discussed or even coded otherwise. It left me wondering if the distinction between gender and gender roles, gender non-confirming presenting, gender identity and appearances just... wasn't made? Isn't clear to author or copy editor? I truly don't know. For me it was confusing, especially because another character was coded as pan and gender non-confirming, different gender and gender identities were mentioned, but *nothing* about Victor is ever on page.

I do realize that not everything has to be about gender identity – incidental queer rep is amazing – but I do think that especially in the context of Victor’s work as an activist and the teenage stepson's struggle with bullies, the complete lack of mentioning it in the story felt like invisible rep at best, erasure at worst and it confused and disappointed me.
The story in and on itself was okay, I liked the two MCs together, and the beginning had me hooked. Unfortunately the book list me a couple of times when I just didn't understand the characters' reasoning. Plus, some conflicts came a bit out of nowhere and weren't explained sufficiently for my taste, nor were the resolutions satisfying for me. Several sex scenes didn't help with that.

Talking about sex, I know some readers will get upset by one particular line that basically amounts to “There's only do much nakedness a mortal man can take before he wants sex desperately.” It's ‘only’ tyre personal thought of one of the MCs, but it comes of as a very generalized statement, equating humanity with sexual attraction&desire. And I know I – and quite some other readers, especially on the ace spectrum – can really do without these unnecessary references.

I liked parts of the ending, but it was really a bit rushed and fast for me. Ater so much time of Victor and Isaiah distancing themselves, fighting each other, hiring each other? I needed more than a big gesture, *especially* from Isaiah who (in my world) crossed to many lines and threw cutting words at Victor too much to be redeemed after one conversation with his kid and a last- minute save of the relationship. And the very last bit? No. Didn't work for me at all. Too rushed and sudden after way to much fight and struggle (internal and with each other).

I think this book could've been a solid 3 or 4 star read for me under different circumstances? As it was, I had very different expectations for this book, I was hoping for on-page genderfluid rep and more depth towards the end.

I liked this book. The writing was good and so was the story. The main characters Isaiah and Victor were interesting in that they were from two totally different backgrounds yet still connected in a beautiful way. I did not realize that Isaiah was black until at least halfway (if not further) into the book. Not that it matters that much, but I like to picture the characters in my mind while I am reading so a good description earlier on is kinda nice. I loved Ryan because he seemed really smart and fearless and had obviously been raised well by his dads. All in all definitely a good book, quick read too, as I read it in a few hours. Thanks Netgalley!!!

I’m a fan of books from Entangled and I first came across the author through her book ‘Playing the Part’ in 2013, which I really enjoyed and Mick and Piper from that book appear here too. I’d read the blurb for this book, about NFL football player Isaiah and a gender fluid Russian ballet dancer Victor and honestly, I couldn’t wait to read it, it ticked every one of my boxes. The MCs have a one night stand, both agreeing that once it’s over, it’s over, but then feelings come into play and when Victor is denied asylum Isaiah steps in and suggests a marriage of convenience, because if Victor goes back to Russia, his life will be in danger due to his outspokenness on gay rights and the calling out of the regime back in his home country. Isaiah can’t offer anything more than safe harbor with himself and his son Evan for fear of what happened with is only other true love, Stephen, and he won’t be able to survive that happening again. Then there’s the fact that Victor could end up leaving to play with a ballet anywhere in the country. They tentatively settle into a comfortable routine and Victor is so supportive of his son who’s also creative and a lover of the arts; he worships the ground Victor walks on. But there’s such a red hot chemistry between Victor and Isaiah, something has got to give... It broke my heart to see them fighting this attraction; Victor feeling unwanted and Isaiah trying to protect himself from more possible hurt and loss while they were both quietly falling in love. I can’t say much more as I don’t want to spoil this beautiful story for you but I can’t recommend it highly enough, it’s stuffed full of feels and is the quintessential love story. You know how you usually favour one MC in a book? Well in this one I was utterly besotted with both, totally understanding their POV’s and rooting and cheering for them both to find their happy ever after. Do they get it? You have to read this book, really, you HAVE to, it’s that good.

Review Copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMG Reads.

His Convenient Husband contained my favorite types of romances- MM and a marriage of convenience. The author does a great job bringing Victor and Isaiah together. The book held so many emotions I was overwhelmed at reading their story.

These men were hot and stubborn. I wand sure if they were going to find their happy ending. They both had issues that needed to be resolved before they could accept the other and be surrounded by their love

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

It's a good book. Wonderful story, important topics. The mix of these two characters is awesome.
So, why the low rating?
While I greatly enjoyed the story, I had a hard time picturing the main characters. It wasn't until VERY late in the book that it actually says that Isaiah is black. It does get mentioned that his son is biracial a bit earlier but even that comes too late for my liking. That gives them the possibility for a much deeper connection than I thought they had.
While this might not be important to others, I feel like a person's cultural background does change how they perceive the world and how they act. And above all, which problems they face in the world. While these problems don't necessarily need to be addressed if they are irrelevant to the story, knowing more about a person helps me understand them better. Imagining how they live and why they do certain things. I would have loved to get that extra bit more: more about the people, what they do, how they are, their thoughts, just more.
I'm still glad this book exists and that I have read it. I hope you'll enjoy it.

This book was stunning. It had everything I look for in a romance story. The writing was smooth and natural. I was captivated from the first page till the last. I couldn’t put the book down. The plot was great and the characters were rich with development.
Isaiah is an NHL player, widower, and father of a fourteen-year-old queer son, Evan. After the death of his husband, Steven, he is afraid to fall in love again. He is out but quiet about it. When he meets ballet dancer, Victor, he is immediately smitten. The feeling is mutual and they have a hot night together. Victor is out, proud and loud. He doesn’t shy away from speaking about gay rights in his home country. Nevertheless, his petition for asylum is denied. Isaiah offers to marry him so he can stay in the US.
The author has done a wonderful job capturing the characters of Isaiah and Victor. They came alive on the pages and I was thoroughly invested in their lives. Although being polar opposites, I could feel the connection. The chemistry was palpable. I loved their interactions. Hot, sexy and sweet.
Evan is a great addition to the story and makes it that bit extra special. Totally acting his age, he is a mixture of innocent self-confidence and teenage wisdom. He voices what the adults think. It is a clever way to get the message across that you have to be who you are, stand up for your beliefs and don’t let fear stand in the way of happiness.
I loved that recent developments in the world were woven masterfully into the story. It gave the story “body” without it being a soap box novel. It made me aware that there are still many regions in the world where LGBTQ rights are nonexistent and that it is important to speak for them.

Isaiah was not impulsive, until he married Victor.

Being a Robin Covington fan, I couldn't resist trying her intriguing tale of a NFL football player and a gender fluid dancer. While Isaiah is quiet and reserved, Victor is loud and opinionated. They are opposites that find themselves drawn to each other. Their one night together was mind blowing, but something that Isaiah warns will not be repeated. He tried love, and he lost him. That's not something he's willing to risk happening again. So he's closed off his heart. If only Victor wasn't so damned tempting. If only their one encounter wasn't so amazing. If only Victor wasn't denied asylum, ending his only chance of avoiding the temptation.

Victor understands why Isaiah has chosen to keep it casual. But that doesn't mean he feels the same way. He's tried to turn down the volume of his extravagance, but it just doesn't work. That's not who he is. You get what you see and he's not something you forget anytime soon. He's tried to turn off his heart too, but that didn't work any better. His temporary relationship is only on paper as far as his husband is concerned, but tell that to his heart.

His Convenient Husband is a sweet, heart-breaking story that opened my eyes to some situations that I might not have been aware of previously. It incited my anger, and threatened my emotions. I got attached to the new family that fought to survive in spite of it's rough beginnings. Will Isaiahs fear ruin Victor's hope? Will Victor's give up and move on, or stay and dance?

I am floored, stunned and Alain by this beautiful book. The feelings and tension between Viktor and Isaiah were palpable and so so very real. I love how the author took things that are happening in our world and wove them into the story. The relationship that these two build, along with Isaiah's son is a true thing of beauty. This book hit every point for me. Good writing, steamy smexy times and an important message