A fantastic Fake Darling / Marriage of convinience story!

“My Darling Bride” by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a marriage of convinience love story that will enchant you in no time. This is the story of Graham and Emmy.

“My Darling Bride” was my second book by the author and I am very glad that I gave her another chance after Waylon University, because Graham and Emmy made it into my heart in no time.

Emmy is such a generous and loving person. She has looked after her two younger siblings since she was little and I love the bond between Jane, Andrew and her. She works as a bartender and in a bookstore to pay the bills.

But Graham is just as great as Emmy. He loves his family, or more so his brother, very much and would do anything for him.
As a professional athlete, he suffered a serious head injury that gave him a near-death experience. When he used his recovery time to think about what to do next with his life, he met Emmy, who was in a jam. This suits Graham just fine, as he too could use Emmy's help. In order to help his brother financially, he needs a wife, because only then can he get his inheritance.

The meetcute between the two is simply hilarious! I still don't know whether I just find it funny or not a bit strange 😂

I also really liked the atmosphere in the book, especially the scenes in the bookstore. Honestly, “My Darling Bride” really has everything a good book needs! A great setting, funny dialogues and charming characters!

“My Darling Bride” gets 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.

I love a good sports romance and Isla Madden-Mills is always a go-to author for me. My Darling Bride is a marriage of convenience between book store manager Emmy and NFL player Graham. The pair initially meet in Arizona in a chance meeting...where Emmy steals Graham's car. To help Graham out, Emmy agrees to marry him.

Both main characters have heavy backstories, so content warnings are a must with this one (near death experience, abusive relationship, heart issues, surgery, cheating, traumatic past). Emmy and Graham have a lot of healing to do before they find love and I enjoyed watching them grow together and help each other find their best selves. Emmy absolutely had my heart, especially as she's been taking care of her siblings and niece since she was a teen. I also loved watching Graham's relationship rekindle with his father after a traumatic past.

While I loved Graham and Emmy's initial meet cute, the pacing after they returned to NYC and got married was a tad off for me. This one was more of a slow burn than previous books from this author. I more so enjoyed the character growth for Emmy and Graham, rather than their romantic relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read/review this book. I absolutely loved how this was an enemies to lovers book trope. I loved how he fell in love with her first and hard. I loved the chemistry along with their laughable banter. I give it 5 stars.

My Darling Bride is one of those books that I started out liking and grew to love as it went on. The beginning was a little crazy with all of the wild stuff going on and the characters feeling larger than life. Once I got past the initial set up of how the characters met and the stuff that happens immediately after, things settled down a lot.

I loved Emmy and Graham together. Emmy was a tough cookie who was down on her luck, and nothing was going her way. She took fantastic care of her loved ones, but sometimes to her own detriment. Graham kind of came off as a jerk in the beginning, but he was just understandably irritated. He was a great guy who also supported his loved ones in any way he could. Football was his number one, but he wasn't a fame monster. Emmy and Graham may have started out as a fake couple, but the chemistry and emotional connection was there from pretty much the beginning. The way they worked through everything was a lot of fun. There were also a few surprisingly emotional aspects to this rom com. I was happy it didn't bring the mood of the story down. It only made Emmy and Graham's relationship all the more special. 

All of the fantastic side characters helped Emmy and Graham along the way. The relationship Emmy had with her siblings and niece was very special. Emmy also had some delightful co-workers that made me laugh. Graham's relationship with his brother and his husband was really sweet. The dynamic with his dad and half-brother was interesting. I loved his football friends who came out to support him as well. I would read a book about any of these characters but would especially love to read about Jane and Jasper falling in love. Those two almost stole the show at one point. Oh! And there's an adorable cat, too!

My Darling Bride was an entertaining rom com. It had me smiling, laughing, and swooning. I am hoping we get more books about the Darlings in the future.

Book: My Darling Bride
Author: Isla Madden-Mills
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

After the whirlwind of events that was Emmy and Graham’s meet-cute, the pair find themselves in a mutually beneficial deal. If Emmy agrees to marry the famous athlete Graham Harlan, she doesn’t lose the bookstore or her family home, and he secures an inheritance to help his brother chase his dreams. It is doubly helpful that this plan also screws over his half brother, but what he didn’t expect was to actually fall for the girl - now all he needs is for Emmy to realize it.

In all honesty, this read was a quick and cute one. There were details, moments, conversations that were mentioned in little detail and left me wanting more. The set up of secondary characters was executed well - if the second book isn’t about Jasper and Jane, I don’t want it. Just kidding, but these two have a cute hate-to-love and love-to-hate dynamic going.


If you like:
Forced Proximity
Grumpy - Sunshine
Fake Dating
Found Family

TW🚫: cheating exes
Reviewed by: Kassi 🤍

This review was written by members of the Sporty Spice Book Club (sporty.spice.book.club on both Instagram and TikTok).

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Emmaline Darling is having a bad day. She's escaping an abusive relationship and hiding out in a cheap hotel in the desert. When her ex shows up at the hotel she does the only thing she can think of... steal the man next doors Lamborghini and escape to the airport. Graham Harlan is reeling. His football character is stunted after a blow that knocked him unconscious. Now, the pretty girl next door stole his brand new car. His brother can't inherit the money he needs to start his life because of his bigoted grandmother so Graham decided to fulfill his part of the inheritance and gift it to his brother. He tracks the thief back to Manhattan and confronts her with a proposition. He won't turn her into the police if she agrees to marry him (temporarily). Once his brother receives the money they will divorce and go their separate ways.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but can't see myself going back and picking it back up again. I didn't connect with the characters as much as I would have liked to. There is A LOT going on. Emmy has a ton of baggage and with that comes a much heavier book than I was anticipating. Don't get me wrong, I still liked it, it's just not my favorite Madden-Mills book by far. I liked the little throw backs to previous book characters. It always makes me smile to see glimpses into their lives as a couple.

Thank you to Ilsa Madden-Mills, NetGalley, and Montlake for this eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
#netgalley #montlake #mydarlingbride

Madden-Mills is BACK with another football romance and I’m all for it!

It had been some time since I read an Ilsa Madden-Mills romance so I was super psyched to check out My Darling Bride, her latest football romance that included a marriage of convenience love story.

We first meet Graham who makes THE play to win his team the Super Bowl, only he’s tackled in the endzone and suffers a freak accident where his heart stops beating.

Flash forward to him taking some time to recoup and race his new Lamborghini in the Nevada desert and he meets Emmy at a roadside motel where she’s hiding out from an abusive ex-boyfriend.

Their meet cute is adorable but then she runs off, stealing his car!
Later meeting up in New York City, Graham proposes a marriage of convenience so that he can get his inheritance and so that she can get some much-needed money and make up for stealing his ride.

While it took me a minute to get over the fact that a hot shot football player who has millions already was resorting to a marriage of convenience scheme to get his inheritance (REALLY?!) for his brother (who also has money), I just went with the idea and I fell for Graham and Emmy.

These two both had baggage when it came to trusting their hearts and believing in happily-ever-afters but it was cute to see them open up to each other and ultimately fall for each other as man and wife.

Sometimes it just hits the spot when you have a cute romance with a fun storyline that makes you happy.

I read this book in a day because it just flowed and I enjoyed seeing how these two could finally get out of their own ways.

Emmy is a strong heroine who has been taking care of her family her whole life but she’s not without her own vulnerabilities. I liked that she always took the honest and straight forward approach with Graham!

Graham’s backstory was kind of a quick here it is, but it worked and he was a fun football player to love.

If you love romance books that are just fun stories with great characters that give a wonderful happy ending (even if the setup is a bit ridiculous), this is a great pick.

*Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

My Darling Bride is the Ilsa romance I have been waiting for! Graham and Emmy’s story is one that had me in awe and believing the magic of love!

Graham and Emmy have the most messy meet disaster. They were thrown together by fate but their passion and love is what kept them fighting for not just love but the life they both deserved to love!

There were so many times I felt I knew the direction of the story but as always Ilsa kept me on my toes because nothing went as I saw. I love a book that takes things in a direction you didn’t predict, but one that was perfection in ever way!

I loved everything about Emmy! Her gentle soul and loving heart! I love how much she rallied around those she loved and didn’t stop fighting even when she felt she should. Graham is a man who knows what he wants and will do what it takes for his brother. He doesn’t have a lot of people who he can trust or count on but something about Emmy called to the dark places inside of himself and together they healed.

This story sucked me in and kept me reading to find out what happened next. I really liked Emmy and Graham. There were a few moments that irritated me a bit towards the end of the book. However, the book overall was very satisfying.

This is a stand-alone story with a HEA (happily ever after). Emmy is the manager at a bookstore that she loves and Graham is a professional football player who had a near-death experience while playing in the previous season. They both end up at the same motel and Emmy steals Graham's car after she needs a quick getaway from her ex-boyfriend. Graham needs a wife of convenience and Emmy is the perfect person for the role especially since she owes him one for stealing his car.

All in all, this was a nice story with a few humorous parts. I also really enjoyed the interactions between Emmy's sister and Graham's quarterback. I kind of hope they get their own story next.

Just FYI, I received an ARC via NetGalley and this is my honest review of the book.

I have loved all the books I've read by her and I can definitely add this one to another of my favorite by her. She does an amazing job of creating characters that pull you in to want to know about them and their stories. Graham is in need of a wife and Emmy is in need of paying him back for stealing his car. This is such a cute marriage of convenience story. I loved the piece at the beginning where he sees a woman and knows she is meant to be in his life. This was carried out so well as he realizes Emmy is that woman he was mean to find all along. One of my favorite parts was the strong sibling dynamite. You can tell that both Graham and Emmy want to do whatever they can for their siblings and this was carried out so well throughout the book. I cannot wait for it to come out, so I can grab my own physical copy and read it all over again!

Thanks NetGalley

This was so cute. The way they met was too funny 😂 I was dying laughing with the unicorn love. The side characters even entertained me as well. Like I’m even willing to read Jane and Jasper book (this never happens to me).

I will rate this more a 3.5 stars. I don’t like (hate) the dreaded ex drama. in this one both have it but I felt like hers was resolved better and faster. He was still hung up on his.
Another thing. They hardly spend time together. He’s always leaving. Ugh 😑 took forever for them to get on the same page.

From the very beginning of this book, I loved the relationship between Emmy and Graham. Their banter and chemistry made it such a fun read. Graham was so supportive and protective of Emmy. The spice was also top notch. I also loved the relationships with the family and friends as an added bonus to the main characters relationship. I am secretly hoping for a story on Jane and Jasper.

If you love marriage of convenience, sports romance, and a happily ever after then this is a book for you.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Got this book as an arc from the publishers. I loved this book so much. It was funny and witty and an easy going read. Only reason I did not give 5 stars is because the plot seemed a little fast for me. But other than that this was an awesome read and would definitely recommend to others!

I read this book based on the book's description and title. I was hooked on My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills from the get-go. It took me two days to read it because I had to work. Otherwise, I would have read My Darling Bride in one day. That is how good this book is. I did not realize I had read her two previous books from this series. This is a stand-alone book, and you do not need to read Beauty and the Baller and Princess and the Player, but they are also great. Emmaline Darling and Graham Harlan first meet in the desert of Arizona when Emmy throws herself at Grahm to get rid of a sketchy man in a hotel where they are both staying. Emmy steals Graham's Lamborghini to get away from an abusive ex-boyfriend. Graham needs a wife to obtain his inheritance, and Emmy is the perfect person to play his wife. I laughed and cried and could not put this book down. Many characters in this book make you love or dislike them. I can not wait to read Jasper's story; please keep them coming.

5 HUGE STARS!!!! I love romance novels that grab me by the heart and My Darling Bride had absolutely all of the feels!!! I adore the fake marriage/marriage of convenience trope and this novel is exactly the reason why! From start to finish, Ilsa Madden-Mills had me on the hook- laughing out laugh, swooning, and at parts my heart literally hurt- LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THAT! My Darling Bride is officially one of my favorite romance reads of 2023!! Don’t walk, run to read this gem! I am keeping my fingers crossed this will be a series because I really need some of the supporting characters to get their own books asap!!!

Stealing someone's Lamborghini and getting away with it!!!
Book store owner and cat lover Emma is on the run from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, but he has managed to find her in he middle of the desert and she needs to make a quick exit. Picking up the keys for a Lambo seems the logical thing to do...

Graham is a professional football player recovering from a near death sport injury and desperately looking for someone to marry before his next birthday - if not he'll miss out on a big inheritance which he's planning to give to his gay brother.

The Lambo belongs to Graham and he's come up with a genius plan - force the woman who stole his car to marry him and he won't press charges.

Emma agrees, what else could she do after the Lambo is found crashed and Graham says she'd be liable to pay for it? Soon the sparks ignite between them and the arrangement may be more than an arrangement...

Fabulous story, amazing writing and Emma was easy to love, whereas Graham grew on me.

PS. Not really sure why there is a suited guy on the cover to a sports themed story, but hey ho...

What an amazing 5 star story this was. A page turner that is highly addictive.

Emmy and Graham met in the desert, she stole his car. Now he needs a favour and he won’t take no for an answer.

I loved every minute of this great story that was full of heartwarming and yet heartbreaking moments. But it comes full circle to give me an HEA. Beautifully written with a storyline that was perfectly executed. I loved these amazing characters that made me laugh at times and tear up too. Bottomline this is a must read.

Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA. I strongly recommend this story.

What a cute, funny and spicy book. Hooked from beginning to end…never a dull moment between the two main characters. Of course, there was drama-rama with exs and family. But it didn’t bore one to death. Loved almost all the side characters (exs can go pound sand, hahaha) and enjoyed how the plot had a few unique twists. I’d definitely recommend this book and look forward to what lies ahead for the author…so far, its been a pleasure to get lost in all their other books 😎🤩

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted ARC…as all opinions are my own.

*thank you to the author and netgalley for advanced copy to review!"

I love Ilsa! She's one of my favorite authors for sport love tropes.

She does a great job of creating endearing characters. Graham is definitely indearing. After being hurt, he's struggling to let people in. He is more than giving and an all around good person.

Emmy is the mfc and she too struggles to let people in. After finding herself committed to Graham, they struggle letting down defenses and it keeps pushing them apart.




There are several characters in this book that really added to the comedy of it and made for feel good family vibes.


Pros- I always love her characters. I laughed out loud several times. Emmy is definitely no damsel in distress. It's refreshing to see a hard working female.

Cons- there were some typos, but nothing that hampered the reading. There were some parts that seemed rushed. I would have loved to see a little more tension between the two that wasn't resolved bluntly but rather slower. I think it would have fit Emmy's character better and added a little depth to the book.

All in all, I enjoyed the read and can't wait to get my hands on another one of her books!

Ce livre ne sort que le 5 décembre en anglais mais j’ai eu la chance d’avoir un ARC grâce à Netgalley que je remercie ! Quand j’ai vu qu’Ilsa allait sortir un fake dating et avec ce résumé prometteur j’ai foncé tête baissée!

On va suivre Emmaline, une jeune femme qui va voler la voiture d’un inconnu pour fuir son ex petit ami… sauf que cet inconnu se revele être Graham Harlan, un joueur de football… Alors celui-ci va lui proposer un marché : pour éviter qu’il ne porte plainte contre elle, elle doit se marier avec lui pendant quelque temps mais surtout pas de sentiments! Ça a l’air simple non?

C’est un livre qui se lit vite et sans prise de tête, on sait dès le début comment cela va se terminer mais pourtant les thèmes abordés par l’autrice sont différents et surtout on sent qu’elle a fait des recherches pour être pertinentes! J’ai beaucoup aimé le personnage d’Emmaline qui est une battante, indépendante et qui n’a pas sa langue dans sa poche! J’ai eu un peu plus de mal avec Graham dont certaines de ces actions/réactions m’ont donné envie de le frapper ^^ Ensemble, ils vont s’aider, se compléter et tomber amoureux et c’est beau!

En bref, un fake dating tout mignon!