One chance encounter. A fake boyfriend and a stolen car. A very real marriage.

𝘔𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 follows Emmy stealing the hottest football player's Lambo. It was all in self defense, of course, but who's gonna tell Graham that. A favor for a favor... cut to a marriage pact to ensure Graham's million dollar worth inheritance.

- ~ -

Emmaline is a sweetheart, a darling, if you must. But she has a protective streak and a natural inclination to be an actress, after all that is exactly how she convinced the world that she is in love with football's hottest star.

Graham Harlan, may be holding Emmy's adventures with his Lamborghini, to her head, but he's a cinnamon roll. Some might say to a fault and that's why he's arranged a loving marriage (liar) with a wife that he's desperately in love with (maybe...not a lie).

- ~ -

Overall it's a good, sorta hilarious but with a few heavy elements (check TWs) romance that I hope to see continuing with Emmy's sister and Graham's bestfriend.

3.81 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I just adore this one. Maybe it is because of the author, maybe it is because it is fake marriage, enemies to lovers, sports romance trope, maybe it is just the right time for this book, but it is 5 Stars for me.

I just couldn't put it down! Now, I want Jane to have her book.

This book was silly just enough, funny just enough, hot just enough,romantic just enough, and serious just enough.

Ilsa Madden-Mills definitely is one of my favourite authors, and I love how they never disappoints! This book was such a swoon worthy story. And so much more than just a mere romance. I really liked the fact that the romance wasn’t the central and the sole focus rather the personality, quirks, character’ arc and growth was also there, which was commendable as how painful and haunting pasts that both the characters has had to experience Overall it was beautifully written and I simply couldn’t put it down!

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills is a fake dating romance and the story of Emmy and Graham.
 
Emmy cares for her siblings and works in a bookstore and as a bartender to make ends meet. She is a positive and kindhearted person who has experienced way too much. I absolutely loved her character and her behavior often created very unique and entertaining moments.
 
Graham is a football star and after experiencing a serious head injury, he is seeing life with different eyes and is looking more towards settling down. This also has another plus and he could inherit some money if he would marry and that would help out his brother. Graham is just amazing, and I adore how he goes above and beyond for the people he loves.
 
The meet cute of Emmy and Graham is just stunning, hilarious, and so memorable. I was rooting for them from the beginning and a fake dating and marriage of convenience rounded this story. The fake dating aspect is done phenomenally and these two are such a great pair and I loved reading this romance. I also liked the New York setting and especially the bookstore Emmy works at.
 
Overall, My Darling Bride is a marriage of convenience sports romance you don’t want to miss. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

So, so much fun. Great banter. Great characters. Real life problems. I enjoyed this entire read. Thanks so much NetGalley!

Emmy and Graham are darling!

Emmaline Darling just wants to get away from her abuser boyfriend and the easiest way is to take the fancy car to the nearest airport to fly home. The only slight problem is the car belongs to football player Graham Harlan and he won’t charge her with theft if she will marry him long enough to claim his inheritance to help his brother.

I absolutely loved Emmy and Graham because she works for A Likely Story Bookstore (I want to visit there) and they have to figure out what happens when they fall for each other in a marriage of convenience.

My Darling Bride is a lot of fun to read but there is some serious parts with Graham dealing with possible CTE from his playing football.

P.S. I want a book with Jane and Jasper!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden Mills

Soooo I came across this book when I saw one of my book friends posting about it on IG, and I just had to read ASAP. Not only do I love Ilsa's books, but I am also a sucker for sports romance!!!

The way these two meet was one for the books... and when he gives her an ultimatum that she can't refuse or off to jail, she goes....so marriage it is, and they have to figure it out as they go. Of course, this makes for one fun read, y'all!!!! Such a page turner and the spice was twice as nice!!! Lol

5 Stars from me... It's such a great read!!!

Ok, so this was cute. It was a classic marriage of convenience, lock up on his inheritance trope. I liked Emmy a lot, she was a great lead female. She stood up for herself and knew her worth and didn't rely on a man/relationship to feel fulfilled from her life. Graham was honestly just OK, even after a hit to the head his judgement was still a bit screwy (lol.)

The pace of the story was a bit wonky for me, I felt like we stayed in a time period for a while then suddenly we were weeks in the future. I struggled to see the love develop between Emmy and Graham because it felt like she fell during the lulls and we were reliving her emotions retrospectively.

I wish there could have been a bit more of Graham's POV during the pivotal points, I definitely missed his emotions deepen from the insta-lust at the Golden Lizard.

Overall, I liked the idea of the story. I liked the football tight end falling for the bookstore girl, I really liked Brody and Cas, and I liked the grovel at the end of the story. I just didn't fall in love with the MCs, which leaves me a bit disappointed.

This was a fun read with the odd tear thrown in too. A football romance that didn’t have much football and lots and lots of books - what is not to like? The life and characters in the bookshop are fun and lively and help the story and romance bounce along. An excellent last fifth of the book ties it all off well.

Wow this book was another great read by one of my favorite authors. Emmy and Graham meet because she steals his Lamborghini and his punishment for her instead of pressing charges is, of course, an arranged marriage (who doesn't love those lol). Graham is a sweetheart and he is a sucker for Emmy. Without giving too much away I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Such a cute read. A perfect balance of plot and spice too.
The characters were thought out well and some background ones were introduced enough to have their own standalones too.
Definitely enjoyed reading this one

This series had been so much fun. In My Darling Bride Graham needs a bride and he finds the perfect prospect in the girl who stole his car, Emmy. She had a good reason, I promise! Anyway, these two end up together because he needs a bride to receive his family trust (so that he can help his brother...) and she feels a little guilty (because of that theft incident) and a little hopeful about what she gets in the bargain.

They start off trying to make it a business arrangement, friends only...but we all know how that goes and the fact that they're attracted to each other and actually like each other as humans means that there is no way that they're going to keep it business only. Of course the problem is that one of them decides to let go and fall in love and one of them tries desperately to not be open to the vulnerabilities of love. Sandwiched in between all of this is some family conflict, history of abuse, a stalker-ish ex, the fear of CTE, and some serious debt. Fortunately all of this is resolved in a funny, love-filled ending that will have me continuing to return to this series until there isn't another book to read. (I seriously can't wait for Jasper to meet his match...I have some guesses as to whom that might be).

This was a fun and yet emotional at the same time romance. This is a marriage of convenience book that entertains you from start to finish. Emmaline finds her self stranded and running from a dangerous ex-boyfriend so she steals a car which happens to belong to a football player, Graham. He finds her and proposes a marriage of convenience, which is supposed to help them both. you can see their chemistry and it’s fun to see how the relationship progresses throughout the book. Both Emily and Graham have to deal with issues from their past which are the only things that seem to be an obstacle to them getting together for real. I highly recommend this book.

My gut reaction to this book is 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I cried. I laughed. My goodness did I pray for someone to start calling me Darling.

If I start to look into it with any sort of scrutiny then I waver on that rating. Was it a bit repetitive that they both had a dodgy medical history, dodgy exes and commitment issues, and dodgy parents... maybe one of two of those things to bring about the connection, but all of it? I also couldn't get to grips with their ages or the timeline of the plot.

There were two editing errors
At one point, Graham says something gruffy instead of gruffly and he takes responsible for her or something similar.

But overall, for pure entertainment rating, it's a four. Will I be going out and getting more books by this author....? Yes, my Darling.

This was such an enjoyable read. I really connected with Emmy and Graham. I adored how much they love their siblings and the devotion they had for them. Graham had a heart of gold when it came to taking care of Emmy. He was hardened from past betrayals but you knew Emmy was right for him. You could not help but to love Emmy and her personality. There were so many moments throughout the book that would have me laughing out loud. Graham really got his self together and accepted that Emmy was it for him, that the worrying over his health and football career was not worth the dire risks and consequences. The book came full circle for them in the end with a lovely epilogue.

I was looking forward to a light read with some humor, so after reading the book description, I found what I was looking for. This book checked the boxes for a light read with some laughs, but overall the story was slow.
The story begins with Graham playing a professional football game and getting tackled. He basically dies on the field and is revived back to life, but he has visions of a beautiful blonde haired, green eyed woman and what looks like what his life is going to be.
Next chapter is Emmy, our female character. She's hiding in some motel out in the desert after escaping her abusive boyfriend in Vegas. Graham somehow ends up there on a road trip in a Lamborghini and they have this awkward meet-cute. Cutting to the chase, she finds out her ex is on his way to the motel to find her, so she steals Graham's car and heads back to NY.
Graham finds out she stole his car after she left him a note apologizing, so he heads back to NY too. It just so happens that's where they both live, and his brother knows her, he buys the bookstore she works in and then convinces her to marry him for an inheritance. I know, I know. There's a lot of things happening and it's a little out there.
So what I really didn't like about this book is all the drama surrounding Emmy and Graham. This book loses focus and we are basically reading about the run ins with the exes, Graham's head injury, Emmy's A-fib, the sleazy half brother Holden, Emmy's dysfunctional family, Graham's broken relationship with his father. There was even almost an entire chapter of Jane (Emmy's sister) and Jasper (G's quarterback) bantering and flirting. I felt like there was a lot of back stories in this book but they never came full circle. When I read a romance, I want to read about the development between the two characters and this book skipped over a lot of that. There was some back and forth between E and G, which I don't mind, but there was confusion and no communication which was annoying. One would pull back hard and disappear, and then they'd come back full force.
The book didn't focus on the characters but their drama surrounding them. There were some parts that made me giggle, but overall I was getting bored. ⭐️⭐️

Honestly this book gets four stars for their meet cute alone. Emmy’s monologue had me grinning from ear to ear. And that was before she stole his car. This was such a fun, cupcake of a book- just a sweet snack that lifted my spirits and made my heart flutter a time or two. Wonderful supporting characters and a book store I would love to shop in added to its appeal.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found myself both looking forward to reaching the end to find out what happened and dreading it because I didn't want the fun to end. I couldn't put this book down and you won't be able to either. I cannot recommend it enough!

This book is easily one of my top reads this year, hands down. It's like a perfect mix of fun and sweetness, and Graham’s the kind of main character that's been missing lately with all those broody, grunting male leads in romance. Graham's a refreshing change.

And Emmy, her personality and her banter with Graham had me smiling like a fool throughout the entire book.

The families. Loved how involved they were.. Hoping for a Jane and Jasper book in the future.

Thank NetGalley for an advance copy for my honest review.

I liked the story. Emmy is an incredibly sweet and caring person. I loved Jane’s little but emotional speech about how Emmy was always there for her and her brother when they were young, and things were difficult. Graham is a good guy, and his best friend Jasper is just the best! He made me laugh out loud. I hope te next book is about him, he’s hilarious!!
I just didn’t really have fussy feelings about the way Graham and Emmy got together. It was a bit farfetched. I mean; she pretended he was her boyfriend to rescue her from an unwanted man - I get that. But she laid it on really thick, with the ‘honey bunny’ thing and talk about lubricant and more. Personally, I would have had her hiding from Kian in his room at the inn, and then have them talk and have Graham propose this business deal of a marriage of convenience. IMO that works have been more realistic; the offer of protection from Emmy’s abusive ex boyfriend plus offering her the book store in exchange for the fake marriage.
There were some parts that made me wonder if this was the book for me, besides the way how Graham and Emmy met:
• Emmy screaming and vomiting after seeing a scorpion.
• Babs and Terry UGH SHIELD MY EYES!
• “He actually has a statue of a giant penis.” - TOO IMMATURE
• The F-word is used a lot! I really, really don’t like foul language.
• Emmy’s gran talking about a ghost walking through her.
• Graham’s near-death experience ending with a mystery person. This totally didn’t make any sense and had nothing to do with Emmy.
The book also touches on the serious consequences of football injuries; concussions and CTE, an illness caused by concussions. The struggle between staying physically safe and knowing/wondering who you’d be without the identity of a Super Bowl football player who the fans count on to score.
I liked that Graham and Emmy talked about everything; these issues but also their complicated families. so although at first the book didn’t start out strong, it picked up quite nicely after that. I would have liked a little more character development; it was there but could’ve been a bit more. Overall a nice read that touches on complicated issues without getting too heavy.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.