Thank you NetGalley, Ilsa Madden-Mills, and Montlake for this e-ARC copy of My Darling Bride in exchange for my honest opinion and review!

Read if you love:
-Sports Romance (pro football player x bookstore manager)
-Marriage of Convenience
-Forced Proximity
-Angst
-Witty Banter/ Rom-Coms
-Hilarious Meet-Cute
-Grumpy/Sunshine

TW: abusive ex (off page, but evidence shown/discussed)

While this story plot was a bit.. I mean WAY over the top, it was still hilarious and enjoyable! If you are loving all the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce vibes - you must read this heart warming read!

While in the desert, Emmy Darling finds herself running from her abusive ex (also a football player). While escaping, she decides to impulsively high jack Graham's lambo and run for it. Graham is a man who just had a near death experience, is on a road trip recovering. His path collides with Emmy. After a few hilarious accidents bringing the two together... he hunts her down and gives her a proposition... Marry him, or he is pressing charges.

Begrudgingly she agrees, and this marriage of convenience is meant to help them both. She stays out of jail... and he gets to receive an inheritance that will help his brother gain the ability to pursue to dreams. The problem is... what happens when the lines blur and lines get crossed?

Both of our main characters are a bit broken. But sometimes the best things in life come unexpectedly... and those things are just what we need to finally heal and be made whole.

This is a feel good romance that every romance reader needs!

He's escaping a near death experience that left him mentally altered, she's escaping an abusing boyfriend that left her past reeling in her mind. He saved her from a creep and in return, she stole his car. His very expensive car. You'd think he'd be pissed, but instead, he asks her to marry him. While there is a little humor involved (mostly from the side characters,) this is more of a drama than comedy. Both of their pasts have been turbulent and neither are in the right headspace to start a relationship for reals. Good thing this is a marriage of convenience. There are some darker (or heavier) subject matters including domestic abuse (past tense.) Wonderful cast of characters. Graham and Emmy have much to overcome to get their happily ever after. Might break your hearts a little, but in the end, it's all good. There is some steamy moments, of course. Alternating POVs. Just a good story about allowing yourself to love (and ultimately being happy) no matter what you think your past may dictate.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

MY DARLING BRIDE - ILSA MADDEN MILLS

4⭐

PLOT
Emma Darling is stranded and needs to get away from her ex boyfriend so she swaps keys of a famous players Lamborghini.
Graham has literally come back from death and needs to get married to secure inheritance for her baby brother but with whom. So when it's Emma who steals his car he tracks her down and gives an ultimatum to marry him or he'll press charges.
But what happens when sparks fly? Can they take a chance at love?
MY THOUGHTS
I love a good marriage of convenience, it's my favourite troupe. The reason for their fake marriage though common was deftly done . The meet cute was funny and adorable. Graham did little things for Emmy but what he lacked was saying them out loud and he did that in a grand manner in the ned redeeming himself.
I finished it in under 24hrs and thoroughly enjoyed it .

Emma line and Graham meet by chance in the desert.
They agree to get married, and their lives are changed and never the same. Emmaline runs a bookstore and is a cat lover .Graham Harlan life is in chaos.
He plays football and gets injured and has a near-death experience, to secure the family inheritance he needs to get married . All of a sudden Emmaline steals his car and when he finds her he tells her marry me or I’ll press charges. Guess what she picked?
This is a cute story with
Fake Marriage
Sports romance
Steamy 🔥🔥☄️
Thank You @netgalley and

Emmy has just broken up with her abusive boyfriend while they were in Vegas. And is now at a motel in the desert making her way home. When she confronted by man while going to her room she starts getting nervous when he won’t let her by. Graham is taking a road trip through the desert with his new sports car and decides to check into the motel. On his way to the room this stranger grabs him and starts acting like he is her boyfriend. When she pulls him into her room she explains why she did that. A little while later Emmy gets a call that her ex has tracked her and is on his way. Seeing the keys that Graham left she borrows his car and leaves him a note that it’ll be at the airport. Not expecting to see Graham again she’s shocked when he walks into the bar she’s working at and tells her he won’t press charges if she marries him. I like that this isn’t your typical arranged marriage story. I loved all of the side characters and hope that Jaspers gets a book. This is an entertaining read that’s full of humor and heartwarming.

THIS BOOK DESERVES A THOUSAND STARS!!!! ONE OF THE BEST OF THE YEAR BY FAR!!!! 🫶🏻🥹

I can't say anything bad, the main characters were LOVELY, the story was AMAZING and I lived my best life while reading this book. Emmaline and Graham became my favorites, how funny were they? I really loved them. Did I say that?

Emmaline seemed to me to be a strong, determined and funny protagonist, she works in a bookstore as a manager and God I love every scene there, she is in charge of her brothers (whom I love), her story made me cry because she hasn't had it very easy as we say but always with a smile and I admire her so much that I want to be like her when I grow up please.

Graham on the other hand I just love him, he is an American football player who was injured and had a close call with death, although he spent some time without playing, his goal is to get back on the field. He struck me as completely selfless (and what he does for his brother is admirable), kind, a little grumpy, but not out of this world.

The relationship between these two was explosive, slow but explosive. Their first meeting was completely random and I LOVED it when he asked her to have a marriage of convenience? Come on, I loved that Emm didn't make it easy for him, and when they are together you see how they fall in love little by little, and I fell in love with them too.

It was an easy read, it made me laugh and cry and it made me believe in love. I need a lot more of these characters because I didn't want to finish this book, I want to read it again and I just finished it.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and Montlake for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review 🫶🏻

My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills is the story of Emmaline Darling and Graham Harlan. Graham is a famous football star. But he more than that when his brother tells him he needs to marry after a near death experience to secure the family inheritance. So when his Lamborghini is stolen he takes off after the culprit. Emmaline is just a book loving cat lover who has a crazy ex. So when she has to 'borrow' a car to get away from him it should be understood. But now the owner Graham is teller her marry him or else. Loved this author!! So this was a must have!!

3.5stars—MY DARLING BRIDE by Ilsa Madden Mills is a stand alone, contemporary adult, story line focusing on twenty-nine year old football star, tight end Graham Harlan, and twenty-eight year old, book store manager Emmaline ‘Emma’ Darling.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including domestic abuse and issues of CTE, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Emma and Graham) MY DARLING BRIDE follows the fake marriage/marriage of convenience between our story line couple. Emma Darling is on the run from an abusive boyfriend, a professional football player who wanted control but Emma never expected to come face to face with another professional football player at the same dive motel where she was in hiding. Enter Graham Harlan, the man with whom Emma will fall in love but all does not go according to plan when Emma’s ex tracks her down, and her only recourse is to steal Graham’s Lamborghini, an action that is met with a lifetime of consequences. Graham needs a wife to appease the contents of his grandmother’s will, and Emma is ripe for the picking. What ensues is the building but fractured relationship between Emma and Graham, and the fall-out as Graham refuses to commit to a happily ever after.

Graham Harlan is desperate to help his brother but the dysfunctional family dynamics have pushed Graham to propose a fake marriage to a woman he doesn’t know. Having suffered a possible career ending head injury, Graham is struggling with his future and his career but one thing Graham doesn’t want is to fall in love-been there, done that, has the heart break to prove it. His relationship and marriage proposal to Emma is purely a business arrangement, an arrangement for a short period of time. Emma never saw herself falling for another football player but something about Graham pulled her like a moth to a flame, a flame that was going to hurt when she got too close. Emma knew the pain of physical abuse but the emotional trauma and rejection will hurt the most.

The relationship between Emma and Graham is a business arrangement with strict rules and guidelines to which Emma must adhere. Emma believes she is falling for a man with little emotions and a broken heart, a man who is about to destroy the woman whose own heart is in need of repair. As to the relationship, I felt little to no palpable sexual attraction between our story line couple until about 80-90% of the story, and most of this is to blame on Graham’s attitude and off-putting behavior. Graham wants nothing to do with love, believing himself still in love with a ghost from the past, and in this, Emma is often left alone including her wedding night, and when Graham is needed the most. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including family and friends, exes and teammates. Both Emma and Graham come from broken and dysfunctional families; there is a history of abuse, infidelity and abandonment from all sides.

MY DARLING BRIDE is a story of power and control, desperation and determination, mistrust and miscommunication, family and friendships, forgiveness and love. The slow building premise is heart breaking ; the characters are broken and stubborn; the romance is limited and disappointing. Not my favorite Madden-Mills story-I struggled with the hero’s mindset and perspective.


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This was a really good fake marriage romance! The meet cute between Graham and Emma was entertaining. I definitely agreed with Brody about there being so many connections between Emma and Graham, the romantic in me was shouting that they were destined to be together! I loved all the friends and family (except Holden and his wife), they were all there for each other when Emma needed help at the store and I loved how they were all there during the shake-down scene with her ex!

Wow! My Darling Bride was absolutely amazing! Graham and Emmy were perfection! This was one that I didn’t want to put down at all! So so good! Amazing side characters, hello Jane and Jasper…there is a story to be told with these two angsty characters!! Two people with a lot to lose who find what they need in each other! So so good!!

What an amazing story about two people who have both experienced a traumatic event in their lives that puts love on the back burner. But when a loophole in a family will has them both needing to work together to meet the requirements, will their locked up hearts be able to open again? Such good writing and great characters, truly makes this book hard to put down.

My Darling Bride was such a fun, though at times bit emotional to me and yes, there were some tears! Since I love the “fake marriage” trope it was inevitable that I would not be able to put this book down. Needless to say, this book totally consumed my day. It’s the story of two broken people that meet under extenuating circumstances. Both are going through a tough time in their lives and never saw the other one coming!! And even with all the ups and downs in the book, I couldn’t help but root for them!!

Graham Harlan’s life has always been about football… a star player for the NY Pythons. As we start MDB he has just caught the ball during the final seconds of the game, heading for the goal line. When he finds himself at the bottom of a pile of players, with a whirlwind of thoughts passing through his mind until finally everything goes black. He’s suffered cardiac arrest on the playing field. Coming back he was like what the heck?? Further questioning whether he had dropped the ball or not, Jasper the team quarterback tells him that he caught the pass, held onto it and they won the Super Bowl!!

With a deep concussion Graham is diagnosed with post concussive syndrome and will be on leave from the team for a while. Though due to the severity of the concussion he’s also left with the chance of developing CTE which can be fatal from repeated head trauma. This leaves Graham even more concerned about his ability to play football. This is of importance to him as he is trying to help his brother out.

Emmaline, Emmy, Darling has just fled her abusive ex-boyfriend in Las Vegas. Getting out of Las Vegas is of utmost seriousness for her own safety. The escape will give her a temporary reprieve from her ex’s abuse, time to breathe and make plans to return home to NY. Her travels lead her to the Golden Iguana just outside Tucson, AZ, and safely away from Kian.

Yet when a stranger begins to put moves on her as she is leaving the pool, Graham just happens to drive up. Thank goodness her quick thinking saves her from the stranger. Dashing into Graham’s arms acting as if he was her boyfriend. Though startled, Graham does play along eventually ending up being pulled into her room with an explanation of what’s going on. Needless to say there is an immediate attraction between the two. It’s while Graham is having dinner that Emmy gets a call warning her that Kain knows where she is and is on his way to get her.

Realizing she needs to get away from the hotel before her ex gets there, but how? Brainstorming ideas of how to get out of there Emmy sees Grahams keys!! As the wheels are turning the realization that this is her ticket out of there. Emmy grabs the keys to Graham’s Lamborghini, stopping first to leave him a note that the car is at the airport parking, and then she gets the hell out of there. Once home Emmy returns to work to find out that the bookshop she has worked at is being sold. It also means that the dream she had of one day buying it is gone.

As luck would have it Graham tracks Emmy down back to NY with an interesting proposition. You see Graham’s brother needs to come up with the cash to buy a building for his business to expand. Refusing to take money from Graham concocts another idea. He’s turning 30 and can get the inheritance that his grandmother left him but the catch is he has to be married. Rather than have Emmy charged with auto theft he explains his situation and ask her to marry him until after the inheritance is distributed. I mean after all Graham has no intentions of ever really getting married, this is to be a marriage of convenience.

These two folks have carried tons of their respective family responsibilities and have been the glue to keep their families together!! Then their best of intentions somehow kind of go astray. The chemistry that’s been raging between these two is intense, the banter cheeky and romantic but heaven help me when Graham calls Emmy “wife”, gah! Could it be that they are the best thing that ever happened to the other?

My Darling Bride is an absolute MUST READ!! Highly recommended.

Okay, Ilsa, you have once again stolen my heart with a sports romance. The story of Emmy and Graham is much deeper than a marriage of convenience. This is about knowing what is for you before knowing it. Manifesting a happy life during a tragic event. Letting go to allow others in. Trusting in fate and protecting at all cost. Being there even when other things are at stake.

This book is about pure love and family. Finding out what is truly meant for you and claiming it.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, because I went in blind. And I’m glad that I did. I can be slightly wary of the marriage of convenience tropes if the reason falls flat for me. However, I did not have that issue with this adorably sweet and utterly romantic marriage of convenience from Ilsa.

Graham has recently had a traumatic experience that has left him shaken to his core. And Emmy has had a fresh break up from a man who hurt her in ways that no man should. These two end up meeting in the most delightfully awkward meet cute and I loved every second. The chemistry between them is immaculate and builds deliciously as the story unfolds. They also had the most addictive banter; I really couldn’t get enough of them.

Their marriage proceeds but you can feel the connection between them grow as each page is turned. The buildup felt entirely organic and unhurried. There was no rush to the story they just existed together and grew into what they became. They were the perfect matches to each other with Graham’s selflessness and Emmy’s caretaker personality they fit seamlessly together. I don’t want to say much because I don’t want to spoil any of it but just know that you’ll fall in love with these two.

I adore Ilsa, her stories never fail to hit me straight in the feels and this book is no different. Ilsa has a magical way of infusing heart and heat in her stories with a flawless balance that will keep you completely entertained throughout.

I love Ilsa Madden-Mills books, not just for the love story, but also for the community she creates in them. She brings together two broken or needy souls, and also brings together the family and friends who are important to both into one big coherent and caring group. This was one such big happy group!

Emmy was running away from a toxic boyfriend and she “accidentally” stole Graham’s Lamborghini. The story in the Iguana motel was wacky funny, a brilliant example of when the author lets her crazy out. Graham needs to marry to get his inheritance, Emmy needs to not go to jail, so a match made in heaven!

It starts out like blackmail, but quickly turns out into teamwork, then into a love-fest. Like all this author’s books, the story is a delightful mix of steam, family and friends, funny moments, and very heartfelt emotions. It’s never a dull moment reading her books, always super entertaining and heartwarming. I love how the friends all gather around the heroine to help her out when she’s in trouble. This author’s heroines are always irresistibly warm and funny and attract friends like honey.

I loved the little paranormal touch when Graham got his serious concussion and in the few minutes before he was resuscitated, he saw his future. It took him the whole book to figure it out, but that was Emmy! Cute, fun and hugely entertaining, reading this book made my day!

I so loved My Darling Bride! Graham and Emma are so much fun to read about and their characters are endearing and effervescent. And, as always, Madden-Mills delivers on the quirky side characters that she is known for. If you are looking for a semi-light contemporary read, with a delicious broody alpha, a strong feisty heroine, slow burn, but also a bit of steam, and plenty of great dialogue, grab My Darling Bride and dive in! 5 Stars!

Love anything Ilsa Madden Mills writes and loved Graham and Emmy. It’s a random meet, fake marriage that has laughter and is endearing.
They both have rough pasts affecting them now. But I loved their core. Loved all the supporting characters too!

This was one heck of a ride! Emmaline Darling, a book lover bouncing back from a messy breakup, ends up in a desert motel seeking peace. Out of the blue, she takes off in football star Graham Harlan's flashy Lamborghini to escape her ex. Graham, dealing with the aftermath of a near-death experience on the football field, tracks her down and drops the bomb – let's get hitched for a family inheritance. Madden-Mills weaves a story that's not just your typical romance. It's packed with laughs, sizzling chemistry, and emotional punches. Emmaline and Graham's fake relationship? It's anything but fake as it blossoms into something real. The book dives deep into family, love, and personal growth, giving us a rollercoaster of feelings. This isn't just a read; it's an experience that'll have you hooked and rooting for these characters.

Y’all, I cannot resist a football player romance. And Ilsa Madden-Mills started this one off with a ripped-from-the-headlines bang that had me settling in and getting comfy because I knew I wasn’t going to be putting it down.

For some reason My Darling Bride was lighter than I expected it to be. That’s not a complaint, though – because I really did enjoy the chemistry between Emmy and Graham and the way their story unfolded. I adored Emmy. I wasn’t so sure I was going to at first – when things took a turn for the zany and I thought she might be a little too over-the-top for me. But I really warmed to her and admired her pluck and her strength, and her big beautiful heart. I struggled a little more sometimes with Graham who I felt held himself back a little more than Emmy did. However, the angsty scenes were the ones that repeatedly sucked me back into the story, my heart flipping and fluttering while these two kept bumping and bruising each other.

In the end, this was a fun story. I loved the book store and all of the side characters. I laughed a little, I fell a little bit in love, and I very much enjoyed my time spent between these pages.

I really enjoyed this marriage of convenience storyline. It’s packed with laugh out loud and swoon worthy moments. Graham and Emmy have sizzling hot chemistry and this one will hook you from the beginning to the end. It’s definitely worth the read.