Not sure how this one ended up on my shelf. I didn't request it, or so I thought, because I had read it back in 2016, according to my notes. I don't remember a ton about it but do know I didn't read the subsequent books. I guess, thanks for the preview? Hope your rerelease does well.

This was my first book by Katee Robert and I really enjoyed it! There were characters that had me swooning, and others that had me mad side-eyeing. I'm invested in the O'Malleys though, and desperately need to know that the other siblings find their happy endings too.

The Marriage Contract opens with a bang (pun intended). Fair warning that the beginning may be triggering because of the abuse noted during chapter one. Callista "Callie" Sheridan is one tough cookie! She's trying to steer the Sheridan empire into a brighter, cleaner future but her plan has hit a hurdle and gotten very messy. I couldn't help but root for Callie with all my heart. She's a natural leader, only wanting what is best for her family. Match her up with Teague O'Malley and we've got ourselves a firecracker combo. I really liked that the book covered all three family dynamics and I'm usually one who doesn't enjoy multiple POVs. I could care less about the Hallorans though. *whispers* Not you James, you passed my vibe check. Our three feuding families are the Sheridans, the O'Malleys and the Hallorans—all tangled up in one twisted [dare I say, sexy?] ball of drama.

Allow me time to swoon over Teague O'Malley, loving brother to many siblings. I think there's seven O'Malley children in total but correct me if I'm wrong. Teague wants nothing to do with his father's "organization". If he could run away, dragging all of his siblings with him safely, he would. It's this protective nature that I feel sparks his need to protect Callie when they first meet. Their push-and-pull dynamic was oh so lovely. Their dialogues? *chef's kiss*. Their chemistry? *flames*. I thought it was cute how they tried going through the dating rituals of getting to know each other and going out, while there was a family war brewing in the background. The pacing threw me off-kilter here and there but anything Teague made up for it. I'm weak against dangerous men with a huge heart, okay?! Sue me.

A secondary character that stole the spotlight for me was the oldest O'Malley daughter, Carrigan. She puts on a façade at home but lets loose whenever she's able to sneak out to have some fun. She's perceptive with top-notch eavesdropping skills. I like that she's welcoming and kind to Callie yet still makes it clear where her loyalties lie. Family loyalty for the win! Carrigan stumbles across another key player later on in the story, and oh boy does the intensity ramp up. She's so brave Excellent lead-in to her book The Wedding Pact which is next in the series! I'm looking forward to seeing how that romance plays out and to learn more about the younger O'Malley siblings. I'm still crying over one particular younger sibling...Whyyyyy?!

I love Katee Roberts books, although admittedly I've only read her more recent reads. This one... unfortunately just didn't pull me.

It's the first book in the O'Malley's series, following Teague and Callie, the children of two rivaling Bostan gangster families, who get thrown into an arranged marriage, triggering a war with the third big gangster family in the area. Honestly, this book held a lot of promise! But it was a bit too insta-lovely, so I wasn't really intrigued enough to continue reading, although both characters held promise. That said, I think it was a bit too sweet to fit the characters themselves.

I think I'll stick to the other Katee Roberts books for now :) Thank you to Forever for the review copy ✨

The Plot: Girl gets engaged, attempts to meet boy to size him up, boy winds up dead. Girl gets re-engaged, meets boy to size him up, decides this boy might be a good one after all. But a gang war breaks out, and girl must ‘fess up or risk losing it all.

The Characters: Katee Robert had previously shared the Top 5 Reasons to Love Teague O’Malley, and I can’t say I disagree. He’s strong, principled, and will do anything for those he loves.

Callista Sheridan grew up in the mob, but has been slowly moving her father’s interests over to the right side of the law. When she’s engaged to Brendan Halloran to consolidate their families’ power, Callie decides to check up on him. After all, one really should get to know one’s affianced before the wedding day, right?

The Story: The Marriage Contract is formulaic, but entertaining. I liked Teague and Callie, though sometimes their wish-washiness got on my nerves. Overall, this was a fun way to while away a few hours, and now I’m done with Teague’s story, I find myself wondering about his siblings – and hoping there’ll be more of them, soon!

drey’s rating: Pick it up!

I am writing this review after having read the book for a second time. I can that I enjoyed the book as much as I did the first time. I didn't remember much from the first time I read it. A lot of time had passed between the two readings and that's the reason had forgotten some things. These days I don't remember half the things I do. The one thing I remembered was James and Carrigan's part of the story.

I can say it's a solid book and I loved it. It's a good foundation to the rest of the series. The characters are complex and the heroine is strong and she an alpha female. She owned up her to her mistakes. The hero is also a good example for a male hero and I liked him. If you are looking for a good mafia series to read you should consider this one. It has a lot of action, guns, and romance.

This is the first book in the O'Malley's series and it features Teague O'Mally and Calista Sheridan. What a tangled web we weave. One incident sets off a whole slew of problems. This is a fabulous, well thought out story line. So many threads intersecting and this fantastic author keeps it all sorted out. At every point in this Boston mob story, you know what's happening to every character.

I'm so excited to read more of this amazing series.

Sadly, this was a DNF. I made it to chapter 5 before stopping.

I fell in love with Callie and Teague and the entire family immediately. Arranged marriages seem like a thing of the past, neither Callie nor Teague want to be pawns in their families power games, but they're resigned to accept their fate. Lucky them, the sparks fly. It was so much fun watching their relationship develop and all the other characters add an element of depth. Callie is a strong woman, one that is easy to root for. She isn't perfect, but neither is Teague. Although the sexy Teague could do all kinds of wrong and it would be nearly impossible not to forgive him. He's smart, loyal, protective, and a gentleman. I can't wait for more in this series!