What do you think?
Rate this book
Marriage by Mistake
He woke up to find two days of his life gone. A strait-laced CEO, Dean never wanted to be like his impetuous womanizing father, but while hypnotized Dean wooed and wed some sexy Las Vegas dancer airhead. Now Kelly may be sexy but she's no airhead. She knows this cold icicle is not the man she loves. That fellow, she's sure, is buried somehow deep inside. And she's determined to find him...
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2011
522 people are currently reading
1455 people want to read
About the author
Alyssa Kress
30 books61 followersAlyssa Kress completed her first novel at age six, an unlikely romance between a lion and a jackal. Despite earning two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and spending nearly a decade in the construction industry, she has yet to see her feet stay firmly on the ground. She now lives in Southern California, close to where she first committed pen to paper, together with her husband and two children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
October 26, 2012
The cover is totally off putting - change it...
July 19, 2012
I wasn't sure i was going to like it nothing about it screamed that it was i book i'd like. However once i started reading it i couldn't help but laugh, I mean you meet this wonderful guy, go get married and dude runs away!!! You track him down and not only is he super rich, he's a jerk! Worse he doesn't remember he married you!
There were times the snobbery in the book showed, but nothing that wasn't tolerable. The odd-ball couples are interesting. The fact that the male lead was so messed up emotionally yet he has what most can only dream of is part of the over all charm. His cousin had a whole separate bag of issues, and yet together they've managed to sabotage themselves time and time again. Half of the book he's plotting ways to get his wife to want to leave, in the end he realizes he can't live with out her. She's so stubborn, personally i am not sure i would have put up with half of it! LOL ... the idea of her changing him is laughable even to herself yet that doesn't stop her from trying and trying again. He's so mean at parts and she just deals and carries on like it was no big deal always finding a reason for it you can see why in the past she's been "a doormat" yet she has an inner strength that his whole family needs in ways they never knew.
Scenes of delight: i love this fishing scene, so perfect so funny.
the critic in me wonders though, the concept of how he got to Vegas was fine but the fact they went from hanging out having fun to being married in the first place was a little far fetched. the only other part i had a moment of thinking yah sure...was when he is imagining the future he'll never have with her and imagines the changes to her physically as if that'd be a good thing. It would have been nice to see him admit to himself his true feelings toward the end but I understand the reason it played out the way it did.
It was interesting enough to finished in a day. Over all a good read about self destruction and reinvention and the love that drives us to do both even if we don't realize it.
There were times the snobbery in the book showed, but nothing that wasn't tolerable. The odd-ball couples are interesting. The fact that the male lead was so messed up emotionally yet he has what most can only dream of is part of the over all charm. His cousin had a whole separate bag of issues, and yet together they've managed to sabotage themselves time and time again. Half of the book he's plotting ways to get his wife to want to leave, in the end he realizes he can't live with out her. She's so stubborn, personally i am not sure i would have put up with half of it! LOL ... the idea of her changing him is laughable even to herself yet that doesn't stop her from trying and trying again. He's so mean at parts and she just deals and carries on like it was no big deal always finding a reason for it you can see why in the past she's been "a doormat" yet she has an inner strength that his whole family needs in ways they never knew.
Scenes of delight: i love this fishing scene, so perfect so funny.
the critic in me wonders though, the concept of how he got to Vegas was fine but the fact they went from hanging out having fun to being married in the first place was a little far fetched. the only other part i had a moment of thinking yah sure...was when he is imagining the future he'll never have with her and imagines the changes to her physically as if that'd be a good thing. It would have been nice to see him admit to himself his true feelings toward the end but I understand the reason it played out the way it did.
It was interesting enough to finished in a day. Over all a good read about self destruction and reinvention and the love that drives us to do both even if we don't realize it.
December 29, 2018
3.5 stars
January 26, 2012
I very nearly DNF this book. I just couldnt get into it and almost quit at 30%. I didnt like either of the characters and I have to say that only slightly changed when I forced myself to read the rest. Also let me mention that they both leave the H's poor nine year old brother alone while they go eff. well I guess he wasnt alone, alone because of the mammoth of a house and staff but he stayed in his room playing video games.
Im assuming the heroine was not supposed to be a run of the mill Vegas showgirl (which is why she is a showgirl in a family show) but I have to say I also didnt get that because she sure did fit the typical stereotype (misunderstood smalltown/preacher's daughter showgirl keeps looking for love in all the wrong places)
The H was just a buttwipe, why agree to a two month trial run when you arent going to try. She was willing to sign the papers from the start.
So I went on disliking the characters for pretty much the entire book until about 85% when it picked up. If the whole book could have been like that I could have zoomed through it. * +1 star for the last part of the book* :)
This book was well-written, I didnt notice any editing or grammar mistakes. I guess I like my books tied up with a bow because the author left a few things open
for instance-
Here's my thing, if an author, any author and not specifically this one, is going to take the time to mention something that fairly important or mention something so many times they need to follow it through.. An epilogue would have been nice with this read
I do have to give props to the author though, I was surprised to read that the H's dad didnt have an about face during the book. It probably would have been easier for her just to write his change and they play happy families.
My opinion is thank goodness it was free but someones trash can be another persons treasure :)
Im assuming the heroine was not supposed to be a run of the mill Vegas showgirl (which is why she is a showgirl in a family show) but I have to say I also didnt get that because she sure did fit the typical stereotype (misunderstood smalltown/preacher's daughter showgirl keeps looking for love in all the wrong places)
The H was just a buttwipe, why agree to a two month trial run when you arent going to try. She was willing to sign the papers from the start.
So I went on disliking the characters for pretty much the entire book until about 85% when it picked up. If the whole book could have been like that I could have zoomed through it. * +1 star for the last part of the book* :)
This book was well-written, I didnt notice any editing or grammar mistakes. I guess I like my books tied up with a bow because the author left a few things open
for instance-
Here's my thing, if an author, any author and not specifically this one, is going to take the time to mention something that fairly important or mention something so many times they need to follow it through.. An epilogue would have been nice with this read
I do have to give props to the author though, I was surprised to read that the H's dad didnt have an about face during the book. It probably would have been easier for her just to write his change and they play happy families.
My opinion is thank goodness it was free but someones trash can be another persons treasure :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2012
Let me start by saying I downloaded this book on my Nook because it was free and occasionally I like mindless fluff. This falls right into the formula romance writing category. Girl and boy hook up, there is a conflict, boy doesn't like girl, girl tries to get boy to change his mind and in the end leaves him only to have him realize he can't live without her.
This was a long read over 600 pages. To make sure it was that long, Kress throws in a second romance with the same plot about 3/4 of the way through the book. Of course, both men (cousins) are damaged by events from their childhood and cannot love or will not love.
There is a lot of sex in this book and apparently in the beginning we find out that Kelly isn't on birth control and they use condoms. But there is a lot of sex and I really kept expecting her to find out that she was pregnant.
Outside of that, the book is predictable, but after a long day of teaching, while waiting for my husband to come home, some times predictable is nice.
This was a long read over 600 pages. To make sure it was that long, Kress throws in a second romance with the same plot about 3/4 of the way through the book. Of course, both men (cousins) are damaged by events from their childhood and cannot love or will not love.
There is a lot of sex in this book and apparently in the beginning we find out that Kelly isn't on birth control and they use condoms. But there is a lot of sex and I really kept expecting her to find out that she was pregnant.
Outside of that, the book is predictable, but after a long day of teaching, while waiting for my husband to come home, some times predictable is nice.
March 1, 2012
This isn't an erotic read - although there are some spicy scenes. There is romance and thinking - yes, seriously, adults trying to figure out how they got where they are and what to do about it.
I've read reviews that are: it dragged and they spent too much time thinking --- what the author did was create people you can identify with. People you can think along with wondering how they heck to fix where you are - and figure out what you really want.
The guy has issues 'cause his father figure sucked and always had new stepmothers for him.
The girl was cute and sweet and what she calls - stupid in love with a man she didn't know.
She has guts enough to try and find answers.
The cousin is a little like the brother in the Mummy - funny and involved in a little romance of his own.
Enjoy the read!
I've read reviews that are: it dragged and they spent too much time thinking --- what the author did was create people you can identify with. People you can think along with wondering how they heck to fix where you are - and figure out what you really want.
The guy has issues 'cause his father figure sucked and always had new stepmothers for him.
The girl was cute and sweet and what she calls - stupid in love with a man she didn't know.
She has guts enough to try and find answers.
The cousin is a little like the brother in the Mummy - funny and involved in a little romance of his own.
Enjoy the read!
April 6, 2016
As the saying goes, 'Never judge a book by it's cover', the cover of this book comes across as a bit tacky, but it was a pretty good read. I quite enjoyed the storyline, the subjects it covered, the humour, especially the fishing scene, so this book was quite a surprise really, in a good way.
April 13, 2017
She loved him, but no love should lead to self-destructiveness.
Hello amnesia trope! In here, the Hero got an amnesia for two days (thank you hypnosis). During that state, he married a Las Vegas dancer. Then Kelly, the heroine, wondered why Logan (real name was Dean) suddenly disappeared. She went to Boston and confronted her husband and was surprised that the man she married never seemed to meet her.
Both are stubborn people, so they decided to test the waters for two months! The sexual tension was crackling everywhere whenever Kelly and Dean were inside a room. And when they gave in...damn! damn! damn!
There's a secondary romance, Dean's cousin Troy and Felicia (who was in loved with Dean). Their story had a potential for a novel or novella of their own. A pity that they just fitted in here.
Hello amnesia trope! In here, the Hero got an amnesia for two days (thank you hypnosis). During that state, he married a Las Vegas dancer. Then Kelly, the heroine, wondered why Logan (real name was Dean) suddenly disappeared. She went to Boston and confronted her husband and was surprised that the man she married never seemed to meet her.
Both are stubborn people, so they decided to test the waters for two months! The sexual tension was crackling everywhere whenever Kelly and Dean were inside a room. And when they gave in...damn! damn! damn!
There's a secondary romance, Dean's cousin Troy and Felicia (who was in loved with Dean). Their story had a potential for a novel or novella of their own. A pity that they just fitted in here.
March 17, 2021
Here’s what this book is about:”He woke up to discover two days of his life completely gone. Workaholic Boston blueblood Dean has made it his life's goal to be the opposite of his irresponsible, womanizing father. But Dean discovers that while in a hypnotic trance he'd acted exactly like his father, travelling to Las Vegas where he'd wooed and wed some sexy, airhead dancer. Now, Kelly may be sexy, but she's no airhead. She knows the cold and puritanical man who claims to be her husband is not the man she'd married. But she suspects the warm and tender man she does love is buried somewhere deep inside. And she's determined to find him...”
I got this ebook for free on Amazon in 2014 and I finally got around to reading it. I wanted to read this book because of the synopsis. I liked this book. It was cute.
I got this ebook for free on Amazon in 2014 and I finally got around to reading it. I wanted to read this book because of the synopsis. I liked this book. It was cute.
June 22, 2023
Good romance book
I don't usually read romance Books much but this was good. It was full of surprises and complications. She was a good writer
I don't usually read romance Books much but this was good. It was full of surprises and complications. She was a good writer
June 28, 2019
I found this to be a very formulaic romance from start to finish
June 17, 2012
It was fairly long-winded but pretty okay for passing the time. I thought character development fell a bit short. Even though we get a peek into Dean's and Kelly's heads, they never did come alive for me. I knew what the characters thought about each other, yes, but I couldn't come to the same conclusions myself. There were some errors, but the plot was executed in a fairly coherent manner, which I appreciated.
It's very hard trying to rate this, actually. Speaking in terms of enjoyment, I'd rate it 2, maybe 3, stars. In terms of fluidity, I'd say 2 stars as well. Comparing it to other books, however, would merit it 1 or 1.5 stars--not that I had serious issues with it nor was it offensive, but the craftsmanship of the novel could use some work. When I review books, I want to paint an accurate reflection of the author's skill: writing style, emotional impact, the works. Unfortunately, while I don't completely regret the reading experience, there are better books to spend one's time on. It's not the worst book I've ever read; I can't bring myself to put this on the same level as my 1 star books, but it's not too far ahead of them. 2 stars will have to suffice. I think with some more practice along with some helpful feedback from an editor, the author can definitely write good romance novels--she's got potential, for sure.
It's very hard trying to rate this, actually. Speaking in terms of enjoyment, I'd rate it 2, maybe 3, stars. In terms of fluidity, I'd say 2 stars as well. Comparing it to other books, however, would merit it 1 or 1.5 stars--not that I had serious issues with it nor was it offensive, but the craftsmanship of the novel could use some work. When I review books, I want to paint an accurate reflection of the author's skill: writing style, emotional impact, the works. Unfortunately, while I don't completely regret the reading experience, there are better books to spend one's time on. It's not the worst book I've ever read; I can't bring myself to put this on the same level as my 1 star books, but it's not too far ahead of them. 2 stars will have to suffice. I think with some more practice along with some helpful feedback from an editor, the author can definitely write good romance novels--she's got potential, for sure.
June 14, 2012
Marriage by Mistake by Alyssa Kress
Kelly Williams, a Las Vegas showgirl, met a handsome man in the casino. She quickly fell in love with him and they married. Forty-Eight hours later he left to get donuts and never returned. Puzzled and angered she hunts down her husband in Boston to finds a building named after him and a man in an expensive Italian suit who looks at her as if he’d never laid eyes on her before. Well that went well.
Dean Singleton had a life of a revolving door when it came to step-mothers. He was not going to end up like his father. And yet he has some sexy showgirl claiming he married her. What happened in the forty-eight hours he lost after being hypnotized and having his cousin Troy make suggestions while he was? Dean retrieves Kelly from Vegas and brings her to Boston with intentions of proving they do not suit.
They begin a two month trial marriage where Kelly hopes to find “her” Dean from the two days in Vegas and Dean is determined to stay away from her. Throw in a nine year old step-brother and a cousin who does his best not to do any work, and you have a book full of twists and turns. Lots of heart tugging as well as the author brings out the different characters traits. I really enjoyed this book.
**Sensual situations.
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
Kelly Williams, a Las Vegas showgirl, met a handsome man in the casino. She quickly fell in love with him and they married. Forty-Eight hours later he left to get donuts and never returned. Puzzled and angered she hunts down her husband in Boston to finds a building named after him and a man in an expensive Italian suit who looks at her as if he’d never laid eyes on her before. Well that went well.
Dean Singleton had a life of a revolving door when it came to step-mothers. He was not going to end up like his father. And yet he has some sexy showgirl claiming he married her. What happened in the forty-eight hours he lost after being hypnotized and having his cousin Troy make suggestions while he was? Dean retrieves Kelly from Vegas and brings her to Boston with intentions of proving they do not suit.
They begin a two month trial marriage where Kelly hopes to find “her” Dean from the two days in Vegas and Dean is determined to stay away from her. Throw in a nine year old step-brother and a cousin who does his best not to do any work, and you have a book full of twists and turns. Lots of heart tugging as well as the author brings out the different characters traits. I really enjoyed this book.
**Sensual situations.
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
March 19, 2012
DNF
I realized pretty early on that this book wasn't going to be something I was interested in. I've read books before where the characters got drunk and got married in Vegas but this wasn't exactly like that. For one thing, the main female character, Kelly, is head-over-heels in love with Dean, the man she met and married two days before. The amount of emotions she felt toward Dean threw me off because she had just met the man, and I don't care if you believe in love at first sight or not, this just wasn't believable.
Then we come to find out, Dean has no clue what happened in the last 48 hours because he's been hypnotized. And then he talks about it as if it's an every day occurrence. If I'd been hypnotized and lost 48 hours of my memory I wouldn't say, "I never thought it would be so easy to hypnotize me" I'd be freaking out that I lost two days because someone actually hypnotized me.
Overall this book just wasn't believable and that's the main issue I had with it. The characters, the way they were acting and the emotions they felt just didn't seem plausible and it often frustrated me.
I realized pretty early on that this book wasn't going to be something I was interested in. I've read books before where the characters got drunk and got married in Vegas but this wasn't exactly like that. For one thing, the main female character, Kelly, is head-over-heels in love with Dean, the man she met and married two days before. The amount of emotions she felt toward Dean threw me off because she had just met the man, and I don't care if you believe in love at first sight or not, this just wasn't believable.
Then we come to find out, Dean has no clue what happened in the last 48 hours because he's been hypnotized. And then he talks about it as if it's an every day occurrence. If I'd been hypnotized and lost 48 hours of my memory I wouldn't say, "I never thought it would be so easy to hypnotize me" I'd be freaking out that I lost two days because someone actually hypnotized me.
Overall this book just wasn't believable and that's the main issue I had with it. The characters, the way they were acting and the emotions they felt just didn't seem plausible and it often frustrated me.
February 5, 2013
I have to say when I downloaded this free book I didn't expect for it to be as good as it is. The story is a little farfetched, hypnosis, instantaneous love, etc. But the heroine has a lot of spark, she gives as good as she gets and the hero doesn't come across as a philandering man-whore without a sense of decency ( as a lot of these male fictional characters do) He's a little lost, unsure of himself and in a complete tizzy, which is in itself quite humorous, and I did laugh while reading this. What I didn't like was the parallel story of Troy (Dean's cousin) and Felicia (a girl who was previously interested in Dean) taking up so much page space. Why?! What did the author wish to accomplish? Personally I found that by having two love stories running together in the same book only distracted me and in the end did neither story sufficient justice. This story was an easy read, I'd recommend it if you're on holiday or needed something quick and light to keep you occupied while traveling.
August 5, 2016
I grabbed this as a freebie for my Kindle swayed by the good amazon reviews and was genuinely surprised at how good it was. I'm not really a plain romance reader I prefer a few more vamps and werewolves along with my heroines but I'd selected this a few weeks ago and thought I'd read just a few pages before bed. To be perfectly honest I thought it would help nod me off as it isn't my usual choice. 2.5 hours later I finished it with a big smile - amazed to see the time!
it doesn't honestly deserve 5* for the plot more like 4* - but for the sheer speed (it drags you along nicely) and a happy read that left me smiling it's going to get them as a thank you for the free download
Also the depth of the secondary characters really rounded this out for me and made it a better book. Troy and Felicia were a great addition and so was Robbie? the younger brother.
Great light holiday type read
it doesn't honestly deserve 5* for the plot more like 4* - but for the sheer speed (it drags you along nicely) and a happy read that left me smiling it's going to get them as a thank you for the free download
Also the depth of the secondary characters really rounded this out for me and made it a better book. Troy and Felicia were a great addition and so was Robbie? the younger brother.
Great light holiday type read
May 18, 2014
I picked this book up last July, way outside my comfort zone, and I loved it unreservedly – even the sex, and that, as you may have gathered, is quite an achievement. Neatly overcoming my commonest objections to romance with a tarnished female lead set on winning a man who is actually worth winning, and an ingenious impediment to her success that is both genuine (if unlikely) and genuinely overcome without once making me shout ‘just bloody talk to one another’ at the screen (I am not a romance reader), this might be light but it’s completely engaging, and I’m not ashamed to give it five stars for excellence of its type.
February 26, 2012
Downloaded this as a freebie and was suprised that it was better than I thought it would be. There were a few editing errors, but it was free....so I overlooked them! A light easy read, which was just what I needed flying to & from our vacation destination.
January 1, 2012
The grammatical mistakes were very annoying. Shame, this was a good read but I found it difficult with all the bad grammar.
April 13, 2012
I enjoyed this novel immensely. It was funny and fast-paced, and the characters were likeable. I'd read more stories by Alyssa Kress.
July 31, 2016
I've nothing much to say about this: nothing spectacular but not bad either. It's a good romantic novel perfect for whiling the time away.
February 15, 2012
Two-haiku review:
Free e-book crap shoot
Every once in a while
There's a valentine
He gets hypnotized
Marries her, can't remember
She fights to keep him
Free e-book crap shoot
Every once in a while
There's a valentine
He gets hypnotized
Marries her, can't remember
She fights to keep him
June 18, 2018
Total guilty pleasure
August 7, 2018
I really liked this book, however the cover is a bit put off... I really advise to change it!
August 27, 2023
This is NOT a mistake. It's a treat
I suppose this could, in fact, be a romance com as advertised but it would be a mistake to think zany, crazy, or excessive in relation to the story. It is a tale of a very dysfunctional family and the inevitable damage such a situation does to interfere with the ability of its participants to build healthy trusting relationships.
The plot is simply that a responsible competent man allows his ward to hypnotize him as a school project. His cousin implants a posthypnotic suggestion that for the next 48 hours he does whatever he really wants, instead of what he should. After 2 days he comes to on the streets of Vegas with a bag of donuts in hand. He returns to Boston and shortly discovers he met and married a dancer. She won't settle for less than a love match; he has no idea how to do anything but his duty. How they work this out is the remainder of the tale.
Alyssa Kress deftly handles the complexity of the emotions felt by both principal and secondary characters and provides the requisite HEA/HEN for main and two subplots with reasonable reactions and sensitive understanding.
I especially admired the way she wove the subsequent book of the series into the development of the story instead of tacking it on in an epilogue. It's a treat to read such an accomplished writer. Do try this one out.
I suppose this could, in fact, be a romance com as advertised but it would be a mistake to think zany, crazy, or excessive in relation to the story. It is a tale of a very dysfunctional family and the inevitable damage such a situation does to interfere with the ability of its participants to build healthy trusting relationships.
The plot is simply that a responsible competent man allows his ward to hypnotize him as a school project. His cousin implants a posthypnotic suggestion that for the next 48 hours he does whatever he really wants, instead of what he should. After 2 days he comes to on the streets of Vegas with a bag of donuts in hand. He returns to Boston and shortly discovers he met and married a dancer. She won't settle for less than a love match; he has no idea how to do anything but his duty. How they work this out is the remainder of the tale.
Alyssa Kress deftly handles the complexity of the emotions felt by both principal and secondary characters and provides the requisite HEA/HEN for main and two subplots with reasonable reactions and sensitive understanding.
I especially admired the way she wove the subsequent book of the series into the development of the story instead of tacking it on in an epilogue. It's a treat to read such an accomplished writer. Do try this one out.
December 30, 2017
Good Read
I was slow to like this book. But once It stared getting good I had time putting it down. I love books like that. It was so up & down I couldn't wait to turn the page.I could fell the pain & the fight within. I even cried a little . At some time I didn't know if should be mad or happy . Put that just shows what a written she is. Looking forward to the next one. Must read .😄😄
I was slow to like this book. But once It stared getting good I had time putting it down. I love books like that. It was so up & down I couldn't wait to turn the page.I could fell the pain & the fight within. I even cried a little . At some time I didn't know if should be mad or happy . Put that just shows what a written she is. Looking forward to the next one. Must read .😄😄
September 10, 2019
There were many parts to the - where they married in LasVegas, the Billionaires Mansion, the Parker Hotel and quite a few characters! The main characters were Dean & Kelly but, his stepbrother Robby, his father Kirk, his cousin Trevor & Felicia just to name a few. Dean is a Billionaire who Mary’s a dancer in LasVegas. They agree to give there marriage a 2 month trial. I won’t tell you what happens because, I’d give away the plot but, you must read it! A fun book!
January 8, 2021
Marriage by Mistake
This was a cute story of how Dean was hypnotized by his little brother. His cousin Troy suggested that he act like he wants instead of how he is supposed to. Dean takes the suggestion to heart and spends the happiest two days of his life with show girl dancer Kelly. Dean realizes through all this that he doesn’t have to be afraid to live.
This was a cute story of how Dean was hypnotized by his little brother. His cousin Troy suggested that he act like he wants instead of how he is supposed to. Dean takes the suggestion to heart and spends the happiest two days of his life with show girl dancer Kelly. Dean realizes through all this that he doesn’t have to be afraid to live.
Read
December 24, 2021 I read the ebook addition. It was amateurish The thing that bothered me most was double-spacing between every paragraph and justified right margins. Right-justification is what publishers do; I've been told that right-justified MSS distort the word count. The isolated paragraphs just broke up the story line too much. I didn't finish it.
February 5, 2017
Terrific Romance
This story will tear your heart and make you laugh at the same time. I really enjoyed watching the way strong acting people had to face there own demons, and decide how they would deal with them.
This story will tear your heart and make you laugh at the same time. I really enjoyed watching the way strong acting people had to face there own demons, and decide how they would deal with them.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews