Don't Marry Him (The Fun for the Holidays Series)

by J. Sterling

MP3 CD Format

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Summer, Short Stories, Contemporary, Novella, Second Chance Romance

1 pages, Audio CD

Published June 1, 2023

About the author

J. (jenn) Sterling is a New York Times and USA Today best selling author of multiple contemporary romances. She lives in California with her only son, Blake. If you can't find her sitting behind a computer screen writing new stories, then there's a good chance she's sitting in the bleachers of a baseball stadium watching him play.

Jenn enjoys traveling to new places, meeting her readers and spending time with the love of her life, the one & only, Jack F'n Carter! Oh yeah, it's true. <3

Stay in touch with Jenn here:
Newsletter: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/619557...
Website: http://www.jsterlingbooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJSterling
Instagram & TikTok: @AuthorJSterling

Reviews

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been enjoying J Sterling's Fun For the Holidays novella series. They've all been fun, flirty, sexy and a good reprieve in between longer and heavier books. But Sterling came at us with a different novella for Don't Marry Him. It was a little bit of a romantic suspense mixed with small town family politics, but still fit in with her series.

Dove is set to marry a man that she does not like, dare I say hate? And she wants the love of her life, Dominic to stop the wedding. But why is the love of her life not marrying her and what has Dove got herself mixed up in?

I liked that we got something a little bit different for this novella, but coming in with more suspense is hard to do for a novella. I felt like things came together a little too easily once everything hit, but the beginning was a bit more drawn out and didn't give me enough back story for the suspense elements. BUT, I loved seeing the strong bond between the soul mates and how they were always meant to be. They were cute and wish we got more of them together.
Overall, Don't Marry Him was a quick, fast-paced read that had the potential to be a good foundation for a full length novel.

[Kaela Vance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning was suspenseful and the ending not as good as the beginning but still a good read

[Lindsay Broadwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part this is what was advertised. It was a quick read about Dom who is asked to stop the wedding of Dove, the love of his life, to someone she does not want to marry. The one problem with the book was that there was a crime element to the story that got a little confusing at times. It was resolved really quickly without much drama and was hard to tell what the Firenzi family really had to do with the story and also how both fathers were also involved. I'm wondering if there is another set of books by this author that contained some of the side characters and would have made a little more sense. There was only 1 mildly spicy scene, and it was towards the end of the book so if you are looking for a quick and spicy read this is not that.

[Amanda Lumley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Danielle Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a super cute novella

[Lanie J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

lol this is what my ex thinks we are. But instead i’ve actually moved on 😵‍💫

[Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

“Como ele não estava morrendo por dentro? Ele estava seguindo em frente sem mim?”

Nunca li um conto tão ruim. Além de a premissa ser muito diferente do que é sugerido por uma série que se chama Divertindo-se no Feriado, a trama não faz sentido, o casal não tem química alguma, há um suspense estúpido e um lance com máfia (??).

Se espera algum tipo de divertimento, esqueça. A obra tem uma seriedade inesperada e uma história tão estúpida que nem acaba sendo relevante no fim das contas: Dove vai se casar e exige que seu ex, o amor da sua vida, impeça o casamento. Ela se mete em uma roubada e ordena que ele a tire dela — mesmo que isso possa prejudicar a pessoa que ela está tentando proteger. O que, convenhamos, tira toda a lógica de se casar para protegê-lo, para começo de conversa. Ela não pode desistir do casamento porque isso o colocaria em perigo, mas acha que o ex (que o noivo sabe que vai tentar impedir) vai conseguir resolver o problema... impedindo? Vê como essa história não faz sentido?

O tempo todo será reafirmado que todos sabem o quanto eles são o amor da vida um do outro — o quanto é impossível não estarem juntos, já que vivem colados desde o ensino médio. Mesmo que sejam, claramente, pessoas completamente disfuncionais, que discutem e se afastam só para testar a paciência do outro. Estamos falando de dois adolescentes? Não. De dois adultos formados e perfeitamente imaturos. Era uma situação ridícula, juvenil e tóxica. Não há nada de lindo nesse romance. Nem emocionante, como a sinopse garante.

O casamento, como eu disse, não tem importância. Nenhuma importância mesmo! Após o tal casamento, o conto segue para uma história chata envolvendo o pai de Dominic e uma máfia supermalvada. Juro que não aguentava mais esse povo — e não fazia a menor questão de buscar qualquer sentido no que eu estava lendo. Só pulei para o último capítulo e fui infeliz até ler a palavra “fim”.

Não recomendo a leitura em hipótese alguma. Não é intrigante, nem divertida, nem sexy. Nada. É mais divertido ler um livro de direito tributário do que ler duas páginas disso aqui.

[Daisy Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder

This quick read is full of intrigue and suspense. Domenic and Dove have always been together. They became best friends as small children, grew up together and fell in love. But Domenic’s whole world imploded when Dove got engaged to his enemy and left. Nobody knows what’s going on but this is so out of character for Dove and Domenic is broken.

When she finally reaches out to him after months of silence, it’s to ask a favor of Domenic that nobody else in the world could fulfill for her. Her request sets a chain of events in motion that will either fix everything or get them both killed, they’re not sure what to expect. Their story is fast-paced and full of action but still has plenty of heart.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to J. Sterling for an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.
Jenn's books have always been fun, flirty and have just the right amount of spice to keep a reader entertained. This novella was a bit different. It was angstier (spelling?) than the other books and overall the storyline was not the lighthearted ones we've gotten with the other Fun for the Holidays books.

There's nothing wrong with that, I just wasn't expecting it and while I, of course, read through it quickly, I felt like this particular story should have been a full length book and not a novella.

From the brief snippets, I imagine Dove and Dominic had a story that would have played out beautifully from beginning, when they were kids, to the end, when they finally get their HEA. I wish we could have had more. More story, more background, more future, more suspense, more of the bad guys getting what's coming.

I'm excited to continue reading these novellas and I can't wait to see what J. Sterling writes next! Maybe I can beg for an extended version of Dove and Dominic's story?!

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rated 4.5 (rounded up)

Dove and Dominic were just always meant to be, but something came in the way. Can they make their way back. This story had a different bit of a twist and mystery, which I thought brought more to the story. I was hooked from the start. The characters sucked you right in, I didn’t want the story to end. Best one yet in the series so far.

This is book six in The Fun For the Holidays Series. A series of 12 novellas, one for every month. All books can be read as a standalone in any order. I am really enjoying this whole series. Great short, fast reads to read in-between your longer books.

I totally recommend this story and series. Such cute novellas.

Listened to on @audible
Narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Gregory Salinas. They did such a great job narrating and brought those characters to life.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Fun for the Holidays novella by J. Sterling. Love these quick reads. Don’t Marry Him had mystery, romance, family issues, all in one book. Loved it and highly recommend this entire series. They are all standalone and don’t intertwine, but each amazing.

Dove Tryst and Dominic DeLuca have been in love with each other basically their whole lives. They were soulmates, 2 parts of one. They were made for each other. They had dreams and plans to get married and grow old together. That was until one day Dove broke up with Dominic and got engaged to the person he hated the most.

Dominic didn’t know what happened. It came out of nowhere one day. He tried calling and texting, tried finding her, with no luck. He didn’t hear from her for month and one day heard that she was getting married to him. He had to do something and find out why she was doing this to him. She hated him as much as Dominic did. He needed to know who she was protecting by doing this, because she would do anything to protect him or her dad.

Could he stop the wedding from happening and get his girl back?

Received this ARC for my honest review and opinion.

[Katie Morad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Marry Him by J. Sterling is a fun, addictive romance packed with second chances, unexpected twists, and just the right amount of drama. The story follows a heroine on the brink of marrying the wrong guy – until fate (and maybe a little self-realization) steps in to change her course.

Sterling’s writing is witty and heartfelt, making it easy to root for the characters as they navigate love, regrets, and new beginnings. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, and the emotional moments are balanced with humor, keeping the tone light yet engaging.

If you love romances where the heart finally gets it right, Don’t Marry Him is a breezy, feel-good read that will have you turning pages late into the night.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really have been enjoying this novella series! Don’t Marry Him is a great addition!! This was a great really quick read! This one sucked me in from the very beginning! I have to say this one is one of my favorites in the series. This one has a bit of a different vibe than the rest of them. It’s not a light as the others. It’s not dark though either. As is usual with novellas this one went way to quickly and I didn’t want it to end! I got attached to these characters and didn’t want to say goodbye to them! This one had great side characters too that made me want their stories! Overall a great read that I definitely recommend!

Received a arc for a honest review.

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have another short book from "A Fun for the holidays" series. At the beginning it took me a little while to understand exactly what is happening with Dove and Dominic.

I think they are perfect for each other. They were not only best friends, but they loved each other. The thing is that something happened and Dove is marrying another guy. Will she choose Dominic or Trevor? What is the reason for her getting married to another guy? Well, you will find out if you read the novella.

J. Sterling build the story really nicely and this book became a great addition to the series.

ARC provided by the author and all opinions in this review are my own.

[May Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An audiobook telenovela, anyone?

I expected this novella to be like scheming with hijinks and hilarity on the side, but no, it started off with a heart-breaking why. I didn’t mind. I was intrigued on how this couple would overcome this obstacle in their relationship. I gotta admit it was out of the ordimary, but the rest of the story? It was predictable that you knew what happened next before it was even narrated to you. Speaking of the narrators…

I will not talk about Savannah Peachwood as this is not my first time listening to her. However, if I remember correctly, this is my first time listening to Gregory Salinas and I think he just sounds familiar. Is he one of the pen names of the narrators I know and love, or is he a different individual altogether? Regardless, I think he’s okay. And I definitely wouldn’t mind listening to him again. All in all, this was a fun read. I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was leaning to rom com, if you know what I mean.

[Jennifer Militti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Marry Him is a heartfelt contemporary romance that delves into the complexities of love, loyalty, and the challenges of rekindling a past relationship. The characters are well developed, and their journey resonates with readers who appreciate stories about second chances and the complexities of human relationships.

These books are a quick read and have very little spice in them.


Favorite quotes:

— That was the thing about the people closest to you— the moment they knew your weaknesses, they wouldn’t hesitate to exploit them when necessary.

— When you know who you are meant to be with, you don’t see the sense in waiting to make them yours.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these fun and quick reads! They have all been fun and different. Dove and Dominic have the love that’s from a fairytale. Politicians are dirty. There’s no secret. When people mix with the wrong people to get ahead, it’s never good. Dove finds herself in an impossible situation with Dominic’s nemesis. She has one request. Object at the wedding even though he isn’t invited. This was a page turner keeping me on the edge of my seat and wondering what’s going to happen when getting mixed up with the wrong people.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely childhood sweetheart story with a big old twist.

Dove and Dominic were always destined to be together and everyone knew that, including Dominic's previously good friend Trevor. Dominic had changed Trevor's life by taking him into his family home, but Trevor repaid him by taking everything destined for Dominic's life.

The only thing he couldn't have was Dove - until he did! No one could understand the sudden change and there had to be something behind it. This is what we find out, and can Dominic save the day?

Great short story that I couldn't put down.

[Marina Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t Marry Him has a romantic suspense that I rather liked.
A wedding, great banter, family issues and some humour made it an enjoyable novella to read! Initially I wondered what was going on between Dove and Dominic, but the further you get into this short story the more you will understand. There is also a level of intrigue and I particularly liked how it ends. A good addition to the Fun for the Holidays collection of novellas!

[Katie Feller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Fun for the Holidays book from J. Sterling! This one had a little bit of everything: crime bosses, family issues, blackmail, true love, and a real happy ending.
This was a fun read, but over way too quickly. I hope eventually this one gets turned into a full-length novel! 🤞 So much happened in this book, and everything got tied up in a neat little bow so quickly. I'd love to see the long version of how all this played out.

[Mayas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever Mine

When people mistake empathy for pity. I swear that is all I could think about when listening to Trevor talk. I just wanted to smack him up his head. Biting the hand that feeds you always end up with you being hungry still. Well in this case the loser in a game you were playing by yourself.

I loved Dove and Dominic story. I just wished Dove trusted her circle more.

[Bethany Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't Marry Him was a quick but intense read with romance, passion, family chaos, and a bit of mystery sprinkled in! Loved the chemistry and deep connection between Dominic and Dove and seeing them get their well deserved HEA 😍 It left me wishing for more in the best way.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been my favorite "Fun for the Holidays" book. I loved the premise of this novella. I am craving a longer version with more details of the shady dealings in Hope Town. Really enjoyed all of these characters.

[Samantha Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed how the characters already knew (let alone loved) each other. This story was a refreshing break after Sterling's repeat love stories in the other Holiday books. This gave me slight mafia vibes without going too dark. It's a good palette cleanser.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.

This book wasn't for me personally. Nothing bad to the author, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Joana F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Finished this book in a 3 hour flight. The book was very intriguing and engaging. Wish it was longer so we can get more about the main characters.

[Katlyn Symansic · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a okay story. Short sweet. I just wasn’t that drawn into it, it seemed bland in away. The storyline wasn’t all that great to me, but liked the MCs.

[Heather Kirchhoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

I flew through Don't Marry Him! It has a great storyline. I highly recommend this book if you want a fast read!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Cassie Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one wasnt my favorite but it was cute! Dom seemed like a bad ass. He needed to be a bit more rougher. Over all quick read and cute love story