The Unwanted Wife

Unwanted #1

by Natasha Anders

All Alessandro de Lucci wants from his wife is a son but after a year and a half of unhappiness and disillusionment, all Theresa de Lucci wants from her ice cold husband is a divorce. Unfortunate timing, since Theresa is about to discover that she’s finally pregnant and Alessandro is about to discover that he isn’t willing to lose Theresa.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Marriage Of Convenience, Enemies To Lovers, Adult

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 26, 2012

About the author

Since making her publishing debut in 2012, Natasha Anders has drawn praise and attention as a unique voice in romance. Montlake author and 2018 RITA® Finalist, Anders was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She spent nine years as an associate English teacher in Niigata, Japan, where she became a legendary karaoke diva. Anders currently lives in Cape Town.

Reviews

[mel ☽ · Rating 3 out of 5]

#1 reason why this book is entertaining : the male main character was suffering the entire book.



this. this is the content i love.

this book had me intrigued because, i love groveling and i heard this book is just full of the hero groveling so alas here i am. this is about Theresa (h) finally having enough with her husband's, Sandro (H), neglectful and dickhead attitude since they've been married for 18 months and asking for a divorce. Sandro, not knowing that his wife didn't know that their marriage was "arranged" and genuinely loved him finally gets his head out of his ass and grovels especially since spoiler // Theresa is pregnant // but too little too late now i guess.

“I'm your husband...”
“No. You are not my husband,” she interrupted in a voice thickened with hatred and tears. “You have never been my husband. A husband loves, honours and cherishes! A husband is a lover and a champion... Look into the next room if you want to see what a real husband is, because you are no such thing!”

and honestly? other books with supposed "groveling" isn't enough for me. you think 2 chapters of telling >>> showing of the hero groveling or doing a ONE speech or public gesture or naming a cloud after them is enough for me?

HELL. NO.

what is worse is that the heroine, most of the time, just forgives the hero after ONE speech. yeah, that's a no for me. i need 10 chapters - minimum - of the hero begging for the heroine's forgiveness and the heroine making the hero work hard for it until i, as the reader, am satisfied with the groveling because seriously,

LET. THE. MAN. SUFFER.

anywho, going back to the book, Theresa really made Sandro suffer the entire book and rightfully so. when i tell you she did not forgive Sandro the entire book and made him work for it til the very end? i mean it.

"You know what it’s like when you have an overwhelming urge to scrape the touch, the smell, the very essence of someone off your skin, don’t you? After all, that’s what you usually do thirty seconds after your orgasm, and I can finally relate to that."

sis did not wake up and choose violence, she IS violence.

-`,✎ WHY NOT A HIGHER RATING?

first of all, Sandro is kinda dumb. no- actually, he's fully dumb. throughout the book he was groveling and working hard to earn his wife's forgiveness right? right. what i don't understand is why he keeps hanging out with the OW, Francesca, aka his ex girlfriend that Theresa thought he has loved this whole entire time, whenever he goes back to Italy to visit his family. i know that his family forces him to hang out with his ex but dancing with her? hugging her and putting his arms around her shoulders? kissing her cheeks? laughing with her and knowing that there's paparazzi everywhere meaning he knows that his wife will probably see them pictured together?



sir, explain yourself.

and also, he must've known that the media was talking shit about his wife right? he could've literally protected Theresa and told the paparazzi's to shut the fuck up and shut the rumors down about him and Francesca but he never did any of this. so see, this is why we need Sandro's POV in this book because yes, everything was written in Theresa's POV. plus, i just wanted to feel his pain and regret, and i wanna know his train of thought whenever he would go to Italy while his family is forcing him to hang out with his ex. and for those who want to know, this is his mindset about his ex:

"I don't love Francesca. I don't think I've ever loved her. Maybe when I married you, for about five seconds, I believed that I did. But I was disabused of that notion pretty damned early on in our marriage. I don't love her and I have no idea why the hell you're so fixated on her."

now, do y'all see what i mean by Sandro being a dumbass? i HaVe No IdeA wHy yoU'Re fIxAtEd On HeR... dude.

also, for those who want to know, no he never cheated but he did pretend to be with random women the whole time they were married and Theresa thought he was maybe cheating. and he knew this would hurt her. so the fact that he doesn't know why his wife is "fixated" on his ex and he knows that the paparazzi are taking pictures of them together... boy, i wonder why your wife is fixated on her, you dumbass.

i know i said i like that Sandro was suffering but these two fought the ENTIRE book. i just wanted more sweet moments between them because their arguments were getting a little tiresome and a bit repetitive. i just wish there were at least past scenes that shows us how Sandro has treated Theresa as it was all telling >>> showing. and because of this and the fact i only saw him as an asshole in the first chapter, i started to feel bad for Sandro and we don't want that because Theresa really was ruthless (deservedly so).

───── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─────

again, i just wish we have more of Sandro's POV because we just get his side of things literally waaay at the end in a long ass speech. and even though he's trying to win his wife back, why the f can't he just tell her the truth from the very beginning about Francesca instead of stressing his pregnant wife out for the whole 9 months of her pregnancy??

What. An. Idiot.

if you guys want to be stressed and wanna read about a hero suffering the entire book then i recommend this!!

3.25 stars ☆⋆

[s · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fucking sad okay FUCK yall dont understand how much i would die for this book and the characters and literally everything fucking in this book!!!

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I think I have the whole book memorized at this point.

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will I ever get tired of reading this book?? never


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this book is so perfect what is my life without this book omg

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Bury me with this book when i die

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I AM CRYING. HOLY SHIT.

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Starting this three days after I just finished reading it for the third time. I have issues??? I have issues.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by one of my GR friends and whilst I was a bit hesitant after reading the blurb – a lot of angst it seemed to be, and the title was pretty hard….unwanted!!!!! – but it actually turned out to be a really good read.

Alessandro & Theresa de Lucci had been living in a loveless and cold marriage.
Theresa had married Sandro because she was in love with him but he was blackmailed by her manipulative father into the marriage and to produce a male son so that he can get his family’s vineyard back.

After two years of loneliness, unhappiness and misery with Sandro, she decides that she’s had enough and demands a divorce from him. But he cruelly refuses……..he needs that son before he will ever give her the freedom she wants.

I hated Alessandro from the very beginning. His cruelty and his dismissive attitude to Theresa were truly horrible. How can a man ever behave in such a way? How can he have sex with a woman he despises, never kissing her but just a roll in bed, never introduces his wife to his family and friends…and even worse, he’s in love with another woman, just waiting for him to get rid of Theresa so he can go back to his love of his life…. and think that’s okay!!! I keep having these thoughts in my head of….
And Theresa did not do it for me either at the start!!!! How could she have stayed so long in such a marriage? Yes…..she believed she loved him at first and then she’s crazy about his body and having sex with him!!! For real!!!!! Me, I would want to do something else to a man such like sexy Alessandro!!!!

Instead what has she been doing for years???? Oh I love him; maybe he will love me to!!! Keep hoping dear!! So… Theresa…stop…

And then….

Yes, that’s right!!! HUGE SHOCKS!!!!

Sandro discovers that Theresa knew nothing about her father’s blackmail and he now believes that she married him for love. She’s innocent and she’s PREGNANT!!! Wow, Theresa finally did it!!! Sandro can now have his freedom!!! But wait…..something weird is happening here!!

Theresa wants nothing to do with him. She’s had enough!!! Allright girl!!! At last, some backbone!!! But here’s the catch!!!! Sandro no longer wants to divorce her. He wants to stay married to her and be a family with their baby!!!! WHAT!!! Is this guy crazy!!!! Talk about a change of HEART!!!!! What a sod!!! And even more amazing…this guy discovers in a second that he feels a lot for the poor woman………….

Unbelievable!!!!!

But Theresa is not that swayed!!! She’s standing up for herself at last. He will have to work hard at making up for all those horrible times he’s given her in the past….Grovel…He does a lot of groveling…..

This was quite a heartbreaking and emotional story and I was totally drawn into the story. The fact that it takes place over a period of time and not over a day or two made it more real and believable.

Despite my feelings for Sandro, at the end I actually liked him. He managed to redeem himself and make Theresa happy at last.

And what a sweet and lovely epilogue.

Oh, have I mentioned that I loved the settings in the story??? Cape Town….my favorite city…..

I thought the writing of the settings and characters was extremely well-done.

I am definitely going to check out more books by this author.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Awesomely Epic Arranged Marriage Stars

I am a total sucker for the whole forced marriage/arranged marriage shtick.

If you are too, definitely pick this one up. It's one of the best of that "genre" that I've read in a long time - and surprisingly NOT a historical!

I loved everything about this story.

The H was a complete and total alpha dick who later groveled and I fucking loved it.

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I was a little leery to read this book considering the title, The Unwanted Wife, which pretty much told me I was in for a heartbreaking and angsty ride; and, oh boy, was this book an heartbreaking and angsty ride. That said, I very much enjoyed reading this story.

I would have given The Unwanted Wife a slightly higher rating, considering it grabbed my attention and didn't let go until the end, but the editing and the heroine's character prevented me from doing so. This book needs editing and I just couldn't related to the heroine by the end of the story. I started the book admiring her determination and perceived backbone, but then she took everything a step too far and in the end became a martyr. Once it got to that point, she lost me.

What shocked me the most, however, was how much I ended up liking the hero when all was said and done. I wasn't prepared for how redeemable his character became by the end of the book. I really didn't think the author could change my mind about him–he was such an ass to the heroine at the beginning of their story–but the author did her job and created one of the most contrite, repentant, and redeemable heroes I've read to date.

The epilogue was fabulous and made all the angst worth while. I was genuinely happy for this couple and glad they got their much deserved happy-ever-after. I closed this book with a happy heart and a smile on my face. I recommend this story to those looking for a good angsty read with a jerky but redeemable hero.

[Mareeva · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

yea sex is great but have you ever watched men suffer?

She made him grovel in absolute misery this entire book and I loved every second of it.

[len ❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I have this life, with you. It’s the only one that matters to me,” he insisted. “I have a wife who loved me once, and who maybe…someday…would dare to love and trust me again? I don’t have to be here…but I want to be here.”

Dear book gods, why must you be so cruel to me and let me be disappointed?

The Unwanted Wife is truly about that: an unwanted wife. Or is it? It follows Italian-born Alessandro De Lucci and Theresa Noble in their 18-month marriage that is slowly falling apart. Theresa met Sandro through her father, and the moment she did, she fell in love. Little did she think that 18 months later, she would be asking him for a divorce. She’s noticed that Alessandro is no longer the man she once thought he was and in order to be granted the divorce, Alessandro asks her to she gives him what he wants, and that is a son. Torn through the past, present, and future, Theresa tries her best to not carry Sandro’s future child, especially because of how effective that would be towards their future. Theresa has never met Alessandro’s family, hardly ever knows anything about his past, and starts wondering if Alessandro ever loved her. It doesn’t help that Theresa believes there is another woman Alessandro is in love with, and as she begins to learn more about her husband, she learns that her cruel and emotionless father has also been involved in the marriage.

I'm conflicted.

I'm still unsure about how I feel about this. I breezed through it and read it in one sitting, but there was definitely something everyone else loved that I missed. I went from feeling confused, to feeling meh about it, to enjoying it, to feeling meh again, to enjoying it again. It was a mix of meh and enjoyment, which made me feel confused in the end.

I've barely heard about this series, but when short stories like it are available on Kindle unlimited, there's no denying I'll run to my Kindle and read it. I feel like there isn't a lot I can say, if I'm being honest. Every review I was reading had no answers to what I was looking for before I started this. Based off the blurb, I thought this would be a romantic suspense, but it was being labeled as women's fiction and romance everywhere I turned to, so my suspicion of the suspense part quickly drifted away. However, since I didn't know this book featured groveling as a plot device, I was quite confused in the beginning.

I feel like I disliked more things about this than I loved, but take it as you will.

The groveling is definitely the best part of this book. I appreciated how Natasha actually showed the groveling being done. Every moment Sandro tried to win Theresa back was shown in a manner where it was easily imaginable, which I highly appreciated. The small details of everything, such as small things he did, how he slowly started developing not only as a "husband" but also as a character, made his character much more appealing to me. There's no denying it's top tier, and I thought it was done well in this book. There's something about making the hero suffer and watching him take in the pain as the woman he is in love with continues to ignore him even though deep down inside, she's clearly still in love with him.

I also really enjoyed the angst between the two characters. It definitely kept the pace going, and there wasn't any moment as I was reading this that I felt myself bored. I felt more annoyed and frustrated (for reasons I'll explain), but never bored. For a short story, the author did an amazing job at keeping the pace and tone. This is an easy trilogy to binge, and I'm already planning on reading the other two books soon.

Chemistry was a terrible thing; sometimes it simply sparked between the wrong people.

However, I'm being honest, I feel like adding Sandros' pov would have made this much better by a long shot. I would have loved to see his thoughts and seen how he was suffering through his head, not through my own reading thoughts and through Theresa. It would have made it more angsty, in my opinion, because we would be seeing what Sandro would be thinking as he went through the pain and heartbreak. With that being said, I still enjoyed reading about him and how he would do anything to win the trust and love of Theresa again.

I also really liked his character development, despite how slow it felt in a short book. He noticed how much he screwed up, especially in realizing how bad his speech with Theresa was. He didn’t know anything about Theresa, not even her birthday, favorite color, what hobbies she has and likes, etc. Of course he started noticing the things about her because Theresa pointed them out, but that was part of his character development. It showed how much he truly cared not only about her and her feelings, but also because he realized he lost so much time with her. The little things always get to me, and Alessandro was, once again, no exception to this. He tried making up for it by asking time from her, such as two hours in the evenings to spend time with her. Honestly, I found these acts to be some of the sweetest and most heartwarming parts of the book, but just in general. His commitment to showing her how she truly is the sun that revolves around him was endearing, and I found it sweet of him to try and be gentle with her.

For example, when they were in the hospital and he brought her helium balloons with praline waffles and pink daisies. Or when he offered to help paint the nursery, saying he saw a huge panda bear toy at the toy shop, only to blush after because he was looking for toys and decorations for the baby's room. Or when he would stop what he was doing to ask Theresa what her plans were, how she’s feeling, or to just listen to her in the mornings when she woke up. Or when he would immediately wake up when the baby cried because he didn’t want Theresa to solve the issue. To be honest, it’s such a dreamy visual representation trying to picture a man like Alessandro holding this tiny infant who has some of his features in his muscular and large arms. Something about men with babies gets to me, especially when the infant is the tiniest creature while the man is this ginormous human being who can cradle an entire King's bed because of how large he is.

“Two hours for what?”
“Just to…” His face clenched in frustration and he shrugged helplessly. “Spend together. Talk, watch a movie, read, sit…anything, as long as we spend it together.”

With that being said, I felt like Sandro was just awful at communicating, and I don't know if this is a me issue or not. This is why I believe his character development was slow. Even though he started to show care and interest to Theresa, he was still so self-willed. Personally, I love reading about heroes who lack communication, struggle on showing their feelings, and say what they want to say but with the wrong words (it's funny and cute). However, with Sandro, I thought he just lacked comprehension. I didn't even mind how Sandro was a complete asshole in the beginning. In fact, I liked it because it added to the drama I was anticipating. Theresa didn't know he married her because of a deal he and her father made, and when Alessandro found this out, he changed, which I expected. He started showing his soft side and began to slowly approach her. This isn't what bothered me though. It was Alessandro's single-mindedness.

Theresa was described as stubborn, both by herself and Sandro, but I found Sandro to also be so, so stubborn.

Every moment where he had the ability to show Theresa how he loved her, he failed miserably. It added to the drama, of course, which I admit made it fun and more engaging, but I won't lie, I was rolling my eyes at some point, annoyed and over it. Every moment, he had the chance to tell Theresa he loved her (and not by saying "I love you"). Theresa would bring up questions like "Why do you want me?" or "Why are you showing me love after all this time?" and Sandro would literally look her in the eye and confidently answer "Because you're my wife." or "Because we're married." and I just laughed. I laughed, I groaned, and I wanted to shake the guy. I wish I could have slapped him as well if I'm being honest. He was unable to understand his feelings, show them, tell them to Theresa, and just, overall, be the person he wanted to be. I don't know if I didn’t take the hint here, but I was not able to sympathize with him easily, nor could I understand why he was the way he was with Theresa sometimes.

Also, something else I can't stop thinking about is this quote:

“The only thing that matters to me is you. You’re the sun I revolve around, and without you…” He shook his head as his voice broke.

Like, are you kidding me?? Without Theresa you what, Sandro!? WHAT HAPPENS? Although we know what he's trying to say, I seriously got so angry at this part. Whatever he was trying to finish saying sounds so beautiful! Theresa is the sun he revolves around. How beautiful must that feel to be told that! But it just ends there, unfortunately.

So despite his character development growing on me, it wasn't enough.

Similarly, I also found Theresa to be stubborn, but there were also things I appreciated from her. I loved the redeemed character arc with her father. I couldn't blame her for feeling the way she did with him, and it was saddening to see how she was still willing to be the "perfect daughter" for him even though she knows he emotionally abandoned her. I thought of her as strong towards the ending when she confronted him. I also really liked how willing she was getting to go as far as she could to make sure she and her child would be fine and healthy. Regardless of the situation that would happen with Sandro (that is, getting the divorce), she was planning on taking care of the child in any way she could, and I just found this determination refreshing because I was worried she would give up on herself and the baby.

“I’m stronger than you’ll ever know, father.” She smiled serenely. “Years of constant rejection from the people you love can leave you with pretty tough skin. You can’t hurt me anymore. I don’t want or need your version of love. I find that I no longer want or need you in my life.”

Yet of course, she was quite persistent as well. Not in the same way as Sandro, because I know she acted the way she did to make him realize how much he truly fucked up, but I felt her to be a little dull sometimes. I honestly wished we could have learned more about her jewelry and her interest in that. Sometimes, her instant sexual attraction to Sandro also pissed me off. With the whole groveling business, I expected her to be more distant, but both Sandro and Theresa would get instantly horny for each other within a second of being chest to chest.

Admittedly, I thought there would be more drama in this. The fact that this book is popularly shelved under "drama" and the so-called drama is something many reviewers have loved, I found myself expecting more. For a book like this, I thought it would involve more twists and turns, and not just angst between the characters. Again, this is mostly just a personal issue, and I probably just expected much more than what I got. I'm pretty sure the drama was the angst between the characters, but it just didn't work entirely for me.

This is definitely an unpopular opinion. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.

“Things change, Theresa.”
“Some things are inexcusable, Sandro,” she whispered painfully. “And unforgivable.”

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5--Angsty--Stars!!

Sweet Baby Jesus...if you like your books angsty then this is the book for you. Me...



Alessandro (Sandro) and Theresa have been married for 18 months. It's an emotionless, loveless, affectionless marriage on Sandro's part and every day it beats Theresa down further and further. All Sandro wants is for her to bring a son in to the world.

Finally, Theresa can't deal with the pain and hurt any longer.



Theresa asks Sandro to give her a divorce. But he won't. And why won't he???



Seems Theresa and Sandro's marriage was merely an arrangement between Theresa's father and Sandro. A sacrifice that he made for his family. And until they produce a son, the marriage stands.



Only, Theresa didn't know about the arrangement like Sandro thought she did.

And now Theresa finds herself, of all things, pregnant. Producing a boy will allow Sandro to be relieved of his "duties", a girl and they will remain bound together.



Sandro eventually sees how much his actions hurt Theresa and he tries to make it up to her. But Theresa remains guarded and isn't willing to give Sandro her heart completely.

"I can't go back to being the naive girl who loved you with all her heart."

"But maybe...the woman who replaced that girl could find a way to love the flawed man she'd once placed on a pedastal he had no business being on?"

Will having a baby bring Sandro and Theresa closer together or push them further apart?

And who in the hell is Francesca and why is Sandro always photographed with her??



While I did like the story, it was different then most everything else out there, I couldn't rate this any higher based on miscommunication being the main culprit of all of Sandro and Theresa's problems. Me no likey miscommunication.

A simple conversation would have solved all of their problems and they could have lived HEA a whole hell of a lot sooner!



But, with that being said I quite liked a groveling Sandro. And even when he was an asshole, we got glimpses of compassion towards Theresa. They went about their relationship a bit backwards....sex was never a problem for them, it was just everything else that had some catching up to do.

And now



Or another margarita!

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wanted drama, i got plenty.
this was toxic yet addicting and i was here for it.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

Mmm... delicious!



I stumbled upon this book while rummaging through my friends’ shelves in hope of finding an older, "verified" book that would get me out of the reading slump.

I won't lie, I was sceptical when I read the reviews. I gave it a shot anyway. Something must be very, very wrong with me because this book contains all the things which usually get on my nerves. But I FREAKING LOVED IT !

* A manipulative and cold hero.

Yes, the hero is a grade A asshole. Yes, his behavior is despicable. Some might even call it emotional abuse. But he is so fucking HOT!

* A doormat heroine.

Yes, the heroine is a doormat and the hero walks all over her in their marriage. But for some inexplicable reason she isn’t annoying. She actually has a backbone.

* A cat and mouse game which goes on forever.

Yes, a cat and mouse game can be exhausting but I didn’t mind it here (which I can't explain).

* Unrealistic plot.

I mean, can an arranged marriage really happen for such reasons in developed countries in this day and age?

Plus, nothing major is happening in this book. There are only a few characters in the whole book and the heroine almost never leaves her house. Okay, the plot sounds weak and is hardly believable but I was completely engrossed in the story.

* A couple of eye-roll worthy moments.

Okay, this is the main reason I deducted one star.

I'm not sure how the author pulled it off but she should keep doing it. So now I’m just going to continue stalking my GR friends in search for another great book.




QUICK REVIEW:

Enjoyment:: 4/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 4/5
Heroine: 4/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 3.5/5
Angst: 4/5
Darkness level: 2/5
Humor: 2/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: heroine, 3rd person
Triggers: emotional abuse

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

This was full of angsty goodness! An oldie but a goodie. I've been recommended this book so many times and I'm glad I finally got to it. The heroine was frustrating at times, but I completely adored the hero. It was a quick listen and completely captivating.

October Audible Escape listen #18
Rating: 4.25 stars
Genre: Romance
Narrators: Justine Eyre
Length: 7 hours and 24 minutes

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

he suffered guys!!!! he suffered way too much and i was eating up each & every scene. theresa walked him like a dog ffs! the whole book had groveling, and it's a proper marriage-in-crisis book. it did have a lot of problematic moments and made me furious, but groveling & suffering > his assholeness.

“Theresa, if you ever wanted revenge for the way I’d treated you, you got it in spades when it felt like nothing I was doing or saying was making any difference to the way you felt about me.”

⌞ Mr. & Mrs. De Lucci ⌝

ᯓ theresa & alessandro might've had a good relationship as they both liked each other from the first moment, but because her father forcefully made Sandro marry theresa , he despised her. their 18 months were purely physical (aaron warner's excuse iykyk), and she slowly lost her trust and love for him and asked for a divorce!

–

“I want a divorce,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry,” he groaned. “I’m so sorry for more things than you could possibly imagine… but that’s the one thing I can’t give you”

seriously, these men need a little push in the right direction and 'i want a divorce' was the best one for Sandro. he did act cruelly towards her emotionally and thought that hanging her cousin's debt over her head would make her change her decision, but he wasn’t ready for her cold attitude. i swear theresa's constant flinching from his touch, as if he's not worth touching her, and not even believing anything coming out of his mouth, literally tore his heart out, and i was on the sidelines cheering for my girl 😭

–

“You’re just a few short months away from getting rid of your unwanted wife, child and life”

the drama was insane, he'd beg for some of her attention. though there were moments when he’d rather not talk about certain things at certain times. and tbh, he was a little dumb— like bro, it's obvious she doesn't trust you right now, elaborate your sentences 😭 he would say one thing, and she would interpret it as something else. basically, sometimes i interpreted sandro's replies in his own pov, and i understood what he meant, but from theresa's pov, with her obvious mistrust for him, she would definitely interpret things differently, so it all made sensez🤷🏻‍♀️

the writing style is definitely screaming of 2012, and it’s in 3rd person pov, but it was good. the epilogue was extremely cute, and sandro's last confession to her about everything & nothing was damn good. it all made sense. would've loved it more if we had his pov. also, i don't think it was surprise pregnancy type of, the book kinda revolved around her pregnancy scenes, but it was because they were bidding their time to end the marriage, so... nvm, those scenes were GOOOOD. him taking care of her >>>

⌗ it's a short book, and has a lot of drama. i'd recommend it def despite the ratings <3

[NMmomof4 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars (Originally Read 5/29/2016)

3.5 Stars (Re-Read 8/21/2021)

3.5 Stars (2nd Re-Read 11/25/2022)

Overall Opinion: I had put this off for a while now, and I'm not really sure why. It might be that I saw such mixed reviews and I thought I might have huge issues with the H like I did in A Ruthless Proposition. I did have huge issues with the H. He was a jerk of the biggest kind, and I cried at how he made the h feel! BUT once things came to light as to certain misconceptions he had about his marriage, I actually sympathized with him and ended up liking him more than the h! The h irritated me at times with her grudges. And it get it! Mean words can cut deeper than physical! But she took it to a level that became annoying to me. She's the reason for it not being a 4 star read. Oh, btw! I thought this narrator on KU was amazing! I hope I'll find more audiobooks with her in the future :)

Re-Read Note: I decided to revisit this one after one of my GR friends said that this is one of their most re-read books. I still cried through a lot of this and I felt the unrequited love drama that I (masochistically) enjoy, but I’m going to stick with my initial review and rating. I ended up rolling my eyes at the h a few times towards the end about her not communicating and making assumptions and I also still felt a hate/like connection with the H. Overall, I enjoyed the re-read but it’s not making its new home on my favorites shelf.

2nd Re-Read Note: Nothing really to add here -- I enjoyed it, shed a few tears, and rolled my eyes/got annoyed with the h again! I honestly don't know why, but for some reason around holidays I seek out the angst and this was one I instantly thought of...

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Theresa and Sandro's story. This story starts when Theresa has had enough of the indifference and mistreatment she is getting from Sandro, and asks for a divorce. He demands that she give him a son in exchange for the divorce. She starts pushing away and makes big efforts to not take is mistreatment anymore. After some startling discoveries about the events that lead up to their marriage, both of them start to look at each other in different lights. They have some major obstacles to get over, but they do get a HEA ending.

POV: This was told in Theresa's POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Good. I thought it flowed well.

Instalove: No. They are married at the beginning of the story with their own feelings mostly developed.

H rating: 3.5 stars. Sandro. I hated him at first with a passion, but I actually ended up liking him more than the h! If that's not good storytelling I don't know what is!

h rating: 3 stars. Theresa. I had some issues with her stubbornness, and that she didn't just have outright conversations about what was bothering her instead of being passive aggressive at times.

Sadness level: Low/moderate. I personally cried a good bit when she was being hurt by the H, but I don't think everyone will. I've always been a crybaby in the unrequited love type scenarios.

Push/Pull: Yes The H takes out his resentment about their marriage on the h by treating her poorly, but once he realizes that she didn't have anything to do with it he is distraught about his behavior. He then actively pursues her and tries to get her to forgive his behavior and love him again. The h does pushing away because of his past mistreatment of her up until the end.

Heat level: Moderate. They have some good chemistry and scenes.

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: No and yes. They are trying to get pregnant, and then condoms are used when they aren't.

OW/OM drama: Yes There is a woman back in Italy that the H had previous relations with that he thought he loved when he first got married to the h. The h believes that he still loves this OW, and some of his family is still adamant that he still loves her too. He claimed that he stopped having feelings for her and never had anything physical with her after he was married to the h.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No. Though the h believes that the H had other partners. When he thought she was part of the arrangement, he would parade other women in front of the media -- but he claimed to never have done anything with them.

Separation: Not technically They are physically separated when he goes to Italy, but they aren't broken up.

Possible Triggers: Mild Borderline emotional abuse, arranged marriage, and loss of a parent.

Closure: This had a cute epilogue with a HEA ending.

How I got it: It was part of my kindle unlimited subscription.

Safety: Safe/Safe with exception depending on personal preferences

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the h pushing the H away
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse (maybe borderline emotional abuse before story started)
- Does Not have OTT sad parts
- Does have a HEA ending

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Review contains minor Spoilers-none will hinder your reading experience
4 STARS out of 5
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

'Theresa had finally realised that there would be no thaw; their marriage was a perpetual winter wasteland and if she ever wanted to feel the warmth of the sun on her face again, she had to get out of it. Unfortunately, she now knew that escaping would be trickier than she had thought.'
~Inner monologue Of Theresa in The Unwanted Wife

This book had me an emotional wreck. I was delivered blow after blow and thought their would be no end in sight. I can happily say that I indeed got my HEA, it just took a while to get it.

Theresa De Lucci has spent the first year and a half of her marriage dealing with the arctic chill also known as her husband Alessandro De lucci. The book starts with the two coming down off the high of their climaxes from sex. Theresa is still catching her breath when she says
“I want a divorce, Alessandro.” He tensed, every single muscle in his body went as tight as a coiled spring, before he turned his head to meet her watchful gaze.


Give me a son Theresa
Frustrated and clearly unhappy Theresa asks her husband for a divorce he has no intention on giving her.
Oh no no no, Alessandro has a goal that must be fulfilled before he grants her that, she must first give him a son. A goal he has been trying to achieve since their wedding night. Fed up with his bull Theresa decides to no longer be his doormat. She once loved and adored him... But all he ever did was freeze her out and treat her like she meant nothing. The only time he ever touches her is for sex and even then he never ever kisses her on the lips. NOT ONCE. NOT EVER.

Determined to win the battle and not the war Theresa moves out of their bedroom and continues to ask for a divorce. All the time unaware that he cannot give it to her because of a deal he made. A contract. When certain information comes to light the tables turn. With Theresa now pregnant and no longer wanting to stay in her loveless marriage. All but too late Alessandro finds himself falling for his wife. His wife with the now icy heart and cold demeanor towards him.
Payback is truly a BITCH!
When Alessandro tries to win her back by making up for past mistakes. ONE mistake being the fact that she has never met his family, so he plans for her to meet them. And she does not hold back... She tells him

“A year ago… Eighteen months ago even but not now! Don’t you realise that this is too little too late?” She shook her head in frustration.
“It’s like putting a band-aid on an amputation!” ~Theresa

He says all the right things and tries his hardest but she cannot see past all the pain. She finds it hard to see the sincerity in his actions.

“You’ve hurt me so many times,” she confessed. Opening her eyes and meeting his gaze full on. He flinched slightly beneath the accusatory glare.
“I know.”
“In so many ways.”
“I know.”
“Why should I forgive you and love you again? Why should I open up my heart to a man who would probably crush it in the palms of his hands?”
“You probably shouldn’t,” ~Theresa and Alessandro


Thoughts
WOW, this book was crazy. And I loved it!!!
Oh how I wish I could have been in this guys head, he was a walking contradiction. He often left things unexplained and would only breech the subject if his wife asked the right question. He was Italian and SEXY AS HELL. Even when she wanted to hate him she couldn't. Not truly in her heart. But she sure as hell gave him a good cold shoulder. Which he fought tooth and nail. At one point the guy had to negotiate quality time. Hahahahahaha!! I loved that part.
Alessandro was a true ALPHA MALE and said some things that left my head spinning like when she denied him sex he says

“What’s to stop me from simply taking what belongs to me?”

Yeah he was a real A-hole. And even though he spent the mass majority of the book trying to win back his wife's heart and trust... I was right with her protesting every advancing step he took. Waaaayyyyy to many things occurred for her to just give it up freely. And I felt justified with her every action.
The only time I felt like Theresa coward was when it came to Francesca a woman from his past that clearly took residence in his present.

I admit after everything he still won me over. The begging finally worked.lol!
I knew he wanted to right his wrongs but things would happen and it left me saying "what the f**k" too often. His actions constantly went against his words. That is why I label him a walking contradiction.

Her Father...
Theresa's relationship with her father is not the best. In fact it is non existent. I found the man to be cruel and an even bigger A-hole than Alessandro. The day she stood up to that man was a very good day.

Lines that punched me in the gut

“Everything except my womb of course…” she laughed half-hysterically. “You have a lot of use for that! That’s all I am to you, a womb on legs!” ~Theresa

Ummm, ouch, this hurt because she was stating a fact and he knew it.

Fave Line
"I started praying for a girl because I knew a girl would buy me more time. A girl would keep you with me longer; it would also prove to you, once and for all that your father’s ridiculous contract meant nothing to me anymore. That I wanted our marriage to last forever.” ~ Alessandro

My Ratings
Characters- Lovable
Writing Style- Good
Plot/Storyline- Raw, Highly Emotional and Intense
Steam Factor- High/ Very Steamy
Overall- I loved it!!! Read it!!!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!

[bookaddict lass (kate) · Rating 5 out of 5]

groveling of my dreams😌

[Farda Hus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Re-read it for the 5th time. I read this again because my last read with this trope was kind of a disaster, so I needed an antidote.

Please don’t judge this book by its shitty ass cover.

This was my absolute favorite book in my most favorite trope, groveling hero. This book introduced me to the groveling world, and since then, I haven’t been able to find any other that compares.

But after the fifth time, the gut punch didn’t punch like last time. But heyyyy, it’s still my absolute favorite. I know I’ll be going back to this if I start craving it.

So, this is my cue to ask for help. Do you guys have any recommendations like this one? A book with a shitty asshole MMC, a satisfying grovel, and a not-so-forgiving female character? I’ve spent hours crawling through Reddit trying to find a book with groveling galore like this, but still no luck.

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 3 out of 5]

|| 3.0 stars ||

Okay, so I’m not quite sure what to say about this. On the one hand it was painfully stupid and exceedingly frustrating, but on the other hand I breezed right through it without any boredom or reluctance. I mean, this book was somehow insanely addictive to read, even though I didn’t actually like it? I know, it doesn’t really make sense, but it’s the truth.

This book is commonly known as “the grovel book”. Meaning, the plot is supposed to have one big scene of groveling after another. Which, technically, this did. But it wasn’t really what I was expecting or hoping for.
When I think of groveling I think of desperation, of longing, of regret, of pain, of pure and complete love. I didn’t get that here. The ‘groveling’ felt… random? There was no build-up to their relationship, and the book basically began with the grovel from the get-go. This meant that we didn’t understand their dynamic or any previous feelings they might have had. I have absolutely no clue whatsoever why the heroine had fallen in love with the hero at the beginning, and I also have no idea why the hero suddenly changed his mind about her and loved her back. I only understood why he was no longer angry with her, but why that would mean he was suddenly irrevocably in love with her, I have no clue. Therefore, the grovel felt emotionless, and I had no real investment in it.
Also, groveling usually means romance, softness and gentleness for me. It means the hero wanting to show himself from his best side to get the heroine to forgive him. To fall back in love with him. With this book we didn’t really get that. The hero mostly felt indignant and entitled when it came to the heroine’s forgiveness. He acted like she was just being difficult by not crawling back to him. Like that was what she was supposed to do, and he didn’t understand how she could possibly not! That’s not really the attitude I was hoping for.

Which brings me to my next point, namely; the hero and heroine’s disappointing personalities.
When you think of a book with a lot of groveling, you assume the heroine is strong-minded with a real sense of self-respect, right? But no. Theresa wasn’t like that. She was stubborn, sure. But she wasn’t strong and she didn’t have any self-respect. At heart, she was just like all the other horrible heroines who have absolutely no back-bone. I mean, it literally wasn’t even that she didn’t want to forgive the hero, it was simply that she didn’t believe he would actually want her, and thus, she didn’t trust him to not break her heart again. It had nothing to do with her not wanting to be with someone who had caused her so much pain, humiliation, grief and loneliness. It was just a lack of her believing he would actually want her… After all, she was still constantly horny for him, and even had sex with him multiple times while he was supposed to be groveling. Which is not what I wanted from this. At all.

“Theresa, don’t you dare beat yourself up about it. If the divorce rumours are true then he’s a bastard for abandoning his pregant wife when she needs him most,” Rick fumed.
“No, I’m happy for him. He was trapped…” she was so dazed, she barely realised what she was saying and Rick swore in disbelief.
“My God, it’s like you have battered wife syndrome. Stop making excuses for him, he’s an ass who hurt you time and again.”

Now, moving on the the hero, it doesn’t get much better. He might possibly be the most stupid person on the planet. This man does not know what the word “communicate” means. None of his problems would exist if he just opened his mouth and spoke what he was thinking once in a while. Why didn’t he say he loved her? Why didn’t he say he wanted to stay married to her after they had a son? Why didn’t he say he wasn’t in love with Fransesca? Why didn’t he say any of the things he needed to say to get Theresa to understand and/or forgive him? Why would he constantly let her assume the worst? It would almost seem as if he was actively working against himself on his quest of winning Theresa back. It was insane!
And don’t even get me started on the fact that he was still an arsehole, even while he was trying to win her back, because I don’t even want to get into it. He still did some very questionable and rude things, which was a shame, since his nicer moments were often glossed over or even skipped entirely in the book. The narration would just say something like: “they played board games all night,” and not really get into any of their conversations or interactions during those sweeter or softer scenes.

All in all, I really didn’t like the characters or the romance, but the book itself was somehow still entertaining. It wasn’t great. But it wasn’t bad either. Just some simple, mindless fun with a heavy dose of stupidity.

[EmBibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

And they think that a one chapter of grovelling and some sweet words are enough in books???

So yes I’m a cynical who don’t believe in second chances, one mistake and you’re out of my life. I just don’t think it’s easy to forgive someone who had wronged you somehow. That’s why it always takes a lot to convince me that someone is sorry. Grovelling is an art that should be taught well. I need to see suffering, a lot of showing instead of talking, and we need to take our sweet time instead of forgiving that person instantly. Thank you.

What I enjoyed in this book is that she made him suffer. Honestly he was kinda an idiot and he needed to be taught a lesson. I loved how she decided to stop being so agreeable and stood up for herself. And the grovel? The whole book was basically him grovelling and wanting her to go back to loving him and I loved to see him working for it. Oh and the DRAMA!!! It was a lot! But in a kinda good way? I don’t know I was just enjoying it!

[shreya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually never rate books a 1 star. But this truly deserve this ⭐️
I went into this book because I was promised grovelling. Instead I got a heroine with no backbone and a h who’s dumber than a bad of rock. It took me 2 hours to finish this book but damn I wished I did my calculus instead of this. All this book had was an idiotic man saying stupid shit that made me want to teach him a lesson. No like an actual lesson where I can explain him where he fucked up (not that any of it will reach his thick skull)

needless to say this DID NOT satisfy my grovelling cravings by a lottt. Sandro is literally the definition of when girls say men *with an eye roll 🙄 *or a huge sigh 😞 pertaining that there is no hope for the men species. Like how can you be that stupid 🤨 is it physically possible? (ofc it is but it still baffles me )

like this has to be the shittist responses if I’ve ever heard one, men 🙄

“For God’s sake, go back to the woman you love! Go back to Francesca.”
“God, you are the most contrary little bitch!” he hissed. “I don’t love Francesca. I don’t think I’ve ever loved her. Maybe when I married you, for about five seconds, I believed that I did. But I was disabused of that notion pretty damned early on in our marriage. I don’t love her and I have no idea why the hell you’re so fixated on her.”

“She’s an old friend; naturally I hugged her or touched her occasionally. Yes, I danced with her, dropped a few casual kisses on her cheek. It meant nothing. I treated her as I would one of my sisters. I don’t desire her, I don’t love her, and I don’t want her! Those are feelings reserved for you…only for you.”

Like a sister?? But you dated her ?? This man makes 0 sense to me.

“You’re my wife, cara. You’re having my baby.” He reached out and covered one of her hands with his. “I belong here.”

Why is the notion that a baby is the only thing that is keeping them together in an obligatory state. Not something I Condone. It also pisses me off that despite all the SHITTY and UNBEARABLE things Sandos has done in their marriage, she was still his love with him internally. At times she really didnt give herself the respect and say “I don’t love him”. The whole book she just kept saying things to make Sandos (and me) feel sorry for me REPEATEDLY. She really needed a backbone, maybe if she talked earlier instead of 18 months too late, or didnt play the victim every two seconds Id understand her side more. I need strong women in these types of story but by the end, Theresa just annoyed the crap out of me.

“I’ll never hurt you again,” he promised vehemently.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Alessandro,” she warned.
“Okay, I’ll try my best not to inadvertently hurt you again,”

^ this is what he says AFTER THEY HAVE A KID AND SHE FORGIVES HIM?? "i'LL tRy mY BeSt"
Imo the grovel period should have been wayyy more than just the pregnancy and he really needed to do just MORE. More mundane things than he did. He still makes so many mistakes and will keep making them but I can’t justify them. Theresa is a way better woman than I am. If I was her in this situation I would stolen his $$ and jetted off the Bora Bora instead of staying with his sorry ass for even a second longer.

[Rachel L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread for the millionth time July 2023

Still angsty AF and I love it. Reread for Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo 2023 category "Relationship of Convenience" square.

----------------------------------------------

I've read this book countless times, and it still holds up! If you haven't read this book, we can't be friends anymore :P

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natasha Anders, how do you do this to me?? This is my third book by Anders and all her books share this similar theme. These horrible men who you hate in the beginning, but by the end you are on their side and cheering for them. It’s crazy, crazy I tell you. I wouldn’t believe it’s possible to redeem these men if I hadn’t read the books for myself. All her books are addictive and I just run through these audios.

Unwanted Wife is about a woman who married a man because she loved him, only to discover later her married her for gain. First, I love the fact that Theresa immediately decides she wants out when she realizes this truth. Now Alessandro, he was a complete tool and I literally cringed at times when he spoke to Theresa, but in the end he was redeemed.



I am so impressed with Anders writing and creativity. I love how she pushes the envelope on these men. I love how she writes these strong women who are ready to fight back. I cannot recommend her books enough, they are so addictive, heart wrenching and full of feels and engaging. Highly, highly recommend!

I listened to the audiobook and just loved the accents.

Teasers created by me with stock images purchased from depositphotos.

[~♡AB♡~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ 5 Stars ★★★★★



Well it's official, I am in love with Natasha Ander's storytelling and the fact that she writes one of my favourite storylines so well pleases me immensely. There is something so spectacular about an enemies to lovers tale, that grips me like a vice and brings out a ton of emotions that make me really feel and be a part of the story.

Sandro De Lucci is an Italian businessman living in Cape Town with his wife of 18 months, Theresa. From the very start of the book, we see Sandro treat Theresa with an air of contempt and disgust which lead you to wonder why on earth they married in the first place.

"It was as if, just when she'd found a way to protect her already battered, bruised, and fragile heart from him, he found some other way around her defenses, leaving her vulnerable to even more pain.

Theresa is unhappy, her relationship with the man she fell in love with is getting worse by the day, and other than their explosive sex life, there is nothing else within their marriage worth holding onto. She decides that she has had enough and wants a divorce, but then she overhears a conversation that has her questioning the last 2 years of her life and she comes to the realisation that unless she gives Sandro his much wanted son, she is stuck in a loveless marriage.

Honestly, this book gave me so many butterflies, there is nothing quite like watching a man struggle with his feelings and fighting so hard not to fall for the one woman he doesn't want to fall for. And the thing I have discovered about this authors heroines, is that they will not give in easily; once they decide that they have had enough, they most definitely do not forgive and forget at the drop of a hat, and in this case, Theresa gave Sandro a run for his money that's for sure.

"Let me go," she demanded weakly when his lips trailed down to her collarbone.
"Cara," he groaned. " I honestly don't think that I can."

I won't lie, this book was angsty, but not overly so. It was also quite emotional in places, and you can't help but swoon over Sandro's attempts to make up for his past wrongdoings.

I am officially addicted to Natasha Anders writing and if you haven't picked this book up yet, I highly recommend that you do.

The Unwanted Wife is a standalone contemporary romance, told in the third person from Theresa's POV.

[Ri ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Chemistry was a terrible thing; sometimes it simply sparked between the wrong people.”

I just love it when men suffer and beg on their knees.

This book is one of the addicting, toxic, angsty, frustrating and extremely painful books, but I devoured every word and loved it. I wanted drama and some much needed grovelling and this book served it on a silver platter. Seriously, this book is a guide to how to make your man's life miserable when he fucks up.

I went in into this book without knowing much about it except that it has marriage in crisis trope and that the mmc fucked up real bad in this book and I wanted some good grovelling and begging and suffering from the mmc and this book served on all fronts.


➸ Theresa: I liked that she made Sandro work hard for the pain and hurt he caused her all these months and didn't forgave him so easily. She made sure he realise what he lost in his life. I loved how she stopped being so agreeable and docile once she learned the truth about their marriage and stood up for herself and demanded the respect she deserved. She really was a feisty and stubborn woman after she grew up a backbone in this book.

“I’m your husband…”
“No. You are not my husband,” she interrupted in a voice thickened with hatred and tears. “You have never been my husband. A husband loves, honors, and cherishes. A husband is a lover and a champion. Look into the next room if you want to see what a real husband is, because you are no such thing!”

➸ Alessandro: He's the biggest idiot in the world, but atleast he makes up for it by begging and suffering in this entire book. He was miserable throughout this book and I enjoyed every second of it because he deserved it. He's also one of those mmcs who knows how to grovel and there's nothing more satisfying than see a man fell in love and hard with a woman who loved him first and did so unconditionally and wholeheartedly and then beg for that love be reciprocated again because he fucked it up all by not loving her first. It took him 18 months of their marriage to realise his mistakes but I liked his character development in the end.

“I have this life, with you. It’s the only one that matters to me,” he insisted. “I have a wife who loved me once, and who maybe…someday…would dare to love and trust me again? I don’t have to be here…but I want to be here.”

╰┈➤ I liked how the second chance romance was written, but this book is heavily focused on the marriage in crisis and grovelling. You are in the wrong place if you want fluff and cuteness. This book is all about angst, hurt, pain and grovelling and it was just so good. Sandro fucked up so bad in this book and Theresa made sure he suffered throughout this book and till the ending. He grovelled and begged Theresa for everything he did to hurt her because he felt trapped in their sham marriage. I cried a few times because I felt really bad for the situation Theresa was in. They both were trapped in their marriage, but Theresa never knew about it and Sandro knew. I liked how she drove him crazy and miserable with her antics and stubborn personality till the very end. They also had their some heartwarming, emotional and vulnerable moments which I loved in this book.

“And are happiness and contentment all you ever wanted from life?” she asked after giving his words some thought. He smiled. “No. I want more than that. But it’s a good start.”
“What else do you want?” she asked.
“You,” he said without hesitation.

The ending was so perfect and the sweetest. It was everything I needed after all the drama in this book.

———

Pre-read review: I want dramaaaaaaaa 🤸🏽‍♀️

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 STARS

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love angst. I can't help it. I enjoy the rush, heart pounding, blood pressure rising - I'm an angst junkie. That may make me crazy, but, I'm okay with that. The Unwanted Wife gave me angst and I loved it.

After 18 months of marriage Theresa has had enough. Her marriage to Alessandro was not what she had imagined. He is distant, cold, and offers no love or affection. The only thing he seems to want is a son. But Theresa can't take it any longer. Letting go of all hope of receiving his love, she asks for a divorce.

Theresa had finally realized that there would be no thaw; their marriage was a perpetual winter wasteland , and if she ever wanted to feel the warmth of the sun on her face again, she had to get out of it.

But Sandro refuses. Apparently their marriage was simply an arrangement made between Sandro and Theresa's father, one Sandro agreed to for his family. And until a son is born, divorce is not an option. Sandro has spent the last couple of years resenting Theresa, thinking she knew about the arrangement.

“I have no respect for you, Theresa, not even as the potential mother of my child, because, quite frankly, you can’t even do that right.”

Theresa had no idea. Now that everything is out in the open, Sandro realizes how much he has hurt Theresa. He tries to make it up to her, but, Theresa does not make this easy on him. Feelings are all over the place. When Theresa finds herself pregnant, things just get more complicated. If she has a son, Sandro will free but if they have a daughter they will remain together. Will this pregnancy push them together or force them apart?

"I have a wife who loved me once, and who maybe... someday, would dare to love and trust me again? I don't have to be here... but I want to be here."

These two drove me crazy. If only they would have communicated! Gah! But I loved the emotional angst it created. Theresa started grating my nerves a bit and I fell for Sandro. Overall, I really enjoyed this emotional read.

Loved this line! "I started praying for a girl because I knew a girl would buy me more time. A girl would keep you with me longer; it would also prove to you, once and for all that your father’s ridiculous contract meant nothing to me anymore. That I wanted our marriage to last forever.”

[Sonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes, characters need common sense

I finally tackled a book from my 2021 TBR! * I’m so proud of myself* 🫶. I looked at newer books and decided to place them on hold 🤣 *pats herself on the back *

I’ve been meaning to read this for one reason only…
To see a husband that’s messed up grovel and suuuuuffer… 😈

And I ate that uuuuuuup 😈.

See. I’m the type of person that almost always wants more… and even though this has some good stuff, I STILL wanted more 😅 (this is why I can’t do cheating book 🤣 they never grovel enough or suuuuffer like I want them to 🤡). But I’ll admit, I found myself smiling by the end…

Let’s get to the book.

Theresa (26) is TIIIOOORED of her unloving, unsentimental, cold husband, Sandro (31) and she wants a divorce 💅. She’s tired of being the “unwanted wife” and she’s tiiiioooored of his b s… so when she confronts him, he basically tells her to suck it up buttercup, cause they’re not getting a divorce until she gives him a son 😐.

You see. He only married her cause her father blackmailed him 😳 and Theresa had no idea. 😬. So for 18 months, he’s been cold towards her because he thought she knew the whole time 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Even though Theresa keeps on insisting on getting a divorce, he doesn’t listen and decides that NOW, after all this time, he’s going to try to save this marriage 🙄, especially when he realizes that she married him for love 😬.

But maybe it’s too little too late 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Yet Sandro is gonna try his best to convince her otherwise 😬.

Let the suffering and groveling begin 😈

What I liked/loved: possible spoilers
—Theresa not holding back 👏🏻. You tell him girl 👏🏻. Tell him like it is 💅

—Sandro’s suffering 🤡. Listen. He acted like an a… so he needed to repent 🤡. I actually felt bad for him towards the end of the book, but you know what? He made his bed 🤷🏻‍♀️

—the groveling/making amends 💅. Although I wouldn’t EXACTLY call it groveling (dating, getting to know his wife, spending time together, gifting her stuff [like the last thing we see him gift her at the end]), but he definitely keeps trying to find ways to connect to his wife

—the scrabble games and competitiveness 🤣. Brought a smile to my face

—the 🔥. I thought we weren’t gonna get many scenes, but we did. The book opens up in the aftermath of one and then we get the first full 🔥 scene about 1/4 of the way in. The one in the shower though 🫠🥵 (35% ish in)

—their chemistry 👀. I wouldn’t have minded more butterflies in my tummy, but it’s there

—how JP he gets 😈muahahahahahaha 😈💅. Watch out Sandro, cause there are men out there that think your wife is beautiful 👏🏻

—the rainbow baby ❤️🥹😭

—the moments of levity 🤣. They can be so cute

—the epilogue 🫶🥹

—Rick and Lisa (especially Rick who tells Sandro off when he’s been gone for a month)

—Sandro telling her father off 👏🏻

What I didn’t like/HATED/wanted more of: SPOILERS
—for someone who’s trying to PROVE to his wife that he ISNT cheating… Sandro is so duuuuumb 🤦🏻‍♀️. He’s supposed to be this savvy businessman, yet he can’t figure out that 2+2=4… also known as “DON’T BE SEEN WITH OW WHILE YOU’RE TRYING TO WIN YOUR WIFE BACK!!!!!” 🤬🤬🤬. Like. Sandro. Really??? REEEEEALLY??? 🙄 the amount of common sense you have is equivalent to ZERO 🤦🏻‍♀️. I’d have a higher chance of finding a needle in a haystack than you do with finding the common sense you lost🤦🏻‍♀️. This is basic math Sandro. Don’t be seen with ow 🤷🏻‍♀️plain and simple, ESPECIALLY if this ow is the one your wife is accusing you of cheating with AND the one she thinks you’ll run back to when you guys finally divorce 🙄
Make. It. Make. Sense 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄.

—the lack of resolution with his ex/the ow 😐. So. Let me get this straight. Your family wants you to marry this ow 🙄, your family makes you guys hang out when you’re in Italy 😒, yet somehow we’re supposed to believe that they support you two by the end of the book? 🤦🏻‍♀️ where was the line from a to b? We needed two things here: to know that Sandro is DONE ever seeing the ow AND that his family won’t be doing shady ish either (like trying to get them back together). But we don’t get this resolved to MY satisfaction 😒. This could’ve been squashed if we had

—Sandro’s POV 😒. In a book like this, we REALLY needed to have something to let US know that he’s ALL in, that he’s put his family in their place AND, most importantly, that he’s ALSO put the OW in her place, ensuring that EVERYONE knows Theresa is IT for him 🤷🏻‍♀️

—leaving your pregnant wife for a month with limited contact/phone calls 😐. Sandro 🤦🏻‍♀️ how does THAT prove you wanna stay married? How does it prove that your wife and baby mean everything to you? Bury your father and get back home 🤷🏻‍♀️ don’t be an idiot and be seen with the ow/kiss her on the cheek 🙄 oh wait. 😐 yeah. It happens 🙄. Why’d you expect Theresa to be waiting for your ass when you’re in a different country with the ow she thinks you’re cheating on her with 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

—the all the ow pictures 😐. Although Sandro confesses he did it only to spite her father and that he never did anything with any of the women he’s was pictured with, why would he do this and think it’s okay 🤦🏻‍♀️. Yes. These women were usually at events with him, but what. The. Actual. Fff!?! 🥴. This is just not smart Sandro 🤷🏻‍♀️ then you wonder why Theresa wants a divorce

—I wish Theresa had actually left his ass 😒; she does at the end, but sooner would’ve been nice 🤷🏻‍♀️. I’ll admit I enjoyed his tears and desperation, but I wanted more 😈🤣🤣🤣

—the math wasn’t always mathing 😅 18 months of marriage + a pregnancy + a baby that’s about a month old= waaaay more than two years (and pregnancy inaccuracies too)

—Sandro never having Theresa meet his friends or family until after she asks for a divorce

—Theresa’s backbone disappearing when I needed it to hold her up 😒. How is she walking? 🤷🏻‍♀️. A Christmas miracle that’s how 😒🤣🤣🤣

—I needed to see some bloody knees 😒

Overall, I liked some things but hated others

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/omd
-death of a parent
-previous miscarriage mentioned
-owd: the H has been seen with lots of ow while married. Later in the book, after the h accuses him of cheating, he’s seen with his ex and a picture is taken of him kissing ow’s cheek
-virgin h (when married )/very experienced H
-no condoms
-HEA/epilogue/less than a year later

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started with Theresa 26, and her husband Alessandro 31, in bed.
They'd just been intimate and Theresa asked him for a divorce.
"What happened to l'll love you forever Sandro?" he asked.
"Feelings change, l've changed " she lied.
"You are the same Theresa l married 18 months ago. The one whose rich daddy made sure she got exactly what she wanted. The same timid little Theresa who can't even give me the only thing l've ever wanted from this pathetic excuse for a marriage, a son. You'll get your divorce eventually, after you give me that son. If you insist with the divorce, your cousin and her husband will lose their small business and she can't afford that now, not with a new baby on the way."
Theresa felt trapped.

Alessandro never touched her outside of the bedroom. He only touch her as a precursor to sex. He never even kissed her, looked at her or spoke to her. Never took her out except of work related functions. She had never met his family, all of whom lived in Italy. He visited them every other month and never asked her to join him.
Of course he had never wanted them to meet her, not when she was just his temporary and unwanted wife.
He never introduced her to his two best friends from university either.
They were married and were like strangers. They knew nothing about each other.

Eighteen months ago he had come to the house for dinner. Her father told her that he was the son of an old acquaintance.
Theresa found herself fascinated by him. She fell in love at first sight.
She had spent the first year of her marriage believing that Sandro would come to love her.
After that she had been forced to believe that he truly hated her.
She always strove to be the perfect wife and perfect daughter, but no more.
There would be no thaw and if she ever wanted to feel the warmth again, she had to get out of the marriage.

She told him "You want to stay married? Fine. But l refuse to let you walk all over me anymore. It's time you start showing me some respect. And why would you even want a child with a woman you despise?"
"You honestly don't know, do you?" he said in disbelief "Why did you marry me Theresa?"
"Because l was in love with you "
He looked at her in amazement.

The next day as she picked up the house phone receiver and as she did not know that Sandro was using the downstairs one, she heard his entire conversation.
Sandro was asking her father if Theresa was aware of their agreement. Her father said Theresa knew nothing otherwise she would never have married him.
"Are you telling me that she married me believing that l was in love with her?"
"Of course, and you know what you stand to lose if your marriage dissolves before you sire a son on her."
"I had a life before we made this ridiculous arrangement and l would like to get back to it."
"Regardless, get Theresa pregnant and after she gives birth you're most welcome to obtain your divorce and live happily ever after with that Francesca woman of yours."

Theresa did not know what to process first, the fact that she was being used as a broodmare for whatever sick goal they had in mind, or the fact that Sandro was in love with another woman.
She'd always assumed that Sandro's desire for a son was fuelled by his Italian ego to carry on his name and for an heir to inherit his fortune. She thought that he was going to love the baby.
Instead the baby would only ever have been a way for him to gain his freedom from her.
And what was supposed to happen to her and the baby once Sandro had fulfilled his end of the bargain with her father?
Would he return back to Italy and forget about them? She couldn't allow that to happen and this made her even more determined not to have a child.

Theresa had a privileged life but she never had love. She was passive accepting everything her father and now husband dished out as she thought that she did not deserve love.
Her father told her that she was not good enough, and her husband married her for expediency.
This story is very emotive. I was teary-eyed from start to finish. And it's angsty too.
I felt so sorry for Theresa, poor little rich girl!

[Geri Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

WARNING: This is going to be a long-winded review with a few rants thrown here and there, and will certainly contain some spoilers.

I call this my "angst done right" book. Very angsty and very emotionally charged read, which could have been a disaster if it wasn't for the fact that the author did a good job with the characterization and the pacing of the story. I read it in one sitting and I was captivated with both Theresa and Sandro's story from start to finish.

First off, the story. Sandro was basically blackmailed into marrying Theresa by Theresa's father in exchange for something that Sandro wants very badly. Thinking that Theresa was in on the scheme, Sandro proceeded to make Theresa pay for her father's sins by making her life a living hell. He was downright cruel and hateful to her during this time. This went on for 18 months until Theresa decided she had enough and asks for a divorce. In other words she grew a backbone.

Let me tell you, the first half of this book was difficult to read. I couldn't believe how much Theresa had to endure during those 18 months when all she really did was to fall in love her husband who didn't want her. I felt for her but at the same time I was also angry at her for being so gullible and for being a victim. Not fair to do to a book character but there I was, fuming silently and cursing my cousin for bullying me into reading this book.

Well, it turns out that this victim mentality started way back during her childhood where she was constantly being rejected by her father. And let me tell you, though I hated Sandro for what he did, I hated her father more. He was downright cruel and not once did he show remorse. He was the one who instigated the deal and led Sandro to believe that Theresa was in on it.

Her ass for a father gave an out to the deal. If Theresa can produce a son, then the deal is off and Sandro can have his freedom and the thing he wanted the most. So on and on it goes. For 18 months, Sandro doesn't kiss Theresa even during sex, he doesn't touch her outside the bedroom, goes on to ignore her until he wants sex of course--and get this, every time they finish doing the business, he says the same thing over and over, 'Give me a son, Theresa.' For 18 months every time they have sex, he says those words afterwards.

Ugh, I hated Sandro at first but I was happy when he finally manned up and realized how wrong he was about his wife. Don't worry, us, readers don't actually get to see those whole 18 months play out. It was all part of Theresa's inner monologue and it comes up during her conversations with Sandro as well. So the reader gets the whole picture of those 18 months without actually reading the whole thing, if you get my drift.

Anyway, as I've said, I was happy with this book and I've grown to love Sandro. You really get to understand his motivation and you will know why he did those things. Not that it was an excuse or anything but the author was able to paint a flawed, believable and most importantly, a redeemable character in Sandro.

Theresa, I also loved because she did grow a backbone. I wasn't annoyed at her for keeping Sandro at arms length and disbelieving her husband when he finally tried to win her back. I mean, if I was in her place, going through what she did with her father and Sandro, I would be very suspicious too. I was actually glad she made him suffer a bit.

So overall, a very satisfying read. I have long since forgiven my cousin for forcing me to read this, like, four hours ago. And oh, there is a short but sweet epilogue, which was absolutely wonderful. I cried during the epilogue but it was happy tears.

[Mysza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this one was high on the angst and I loved it! The story is about a marriage of convenience with a "little" problem. The problem is that the heroine Theresa doesn't know that her marriage is fake, and the hero Sandro doesn't know that she doesn't know her father set her up. The only thing he wants from his wife is son and the only thing she wants from her husband is love, and neither of them can deliver the above. After a year and a half, Theresa is fed up with her miserable, unhappy marriage and asks for divorce and surprise, surprise, Sandro won't give it to her. When she starts to withdraw emotionally, he wakes up and realizes that he can lose something that he initially didn't even want, but now is a different thing....

I swear to god, I wanted to slap Sandro for the first half of the book and cheered for Theresa to stay strong.


But then when the poor guy showed his true colors and fighted for her, yeah, I wanted to slap her instead.


I must say that Natasha Anders has a gift of creating an asshole figure. Sandro is an ASSHOLE, or at least he may seem like the one in the beginnig. But then, when the story goes, you find out what's in his head and why all the awful things he did and what are his true feelings for his wife, and you. simply. can't. not. fall. for. the. ASSHOLE!

"Silly little Theresa, he chided softly. I may not have said it much, or at all for that matter but you're so beautiful I ache just looking at you sometimes."

"You scared the hell out of me, Theresa... so from now on you are to remain calm and not let your idiot of a husband upset you again. Okay?"

"I do want you, cara. I've always wanted you..."

"I have a wife who loved me once, and who maybe... someday, would dare to love and trust me again? I don't have to be here... but I want to be here."

"Thank you.(...)
For what?(...)
For giving me everything I never knew I wanted."

"I was fascinated with you before but once I started seeing the real you, I fell hard and fast."

Yup, must love the ASSHOLE!

[Vivian Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️ x ♾️ This is a reread and it was an even better read this time around! This had just the perfect amount of groveling for my liking.

There was also so much angst and it just made me feel so many emotions. I felt Theresa’s anguish as if it was my own 😭. She was just the sweetest soul and she was fed up of being in such a miserable marriage. She started standing up for herself and demanding the respect that she deserved.

Sandro was an asshole and I LOVED him from the very beginning 🤭. His transformation and character development was amazing and I just loved how much he suffered lol 😆. There’s nothing like seeing a broody hero fall so hard and deep for the heroine ❤️. It was just so beautiful but so painful!

Definitely read this if you are in the mood for some angst and extreme pain because this book definitely delivered on that. Their many arguments had me with tears in my eyes 😭.

And their HEA was just so beautiful! I loved their romance so much. It was painful at times but they had so many sweet and vulnerable moments.

“I want my family there to see me marry the woman who holds my heart in her hands. Please marry me again, Theresa, and make me the happiest man in the world.” 🥹❤️

*first read rating* ⬇️
3.25/5 ⭐️