Wife in Name Only

by Hayson Manning

Trapped in a loveless marriage, Zoe Hughes escaped to make a new life for herself on the tiny island of Tonga. Now she runs a successful boutique honeymoon resort. Selling true love is easy. No one needs to know she's married in name only. At least until America’s premier honeymoon magazine wants to publish a feature on her perfect marriage. Now she must convince her estranged husband to rip himself away from plotting corporate takeovers in LA to save her island paradise.

Rory agrees to come for forty-eight hours, but only because he needs the positive PR. To his surprise, the wife he finds in Tonga isn’t the same woman he married. Now she’s so much more…

When a storm strands Rory in Tonga, will he win back his wife or leave paradise empty-handed?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Second Chance, Adult, Second Chance Romance

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

I love Princess Bride, Game of Thrones and Naked and Afraid. The Big Bang Theory but will take Wolowitz over Cooper. Star Trek not Star Wars. Undercover Boss, Secret Millionaire--any story that shows the little guy making it. I follow the Buffalo Bills like a religion. I am spellbound by showjumping and equestrian eventing. I love curling up and reading all books--no genre is off-topic. I like ironing, I hate peas, love donkeys, I play a killer game of Scrabble. I'm a kiwi who has lived most of my life in Australia and now am in the US. I will often be heading towards the fridge for another Diet Coke. I eat nothing with legs and believe wine goes with everything, oh and I'm an expert at finding new and inventive ways to avoid exercise.

I live in the sparkly beach side suburb of Redondo Beach in California with my infuriating shoe-dropping husband and my two boys who speak in mystifying grunts.
I'd love to hear from you at haysonmanning@gmail.com

Reviews

[Geri Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Rory and Zoe Hughes are an estranged married couple living apart for year--Rory is in Los Angeles and Zoe in Tonga. She runs a successful honeymoon resort which sells happily ever after. The only problem was no one knows except Zoe that her marriage was a sham. And now, a famous honeymoon magazine wants to run a story about her and Rory.
So Zoe must convince her estranged husband to come to Tonga and pretend to be happily married to generate publicity for the resort.

This story started a little slow for me, and I wasn't feeling Rory or Zoe until about 20% to 30% when it was slowly revealed how their marriage unraveled and we get to see how these two people who were so much in love lost each other along the way.

Rory



“I fell in love with the young, ambitious, driven, but kind Rory. I fell out of love with the cutthroat businessman who’d sell his soul for a merger. The speak-or-shut-up guy.”

Rory Hughes was a business who came from the wrong side of the tracks. He literally had nothing except for a drive and ambition to succeed. This would be normal of course, but Rory took it to another level to the point where he had no more time for his wife. No time at all. And worse, became somewhat unscrupulous, sacrificing his relationships and caring for no one except the bottom line.

Don't get me wrong. I think he loved Zoe but it was his own interpretation of love. For him, love is giving Zoe everything even the things she didn't ask for. For him, being successful and rich would make him deserving of Zoe's love.

And while I disagree with him and thinks he's an ass, sometimes--well, most of the time actually, Rory's character was actually likable. He's funny, for one, brutally honest, and he did grow throughout the book which I really love. And in spite being estranged from his wife, he remained faithful to her the whole time they were apart. Yay! I loved this little nugget here...

A snort of disbelief tripped out of her mouth. “You haven’t had sex in a year?” She stared up into Rory’s heartbreak-blue eyes and nearly tripped over her feet. Mister I-Can-Have-Sex-Anytime-Anywhere-Just-Give-Me-Two-Seconds hadn’t in twelve months? Impossible.
“Nope.” None of my business. Still, a man had needs. A quiver pulled low in her belly. And Rory had needs. She swallowed over a suddenly dry throat.
“But…”
“I take my vows seriously. As far as I’m concerned, we’re still married.” She blinked up at him, surprised at the ripple of emotion expanding outwards from her heart. Oh.
“But we’re only married on paper. We’ve, ah, we’ve moved on.”
“So it would seem.
“So you don’t have a Rudy?” The words squeaked out of her like Helium Barbie. Excellent. Just what she needed. She tried to lighten the mood as her insides went on a washing machine spin.
“I have a shower.”

LOL! Rudy, by the way, is Zoe's trusty vibrator, if anyone is asking. O_o

Zoe



Zoe loves ABBA. Like Rory, she has had a difficult life but unlike Rory, she knows who she is. And despite her rebel nipples, which always makes an appearance whenever Rory is around, I actually like her character. She's fun, sassy, and honest with herself. She left her life and successfully made her resort successful.

Another thing I enjoyed about her character was that she knows herself. She wasn't whiny, which I appreciated and when she realized she can't make her husband stay, she dealt with it and accepted it.



Overall, I really enjoyed the story. I was surprised by the depth of each character's development throughout the story. Although, the story started in the middle of the couple's separation, we see a glimpse of their life before it went sour. We also get to see where and why it went wrong.

And while this book is not perfect, it did a great job of depicting very real problems that married couples go through, which I really appreciate. The banter is light and fun and of course, we get to experience the Tonga through Ms.Manning's vivid description of the island.

So if you like your romance light, fun with a lot of heart, this book would be perfect for you.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance

I ABSOLUTELY loved everything about this book

Story Rating 5 STARS
Romance Rating 5 Stars
Hero Overall Rating 5 STARS
Heroine Rating 5 STARS
Heat Level 3 stars
Location Rating and Descriptions PRICELESS
Overall Rating and Enjoyment 5 BIG STARS!

This was a new to me author, I read the blurb and thought, hey that sounds really good. So, I took a chance and what I received in return was a most EXCELLENT read!! I LOVED so many things about this book and found another fantastic author…YAY!!!

This story really captivated me from the beginning and was a real page turner. This is a story about a husband who loves his wife, but over time neglected her because of his need to build up his company. He didn’t care who or what he to run over to find success and wealth.

Zoe’s been neglected by her husband, Rory, for way too long, so she just takes off to the island of Tonga where she ends up leasing a resort, Honeymoon Heaven. About a year after she began running the resort, a honeymoon themed magazine approaches her about interviewing her and her husband. Problem is they have NOT spoken since she ran off a year ago. Zoe really wants the PR for her resort, so she takes a chance and phones Rory to ask if he could possibly find some time to come to the island, pretend to be in love and do this interview with her. Rory has been represented poorly in the media, because of his hard core business ways, so he decides it's a good idea to do the interview. They would both get the PR they want and maybe he can get his wife to come back to L.A. with him.

Zoe finds that Rory is even worse than he was when she left him a year ago, he doesn’t know how to treat people and his work ethic is horrible. He goes caveman on her and expects her to give up her life and just move back with him, not your typical hero, he was a real jerk. However, Zoe is not pushover and doesn’t allow Rory to tell her what to do. She is staying put and not going back with him, she has a home and life she loves on Tonga.

Of course things did not go as planned, the interview ends up being postponed and Rory gets stuck on the island with no way off. They decide to make the best of it, and would work on taking some photos around the island for the new brochure that Zoe wants to make. They spend time together working on this project, and with each passing day, Rory's walls start to crumble. Man oh man; I really loved reading how they interacted with each other, the flirting, the banter and the hot sex. These two had a hard time keeping their hands and minds off each other. The chemistry they shared scorched the pages time and time again. These scenes were very sexy, sensual, but I would not consider them erotic.

Rory and Zoe’s characters were VERY ORIGINAL and I have to say I LOVED them both. Even Rory and his caveman ways, his behavior added a lot to the story. Zoe on the other hand, was a wonderful character right from the start and I adored her.

I LOVED Hayson Manning’s vivid descriptive writing about island of Tonga. It sounded so lovely, that I had to check for myself to see if it was real and much to my surprise and pleasure, I found that it does exist. It is a tiny island off the shore of New Zealand. There were plenty of pictures for me to view and they matched the author's descriptions to a ‘T’. These wonderful visuals and the author’s rich colorful writing, enhanced my reading experience and made the book that much more enjoyable.



There was also an evil villain that added some suspense to the story, and a hurricane thrown into the mix that added another exciting element to the overall story. I can honestly say that there was NOT a dull moment to be found in this book.

I was captivated by this story and these characters, and it took me on an emotional ride. One minute I was laughing out loud and the next I had tears of sadness streaking down my face. The book ended on a great note, and I got my happily ever after, and even without an epilogue, I was totally satisfied. I can’t recommend this book enough and I know that if you get a chance to read it, you will love it as much as I did!

*A copy of this book was kindly provided by Entangled Publishing in exchange for an honest review*

[Maida · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hated this novel for so many reasons.

1) The writing is extremely choppy, & there are very few transitional sentences or expressions. It's confusing to the reader, to say the least. (For example, it's oftentimes unclear how one character gets from Point A to Point B. In one scene, Zoe is taking a shower, & a second later she's standing toe-to-toe with Rory in a heated discussion. WTH?!? Did I somehow end up with a defective book, with whole paragraphs or entire pages missing)?

2) Rory has to be one of the most unlikable heroes I have ever come across. He neglected his wife for YEARS He barely saw his wife while he was busy building his corporate empire. He communicated with his wife via text & sometimes via a group text/email that he sent out to his other employees to inform them that he was going out of town for business. (His wife's name was tacked onto the end of the group's list, as somewhat of an afterthought).... His wife was miserable, suffered from panic attacks & was working with a psychiatrist; and yet, Rory had absolutely NO clue since he was never around.... Rory screwed over one of their closest friends in a business deal, & his actions hurt his wife deeply since the friend that he had screwed over was someone who had helped them out when they first arrived in L.A. as a penniless & newly married couple.... Once Rory arrived to the island where his wife Zoe now runs & owns a successful honeymoon resort, it took him FOREVER to come to the conclusion that he should be with her. He repeatedly tried to convince her to move back to L.A. to be with him, even after she told him that she couldn't return to L.A. full-time because the city triggered her panic attacks & depression. Rory REFUSED to compromise. He chose his corporate empire which, frankly speaking, he could have run from anywhere, OVER HIS WIFE. In fact, he actually left his wife on the island with every intention of returning to his business & life in L.A. Rory was already on the boat, headed to the airport, when he FINALLY had his epiphany. The ONLY thing that prompted him to return to the island & to his wife was a category 5 storm that threatened to wipe out the island & kill her. Too little, too late, IMO. By the time that Rory had his "Come to Jesus" moment, I was already DONE. His actions to save his marriage came way too late, IMO.

In short, the storyline & the writing are both amateurish... and the hero (Rory) is a jackass. I truly wish that I could un-read this one. It was an utter waste of time.

*1.25/5 stars*

[iam · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review and I really wanted to like it. Unfortunately, I just didn't. I did like the setting and I thought the dialog was usually pretty decent. The premise was silly, but I knew that going in and didn't hold it against the book.

Here are the issues I had:

1. There were problems with the timing of events. Example: Our main character is watching a couple stroll along the beach. She has a thought that lasts a couple of sentences and she looks back up and they're suddenly lounging on a hammock eating mango. Another: Our main character is towel drying her hair from a shower, then goes to have a conversation with someone that results in a argument and then she goes to have a shower (it's as if the previous shower didn't happen; there's no reference to it). There are so many of these time consistency blips (probably one every couple of pages), it just made the book too choppy for me. I found myself backtracking to reread every few pages just to make sure I understood where the characters were and what they were supposed to be doing.

2. It's a bit repetitious and so that makes it drag in places. I think this story could probably be told better if it was about half the length.

3. The sex scenes are a little odd. The first one only lasts a few paragraphs and there's little-to-no description of the character's emotions. I imagine that first encounter would be pretty emotional for them considering they've been separated/not seen each other for a year but still have feelings for each other. Even if they're too excited or caught up in the moment to have emotional reflection before or during the sex, I would still expect more discussion of how they felt afterward.

4. Lastly, there were some missed opportunities in the story. Example: The couple is expected to feign romance for a PR stunt, but the reporters don't make it to the island so whole premise goes from having to act in love for a few days in front of an audience to just snapping a couple of romantic photos of themselves and then emailing them to the reporters. At the same time, there was a hurricane that could have posed a threat to the island (but didn't) and so all the guests were evacuated. Basically, this left our two characters alone without any real need to act romantic except in a couple of still photographs. I'm picturing the screwball comedies from the early sixties (of Doris Day & Rock Hudson ilk) and wishing this had been explored.

Basically, I could just never suspend my disbelief long enough to really get into the story. :(

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 ½ stars. I was impatient.

The best part of romance novels is watching a couple meet and fall in love. That’s usually 80% of a book. Then there’s a separation - usually. This book starts in the middle of a separation. It’s hard to write romance this way. We missed the best part. Most of this story is watching tension during the separation. They each think the other is hot. They have sex because they can‘t resist each other. The main plot is who will change or compromise so they can be together - if that happens. She’s living her dream running a resort on an island. He’s doing his Donald Trump thing in Los Angeles.

Who will like this? Readers wanting to escape for a while - as if they are living on an island with beautiful places to walk and swim. Many fruits. Good food. Afternoon naps in hammocks.

Me?
I was impatient. Too drawn out with ordinary conversations. I can’t remember much of what they said to each other. She takes him different places to show him things. Not much happens with the relationship, and not much happens with the characters.

I was annoyed with the secondary bad guy plot - too formulaic.
Local bad guy Toma hates Zoe because she made him look bad. He attacks her. Instead of putting him in jail, the locals tell him to leave the island and promise not to return. (I’m shaking my head on that one.) Of course he returns and attacks her, again. Rory is so enraged that he beats Toma to the point of killing him. So Zoe has to urge Rory to stop fighting so Rory won’t go to jail for murder. I found that hard to believe. Rory was too smart, shrewd, and logical as a businessman to lose his mind that way. It didn’t feel right - for me.

Heroines don’t have to be perfect for me. I like different, unusual, weird, and weak. But Zoe did something selfish, mean, and insensitive - gave me a bad taste. She hid the only phone. Rory gave up a lot to spend time on the island - at her request. But he still had urgencies to tend to from afar. She prevented that by hiding the phone. He had plenty of time to spend with her. She didn’t need to do that. When he asked where the phone was, she lied saying she didn’t know. He should have insisted on finding it, but he accepted her lie without thought.

DISCLOSURE:
I received a complimentary copy for review.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Kindle count length: 3,790 (493 KB) 193 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 5. Setting: current day Tonga, a Pacific island. Copyright: 2013. Genre: contemporary romance.

[Desere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Desere

Every woman knows most successful men are married to their job and that usually leaves you with spending most of your time on your own. Your realize your husband loves you but just not as much as his job.

When and if you find the courage to walk away from it I personally think must be one of the hardest things to do. In this read from Hayson Manning the author shows the courage of one woman that does exactly that and also shows how she rebuilds her life up to the point where she needs her husband to step in and help to secure what has fought so hard to build.

The characters of Rory and Zoe were well written and both showed strong qualities of fighting for what they want and not giving up when it comes to work however when it came to their marriage neither one really put any effort into it and as said Zoe up's and leaves, but I could understand the reasoning behind it all.

I liked that the author showed that it takes real courage to walk away from a marriage when there really is no marriage, and that a woman can make it on her own. And yes I know what your thinking, but she cannot make it on her own because she needs her husband again at some point, but here is where the author showed that yes you can make it on your own however, there comes a point in time where standing alone is just no longer an option because you need the strength of a person stronger than you.

Rory was a complete idiot in the start with a real "all I want from my soon to be ex wife is sex because she blows my mind" attitude. But later the author shows him going from total jerk to real hero material as he saves Zoe in more ways than one, which tied in perfectly with the element of Zoe needing his strength.

The backdrop setting of the honeymoon island was perfect for these characters as it was if the author really showed me as reader that the characters are being thrown back into the first days of their marriage and a fresh start.

The dialogue was great except for all the swearing going on, I really felt annoyed that it was almost as if Rory could not say one sentence without getting crude. Yes, I could understand that certain situations in the book called for a swear word or two but other times I think a simple sentence would have done the trick and still delivered the message the author was trying to bring across.

I recommend this read for lovers of romance reads with a twist and believe me there is a twist and that is the thing that gets you going, then you will like this read and all I will say on the subject is think stalker! But yes if you think swearing breaks the romantic element as I did then this read is not for you.

4/5 star review
" A island getaway that will clear the way to a romantic future"

[Samanthe Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I call this story hot, I don't just mean the tropical island setting! The sparks fly between honeymoon resort owner Zoe Hughes and her estranged husband Rory, a high-powered businessman with an Ice Man reputation. When a travel magazine wants to feature the resort, and, more specifically, Zoe and her husband and their happily-ever-after life, she's forced to call Rory and ask him to come to Tonga and pose as her "loving" spouse. He agrees, in part because he needs to rehabilitate his professional reputation and he thinks the magazine coverage will help, and in part because he fully expects to collect his wife and bring her back home to L.A. where she belongs. Rory's shocked to arrive at the resort and realize Zoe is happy there, doesn't miss L.A., and had serious issues with their marriage and her "widow to the business" status during their last few years together.

The story is choke-on-your-drink funny, and fan-your-face sexy, and as feel-good as any of the ABBA songs Zoe loves, but nevertheless presents two people with real issues to resolve. Manning doesn't gloss over those. Sizzling chemistry, while always appreciated, isn't offered up as the solution to everything that's wrong with this relationship. She takes her characters--her hero in particular--on a journey to discover home is where the heart is, and hearts need tending.

I loved Wife in Name Only and can't wait for the next story by this author! Are you listening, Mrs. Manning?!

[Nas Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

WIFE IN NAME ONLY by author Hayson Manning is an Indulgence release by Entangled Publishing for April 2013.

After walking out on her husband and marriage, Zoe now needs him for publicity purpose. But why did Rory agree to Zoe’s plans?

Does he want revenge on Zoe for walking out on their marriage or does he want Zoe herself? Would Zoe give in to the explosive chemistry between them?

Zoe had made her home on a Tongan island, would Rory leave his jet-setting high profile life in LA and settle on the island? Or would Zoe leave her island paradise to go and live with him in LA? After all Zoe had secrets she hadn’t told him.

WIFE IN NAME ONLY is a sizzling romance set in an island paradise. It is fast-paced and feel-good story that sparkles with red-hot sensuality, mesmerizing emotion and intense passion. Hayson Manning, a new to me author, brings this story filled with intrigue, danger and thrill as well.

Highly recommended and well worth reading!

4.5 out of 5 stars.

[CL · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't want to slate the debut book of an author but there's no easy way to say this: this book was rubbish.

Rory was a jackass and one of the most unlikeable heroes of any romance I've read and whilst I was willing to give Zoe the benefit of the doubt, as soon as she slept with him within hours of him coming to the island in spite of knowing what he was like, I lost all respect for her. The book did not improve from then on and I barely made it to the end.

Also, overuse of the phrase "cellular level".

1* for the unique location.

[Book Reading Gals · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Wife In Name Only

Series: N/A

Author: Hayson Manning

Genre: Romance

Blurb: Trapped in a loveless marriage, Zoe Hughes escaped to make a new life for herself on the tiny island of Tonga. Now she runs a successful boutique honeymoon resort. Selling true love is easy. No one needs to know she's married in name only. At least until America’s premier honeymoon magazine wants to publish a feature on her perfect marriage. Now she must convince her estranged husband to rip himself away from plotting corporate takeovers in LA to save her island paradise.
Rory agrees to come for forty-eight hours, but only because he needs the positive PR. To his surprise, the wife he finds in Tonga isn’t the same woman he married. Now she’s so much more…
When a storm strands Rory in Tonga, will he win back his wife or leave paradise empty-handed?

Thoughts: The title for this was kind of misleading - for me anyway. They aren't really married in name only - their marriage actually started out as a true marriage in every meaning of the word. But over time as they both grew and changed, and they became estranged from each other. Rory became a workaholic and his own drive to succeed pulled him away from Zoe and their marriage. And he doesn't even realize that the marriage is over - he just believes that Zoe needs some time to "get her head on straight".

For Zoe, her husband sending a mass text out to her along with his office staff "advising" her that he would be out of the office for three days - after he had already rescheduled her three times previously - was the final straw. She decides to leave the life they have together, and strike out on her own. She creates a business of her own in the form of a honeymoon resort. It has gained quite a bit of popularity, but there is one small problem: she has left everyone with the impression that she is happily married! So, when a magazine wants to do a story and the resort - and on Zoe and Rory's marriage - she needs a "real" husband, and not just one who has been photoshopped in! Rory needs some good press himself, so when his beautiful wife calls - a deal is struck!

The book is oddly reminiscent of a old Loveswept or Harlequin romance novel. So much so, that I found myself wondering if I had read the story before. That's not to say the book isn't good - it is - but throughout the book I kept trying to remember where - and if - I had read it before. The book is not a re-issue, but it hit enough similarities for me that it provided a bit of a distraction when reading it. With that said, it is a really sweet story about love that's lost and rediscovered.

Zoe was a genuinely nice character who was easy to sympathize with, and Rory had enough sweet moments to allow you to forgive him when he acted like a jerk. Toward the end, you really begin to feel for him because it becomes apparent that he really didn't understand or realize how very much he had changed over the years. And what the changes were doing to his wife. the question is - are they better off together - or apart? If you're looking for a sweet romance, this book is for you!

Rate: B

Review by: Sarah

Check out more of our reviews at: http://www.thebookreadinggals.com

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m drawn to romances where the hero and heroine are already established and have hit a bump in the road. For Rory and Zoe, it’s quite a big bump. Once happily married, they have been separated for a year with no contact. Rory went from fun, loving husband to a workaholic who texted his wife more than he saw her. Zoe finally had enough, and ended up moving from L.A to a small island. She now owns an exclusive honeymoon resort and has finally found peace. Zoe has used the pretense that she is happily married to build the promotion items for her resort. She even photo-shopped her husband into the pictures to make them look like the perfect couple. Now a magazine wants to interview them and do a feature. Great publicity for the resort, but not so great for Zoe, who hasn’t seen Rory for a year.

When Rory gets a phone call from Zoe asking him to come down for a few days to help her out, he knows this is his chance to win her back. Once he is down there, an impending storm lengthens his stay, which he needs because Zoe is set on not having him.

When I finished this book, the first thing I thought of was that I wished it had been a more angsty, emotional read. When we first meet Rory, he is so serious and brash. You can tell work is all he thinks about. Zoe is quiet, and more serene. I wanted these two to take a really deep look into their issues. Yes, Rory became a workaholic, equating success and happiness with money. We hear snippets that they both had rough childhoods, I assume driving Rory to succeed as an adult. But we never get a great grasp of their history together. What made them fall in love initially? What truly drove them apart years later? I think we get a better understanding of Zoe but we needed more time to get to know the real Rory, not just the Rory that Zoe wants us to know. Rory is a hard character to root for in this one.

There is also a side suspense story that really did nothing for me. I felt like it was there to make Rory the man that runs in to save the day, which would then put him in a positive light in Zoe’s eyes. He even says if he wasn’t there, something horrible could have happened to Zoe. Which is true – but this solves nothing between them and their big issues.

I liked the setting, I liked that this author took on an already married couple. I kind of wish more authors would do that. This one didn’t quite do it for me though.

Rating: C

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok where to start...

First, I have to say that I enjoyed this book. From the title I thought maybe it was a book where two people got married for the sake of public appearances. Not this one! Rory and Zoey were married when they were young and in love. Life just happened to come between them.

Zoey moved on thinking of herself as Rory's wife in name only (hence the title). Rory had no idea why Zoey left a year ago. She was on her own running a honeymoon resort on a tropical island that she purchased the rights to. Zoey had no intention of contact Rory, but due to her creative marketing (god I love that she photoshopped him into it all!) attracting the attention of a large magazine.

Rory has thrown himself into his business creating a reputation as the Ice Man. When Zoey calls he knows the magazine interview is the good publicity that he needs. He just doesn't realize that his wife no longer considers their marriage to be worth saving.

Approaching hurricanes thrown their plans out of whack. The magazine is not coming and the last boat off the island has already left. Rory is stuck and miserable. Zoey and Rory need to create the illusion of love in the photographs they are taking. Of course things don't stay that way for long.

Rory and Zoey were two strong independent characters. I loved how Zoey was feisty and went after her own happiness. Rory came across as an asshole at times but after learning more about him and his background you can understand why he is he way he is. I loved the happily ever after in this book. I couldn't have suggested a better ending.

Favorite quotes:
His dick gave a yee-haw twitch, but he put it into a time-out.

"I know your views on spooning and all,"... "Tonight, I'll be a fucking cutlery set."

** I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange to my honest opinion **

[Maria Franco · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the book. I liked the setting. I liked the writing style. My main issue with the book was that it kept jumping from one place to another leading me to feel lost. It didn't give any real explanation to those changes either. Another issue for me was the characters. I think I could have really liked Rory, he was HOT and successful but his jerkiness made him unlike able. He was clueless but not in a good way. He knew that his wife was unhappy yet he chose to ignore it. I felt like a real hero wouldn't ignore signs like that. And the fact that to avoid his feelings for his Wife he would always mention business knowing it would shut her off even more.

And then there was Zoe, I liked her. Just not enough. I feel like the problems in their marriage were both of their faults. Zoe never really fought for what she wanted. She didn't fight for rory. She let him drift off into the business world while she drifted off to tonga. She was constantly running from her problems rather than facing them head on. And she was also clueless. She couldn't see that Rory had built this huge business empire for her. To give her the world.

I think there was really a lack of communication between the characters. They had awesome chemistry but they never resolved their issues. They were never really on equal footing with one another because it felt like there was always one who was sacrificing something for the other and compromising their happiness rather than them compromising.

[Melissa Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh I loved the book so much. I bought the book just because it was an entangled publishing Indulgence novel with out reading the description. I thought it was like the other marriage in name only books I read but I was wrong. First they were already married and happily for some time but he let work take over his life to we're they were never around one another. So Zoe packed up her clothes and left for the remote island of tonga to find the peace and serenity that was lacking in LA. She runs a honeymoon resort were she sell her marriage as one of still in the honeymoon phase after eight years. After a year of separation, she needs her estranged husband Rory's help with faking love for a honeymoon magazine. He agrees to help because he needs the good publicity and wants his wife back. When he gets to the island he sees his wife happier than he has seen her in years so he knows he can't convince her off the island. So he wants to do the photo shot quickly and get back to LA. A hurricane strikes stranding him on the island where with the help of Zoe and the villagers on the island he begins to find the old him. I love how the story progressed and the twists throughout the book. I really wished there was an epilogue but the author left the readers with a good idea were the story is heading.

[Jean · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this as a Kindle Daily Deal because reading the summary I thought it would be a story that I would like. The premise is definitely a story line that I tend to enjoy (couples who are apart but come back together), but unfortunately I couldn't even finish this one. I made it almost to the end, but I realized that I was forcing myself to finish for the sake of finishing and I don't like to do that.

For me the issue was the writing. In terms of grammar it wasn't so bad, although there were definitely some phrases thrown in that I would avoid, but the story itself had a horrible flow. I felt like I was constantly being jumped around from one time to another with no real explanation of how I got there. There were also some weird plot twists (the guy who tried to kill her over the dog and pretty much the whole hurricane thing) that really didn't seem to fit, or come completely to fruition.

I also struggled to like the characters. There were hardly any secondary characters, which for me is not good, but the two main ones were unlikable. Rory's a clueless jerk who can't see that he's unhappy (but not in a cute way) and Zoe just seemed to willing to hide and not fight for what she wanted.

All in all, some readers may enjoy this quick and easy read, but I would recommend skipping it and trying something else.

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be frank, I’m quite stingy with my 5 stars but Wife in Name Only deserved every single one. I had this silly thought that I’d start a few chapters and then go and finish my errands and housework. Well, that didn’t happen! I got engrossed in this book that I couldn’t put it down. The very complex personalities of the protagonists kept me wondering what would happen next and just when I thought I had it figured out, I found the differences in what actually happened intriguing. Rory has that sexy all business brooding male act down pat and Zoey is so mellow and goes with the flow though she has very real issues of her own. You’d think they wouldn’t compliment eachother, but Hayson connected the dots for me, beautifully. I laughed, I teared up, I got frustrated, and I cheered at different points throughout the book. The fact that a book can generate real emotion is a testament in itself. The writing flows seamlessly. The depth of the story is solidly built. The characters have identifiable and distinct qualities and personalities, really bringing the story together. I was greatly pleased by this book and highly recommend it to anyone that wants to feel their heart flutter. I cannot wait for her next book!! If you haven’t picked this up yet, you are missing out!

[itsmeesahara❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ✮ ✮ ✮ ✰

Zoe Hughes, owner of a honeymoon resort needed her estranged husband’s help for an upcoming interview from a famous magazine to promote her resort. Zoe left her husband, Rory, in LA, to escape a loveless marriage.

Rory Hughes is a successful business man who only focused on working and earning more millions in his name. He then agreed to help Zoe as he needs positive PR.

When he arrived in Tonga, he realized that his wife had change a lot for the better. He finally sees Zoe happy and more beautiful. Little by little the both started to like each other back. When the interview was postponed due to a storm, Rory stayed and help Zoe for the pictures she needed and at the same gave them time to be together, still Rory is busy with his work. Rory then thought he can have Zoe back with him to LA. However, Zoe is happy with how her life is. She is contented even if she loves Rory she can never go back to a loveless marriage.

I would like better if the story described how they met and their time together before Zoe left him. The pacing of the story was a little slow at first but it gradually improves during the time they were interacting with the people in the island. All in all this is a feel-good story for me.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Great debut novel.

Zoe and Rory are estranged. Zoe has been running a honeymoon resort in the South Pacific for about a year, while Rory stayed in Los Angeles, living the life of a high-powered CEO. Zoe needs Rory to pretend they are the picture of the happily married couple, to help market her resort. Conversely, Rory needs the positive publicity to soften his corporate raider image.

Both are respectful of the other and their marriage, but conclude that it needs to end. Both are invested in their "new" lives, away from the other. Over several days, we follow them as they work through unresolved feelings for each other.

Their love scenes are hot, deeply personal, and heartbreaking, at times. Just when I thought they might reach a decision (and HEA), something would remind them of why they couldn't be together.

I enjoyed the roller coaster ride of Zoe and Rory's relationship and their very real feelings for each other. It was both frustrating and uplifting, sometimes at the same time! I recommend this book to folks who believe that marriage is not the HEA, but only the beginning of a new aspect of a relationship.

[Indy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried to get into this book, as I really liked the premise prior to reading, but was way too predictable and lacked any depth or character development. Was very one dimensional.

It was clear to see the bread crumbs as they were being laid down this with novel - particularly who was going to be the villian (since so few supporting cast characters were introduced and it was obvious he would resurface.) Also the reference to the storm at the beginning was said so ominously that that was also a giveaway. Plot lines weren't ever fully developed either, the photo spread was so loosely held together and the interview was only three questions long?

Have read some great novels lately so think I am becoming a bit jaded, but this one is pretty easy to diagnose. I'm always seeking to get that euphoric feeling at the end after quickly turning the pages to complete a book and rooting for the charcters along the way, which was missing here.

[Annmarie · Rating 3 out of 5]

They have been apart for a year. With no divorce, she leaves and goes to an island after he tells her to leave. He doesn't follow. She is successful with a hotel she runs and he is a major business mogul who's only ficus is work. A situation arises that brings him to the island to help her and get some good PR for himself. He thinks she will come back, she wants him to see how happy she is and that his life is not for her. They need to come together and find common ground and put this marriage back or walk away.

[Dakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a sappy romance and I definitely got it. quick easy read

[Sleepy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story. I loved the idea of a second chance at love.

This is about Zoe and Rory. It starts with her at her private away island that is a honeymoon retreat, she is getting more publicity and now is getting contacted to do an interview with a honeymoon magazine, problem is that they want the perfect couple to be interviewed, and uh her"husband" is in L.A.far away from her. Now she is contacting him after a year to ask for his help. To play a perfect couple with her for show for the magazine.and that's where this story starts.

They had been married for a long time, at first it was so romantic and sweet. He made time for her no matter what, while having such a busy schedule and she was over the moon happy with him in love. That is until Rorys success started becoming his number one priority and as she called it his new mistress!!

She tried, she wanted it to work, she loved him, but she couldn't deal with, she needed to put herself first and become happy and peaceful again.

After Rory agrees to go to the island to help her out not only for her but he wanted her to get over her little melt down and come home, and this would be great publicity for him after his image had been kind of bad. The last thing he wants is to be stranded on a deserted island with no signal, WHAT, dum, dum dum, ok it on a secluded island really u expected service. Anyway after he gets there he expects to be there no more than a couple days, do the interview, convince his wife to come home and leave. Wow was he in for a surprise.

After he gets left behind on the island after Zoe can't find him while getting the honeymooners on the only yacht to leave because of a storm, he is beyond frustrated.
They have to spend 10 days together secluded. She is dead against feeling anything for him again. In order to still get there publicity going they start taking pictures, for her to make new brochures with him actually in them rather than photo shopped, and also to get her island name more recognition, and for him to get publicity that he isn't just the Ice Man that he is known as. But in doing this they slowly start feeling that pull for each other again. What they felt in the beginning when there love meant it was just them and they could get through anything before business took over everything.

The little,i guess angst, would be this local man trying or actually attacking Zoe, because she stopped him from killing his dog and she saved the dog. That is now her little princess named, Cinderella. She thought he was gone but she kept feeling eyes on her throughout the story. And there this crazy man is attacking her and wanting "what's his". Rory luckily saves her kicks the shit out of the dick, before Zoe stops him from killing him, and they call the person to handle it. I don't think it's cops things are different in the island.

But after he saved her and cares for her for the next few days he feels what she is feeling but he doesn't know how to deal with it. He doesn't do feelings anymore. So of course when she admits her true feelings and asks him to STAY, he says he can't. He doesn't belong his home is in L.A. She is heartbroken and tries to act friendly the next day, the day he leaves.

While he is on the boat leaving he realized the category 5 storm is going to hit the island and the boat that was carrying the dick head who attacked her was having to return back to the island because the boat wouldn't make it in the sea. That's when he realizes he can't just leave his WIFE his LOVE his HOME. She is his home and he wants to protect her and be there for her. He tells Smithy to turn around and he goes back. He saves her again and tells her that she is his HOME.

My thoughts....
I enjoyed this story,a little overly detailed in parts about the island maybe. I feel like the author wanted us to know how beautiful this island was and i get it but sometimes to much description kind of makes me skim. But the causal sex with them after he gets left behind was kind of sudden and out of nowhere. And then it was like it didn't happen. But over all it was a good story about second chances. He learned that she was all he needs not his corporate world but his love. And she learned that she will always love this man and to stop hiding her feelings. It had me laughing in some parts it was sad in others, hot, and over all she gets her HEA, so good book.

[Arely · Rating 4 out of 5]

We start out with Zoe and Rory (who, by the way, is a guy. I kept thinking of Rory from Gilmore Girls and, well, she’s a girl). They were married, then things got bad—Rory became a workaholic—and Zoe left Rory. Fast forward a year and Zoe is now the proud owner of a honeymoon resort, but she needs publicity to make it popular. Unfortunately for her, that means that she has to suck it up and ask her husband to help make that happen.
Rory wants his wife back, but he loves his lifestyle. He doesn’t see anything wrong with it. He was born and raised poor, and he feels like he has to prove himself worthy of the business that he has built. Zoe left him because she felt that Rory had become a cold, ruthless businessman—and she wanted the man she had married: the nice, honest construction worker.
So Rory heads to the island that Zoe has been living in, and here’s where the story really begins. Rory and Zoe can’t deny the attraction between them—and Rory doesn’t want to—but Zoe tries. Boy, does she try. She doesn’t want to get sucked back into love with Rory, only to result in more heartbreak.
I really admired Zoe. It takes guts to leave a man you love. She was really strong and I understood why she loved the island lifestyle.
Before I talk more about that, let me clarify something. In this island, there is almost no technology. There is a satellite phone that works some of the time, and a really, really slow computer that shuts down occasionally. So you can see how it would be hard for Rory—businessman extraordinaire—to go to this island.
Now back to Zoe. She loves not having to always rely on technology, and she loves the people who live on the island as if they were her family. I get that. It sounds like heaven, being able to be on a relaxing island.
And then there’s Rory. He’s been trying to prove to himself and the rest of the world that he isn’t that poor construction worker that had to work double shifts just to buy his wife a wedding band. He likes his lifestyle and it works for him.
Something that bothered me was that from the beginning to almost the end, Zoe and Rory were always emphasizing that they were too different. And from what I could see, they really were too different. They both wanted different things. The loved their respective lifestyles. But they wanted each other as well—which is a problem.
I truthfully could not seem to find a way for them to be together. Rory loved living in Southern California. Zoe loved living in Tonga, a really remote island. They liked different lifestyles. Rory needed technology for his business to work. Zoe couldn’t live in an asphyxiating environment like it was with Rory.
I kept thinking: How is the author going to do it? How will she realistically get them their happily ever after?
This simple fact—that they did not go together—was what really made it hard for me to read. I loved the attraction between them, I loved the obstacles, but who wants characters that don’t go together?
Luckily, the author did a pretty good job. She realistically was able to have circumstances reset their priorities and have them have their happily ever after.
And that’s what matters.
I recommend this book for people who love the “true love conquers all” mentality, and protagonists that overcome challenges that get thrown at them.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

I wanted to read something quick and fun, so I picked Wife in Name Only from my TBR stack, and it definitely filled my need for something light, sexy and with a sweet HEA at the end. There was just the right touch of suspense to add spice to the mix!

Tonga sounds like the perfect place for a romantic getaway. It’s far, far away from everything, and even cell phone service is erratic. Internet, forget about it! The satellite connects, sort of. Sometimes. When it feels like it. On island time.

It’s the perfect place for Zoe Hughes to sell true love in her boutique honeymoon resort. That is, until the premier honeymoon magazine contacts her wanting to do a feature spread on her perfect resort and her equally perfect marriage.

There’s one “hitch”--Zoe’s marriage is far from perfect. She came to Tonga to escape her “dead” marriage to “Ice Man” Rory Hughes, who had become so enmeshed in his mergers and takeovers business back in Los Angeles that he had forgotten when they used to be enmeshed in each other. She wondered how long it had taken him to notice that she was gone!

Now she needs Rory to come to Tonga for the photo shoot, and it turns out that he needs her. Being the “Ice Man” is having some negative business repercussions. It turns out that no one, not even in cutthroat LA, wants to make deals with a man who can’t even pretend not be a bloodthirsty predator.

So Rory agrees to come to Tonga, just long enough to do the magazine spread. He thinks he can talk her out of her “foolishness” and get her back to LA. Zoe knows that Tonga is her forever home. There is nothing for her back in LA, especially not the Rory that she left.

But it’s hurricane season in the Pacific, and Rory gets stranded in Paradise for 10 whole days (and nights) with the woman that he still desperately wants. A woman who wants the man he used to be, before L.A. turned him into a shark.

Can the islands work their magic, before it’s too late for their marriage? Or will the hurricane do them both in?

Escape Rating B: I liked Zoe a lot. She was a small town girl who married the man she loved and finally put on her big girl panties when she realized that he wasn’t that man anymore. She made her own dreams come true. She still wanted Rory, (he was gorgeous, who wouldn’t?) but she didn’t love the man he had become. So when she recognized that things weren’t going to get better if she stayed, she went.

On the other hand, I wanted to beat Rory with a “clue-by-four”. He was kind of a jerk. I know the point of the story was how hard it was for him to stop being a jerk, but maybe Zoe forgave him a little fast. Or something. I wanted to see him beg a little more.

Zoe and Rory were smoking hot together. Their chemistry was intense, and it was so clear from the beginning that they had serious unfinished business to resolve, not just sexytimes to play.

There was also a bit of a suspense element. While it provided the reason for Rory’s epiphany, I’m not sure it was otherwise explained enough. But I still enjoyed the heck out of Wife in Name Only, and I’ll be looking for more from Hayson Manning.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This delightful novel has everything I enjoy in a story . Humor, a beautiful tropical island, a love story, and.... a sweet one-eyed rescued dog. It did have one thing I don't like. A terrible tropical storm!

Zoe Hughes is the owner manager of a resort on the island of Tonga. It's called Honeymoon Heaven, and has received a lot of notoriety as a wonderful honeymoon retreat. Part of the glamour of the resort is the fact it is run by the perfect married couple. A well known magazine wants to come to the island to photograph the resort, and the happy couple who run it. Zoe is thrilled by the publicity, but terrified that they will find out there is one big fat lie. . Zoe and her husband Rory are separated and have not spoken in a year! Rory is a workaholic business man in LA known as the Ice Man.
The first few years of their marriage Rory worked very hard setting up his business to be able to provide nice things for Zoe. Soon he just loved the thrill of the takeovers, and making more money. Zoe tried telling him how unhappy she was, but he was never home. So, she left. Now she desperately needs his help. He agrees to come, but secretly plots how he will get her to go back to LA.

Rory's first few days in Tonga are hysterical. He struggles to try and run his business with an antiquated computer system and no cell phone service. Gradually he settles in to island life , though continuing to plot getting Zoe back "home".

The description of the Island, it's people and Zoe's life there is excellent. You can almost feel the warm sun, and tropical breezes. There is danger from an unexpected source and a looming storm coming their way. As a reader I just wanted to shake Zoe and Rory to make them see how much they really loved each other. I certainly don't blame Zoe for never wanting to leave her paradise.

I highly recommend this novel , it is a wonderful story, and I found my self smiling when I turned the last page. Oh, and it has a lot of ABBA music!

This novel was given to me for an honest review. No compensation was offered nor accepted.

[Stephanie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zoe loved her husband so much that when he changed to nothing more than a money-making machine she decided it wasn't worth it any more. She decided to leave him and go halfway around the world to an isolated island to create a wonderful honeymoon destination. Unfortunately for her a major magazine wants to do a story about her and the husband that is known in the media as the Ice Man but she hasn't seen him in a year. She has to call him and ask for his help no matter how much it kills her to do so. After they end up stuck together because of an impending storm she is confronted with the fact that she's changed but he's still the same distant man who only cares for his business and making money. She's emboldened by his secretary to try to reach the man she loved but in doing so becomes someone she hates. She's strong enough to walk away from what she wants so desperately but knows won't be good for her no matter what she does.

Rory was a hard sell in this story. He's very brutal in his assessment of Zoe and what he wants but he can't see that his inattention killed the very spirit that originally drew him to her. He's at loose ends during most of this story and says/does things that made me cringe. I wish we had gotten more about his history as it might have made him a bit more sympathetic but I did get the feeling that he truly did love Zoe under all the macho caveman behavior. He's gruff and very obsessed with his business but as time passes on the island you see him changing. Slowly… but changing enough that his behavior at the end made sense and I really did have hope that they would be happy and make things work.

This was a good story that I think could have been great if it had been just a bit longer so you could get more of a feel for what made Rory tick. I mean I got that to him money = security for Zoe. I got that he equated material possessions with love but I wanted to know more about why emotion made him shut down and panic.

Thanks to NetGalley.com and Entangled Publishing for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest review.

[TashNz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting which to me means Wife in Name Only was a fast paced, catchy and riveting read.

My hero Zoe, owner of honeymoon resort in Tonga calls her ex husband in sheer desperation to keep up appearances to the outside world she's the other half of a successful and happy marriage with a world wide well known businessman Rory. Zoe is quite convinced her marriage is over, after all she did walk out of it with by her own choice and took off to the other side of the world. Rory however has different ideas, his marriage is not over and when Zoe calls out of the blue he takes the opportunity in both hands to go and bring her home, thus beginning a rollicking read full of humor, adventure, mystery and second chances.

Why is Zoe my hero? She left her marriage because she was brave enough to leave what seemed to be a loveless marriage and face life on her own. She didn't stay just for the sake of not being along. Zoe was almost in what we refer to as the First Wives Club. The ones that stand by their man when they grow from nothing to something then the husbands move on. Rory did grow from nothing to something and Zoe's reflection of those times is heart-melting.

As a lover of second chance stories I was fully invested in Rory wanting to go back and save his marriage. Poor guy had a hard time with this because he is a bit of an ass to Zoe in both attitude and his outlook on life. He cant understand why Zoe would want to stay on a godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere and so far removed from his central NY hub it couldn't be more different. The rest of us would think Zoe's actually in paradise.

I loved how Hayson Manning's descriptive writing placed me on that island, in the middle of the drama Zoe and Rory faced together. There were moments of total Laugh out Loudness and moments of heart-thumping terror and moments of shock, all rounded up into a fun read.

I googled Hayson Manning because she was a new author to me and I like to find out a bit of background. I was delighted to see she originally hails from my neck of the woods NZ! Congratulations on your first release Hayson.

[Jennifer G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book!!!!!

So many feelings. Loved Zoe and her determination.
Rory seemed like a HOTTIEEEEE....I mean the way he was described, OMG, made you wanna jump right through the damn kindle and see him for yourself, lol


He also was very determined, which made me love him even more. And a few times I wanted to slap Zoe and say



But it was a great book, great ending. And would love for a # 2 book, with them living there, getting better computer equipment, rebuilding the island, having children, and on and on. That would be great! (hint hint), lol

But the way the book ended, I was like



And so......

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this story. The plot had TONS of potential, but it fell a bit short for me.

Zoe and Rory are married, but he was so business driven that they drifted apart and Zoe hated living in LA, so she left for a remote island in the Pacific. She bought a 50 year lease on a resort and within a year, she's turned it into a hot honeymoon spot. Now a top honeymoon magazine wants to do a special on her resort and her marriage. She calls Rory and asks him to come to her and pretend they're happily married for the magazine. So he comes to the island and they rekindle their feelings.

I love a happily ever after and this book FINALLY had it in the end. My issue is that Rory got there right after her honeymoon guests ALL left. They have the entire resort to themselves. They're married, albeit not necessarily happily, but they aren't antagonistic or anything and they still have amazing chemistry. They go all around the island taking photos of themselves pretending to be in love.

My biggest issue is that they danced around their feelings the whole time and it got repetitive with them clinging to all that went wrong. He wants her to come back even after she tells him she was having panic attacks and she was miserable in LA. She wants him to stay on the island with her, but she knows he has a business to run and can't walk away from it. I wanted more. I wanted them to communicate about their problems and really work on their relationship throughout the story instead of avoiding any talk about it.

It had its sweet moments, but they were too few and too far between for me. For a romance novel, the romance was severely lacking. They came together in the end, which is GREAT, but I just wanted MORE in the meat of the story. It didn't suck, but it could've been SO MUCH better, so it was just 'ok' for me.

[Melody May (What I'm Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on What I'm Reading

All right yesterday, I finished Wife in Name Only by Hayson Manning. I must say that I enjoyed the book. I actually thought it was a pretty decent story. Some people might think the story is a bit farfetched, but it's a romance. Sometimes stories are going to be like that. Here's my philosophy: Did you enjoy the book? If the answer is yes, does it really matter if the story is a farfetched? No.

So, we have Zoe Hughes who basically ran away from her marriage when she couldn't compete with her husband's ambitions. The sad thing Rory Hughes didn't really notice his wife was really gone until weeks later. This happens when you have your work as your mistress. Anyways, Zoe calls Rory for help. He figures this is a perfect way to get his wife back. However, he still focus on work. While on the island they slowly rekindle what they had before moving to LA.

Honestly, I really did enjoy this book. Throughout the story I felt the emotional tug. Yes it was hard watching these two go head to head, each of them wanting the other to make the sacrifice to save the marriage. At the same time neither one wanted to compromise. I really liked how Rory had his epiphany and realize he needed his wife more than his career. Yes, I believe Ms. Manning did a wonderful job with this story. There was only one thing I wish the story had and that was an epilogue. I would love to see what happen a little later down the road. Other than that I thought it was a pretty good story. So, if you are looking to get away on tropical island with some emotional tug, you might want to give Wife in Name Only a try.

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