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Marriage Solution
Tara Montgomery is nobody's fool. She's known love 'em and leave 'em types before--heck, she was left pregnant by one. There's no way charming Dylan Ross can tempt her into anything. Except the womanizing bachelor has more in common with Tara than she'd like. He's just discovered he's a father to a four-year-old girl. Single parenthood is tough, and Dylan needs the daycare employee's help.But Tara has her own problems. In a vicious custody battle, a high school diploma and empty bank account are no defense. Throw in "single working mother," and Tara could lose her son. That's the only reason she's considering Dylan's outlandish proposal. Marriage may be their only solution, but Tara is going into it with her eyes open. Her son has to come first--no matter what her heart wants.
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First published May 1, 2011
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About the author
Megan Kelly
26 books41 followersMegan Kelly read her first Harlequin Romance as a teenager and became an avid romance reader. She dreamed of writing those exciting and moving stories she loved. She sold to Harlequin American Romance in 2007 and published four books with them before venturing into self-publishing.
THE WEDDING RESCUE is the first book in the Love in Little Tree series, followed by RUNAWAY BRIDE, BABY MAKES THREE, and a novella, Ghost of a Chance.
SANTA DEAR and HOLLY & IVEY make up the Christmas in Stilton series. (So far.)
She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children and is well-known at her local bookstore and library. Please visit her website https://megankellybooks.com
Sign up for her newsletter at eepurl.com/dlq1dP
THE WEDDING RESCUE is the first book in the Love in Little Tree series, followed by RUNAWAY BRIDE, BABY MAKES THREE, and a novella, Ghost of a Chance.
SANTA DEAR and HOLLY & IVEY make up the Christmas in Stilton series. (So far.)
She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children and is well-known at her local bookstore and library. Please visit her website https://megankellybooks.com
Sign up for her newsletter at eepurl.com/dlq1dP
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 22, 2018
I don't have an opening quote for this.
This is a rather convoluted story in which two unlikable characters end up married to each other. Tara, single mother of Jimmy, is struggling working at a day care center while earning her degree in education. She's cut off from her parents, who wanted her to get an abortion, her shit baby daddy, who fled to Portugal as soon as she told him she was pregnant, and her money which her parents cut off when she refused the abortion.
Dylan (why are 90% of romance heroes named Dylan?) is a rake who sleeps with many women casually. But he is not a bad person - in case you think being a rake automatically makes you a bad man - he cares for his widowed mother and he spends a lot of time with his brother, sister-in-law, and eight nieces and nephews. He gets a surprise daughter in this book, a four-year-old product of a one-night-stand. He only finds out about Lily's existence because Lily's mother dies of brain cancer.
We start out in the head of Tara, who is BSC*. This is literally how the book starts out, with this meet-cute between our MCs.
A handsome blond stranger walked into the day care at closing, charm radiating from him like a picturesque snowbank on a bunny slope, its sparkling surface hiding a deep, dark crevasse.
Like Ted Bundy.
Bwahahahahahahahahaha! JFC, lady. What is WRONG with you? This is the hero she's talking about, by the way. She continues to panic and freak out before it's revealed he is the day care center's owner's son.
In case you are thinking, 'Oh, that's understandable. Can't be too careful in a day care center!' No. Also, she panics like this EVERY SINGLE TIME a man she doesn't know interacts with her in this book. She flips out. She is convinced every single man is a rapist, serial killer, or child-kidnapper. It's actually quite funny... or perhaps deeply sad.
There are a few explanations the author could give for this.
1.) She was deeply traumatized somehow and is now BSC when it comes to men. Rape, sexual slavery, something along those lines.
2.) The author is implying that the instant any woman turns into a mother, she becomes hyper-vigilant and protective. I mean, I can understand that to a certain extent, but not to the extent of this heroine, who literally and actually thinks every man is a threat. She uses her body to shield her child and tenses up every single time a man she doesn't know approaches her. I don't know how she even lives like this. If the author is doing this for the simple reason of 'Tara is a mother' then I'm at a loss. Surely she knows mothers? There's protective and vigilant and then there's slamming your kid behind you every single time a man walks by. Okay?
3.) She's simply BSC for no real reason.
Well, no explanation is ever given. Kelly never ends up addressing Tara's (what I would call) PTSD. So I have no idea why she acts this way. It sure makes for some funny/baffling scenes, though.
Kelly tries to convince us that Tara had a relatively normal past, and at one time flirted with men and went out and partied. I can't imagine that from this heroine as we see her in the present, but okay.
Here's another major problem I have with Tara: she assumes the worst about Dylan, all the time, for no reason, with no basis in fact. Every single telephone call he gets, she immediately assumes it is a booty call or a call from a 'girlfriend.' Every woman he talks to or mentions must be one of his conquests. It's horrible. One, it's none of her fucking business, okay? Two, are you telling me men can't ever get phone calls that aren't related to sex? Are you telling me every single woman he knows has been in his bed? I mean, no, it's frankly ridiculous and she embarrasses herself more than once.
"Marissa." His deep voice caressed the woman's name. "Of course. I was just going to call you this evening."
Tara's jaw set as he walked farther away, presumably for privacy. She didn't want to hear him sweet-talk some woman. The reminder of his playboy lifestyle settled the decision. Dinner with him? Not likely.
Every time he leaves her sight, she assumes he's off to have sex with someone. I told you, she's BSC.
She's SO prickly and rude to him at every turn.
"You don't have a boyfriend waiting for you?"
She sensed an underlying tone. The way he avoided her gaze made her suspicious of hidden meaning. "No, I don't. Just because I'm a single mom doesn't mean I'm easy."
Wow. Okay. Anyway, my point is, I wouldn't touch this woman with a ten-foot pole and fail to see why Dylan wants to kiss her or much less put his penis in her. It's obviously a very bad idea that he will regret a lot. I understand she is blonde and pretty, but surely men have SOME sort of standards besides a pulse, right? The idea that he is attracted to her was just ridiculous to me, after how she acts around him and how she treats him.
Dylan's cell phone rang. He glanced at the display. "Not my mom," he told Tara. He put the phone back in the pocket of his shorts.
"I can take care of the kids if you need to call your girlfriend or whoever."
Dylan shook his head. "I don't have a girlfriend, and I can call Cherise back later."
"Why limit yourself to just one woman, after all?" Tara tried for nonchalance, but his attitude annoyed her. He had to be around thirty. Wasn't it time to grow up?
It's none of your fucking business. Also, this is her ruining things after a perfectly lovely scene in the book that I will discuss later.
Let's take this simple scene where she wakes up and he is cooking breakfast for her. Sweet, right? NO, really it's a sign of HIS EVIL.
"Good morning," Dylan said over his shoulder as she wandered in for breakfast. He flipped silver-dollar-size pancakes at the stove.
"Why do I smell gravy? And biscuits?"
"Maybe because I'm making biscuits and gravy? And scrambled eggs. I didn't know what you like for breakfast."
The twinkle in his eye made her wonder how many women he served breakfast to after a night of lovemaking. He was skilled in the kitchen, and she'd just bet -
"How did you sleep?"
JFC, lady. He's just being kind and making you breakfast. Why - HOW - are you turning this into a sin or a sign that he's a loose man or some shit?
The worst - the very worst thing she does - is that at the end of the book, in a fit of pique, she tells Dylan he should just leave his child with her and bow out of parenting. HIS CHILD. She is just like, "Oh, well, I'm a better mom-figure to her than you are a father to her, you should just leave her with me and I'll let you see her on weekends." Like, what the fuck?!?!? How can a parent - much less one who is being threatened with losing custody herself of her own kid - just casually suggest he throw his kid away into her care?!?!?!
Like I said, why Dylan is into this woman is beyond me. BEYOND.
Dylan himself is no prize either. I mean, he's not cold, BSC, and clinical like Tara is, but he's gross in his own way.
If she hadn't turned into such a shrew, he might have made a more serious play for her.
Ick.
Sunlight gleamed through Tara's shoulder-length silver-blond hair. She laughed, easy and joyful, like one of the kids. He could rationalize the pull he felt. Any man would appreciate her beauty, like admiring a living work of art, but her attraction ended at the physical for him. Not only did she not seem to care for him for some reason, but when he looked at Tara, he thought of Rose and all she'd deprived him of with Lily. He recognized his attitude as unfair; he just couldn't seem to shake it.
Living work of art. Gross. And what the fuck does she have to do with your ex?
Had his future bride lain awake last night as well, imagining them together? A purely male satisfaction welled inside him.
No one is imagining having sex with you, Dylan. Stop being proud of something you just made up in your head two seconds ago for no reason.
GENERAL ANNOYANCES
"What are you going to do, bring her back here? Or does Rose's mom want her?"
"She says she can't care for her, but I'll check that out. I mean, I would send money for her care. Isn't that the best thing, for her to be raised by a woman?"
*headdesk*
"I'll get her," Tara said. "I think I heard her stirring. But Dylan, even though she was no problem, I don't want to get into the habit of babysitting for you. I'm around children all day for a living. I want to dedicate my home time to Jimmy."
This just infuriates me.
A computer search would be second nature to him, like a potter using his hands to create.
WHAT. One, computer searches are second nature to a lot of Americans. Two, I would never consider Googling something to being akin to an artist creating a piece of artwork.
HILARIOUS
One part of the book that was actually hilarious was when Dylan receives a call from his ex-lover's mom, telling him he'll have to take Lily. Dylan assumes Lily is a dog or a cat. Of course Lily is his daughter that he never knew about. This conversation was making me laugh SO HARD that my ribs hurt. So, excellent. I don't usually laugh that much during books, especially not romances, which are usually not too funny. But this was genuinely gutbusting.
GOOD SCENE
There is a touching scene where Dylan goes to visit his eight nieces and nephews and finds Tara babysitting. One of the little ones turns a hose on him and Tara is unsure: how is he going to take this? Does he have a temper? But he and the kids end up getting into a huge water fight and it illustrates to Tara for the first time that Dylan will be an amazing father. Great scene, only to be immediately ruined by Tara sniping at Dylan about getting a phone call, which of course she assumes is from some lover of his. For no reason. Way to ruin what could have been a great turning point in your relationship, Tara.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh.
Okay.
ONE: I don't understand why these two are having sex. I simply don't understand it. Why Dylan would want to kiss Tara, much less have sex with her, MUCH less have UNPROTECTED sex with her, is beyond me. This woman is not appealing in the least bit. He KNOWS what she's like. Why is he doing this?
Even more baffling is why Tara wants to have sex with Dylan. It comes out of nowhere and she pretty much hates him for the whole book, so her randomly deciding to have sex with him one night made NO SENSE. No sense.
TWO: She stretched on tiptoes and pulled his head down to kiss him. He acquiesced, closed mouth. This was Dylan Ross, the great lover?
To be fair, lady, he probably doesn't want to have sex with you. I wouldn't either. Also, he thinks you hate him. You do hate him. He's probably in shock that you are kissing him now. Please get it together.
THREE: She would show him how much she desired him, and in return she would have the pleasure of his body and the benefit of his wealth of experience.
That's so gross. And not romantic. >.<
FOUR: Here's an excerpt of the sex. I found it mediocre and not exciting. YMMV.
Her fingers worked the remaining buttons on his shirt, then raced across the hard planes and coarse hairs they revealed. Air whisked over her legs and abdomen as Dylan raised her skirt.
"Are you sure?" His fingers hooked into her panties to remove them without waiting for her answer.
"Very." She wanted to urge him to go faster. The waiting would drive her insane. She slipped off his shirt and tried to unbuckle his belt while he attempted to pull her blouse over her head.
"A little cooperation here," he muttered.
"A little patience."
He chuckled. "Not likely."
She liked his impatience, saw it as a sign of his desire for her. He shifted to draw off his pants, and an excited warmth rushed through her.
He scooted her toward the middle of the bed, his muscles bulging under her hands as he picked her up. With a heave of her own, she thrust back and upward, and Dylan pulled her clothes out of the way. When his gaze ran over her, he murmured only admiring words, and she relaxed, all thoughts of imperfections burned away by his appreciation.
His eyes gleamed molten blue before his mouth covered her breast. Her gut clenched with need even before his tongue flicked over her distended nipple, before his teeth grazed it, making her arch into him, craving more. He tugged and teased with his fingers on her other breast.
She gasped, her fingers laced into his hair, holding him close, encouraging, although he didn't seem to need it. "Dylan."
"You're beautiful." His words came out muffled, but she wasn't paying attention. What could he say that would be better than what he was doing?
Tara caressed his chest and delighted in the power his responding moan of pleasure granted her. How she wanted to pleasure him. She flicked her thumb across his nipple, and he responded in kind with his tongue.
He kissed his way up her body, scorching a path of need, and slid his hands down to caress her core, dallying on the way. She encircled him with her hand, the smooth heat of his erection heightening her anticipation. It had been so long for her, but this wasn't about sex. She wanted to create this connection with Dylan. She didn't know what she felt for him yet, other than need, but this was an act of giving as well as taking for her.
And she fully intended to take pleasure from him.
Those last two sentences. Yuck. ANYWAY.
TL;DR - This book actually surprised me at some parts. For a book about two pretty unlikable characters, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But how much enjoyment can I get out of reading about people I feel a vague distaste for? Not much.
*BSC - Bat Shit Crazy
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Contemporary Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine
Secret Child
Marriage of Convenience
This is a rather convoluted story in which two unlikable characters end up married to each other. Tara, single mother of Jimmy, is struggling working at a day care center while earning her degree in education. She's cut off from her parents, who wanted her to get an abortion, her shit baby daddy, who fled to Portugal as soon as she told him she was pregnant, and her money which her parents cut off when she refused the abortion.
Dylan (why are 90% of romance heroes named Dylan?) is a rake who sleeps with many women casually. But he is not a bad person - in case you think being a rake automatically makes you a bad man - he cares for his widowed mother and he spends a lot of time with his brother, sister-in-law, and eight nieces and nephews. He gets a surprise daughter in this book, a four-year-old product of a one-night-stand. He only finds out about Lily's existence because Lily's mother dies of brain cancer.
We start out in the head of Tara, who is BSC*. This is literally how the book starts out, with this meet-cute between our MCs.
A handsome blond stranger walked into the day care at closing, charm radiating from him like a picturesque snowbank on a bunny slope, its sparkling surface hiding a deep, dark crevasse.
Like Ted Bundy.
Bwahahahahahahahahaha! JFC, lady. What is WRONG with you? This is the hero she's talking about, by the way. She continues to panic and freak out before it's revealed he is the day care center's owner's son.
In case you are thinking, 'Oh, that's understandable. Can't be too careful in a day care center!' No. Also, she panics like this EVERY SINGLE TIME a man she doesn't know interacts with her in this book. She flips out. She is convinced every single man is a rapist, serial killer, or child-kidnapper. It's actually quite funny... or perhaps deeply sad.
There are a few explanations the author could give for this.
1.) She was deeply traumatized somehow and is now BSC when it comes to men. Rape, sexual slavery, something along those lines.
2.) The author is implying that the instant any woman turns into a mother, she becomes hyper-vigilant and protective. I mean, I can understand that to a certain extent, but not to the extent of this heroine, who literally and actually thinks every man is a threat. She uses her body to shield her child and tenses up every single time a man she doesn't know approaches her. I don't know how she even lives like this. If the author is doing this for the simple reason of 'Tara is a mother' then I'm at a loss. Surely she knows mothers? There's protective and vigilant and then there's slamming your kid behind you every single time a man walks by. Okay?
3.) She's simply BSC for no real reason.
Well, no explanation is ever given. Kelly never ends up addressing Tara's (what I would call) PTSD. So I have no idea why she acts this way. It sure makes for some funny/baffling scenes, though.
Kelly tries to convince us that Tara had a relatively normal past, and at one time flirted with men and went out and partied. I can't imagine that from this heroine as we see her in the present, but okay.
Here's another major problem I have with Tara: she assumes the worst about Dylan, all the time, for no reason, with no basis in fact. Every single telephone call he gets, she immediately assumes it is a booty call or a call from a 'girlfriend.' Every woman he talks to or mentions must be one of his conquests. It's horrible. One, it's none of her fucking business, okay? Two, are you telling me men can't ever get phone calls that aren't related to sex? Are you telling me every single woman he knows has been in his bed? I mean, no, it's frankly ridiculous and she embarrasses herself more than once.
"Marissa." His deep voice caressed the woman's name. "Of course. I was just going to call you this evening."
Tara's jaw set as he walked farther away, presumably for privacy. She didn't want to hear him sweet-talk some woman. The reminder of his playboy lifestyle settled the decision. Dinner with him? Not likely.
Every time he leaves her sight, she assumes he's off to have sex with someone. I told you, she's BSC.
She's SO prickly and rude to him at every turn.
"You don't have a boyfriend waiting for you?"
She sensed an underlying tone. The way he avoided her gaze made her suspicious of hidden meaning. "No, I don't. Just because I'm a single mom doesn't mean I'm easy."
Wow. Okay. Anyway, my point is, I wouldn't touch this woman with a ten-foot pole and fail to see why Dylan wants to kiss her or much less put his penis in her. It's obviously a very bad idea that he will regret a lot. I understand she is blonde and pretty, but surely men have SOME sort of standards besides a pulse, right? The idea that he is attracted to her was just ridiculous to me, after how she acts around him and how she treats him.
Dylan's cell phone rang. He glanced at the display. "Not my mom," he told Tara. He put the phone back in the pocket of his shorts.
"I can take care of the kids if you need to call your girlfriend or whoever."
Dylan shook his head. "I don't have a girlfriend, and I can call Cherise back later."
"Why limit yourself to just one woman, after all?" Tara tried for nonchalance, but his attitude annoyed her. He had to be around thirty. Wasn't it time to grow up?
It's none of your fucking business. Also, this is her ruining things after a perfectly lovely scene in the book that I will discuss later.
Let's take this simple scene where she wakes up and he is cooking breakfast for her. Sweet, right? NO, really it's a sign of HIS EVIL.
"Good morning," Dylan said over his shoulder as she wandered in for breakfast. He flipped silver-dollar-size pancakes at the stove.
"Why do I smell gravy? And biscuits?"
"Maybe because I'm making biscuits and gravy? And scrambled eggs. I didn't know what you like for breakfast."
The twinkle in his eye made her wonder how many women he served breakfast to after a night of lovemaking. He was skilled in the kitchen, and she'd just bet -
"How did you sleep?"
JFC, lady. He's just being kind and making you breakfast. Why - HOW - are you turning this into a sin or a sign that he's a loose man or some shit?
The worst - the very worst thing she does - is that at the end of the book, in a fit of pique, she tells Dylan he should just leave his child with her and bow out of parenting. HIS CHILD. She is just like, "Oh, well, I'm a better mom-figure to her than you are a father to her, you should just leave her with me and I'll let you see her on weekends." Like, what the fuck?!?!? How can a parent - much less one who is being threatened with losing custody herself of her own kid - just casually suggest he throw his kid away into her care?!?!?!
Like I said, why Dylan is into this woman is beyond me. BEYOND.
Dylan himself is no prize either. I mean, he's not cold, BSC, and clinical like Tara is, but he's gross in his own way.
If she hadn't turned into such a shrew, he might have made a more serious play for her.
Ick.
Sunlight gleamed through Tara's shoulder-length silver-blond hair. She laughed, easy and joyful, like one of the kids. He could rationalize the pull he felt. Any man would appreciate her beauty, like admiring a living work of art, but her attraction ended at the physical for him. Not only did she not seem to care for him for some reason, but when he looked at Tara, he thought of Rose and all she'd deprived him of with Lily. He recognized his attitude as unfair; he just couldn't seem to shake it.
Living work of art. Gross. And what the fuck does she have to do with your ex?
Had his future bride lain awake last night as well, imagining them together? A purely male satisfaction welled inside him.
No one is imagining having sex with you, Dylan. Stop being proud of something you just made up in your head two seconds ago for no reason.
GENERAL ANNOYANCES
"What are you going to do, bring her back here? Or does Rose's mom want her?"
"She says she can't care for her, but I'll check that out. I mean, I would send money for her care. Isn't that the best thing, for her to be raised by a woman?"
*headdesk*
"I'll get her," Tara said. "I think I heard her stirring. But Dylan, even though she was no problem, I don't want to get into the habit of babysitting for you. I'm around children all day for a living. I want to dedicate my home time to Jimmy."
This just infuriates me.
A computer search would be second nature to him, like a potter using his hands to create.
WHAT. One, computer searches are second nature to a lot of Americans. Two, I would never consider Googling something to being akin to an artist creating a piece of artwork.
HILARIOUS
One part of the book that was actually hilarious was when Dylan receives a call from his ex-lover's mom, telling him he'll have to take Lily. Dylan assumes Lily is a dog or a cat. Of course Lily is his daughter that he never knew about. This conversation was making me laugh SO HARD that my ribs hurt. So, excellent. I don't usually laugh that much during books, especially not romances, which are usually not too funny. But this was genuinely gutbusting.
GOOD SCENE
There is a touching scene where Dylan goes to visit his eight nieces and nephews and finds Tara babysitting. One of the little ones turns a hose on him and Tara is unsure: how is he going to take this? Does he have a temper? But he and the kids end up getting into a huge water fight and it illustrates to Tara for the first time that Dylan will be an amazing father. Great scene, only to be immediately ruined by Tara sniping at Dylan about getting a phone call, which of course she assumes is from some lover of his. For no reason. Way to ruin what could have been a great turning point in your relationship, Tara.
HOW'S THE SEX, CARMEN?
Sigh.
Okay.
ONE: I don't understand why these two are having sex. I simply don't understand it. Why Dylan would want to kiss Tara, much less have sex with her, MUCH less have UNPROTECTED sex with her, is beyond me. This woman is not appealing in the least bit. He KNOWS what she's like. Why is he doing this?
Even more baffling is why Tara wants to have sex with Dylan. It comes out of nowhere and she pretty much hates him for the whole book, so her randomly deciding to have sex with him one night made NO SENSE. No sense.
TWO: She stretched on tiptoes and pulled his head down to kiss him. He acquiesced, closed mouth. This was Dylan Ross, the great lover?
To be fair, lady, he probably doesn't want to have sex with you. I wouldn't either. Also, he thinks you hate him. You do hate him. He's probably in shock that you are kissing him now. Please get it together.
THREE: She would show him how much she desired him, and in return she would have the pleasure of his body and the benefit of his wealth of experience.
That's so gross. And not romantic. >.<
FOUR: Here's an excerpt of the sex. I found it mediocre and not exciting. YMMV.
Her fingers worked the remaining buttons on his shirt, then raced across the hard planes and coarse hairs they revealed. Air whisked over her legs and abdomen as Dylan raised her skirt.
"Are you sure?" His fingers hooked into her panties to remove them without waiting for her answer.
"Very." She wanted to urge him to go faster. The waiting would drive her insane. She slipped off his shirt and tried to unbuckle his belt while he attempted to pull her blouse over her head.
"A little cooperation here," he muttered.
"A little patience."
He chuckled. "Not likely."
She liked his impatience, saw it as a sign of his desire for her. He shifted to draw off his pants, and an excited warmth rushed through her.
He scooted her toward the middle of the bed, his muscles bulging under her hands as he picked her up. With a heave of her own, she thrust back and upward, and Dylan pulled her clothes out of the way. When his gaze ran over her, he murmured only admiring words, and she relaxed, all thoughts of imperfections burned away by his appreciation.
His eyes gleamed molten blue before his mouth covered her breast. Her gut clenched with need even before his tongue flicked over her distended nipple, before his teeth grazed it, making her arch into him, craving more. He tugged and teased with his fingers on her other breast.
She gasped, her fingers laced into his hair, holding him close, encouraging, although he didn't seem to need it. "Dylan."
"You're beautiful." His words came out muffled, but she wasn't paying attention. What could he say that would be better than what he was doing?
Tara caressed his chest and delighted in the power his responding moan of pleasure granted her. How she wanted to pleasure him. She flicked her thumb across his nipple, and he responded in kind with his tongue.
He kissed his way up her body, scorching a path of need, and slid his hands down to caress her core, dallying on the way. She encircled him with her hand, the smooth heat of his erection heightening her anticipation. It had been so long for her, but this wasn't about sex. She wanted to create this connection with Dylan. She didn't know what she felt for him yet, other than need, but this was an act of giving as well as taking for her.
And she fully intended to take pleasure from him.
Those last two sentences. Yuck. ANYWAY.
TL;DR - This book actually surprised me at some parts. For a book about two pretty unlikable characters, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. But how much enjoyment can I get out of reading about people I feel a vague distaste for? Not much.
*BSC - Bat Shit Crazy
ROMANCE CATEGORIES:
Contemporary Romance
Non-Virgin Heroine
Secret Child
Marriage of Convenience
May 6, 2011
The old saying that life is what happens while you are busy making other plans may fit everyone’s life somewhat, but that statement is carried to an extreme in Megan Kelly’s enchanting tale, “The Marriage Solution.” You can plan, but you can’t predict may be a more appropriate motto for the two protagonists in this romance. You won’t be disappointed in the intertwined paths these two take. If it’s true that it’s not the destination, it’s the journey, this journey, fraught with rough patches and detours, is one you don’t want to miss. Is that elusive butterfly of love flying just out of their reach, or is it already waiting for them at their destination? People don’t always travel at the same pace; that doesn’t mean they can’t arrive at the same place, eventually. Looking for a summer read that will make you forget your check book won’t balance and your mother-in-law is coming next week for a month-long visit? “The Marriage Solution” is your answer. I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.
October 25, 2011
Decent story set in small town Missouri near Kansas City. Somehow I just didn't feel quite as drawn into the story as I could have been. There were a couple of issues that I felt were solved with a magic wand and once the heroine was a total bitch to the hero which he didn't deserve. Maybe the two of them were so wrapped up in what was going on with their respective kids and families that it felt as if there own relationship was shortchanged a bit. Still over all a nice read.
March 15, 2024
MY Joy is back to me
after a very long time which i and my ex
separated since i was alone my life change ,
every thing about me change a friend of
mine gave me an email address told me that
this was the email address she contacted
when she was in the same problem so i
contacted the email i got a reply he ask me
to send him my number so i did he was a
man call Dr Sarki . he is a spell caster he
casted a spell for me and told me that
within two day that my ex we be back for
good within that two days my ex was back,
i and my ex just got married
Dr Sarki
http://happinessgivelonglife.weebly.com
after a very long time which i and my ex
separated since i was alone my life change ,
every thing about me change a friend of
mine gave me an email address told me that
this was the email address she contacted
when she was in the same problem so i
contacted the email i got a reply he ask me
to send him my number so i did he was a
man call Dr Sarki . he is a spell caster he
casted a spell for me and told me that
within two day that my ex we be back for
good within that two days my ex was back,
i and my ex just got married
Dr Sarki
http://happinessgivelonglife.weebly.com
April 18, 2018
I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads.
This was a sweet little story. I enjoyed the relationship development between the main characters.
This was a sweet little story. I enjoyed the relationship development between the main characters.
May 26, 2011
Well this one was a delightful surprise!
Tara is a single mom who works in a daycare, Dylan is a reformed-playboy who suddenly finds himself the father of a little girl who had been kept secret from him. Aside from these two children, there's also a whole gang of nieces and nephews in tow. Tara and Dylan come up with "The Marriage Solution" to fight off an impending custody battle for Tara's son.
This is really a story about family as much as it is about Tara and Dylan finding each other. Reading the scenes about the children playing with one another in the yard and getting into scrapes just made me think back fondly about my own family and summers at grandmother's with cousins running everywhere and water fights breaking out just because. Every character in the book, grown-up and child, is developed with their own personalities and connections with each other. It's amazing how the book kept everything straight while it's all woven together. The most refreshing thing is how everyone is portrayed as human, with good and bad sides. The adults truly act like adults! They make mistakes. They have tempers and say rash things and jump to conclusions, but they look back and react like real people rather than huffy romance cliches. Delightful for a story that could have easily relied on tropes and misunderstandings. It was wonderful and heartwarming to read how it all played out.
Tara is a single mom who works in a daycare, Dylan is a reformed-playboy who suddenly finds himself the father of a little girl who had been kept secret from him. Aside from these two children, there's also a whole gang of nieces and nephews in tow. Tara and Dylan come up with "The Marriage Solution" to fight off an impending custody battle for Tara's son.
This is really a story about family as much as it is about Tara and Dylan finding each other. Reading the scenes about the children playing with one another in the yard and getting into scrapes just made me think back fondly about my own family and summers at grandmother's with cousins running everywhere and water fights breaking out just because. Every character in the book, grown-up and child, is developed with their own personalities and connections with each other. It's amazing how the book kept everything straight while it's all woven together. The most refreshing thing is how everyone is portrayed as human, with good and bad sides. The adults truly act like adults! They make mistakes. They have tempers and say rash things and jump to conclusions, but they look back and react like real people rather than huffy romance cliches. Delightful for a story that could have easily relied on tropes and misunderstandings. It was wonderful and heartwarming to read how it all played out.
May 9, 2011
Thank you so much, I am really looking forward to receiving the book!
I love fun reads, and this is one was perfect!
It's about couple (Tara & Dylan) that join forces out of need, two single parents. Tara was deserted by her playboy boyfriend upon hearing of her pregnancy and Dylan finds himself a parent of a four year old daughter Lily he never knew existed until her mother died.
The two have the total support of Dylan’s family, but Tara's wealthy parents had preferred an abortion over a grandchild. Tara determined to be the best mother she can be and Dylan determined to be the best father he can be, become devoted parents.
Dylan and Tara face more than normal challenges, Tara’s from the playboy and his parents wanting to take her child Jimmy, to Lily being told Dylan was a boogey man by her mother before her death and Lily being truly afraid of father.
It's a bird's eye view of watching a relationship develop from need to respect, to admiration to love by all the characters portrayed.
I really enjoyed reading The Marriage Solution; Megan Kelly has a talent for writing a fascinating read from start to finish.
I love fun reads, and this is one was perfect!
It's about couple (Tara & Dylan) that join forces out of need, two single parents. Tara was deserted by her playboy boyfriend upon hearing of her pregnancy and Dylan finds himself a parent of a four year old daughter Lily he never knew existed until her mother died.
The two have the total support of Dylan’s family, but Tara's wealthy parents had preferred an abortion over a grandchild. Tara determined to be the best mother she can be and Dylan determined to be the best father he can be, become devoted parents.
Dylan and Tara face more than normal challenges, Tara’s from the playboy and his parents wanting to take her child Jimmy, to Lily being told Dylan was a boogey man by her mother before her death and Lily being truly afraid of father.
It's a bird's eye view of watching a relationship develop from need to respect, to admiration to love by all the characters portrayed.
I really enjoyed reading The Marriage Solution; Megan Kelly has a talent for writing a fascinating read from start to finish.
April 22, 2011
At first glance, the solution seems obvious. Tara Montgomery needs stability to fight off a custody claim from her son’s seed donor family and Dylan Ross needs help with the daughter he never knew existed. Their attraction for each other is just a side benefit, at least in playboy Dylan’s eyes and an annoyance for Tara.
Watching Tara and Dylan grow while playing house gives the reader a fun look into the challenges of pretend intimacy. I love the way Ms. Kelly uses the theme of family in the book to compare and contrast a real marriage with the practical arrangement her main characters have adopted. Challenges to the paper family cause both Dylan and Tara to realize they might have chosen the right solution all along.
Readers will love the sense of family Ms. Kelly brings to a small Missouri town and two people who at first glance seem to be polar opposites. Many couples stay together for the sake of the children. This couple finds their path through their children. I loved the Marriage Solution!
Five Stars!!
Watching Tara and Dylan grow while playing house gives the reader a fun look into the challenges of pretend intimacy. I love the way Ms. Kelly uses the theme of family in the book to compare and contrast a real marriage with the practical arrangement her main characters have adopted. Challenges to the paper family cause both Dylan and Tara to realize they might have chosen the right solution all along.
Readers will love the sense of family Ms. Kelly brings to a small Missouri town and two people who at first glance seem to be polar opposites. Many couples stay together for the sake of the children. This couple finds their path through their children. I loved the Marriage Solution!
Five Stars!!
August 2, 2011
This was one of the best American Romances I've read in quite a while! It was romantic but also "real". The plot dealt with a lot of issues and the author did a great job showing the couple work through those things together, which made the love story really believable.
December 24, 2014
a real sweetie! i cud feel them both falling in love and i loved how it happened gradually after they 1st met. they did rush into marriage but then it was like dylan had been waiting for her all of his life, even if he did not realise it. the kids just made this an even sweeter read!;-)
October 15, 2012
Kelly creates wonderful people next door characters that you can't help but care about.
August 19, 2014
3.5 Stars
It was a cute book with a nice marriage of convenience storyline. I liked Dylan and Tara, the story was well written.
It was a cute book with a nice marriage of convenience storyline. I liked Dylan and Tara, the story was well written.
Read
June 30, 2016Miniseries: Fatherhood
November 21, 2015
Loved it!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews