Spanish Marriage Solution

by Jackie Ashenden

Control hangs by a thread for the Spanish duke in this sizzling forbidden romance by Jackie Ashenden! Marry her enemyor lose everything… When Alice first met Spanish duke Sebastián Castellano, the fiery attraction between them was instant, forbidden and unequivocally ignored—he was her brother-in-law. Then Alice’s husband and sister were killed in a car accident, leaving behind Alice’s four-year-old nephew, Diego…and the shocking revelation that Sebastián was not his father. For Sebastián, Diego is his son, no matter the bloodline. The Castellano hacienda is their home, and if Alice insists on being part of their life, it’ll have to become hers too. Her choice is simple. Leave…or stay—as his wife!From Harlequin  Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Presents

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2024

About the author

Jackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who've just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.

She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.

Reviews

[Page Passion · Rating 4 out of 5]

JA is one of the best Presents authors currently writing! I love the angsty/forbidden aspect of this story. MOC with your sister’s widower, whom you’ve always been attracted to? Messy! Normally I stay away from romances that have anything to do with sibling dynamics, especially sisters since I have a sister and sharing men is obviously a huge no, however, the way the story unfolds didn’t give me the ick.

Without spoiling too much Sebastian and Alice have a lot of repressed attraction towards each other and the usual Presents “my parents were awful” backstory. With each other the passion they give into was so good and there’s something about Jackie’s prose that I always enjoy. She leans into the stereotypes in a Presents but provides in a new way. This was sexy and emotional and I enjoyed this a lot. I was worried these new covers would change up the stories but thankfully they haven’t.

I loved the epilogue for this one. Goes to the future where the couple’s oldest is getting married. Thankfully, there is no magic baby since the heroine does have fertility issues but the future kids are adopted or via surrogate. The taciturn hero is such a goner for her without being too sappy. So, so good.

[artsandgrace *ೃ༄ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t remember when I read this book, but it was bad and I don’t like it because the hero was so cruel and ugh

[Amanda Giles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everything I want from a Mills & Boon story.

[Gloria A Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story has strong emotions from characters from the first page to the last. Well written!

[Claudia, Cmarie927 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually, when I read this author, it isn’t in a Harlequin Presents format. But when I saw this ARC available through Netgalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. As always with this author’s books, I was immediately drawn into the storyline within the first few pages, and this time was no exception.

Sebastian Castellano, a Spanish Duke, is coping with the sudden loss of his wife and has no desire to be challenged by his grieving sister-in-law for custody of his son, Diego. Ah, but it’s more complicated than that! As it said in the description, there's quite a complication, and - take my word for it - it’s an interesting one!

Alice faces a range of emotions, including the loss of her sister, Emily. Despite this, she remains steadfast in her belief that Diego should be in her custody, not Sebastian’s, and is committed to succeeding in this mission.

I love the easy connection I feel with these characters and the emotional dynamics they have. Full of captivating chemistry and sizzling scenes, this author’s writing is both easy to read and engaging. I appreciate the way this story wrapped up and how their journey led them to the HEA I hoped for.

I recommend exploring this author’s collection of interesting works, both her many Harlequin Presents and her own published series, as they will keep you flipping pages, and very entertained. This well-crafted story was a breeze to read, and the happily ever after ending kept me satisfied. I feel fortunate to have received a complimentary copy of this story, happily leave my review, and look forward to her next creative venture.

[Viper Spaulding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of steamy fun with a strong family focus

Sebastian and Alice share a connection - his son is her nephew, and all she has left of her sister Emily, who was Sebastian's wife. Only the connection doesn't stop there - the child's biological father was Alice's husband, Edward, who died along with Emily when their car crashed. The complex custody issue has only one solution that Sebastian will accept - marriage to Alice wherein they raise the child together.

Alice is naturally resistant to Sebastian's demanding and controlling manner, but she can't deny her attraction to him, either. Their marriage of convenience is where it starts, but Alice refuses to accept anything less than a true partnership, which forces Sebastian to find a way to heal from his own childhood trauma.

I really enjoyed this entire story, from the sizzling chemistry to the deeply emotional connection. The HEA is followed by an extraordinary epilogue which was just the icing on the cake. Highly recommended for all romance readers. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Hsiau Wei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sebastian Castellano, a Spanish Duke, grapples with the loss of his wife while facing a custody battle with his grieving sister-in-law, Alice, over his son, Diego. Despite their emotional turmoil, their journey is filled with captivating chemistry and engaging dynamics, leading to a satisfying happily ever after.