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The Pact
She should say no. Addison Davenport figures that most people likely would. But after having her life plans repeatedly derailed, she’s come to wonder if her chance at marriage and kids ended with the death of her college boyfriend. So when business powerhouse Daxton “Dax” Mercier—a man who’s suffered a similar loss, a man who’s her first in every way—asks her to honor the fallback marriage pact they made years ago, she doesn’t reject it out of hand.
Their partnership would be no more than a business transaction, but what’s the point in holding out for love when it had granted her no guarantees in the past?
Maybe they could make a marriage work. Maybe . One thing is for with the wounds of loss heavy on their souls and the fact that he’s given up on finding the big L again, friendship would be all they’d have.
Love would never enter their picture. Ever. Not even for a moment.
Right?
Their partnership would be no more than a business transaction, but what’s the point in holding out for love when it had granted her no guarantees in the past?
Maybe they could make a marriage work. Maybe . One thing is for with the wounds of loss heavy on their souls and the fact that he’s given up on finding the big L again, friendship would be all they’d have.
Love would never enter their picture. Ever. Not even for a moment.
Right?
410 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2023
273 people are currently reading
2298 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Wright
66 books14.5k followersSuzanne Wright lives in England with her husband, two children, and her Bengal cats. When she's not spending time with her family, she's writing, reading, or doing her version of housework - sweeping the house with a look.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
October 16, 2023
2.5 - 3 Stars
Trust me, no one is more surprised than me that I am rating this anything less than five stars.
As a long-term self-described uber fan of Suzanne Wright, I have read everything she has ever published. I adored the The Favor and figured I would love this just as much being that, 1) it was yet another gift from one of my favorite smut authors, and 2) paired with a beloved trope (arranged marriage/marriage of convenience).
I was surprised when I cracked this open and soon realized that this was featuring the oldest daughter of the main couple from The Favor, though. I somehow missed the memo on that one. And, I'll be blunt: it felt too soon for my tastes for books featuring Dane and Vienna's grown children.
But I digress.
I'm not sure what happened here, but I just didn't feel the raging connection I usually feel between Wright's lead couples. Don't get me wrong, these two had chemistry...just not the level that I know Wright can deliver.
I also felt like there was a lot less steam and sexual tension than normal. Almost like Wright is gearing up for an entrance into more mainstream romance writing, if that makes sense? That and the cover kind of make me get that vibe...
But again, I digress.
There are other things that I didn't love: the constant name-dropping of random characters and couples (future series characters, perhaps?), the BDSM-lite element between Dax and Addison (which actually made some of their love scenes feel trope-y and trite for me), the dead-ex factor on both sides (we didn't surpass the consolation stage to my satisfaction), and the murkiness surrounding Dax's supposed badassery.
The start was also REALLY slow. In fact, there were a lot of slow moments and I had no problem putting this down. Usually I polish off a Wright book in one evening, but this took me three as I just wasn't enthralled per usual.
Sigh.
Regardless, I did enjoy this. I just didn't love it like I though I would.
Trust me, no one is more surprised than me that I am rating this anything less than five stars.
As a long-term self-described uber fan of Suzanne Wright, I have read everything she has ever published. I adored the The Favor and figured I would love this just as much being that, 1) it was yet another gift from one of my favorite smut authors, and 2) paired with a beloved trope (arranged marriage/marriage of convenience).
I was surprised when I cracked this open and soon realized that this was featuring the oldest daughter of the main couple from The Favor, though. I somehow missed the memo on that one. And, I'll be blunt: it felt too soon for my tastes for books featuring Dane and Vienna's grown children.
But I digress.
I'm not sure what happened here, but I just didn't feel the raging connection I usually feel between Wright's lead couples. Don't get me wrong, these two had chemistry...just not the level that I know Wright can deliver.
I also felt like there was a lot less steam and sexual tension than normal. Almost like Wright is gearing up for an entrance into more mainstream romance writing, if that makes sense? That and the cover kind of make me get that vibe...
But again, I digress.
There are other things that I didn't love: the constant name-dropping of random characters and couples (future series characters, perhaps?), the BDSM-lite element between Dax and Addison (which actually made some of their love scenes feel trope-y and trite for me), the dead-ex factor on both sides (we didn't surpass the consolation stage to my satisfaction), and the murkiness surrounding Dax's supposed badassery.
The start was also REALLY slow. In fact, there were a lot of slow moments and I had no problem putting this down. Usually I polish off a Wright book in one evening, but this took me three as I just wasn't enthralled per usual.
Sigh.
Regardless, I did enjoy this. I just didn't love it like I though I would.
October 19, 2023
“they said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.”
the story was decent. the book was entertaining. however, it wasn’t in the slightest comparable to The Favor ‘s level of chemistry between the protagonists and the hilarious soap-opera dramatic orchestration. i think that this is the main reason that lead my experience with this book be kind of a let down; i kept comparing both books and it didn’t help that there were some recycled scenes from the previous book used in this one and obviously i ended up disappointing.
it has a slow start, but i’m never discouraged by it while reading, to be honest. so, I pushed through it. although some scenes were good, there were also some that were kind of boring due to the continuous dialogues between the protagonists and the side characters. while it began well, the bond between the main characters deteriorated and lost its appeal along the storytelling.
to sum it, i didn’t love the protagonists that much together or either root for them by the end of the book. at one point, their relationship felt dull and i couldn’t even find a contextual explanation to it.
some things that i couldn’t warp my head around them:
•the context is that female protagonist had some venomous altercations with her ex’s half-son. he called her some colorful names and keyed her car. what did the male main character do? he beat him up. i forgot to highlight that the half-son is a teenager. but, what really was upsetting is how beating up a teenager until he bleed and was covered with bruises was something mundane in the Dax-Addie land.. and the audacity of the author to paint the mother of the teenager as the hysterical mad-woman was insane.
•why did the female protagonist call her parents with their names in her inner monologues but with "mom, dad" when she addressed them.
———
The Favor is one of my favorite romances and this is the second generation book with the marriage of convenience arc 🤭 it better delivers!!
April 7, 2024
3.5 You Already Know What It Is To Be Mine Stars ⭐
“The time has almost arrived for us to honor the pact. I’m prepared to do so. The question is: Are you?”
Dax and Addison had a fling years ago. One that didn't end badly but didn't eventuate to anything more. Yet during their time together, Addison had jokingly proposed a pact. If they were both single when she turned 30, then they should marry. And all these years later, Dax Mercier is collecting.
I guess it's madness, but these two have good grounds for this arrangement to work. Their marriage may not be based on love, however they both agree to honesty, trust and loyalty. It helps that they're both sex fiends and completely compatible in the bedroom.
“I should be honest with you. I know you don’t like to talk about ‘feelings,’ but it’s important you know my pussy is totally in love with your dick. It fought its feelings hard, it did, but it lost the battle.”
I enjoyed the dynamics and maturity displayed by Dax and Addison. The realistic issues they faced from their respective families because of their choice. Plus Dax was a morally grey character while Addison was a bright, successful individual and it made the pairing great.
I really did like the premise of this story. It resonated with me because I felt the exact same when I was approaching 30. I was still single and wondering if I would still be in the same predicament in years to come. Where I eventually met my husband online, the heroine in this story opted for an arranged marriage. Either way both our relationships were a whirlwind with risks attached by not taking years to date. A leap of faith one could claim. But then how well do you really know anyone?
So why the rating? Because this story was far too dramatic and the amount of side characters/siblings muddied the actual plot. The amount of people trying to meddle in this marriage was insane when the focus needed to be on Dax and Addison. I found my mind wondering and half the time I was trying to connect the dots.
“The time has almost arrived for us to honor the pact. I’m prepared to do so. The question is: Are you?”
Dax and Addison had a fling years ago. One that didn't end badly but didn't eventuate to anything more. Yet during their time together, Addison had jokingly proposed a pact. If they were both single when she turned 30, then they should marry. And all these years later, Dax Mercier is collecting.
I guess it's madness, but these two have good grounds for this arrangement to work. Their marriage may not be based on love, however they both agree to honesty, trust and loyalty. It helps that they're both sex fiends and completely compatible in the bedroom.
“I should be honest with you. I know you don’t like to talk about ‘feelings,’ but it’s important you know my pussy is totally in love with your dick. It fought its feelings hard, it did, but it lost the battle.”
I enjoyed the dynamics and maturity displayed by Dax and Addison. The realistic issues they faced from their respective families because of their choice. Plus Dax was a morally grey character while Addison was a bright, successful individual and it made the pairing great.
I really did like the premise of this story. It resonated with me because I felt the exact same when I was approaching 30. I was still single and wondering if I would still be in the same predicament in years to come. Where I eventually met my husband online, the heroine in this story opted for an arranged marriage. Either way both our relationships were a whirlwind with risks attached by not taking years to date. A leap of faith one could claim. But then how well do you really know anyone?
So why the rating? Because this story was far too dramatic and the amount of side characters/siblings muddied the actual plot. The amount of people trying to meddle in this marriage was insane when the focus needed to be on Dax and Addison. I found my mind wondering and half the time I was trying to connect the dots.
November 3, 2023
3/5 ⭐
3/5 🔥
I liked it but I didn’t love it the way I was expecting myself to. I wanted to fall for Dax and Addison the same way I fell for her parents. But no, they weren't it for me. Even if I don’t compare the two books, I can't get myself to love them.
Plot Addison and Dax were flings in high school; they were in a relationship but you could call them friends with benefit. So one day Addison made a pact with Dax that "If they hit 30 and they aren't in a relationship, they would marry each other. "
So 30 came and they were both single and happily successfully independent. Dax remembered the pact and contacted her about it. In a span of weeks, they were married.
My thoughts It's a wonderful idea all around. Not very unique, but the thing about planned marriages is that the spouses are strangers to one another, there is a great deal of tension and banter, and the sexual tension is really high. A push and pull are present.
However, they had been friends and quite attracted to one another in this situation. They had sex right away after getting married; they didn't wait, and I didn't got that feeling where I was drying for couples to just touch EACHOTHER, yk? As a result, there was no tension present.
I do think the author changed the personalities of Dane and Veinne, cz they were not how I remember they were in this book. The beating up that teenage boy who keyed Addison's car was so uncomfortable.
Addison is an independent queen. She is like so passionate about her goals and her work. I liked her thinking. She addressed Veinne and Dane by their name in her inner monologue not dad and mom…. Like wth it felt weird to me.
Dax was fine, okay, I couldn't get myself to fall for this guy. Idk why it was like he was Dane Davenport dupe. HE FELT LIKE THAT I AM SORRY 😭.
There was also no drama because they told everyone they were marrying because of a pact. "Pretending to be in love, but it's an arranged marriage" was not the case. My primary concern was that they didn't need to act as though they were in love. I hate how boring that was to read. 😭
There was communication, which was really good. I loved that. The drama was not juicy. Very OG drama. But make it a dead girlfriend drama. It was too obvious.
The smut was also okay. BDSM and all that stuff, but I couldn't connect to the main character's, so it all felt boring, and I was basically skipping it.🤷♀️
------I need to find Dax now
LMAOO I LOVE HER BEST FRIEND, SM
😭😭😭I need to reread the favorite AGAIN
---Oh....
----------
um, 😭 i tried!
rtc
___________
This is going to be a 5 STARS right? IT. DOWN.
Duh, its Dane Davenport's daughter. What could go wrong?
3/5 🔥
I liked it but I didn’t love it the way I was expecting myself to. I wanted to fall for Dax and Addison the same way I fell for her parents. But no, they weren't it for me. Even if I don’t compare the two books, I can't get myself to love them.
Plot Addison and Dax were flings in high school; they were in a relationship but you could call them friends with benefit. So one day Addison made a pact with Dax that "If they hit 30 and they aren't in a relationship, they would marry each other. "
So 30 came and they were both single and happily successfully independent. Dax remembered the pact and contacted her about it. In a span of weeks, they were married.
My thoughts It's a wonderful idea all around. Not very unique, but the thing about planned marriages is that the spouses are strangers to one another, there is a great deal of tension and banter, and the sexual tension is really high. A push and pull are present.
However, they had been friends and quite attracted to one another in this situation. They had sex right away after getting married; they didn't wait, and I didn't got that feeling where I was drying for couples to just touch EACHOTHER, yk? As a result, there was no tension present.
I do think the author changed the personalities of Dane and Veinne, cz they were not how I remember they were in this book. The beating up that teenage boy who keyed Addison's car was so uncomfortable.
Addison is an independent queen. She is like so passionate about her goals and her work. I liked her thinking. She addressed Veinne and Dane by their name in her inner monologue not dad and mom…. Like wth it felt weird to me.
Dax was fine, okay, I couldn't get myself to fall for this guy. Idk why it was like he was Dane Davenport dupe. HE FELT LIKE THAT I AM SORRY 😭.
There was also no drama because they told everyone they were marrying because of a pact. "Pretending to be in love, but it's an arranged marriage" was not the case. My primary concern was that they didn't need to act as though they were in love. I hate how boring that was to read. 😭
There was communication, which was really good. I loved that. The drama was not juicy. Very OG drama. But make it a dead girlfriend drama. It was too obvious.
The smut was also okay. BDSM and all that stuff, but I couldn't connect to the main character's, so it all felt boring, and I was basically skipping it.🤷♀️
“Dax owns a publishing company. Anyone who married him could probably get their hands on some free books.”
------I need to find Dax now
“If he leaves her and comes crawling back to you, you’d be a fool to give him another chance. Don’t get me wrong, you’re my bestie; I’d support you if you made that choice. But I’ll never believe he deserves you, and if you marry him, I will wear black to the wedding. And I don’t mean a hot or classy number, either. Think of the woman in black. That’s what you’ll be faced with. I will make sure I look creepy as fuck. Small children will cry and run from me.”
LMAOO I LOVE HER BEST FRIEND, SM
The wedding will go ahead whether you’re there or not. You’ll achieve one thing only if you miss it—you’ll hurt me.” Ollie’s shoulders sagged as a pained look crossed his face. “You’re so good at emotional blackmail.” Dane gave Vienna a quick look. “She gets that from you.”
😭😭😭I need to reread the favorite AGAIN
“I’ll be the one who strips you.” He lightly tapped my lower lip with his finger. “Fuck dolls can’t undress themselves.”
---Oh....
----------
um, 😭 i tried!
rtc
___________
This is going to be a 5 STARS right? IT. DOWN.
Duh, its Dane Davenport's daughter. What could go wrong?
October 14, 2023
Why was this such a letdown :(
The Favor is one of my favourite arranged marriage books so when i found out this was going to be Addison's book, their eldest daughter and with the same trope i was so excited but now i'm really bummed bc i didn't like a lot of things.
First there was soo much drama !!
It literally took half of the story since in the first 150 pages we had like two interactions between Addison and Dax.
OW drama, sister of the OW drama, OM drama, wife and stepson OM drama and i could go on and go on since every single little detail was explained and overexplained that had nothing to do with the main characters.
Ngl i skipped so many unnecessary details because it took me out if the story every time they appeared and started some stupid shit.
The whole premise of the story was how Addison and Dax had a brief fling when they were young and made a pact if when Addison turns 30 and its still single they'd get married, so a week before her b-day Dax comes to collect on that promise.
First thing that bugged me was the lack of Dax's POV.
Everything we found out about his personality, his life, his dead one true love was from conversations between Addison and her sisters.
I felt like i didn't knew him, it felt robotic and when he appeared he barely said two sentences.
I get he is broody and mysterious but i wanted more development with his character.
Some of his actions were not even explained enough, like why after so many years he decided now to contact Addison.
but why now and why Addison? i expected some huge plot twist how maybe he was always in love with her but that was just my imagination lol.
There were so many useless sub plots like Addison's bf who she loved very much dying young, then her pregnancy from a ONS and her losing that baby. Dax girlfriend also dying, some stripper girl that he obviously cared about. I mean they were just thrown in and all for the sake of more and more drama. I couldn't take it anymore.
i wanted more of their bonding, cute moments like how their celebrated Halloween or Christmas.
I felt like every single detail about how their relationship progressed was told and not shown.
And the thing that annoyed me the most was how Dane and Vienna were always written by their names. They weren't mom and dad, they were always Dane and Vienna.
Idk that felt so weird like the author needed to specify that they were Dane and Vienna for the 100th time. OK WE GET IT THEY'RE DANE AND VIENNA.
I'm curious if we'll get every sibling's book now.
The Favor is one of my favourite arranged marriage books so when i found out this was going to be Addison's book, their eldest daughter and with the same trope i was so excited but now i'm really bummed bc i didn't like a lot of things.
First there was soo much drama !!
It literally took half of the story since in the first 150 pages we had like two interactions between Addison and Dax.
OW drama, sister of the OW drama, OM drama, wife and stepson OM drama and i could go on and go on since every single little detail was explained and overexplained that had nothing to do with the main characters.
Ngl i skipped so many unnecessary details because it took me out if the story every time they appeared and started some stupid shit.
The whole premise of the story was how Addison and Dax had a brief fling when they were young and made a pact if when Addison turns 30 and its still single they'd get married, so a week before her b-day Dax comes to collect on that promise.
First thing that bugged me was the lack of Dax's POV.
Everything we found out about his personality, his life, his dead one true love was from conversations between Addison and her sisters.
I felt like i didn't knew him, it felt robotic and when he appeared he barely said two sentences.
I get he is broody and mysterious but i wanted more development with his character.
Some of his actions were not even explained enough, like why after so many years he decided now to contact Addison.
I have one more question: If I hadn’t agreed to marry you, who would you have asked?” Knots formed in my gut as I awaited his response.Dax’s eyes followed the path of his hand as he stroked my hair. “I didn’t have anyone else in mind.”A single knot slipped away.
“But you would have had to settle on somebody, so surely there was …
If you had said no, I would have kept on at you and done whatever it took to change your mind. I’m good at persuading people to my way of thinking. You would have agreed eventually.”
but why now and why Addison? i expected some huge plot twist how maybe he was always in love with her but that was just my imagination lol.
There were so many useless sub plots like Addison's bf who she loved very much dying young, then her pregnancy from a ONS and her losing that baby. Dax girlfriend also dying, some stripper girl that he obviously cared about. I mean they were just thrown in and all for the sake of more and more drama. I couldn't take it anymore.
i wanted more of their bonding, cute moments like how their celebrated Halloween or Christmas.
I felt like every single detail about how their relationship progressed was told and not shown.
And the thing that annoyed me the most was how Dane and Vienna were always written by their names. They weren't mom and dad, they were always Dane and Vienna.
Idk that felt so weird like the author needed to specify that they were Dane and Vienna for the 100th time. OK WE GET IT THEY'RE DANE AND VIENNA.
I'm curious if we'll get every sibling's book now.
October 16, 2023
Suzanne Wright reigns supreme in the marriage of convenience genre, don't @ me👑🥇❤🔥
If you've read her The Favor and Shiver, you KNOW what to expect from this book(🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩SPOILERS AHEAD🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 :
- soo much OM&OW dramarama on steroids 💥 these supporting characters behave like one-dimensional idiots whose whole purpose in this book is to make the heroes look adult and sane. BUT IT WORKS FOR ME 🤣🙈
- a great COMPETENT in her field of work heroine, who has a backbone, sense of inner worth, and is not easily drawn to unnecessary drama 👑💕
- super successful, super sexy, super smoldering hero who offers to enter into an arranged marriage because somehow he's not capable of love anymore and yet it was always gonna be the heroine in the role of the wife 😅🧐
- "MY WIFE" bonanza every other page 😋🥵
- psychopathic cat who rules these stupid little humans 🆘🛑🚩
- smutiest smut 🙈😈
WHAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM MANY OTHER MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE NOVELS YET I LIKED IT PROFUSELY
They married each other for the purpose of getting married and starting a family. So the set-up wasn't a tried and true "he needs to be married in order to get X, Y and Z" and she's in a bad place so she agrees. NO. They want to be married to each other. There's no end date. There's no pretending it's "fake". There's no separate bedrooms 😈🥵❤
ANOTHER GREAT FEATURE OF THIS AUTHOR'S WRITING IS THE SUPERB COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COUPLE 😭😭😭💕💕💕💕 Every time there's a problem they come to each other first. They made a conscious decision to trust each other and they treated this trust and each other with respect. So many people tried to come between them (in a comically OTT manner) yet FAILED because the MMC and FMC turned to each other, talked it through NO MATTER WHAT. No matter how tired they were, or how they didn't want to upset each other or how uncomfortable the talk would get.
Because of this 👆 there's NO 3RD ACT BREAKUP👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
This was one of the best reads of this month for sure 💕
P.S. now I need Raven's and Rafael's book🔥🙌💥🥵
If you've read her The Favor and Shiver, you KNOW what to expect from this book(🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩SPOILERS AHEAD🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩 :
- soo much OM&OW dramarama on steroids 💥 these supporting characters behave like one-dimensional idiots whose whole purpose in this book is to make the heroes look adult and sane. BUT IT WORKS FOR ME 🤣🙈
- a great COMPETENT in her field of work heroine, who has a backbone, sense of inner worth, and is not easily drawn to unnecessary drama 👑💕
- super successful, super sexy, super smoldering hero who offers to enter into an arranged marriage because somehow he's not capable of love anymore and yet it was always gonna be the heroine in the role of the wife 😅🧐
- "MY WIFE" bonanza every other page 😋🥵
- psychopathic cat who rules these stupid little humans 🆘🛑🚩
- smutiest smut 🙈😈
WHAT WAS DIFFERENT FROM MANY OTHER MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE NOVELS YET I LIKED IT PROFUSELY
They married each other for the purpose of getting married and starting a family. So the set-up wasn't a tried and true "he needs to be married in order to get X, Y and Z" and she's in a bad place so she agrees. NO. They want to be married to each other. There's no end date. There's no pretending it's "fake". There's no separate bedrooms 😈🥵❤
ANOTHER GREAT FEATURE OF THIS AUTHOR'S WRITING IS THE SUPERB COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE COUPLE 😭😭😭💕💕💕💕 Every time there's a problem they come to each other first. They made a conscious decision to trust each other and they treated this trust and each other with respect. So many people tried to come between them (in a comically OTT manner) yet FAILED because the MMC and FMC turned to each other, talked it through NO MATTER WHAT. No matter how tired they were, or how they didn't want to upset each other or how uncomfortable the talk would get.
Because of this 👆 there's NO 3RD ACT BREAKUP👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
This was one of the best reads of this month for sure 💕
P.S. now I need Raven's and Rafael's book🔥🙌💥🥵
October 18, 2023
I'm glad I enjoyed this despite some unflattering reviews I came across because I really enjoyed this. I loved Dax's grumpy ass and Addison's brand of sarcasm and their super sizzling chemistry. They had me giggle the entire time.
This may have been nowhere near the level of The Favor, but it was sweet, cute and funny in it own way. LOVED IT!!!
**************************************************
Omg!!! I’m really excited about this book. The Favor is like one of my favorite books ever. I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve listened to the audiobook and now I’m getting a book about Dane and Vienna’s daughter……can’t wait!
This may have been nowhere near the level of The Favor, but it was sweet, cute and funny in it own way. LOVED IT!!!
**************************************************
Omg!!! I’m really excited about this book. The Favor is like one of my favorite books ever. I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve listened to the audiobook and now I’m getting a book about Dane and Vienna’s daughter……can’t wait!
October 16, 2023
It was... nice. I enjoyed some of it but truthfully I also skimmed over many, many pages.
Going in, I had a hard time getting situated, the name dropping of so many characters and character's back stories didn't help so I decided to stop trying to make sense of all the players. There's a lot of drama built prior to the main couple actually getting together, most of it so over the top I had to order my brain to take a back seat for my sanity.
Addison and Dax were good together, so good in fact that I didn't quite believe the chasm roughly established between them through their pact. To me this was very much pretend, all of it.
I adore the marriage of convenience trope but for this particular set up to work there is one thing I absolutely need: TENSION. Unbearably high fucking strung tension.
The author never quite take us there in my opinion. That chord was definitely much too loose.
What was there in spades however was recurring drama. In fact, chapter after chapter the story repeats itself: Addison gets closer to breach through Dax's walls, gaining his trust and tirelessly there would be this onslaught of past acquaintances and exes inserting themselves in their lives in pure drama form (OW, OM). And it's always the same matter throughout the whole damn book.
I liked Addison and Dax because they were actually pretty cute together despite their so-called arranged marriage and their will to become friends, never lovers. Chemistry was definitely there in the bedroom, the dirty talk was a nice touch, Suzanne Wright didn't disappoint on that part.
Dax was written as a morally grey character but honestly on page he was painted a very light grey wash. As if the author didn't want to color this book too dark and keep things light enough to stay in this rom-com-ish cover line.
Sadly, The Pact was a long ass book (600 pages) filled with too much of the same drama, taking over the many, many, mundane scenes of magically prepared meals and outfit selections. Ironically, despite the length, I didn't feel there was enough of Addison and Dax romance on page. 🤷🏻♀️
I love Suzanne Wright's shifters books but I'm not convinced yet with her contemporary romance work.
Off note, I really need to know if Addison's cat could be some kind of shifter or related to shifters because she was truly a psycho-cat and I need it to make sense, lol!
Edited to add (spoiler-ish) : Also, thinking back on it there was a major build-up made about the topic of children between them; first of all it's one of the reasons that supposedly prevented them to project themselves as a couple all those years ago when they had their "fling". They both agreed it wouldn't make sense starting a relationship when they didn't have the same life goals. She wanted kids, he absolutely did not.
Secondly, present time, things have now changed for Dax, he says he wants children and it's a major pro in Addison's list of pro/cons. It's actually one of her life goals/bucket list items but strangely when came the time to set the ground rules of their pact, they both readily agreed to wait a minimum of eight (?) months before trying for pregnancy.
Third, there's this drama subplot regarding Addison's miscarriage trauma (from a one night stand some years back). It's mentioned a few times and even described but absolutely nothing comes from this. I would have expected them happy parenting in the HEA at the very least given their respective hang ups about parenting and kids but it was just left hanging and therefore disappointing.
Going in, I had a hard time getting situated, the name dropping of so many characters and character's back stories didn't help so I decided to stop trying to make sense of all the players. There's a lot of drama built prior to the main couple actually getting together, most of it so over the top I had to order my brain to take a back seat for my sanity.
Addison and Dax were good together, so good in fact that I didn't quite believe the chasm roughly established between them through their pact. To me this was very much pretend, all of it.
I adore the marriage of convenience trope but for this particular set up to work there is one thing I absolutely need: TENSION. Unbearably high fucking strung tension.
The author never quite take us there in my opinion. That chord was definitely much too loose.
What was there in spades however was recurring drama. In fact, chapter after chapter the story repeats itself: Addison gets closer to breach through Dax's walls, gaining his trust and tirelessly there would be this onslaught of past acquaintances and exes inserting themselves in their lives in pure drama form (OW, OM). And it's always the same matter throughout the whole damn book.
I liked Addison and Dax because they were actually pretty cute together despite their so-called arranged marriage and their will to become friends, never lovers. Chemistry was definitely there in the bedroom, the dirty talk was a nice touch, Suzanne Wright didn't disappoint on that part.
Dax was written as a morally grey character but honestly on page he was painted a very light grey wash. As if the author didn't want to color this book too dark and keep things light enough to stay in this rom-com-ish cover line.
Sadly, The Pact was a long ass book (600 pages) filled with too much of the same drama, taking over the many, many, mundane scenes of magically prepared meals and outfit selections. Ironically, despite the length, I didn't feel there was enough of Addison and Dax romance on page. 🤷🏻♀️
I love Suzanne Wright's shifters books but I'm not convinced yet with her contemporary romance work.
Off note, I really need to know if Addison's cat could be some kind of shifter or related to shifters because she was truly a psycho-cat and I need it to make sense, lol!
Edited to add (spoiler-ish) : Also, thinking back on it there was a major build-up made about the topic of children between them; first of all it's one of the reasons that supposedly prevented them to project themselves as a couple all those years ago when they had their "fling". They both agreed it wouldn't make sense starting a relationship when they didn't have the same life goals. She wanted kids, he absolutely did not.
Secondly, present time, things have now changed for Dax, he says he wants children and it's a major pro in Addison's list of pro/cons. It's actually one of her life goals/bucket list items but strangely when came the time to set the ground rules of their pact, they both readily agreed to wait a minimum of eight (?) months before trying for pregnancy.
Third, there's this drama subplot regarding Addison's miscarriage trauma (from a one night stand some years back). It's mentioned a few times and even described but absolutely nothing comes from this. I would have expected them happy parenting in the HEA at the very least given their respective hang ups about parenting and kids but it was just left hanging and therefore disappointing.
October 14, 2023
The Pact can be considered as the sequel to The Favour and Shiver — one of the earliest works of Wright. Having read almost all of the works of her, it did take a while to realise who's who. A few qualms I still hold and that I had with Favour as well is that the male lead due to his emotional unavailability comes off as a shell of himself; sure he has his reservations but that robs off any character and his development. It gives the impression of him being a stand in. The lack of depth in conversations isn't adding anything. Additionally here, I don't understand why this romance book needed to go beyond the usual 300 pages — there is nothing new going on anyway ! The dialogues felt very fake, we had multiple usage of “just”, “you know” and “like”. I also spotted an incomplete sentence in my copy. I'm not sure if it wasn't proofread. I usually whine about how the plot remains essentially the same and have made peace with it. What I expect is some ingenuity with the writing and dialogues especially. I love Wright's female leads. They tend to have a good impression, I wish I can see the same in the male leads.
October 16, 2023
Honestly, it's very similar to Suzanne's other contemporary novels.
I'm a sucker for her writing style (made me feel at home whenever I read some of her books) and marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes so it's not a surprise that I have enjoyed this story immensely.
I'm a sucker for her writing style (made me feel at home whenever I read some of her books) and marriage of convenience is one of my favorite tropes so it's not a surprise that I have enjoyed this story immensely.
October 15, 2023
This book is a bad copy of The Favor.
January 11, 2024
Spoilers ahead, 2.5 could've been 5 stars
Addie and Dax had a fling when she was 19, she jokingly suggested a pact that if they were both still single by the time she turned 30 they'd marry each other. 10 years later Dax shows up intent on her honouring her end of the deal
*******
The potential of this book.....it breaks my heart
1)Soooooo many people!!! Who the heck are these people? Was I supposed to read another book before this one? The first 5 chaptershad do many names I lost track?! What the heck is that? I love secondary characters especially if future romances bloom from them but this was too much
2) Dax's history, Addie's history even her mom's history all came across as things we should know.....howwwww??? If the books are interconnected to the extent you're lost without reading a previous then that should be noted. I felt like I started reading in the middle of the book
3)The drama.....jeeze how many times can an ex intervene before it becomes annoying....ugh this book! Grayden was so involved in the damn story I was shocked when he disappeared...and Mimi? His dead ex's twin sister? All that drama because she wanted him for herself? Plus Grayden's wife/ex who he left the h to go back too but then she too is involved so much.....like dang I'd have preferred a serial killer
4)Dead exes....man I already hate this trope but to have both MCs with dead exes who were considered the loves of their lives? Gimme a break
5) Forever and day before these 2 got their shit together 🙄
6) MOST IMPORTANTLY..... why'd he go back? They were together, shit was intense he didn't want kids but she did so they went their separate ways so then why did he go back?was he just fucking around until she turned 30? I just don't get it especially as he was her first lover and he said he'd been possessive over her and never forgot her.....they why the heck did it take 10 years..... it's like KA's muse went for a wander and found this author 😭 stopppppp it
On the positive when the feelings actually started to grow between the mcs I fell in love with this book.... unfortunately by then it was just too late
All in all I've enjoyed many books by this author but there was just way too much happening in this book
*****
No cheating
Ow/OM drama both MCs were not interested
Dead exes
Fling revisited 10 years later
***ETA
The sexy times were hot as heck but idk felt a bit much for the setting?
Apparently both sets of parents have their own books so maybe read those before this one to get an idea of the dramatic back story
Addie and Dax had a fling when she was 19, she jokingly suggested a pact that if they were both still single by the time she turned 30 they'd marry each other. 10 years later Dax shows up intent on her honouring her end of the deal
*******
The potential of this book.....it breaks my heart
1)Soooooo many people!!! Who the heck are these people? Was I supposed to read another book before this one? The first 5 chaptershad do many names I lost track?! What the heck is that? I love secondary characters especially if future romances bloom from them but this was too much
2) Dax's history, Addie's history even her mom's history all came across as things we should know.....howwwww??? If the books are interconnected to the extent you're lost without reading a previous then that should be noted. I felt like I started reading in the middle of the book
3)The drama.....jeeze how many times can an ex intervene before it becomes annoying....ugh this book! Grayden was so involved in the damn story I was shocked when he disappeared...and Mimi? His dead ex's twin sister? All that drama because she wanted him for herself? Plus Grayden's wife/ex who he left the h to go back too but then she too is involved so much.....like dang I'd have preferred a serial killer
4)Dead exes....man I already hate this trope but to have both MCs with dead exes who were considered the loves of their lives? Gimme a break
5) Forever and day before these 2 got their shit together 🙄
6) MOST IMPORTANTLY..... why'd he go back? They were together, shit was intense he didn't want kids but she did so they went their separate ways so then why did he go back?was he just fucking around until she turned 30? I just don't get it especially as he was her first lover and he said he'd been possessive over her and never forgot her.....they why the heck did it take 10 years..... it's like KA's muse went for a wander and found this author 😭 stopppppp it
On the positive when the feelings actually started to grow between the mcs I fell in love with this book.... unfortunately by then it was just too late
All in all I've enjoyed many books by this author but there was just way too much happening in this book
*****
No cheating
Ow/OM drama both MCs were not interested
Dead exes
Fling revisited 10 years later
***ETA
The sexy times were hot as heck but idk felt a bit much for the setting?
Apparently both sets of parents have their own books so maybe read those before this one to get an idea of the dramatic back story
March 30, 2025
I love an emotionally closed off hero. It makes it that much more special when the heroine breaks through. Addison was perfect in how she handled this. I really love an emotionally mature heroine. There was no silly drama. Their pact to keep things honest between themselves made for a refreshing read. And I really loved that the characters in this book connected so many characters from the authors other books. This was a treat to read. I hope we get the sister and brothers books next.
November 3, 2023
The Pact was fine. Which pains me to say because typically my ratings for her stories are 4+ stars. Unfortunately, this book started out really slow. Then the characters felt like they were talking from a script and it felt a little hollow. It did pick up however.
Dax gets 5 stars just for the mouth on that man but the deceased lover destroyed this story for me.
I HATE deceased loves. Addie’s past also felt like too much.
Addie was a wonderful character but I felt weird that she seemed to settle for scraps at first. And not having Dax’s POV made me feel like I was drowning in pity for her for awhile.
The steam was hot don’t get me wrong but I wanted more tension and longing and their intimate moments to be more emotional. The BDSM light element thrown in there was great but was missing the emotional piece.
Dax and Addie stood together and faced the world and I loved that. Overall, I liked this. I didn’t love it. But I’ll keep reading Wright because normally she knocks it out of the park for me.
Dax gets 5 stars just for the mouth on that man but the deceased lover destroyed this story for me.
I HATE deceased loves. Addie’s past also felt like too much.
Addie was a wonderful character but I felt weird that she seemed to settle for scraps at first. And not having Dax’s POV made me feel like I was drowning in pity for her for awhile.
The steam was hot don’t get me wrong but I wanted more tension and longing and their intimate moments to be more emotional. The BDSM light element thrown in there was great but was missing the emotional piece.
Dax and Addie stood together and faced the world and I loved that. Overall, I liked this. I didn’t love it. But I’ll keep reading Wright because normally she knocks it out of the park for me.
October 23, 2023
Before reading:
A book about Dane and Viennas daughter from the Favour?
I just know it’s gonna be good🤭🤌
They way Suzanne writes her arrange marriage books are just perfection 🫶
There better be a cameo of Dane and Vienna 😤😤😤I miss them so much 😫
After reading:
This just seemed like The favour 2.0 but in a much worser sense. I’m sorry but nobody can beat the original and Dax and Addison could not in any way beat the chemistry that Dane and Viennas had. This was unnecessarily long in my opinion ✋
The author has a habit to make most of her books similar but the way Dax was trying to be exactly like Dane. Like I’m sorry he needed to sit his ass down sometimes. Book was still cute just expected a bit more from Addison and Dax. Like I wanted the tension the spark that I read in The Favour. Oh well off to my next read 💃
A book about Dane and Viennas daughter from the Favour?
I just know it’s gonna be good🤭🤌
They way Suzanne writes her arrange marriage books are just perfection 🫶
There better be a cameo of Dane and Vienna 😤😤😤I miss them so much 😫
After reading:
This just seemed like The favour 2.0 but in a much worser sense. I’m sorry but nobody can beat the original and Dax and Addison could not in any way beat the chemistry that Dane and Viennas had. This was unnecessarily long in my opinion ✋
The author has a habit to make most of her books similar but the way Dax was trying to be exactly like Dane. Like I’m sorry he needed to sit his ass down sometimes. Book was still cute just expected a bit more from Addison and Dax. Like I wanted the tension the spark that I read in The Favour. Oh well off to my next read 💃
November 2, 2024
2.5 stars
I loved SW's writing in The Wicked in Me which was a wacky and delicious fantasy story, and so I was quite geared up to get into this CR book with such an interesting premise (re: MOC with a twist). Unfortunately, try as I did, I did not end up enjoying it. Here is why, plus some points I did like:
I am not giving up on SW (because I am still super amped up by her Devil's Cradle trilogy) but I am still underwhelmed by this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2025
Years ago Addison Davenport and Daxton "Dax" Mercier had a fling. They both have moved on in their life, both have suffered losses and both are currently single. Dax reaches out to Addison for a consult, but when she arrives she is more than surprised that he remembered the Pact she proposed years ago. If both of them are still single when she hits her 30's they wed. Dax is completely serious with his proposal and while it wont be a marriage of love it will be a marriage in every other way. Will Addison accept and will they succeed in their marriage?
Absolutely wonderful. Addison is Dane and Vienna's daughter from The Favor, while Dax is Blake and Kinsey's from Shiver so I was hooked from the get go. Dax and Addison are phenomenal, I wanted more of this couple but was happy regardless. I hope there are more books coming because there are some phenomenal characters. High praise.
Absolutely wonderful. Addison is Dane and Vienna's daughter from The Favor, while Dax is Blake and Kinsey's from Shiver so I was hooked from the get go. Dax and Addison are phenomenal, I wanted more of this couple but was happy regardless. I hope there are more books coming because there are some phenomenal characters. High praise.
April 4, 2024
This is kind of a sequel to this author's other contemporary book, The Favor -- this is about that couple's daughter, 30 years later. It's first person, heroine only POV, also like The Favor. You could probably read it as a standalone, but it would be a lot more enjoyable if you've read that book, first.
I'm not going to get into the plot, it's marriage of convenience. And all of this author's plots are pretty similar - heroes and heroines with similar personalities, outside characters trying to break them up and cause conflict, quirky supporting characters. Her books absolutely are sort of all the same. But I really vibe with how she writes heroines. I don't care that they're all the same - it makes them good reads for when you're in the mood for what her books deliver. You know what to expect, and that's what you get! They're kind of comfort reads.
I like that all of her heroines aren't overly insecure, are comfortable in their own skin, but also have enough personality and flavor to feel interesting and quirky and fun. They're never "blank slate personalities" (like some other heroines by other authors). And although her heroes are bossy and domineering, her heroines don't usually let them yank them around too much.
I agree with all the reviews that say this isn't as good as The Favor - this couple's chemistry felt colder. And also, there were too many character names being thrown at us. This is clearly setting up their siblings to get their own books - which I will read! But between that, and the hero's overly complicated family (since his parents also had their own book, Shiver with a weird complicated family situation), there were too many family dynamics at play, and too many character names being tossed around. (Like, we didn't need to hear about the hero's dead grandparents and their strange and specific relationship, that felt like too much). This felt like a "table setting" book to launch the rest of the series, rather than a great book in its own right. And the series does seem like it will be good, I'm intrigued by his brothers - 1 is a tattoo artist, 1 is a pro football player. I will be seated for their books. But it feels like this was almost more focused on setting up their stories, rather than focusing on making its own story special.
Nevertheless, this is a fun world. I never really have a bad time with this author's books - even the ones that are more "meh." I don't regret reading this, it was nice to see the couple from The Favor again 30 years down the line, and I will read this couples' siblings' books that are clearly being set up.
I'm not going to get into the plot, it's marriage of convenience. And all of this author's plots are pretty similar - heroes and heroines with similar personalities, outside characters trying to break them up and cause conflict, quirky supporting characters. Her books absolutely are sort of all the same. But I really vibe with how she writes heroines. I don't care that they're all the same - it makes them good reads for when you're in the mood for what her books deliver. You know what to expect, and that's what you get! They're kind of comfort reads.
I like that all of her heroines aren't overly insecure, are comfortable in their own skin, but also have enough personality and flavor to feel interesting and quirky and fun. They're never "blank slate personalities" (like some other heroines by other authors). And although her heroes are bossy and domineering, her heroines don't usually let them yank them around too much.
I agree with all the reviews that say this isn't as good as The Favor - this couple's chemistry felt colder. And also, there were too many character names being thrown at us. This is clearly setting up their siblings to get their own books - which I will read! But between that, and the hero's overly complicated family (since his parents also had their own book, Shiver with a weird complicated family situation), there were too many family dynamics at play, and too many character names being tossed around. (Like, we didn't need to hear about the hero's dead grandparents and their strange and specific relationship, that felt like too much). This felt like a "table setting" book to launch the rest of the series, rather than a great book in its own right. And the series does seem like it will be good, I'm intrigued by his brothers - 1 is a tattoo artist, 1 is a pro football player. I will be seated for their books. But it feels like this was almost more focused on setting up their stories, rather than focusing on making its own story special.
Nevertheless, this is a fun world. I never really have a bad time with this author's books - even the ones that are more "meh." I don't regret reading this, it was nice to see the couple from The Favor again 30 years down the line, and I will read this couples' siblings' books that are clearly being set up.
June 1, 2024
Keyifli bir okuma mıydı? Evet. Ama arka arkaya okuduğum için olsa gerek The Favor ile benzerlikler de hissettim.Aslında bu gayet de doğal bir şey haline geldi.Neyse ki canımı sıkan bir durum olmadı.
Dane ve Dax'in sessiz ve kapalı olması ✅
Addison'ın tıpkı annesi Vienna gibi en ufak sorunda kaçmak yerine durumla yüzleşmesi ✅
En önemlisi iletişime açık olmaları en keyif aldığım nokta oldu.
Tartışıyorlar ama uzatmadan durumu çözmeye çalışıyorlar. Karşılarına çıkan zorluklarda birbirlerini destekliyorlar.Şahane 😍 Toksik ilişki sevmem buradan da anlaşılacağı gibi 😆
Kitaba gelirsek...Gençlik zamanalarında ufak bir kaçamak yaşadıkları dönemde çiftimiz bir söz verir. Addison bunu şakalaşarak söylerken Dax ciddiye alır.Otuzumuza kadar evlenmezsek, birbirimizle evleniriz.E yaş da gelmişken bu anlaşmayı onurlandırma zamanı diyerek kızımızın kapısında biter Dax...
Dax aile geçmişi sebebiyle biraz karanlık tarafa yatkın bir adam.Adalete inancı sıfır.Babası sağ olsun Addison da bu konuya alışık.Bu yüzden aralarını açan bir unsur değil.Aralarında sorun olan şey...Bağlanmayacağız dedikleri halde Dax'e dair şeyleri önemsemeye başlaması.Hakkında her şeyi bilmek, birlikte zaman geçirmek istemesi...
Dax ise...Kimseye güvenmiyor.Kendini paylaşmıyor.Bunu yaptığı zamanlar exleri hemen magazine koşup atıp tutuyor.Eh ailedeki seri katil meselesi de var tabi.
Ben sevdim hikayeyi.Aşırı sinir bozucu karakterler vardı.Sahnelerinde gözlerim seğirdi resmen.Dünyada böyle salak insanların varlığı beni korkutuyor.Sen uzak tut ya Rabbim 😁
Dax'in önüne ölü hayvanlar seren kedi aklımı karıştırdı.Ben arkasından biri çıkacak diye çok bekledim ama pek bir şey olmadı 😅
Yazarın günümüz kitaplarını okumayı düşünenlere sırayla Shiver, The Favor ve son olarak The Pact öneririm.kişileri anlamak adına daha sağlıklı bir okuma sıralaması olur.
Ve umarım çiftin kardeşlerinin de hikayesi gelir.Yazar arka planda onların da hikayesi olacağının sinyalini vermiş...
Dane ve Dax'in sessiz ve kapalı olması ✅
Addison'ın tıpkı annesi Vienna gibi en ufak sorunda kaçmak yerine durumla yüzleşmesi ✅
En önemlisi iletişime açık olmaları en keyif aldığım nokta oldu.
Tartışıyorlar ama uzatmadan durumu çözmeye çalışıyorlar. Karşılarına çıkan zorluklarda birbirlerini destekliyorlar.Şahane 😍 Toksik ilişki sevmem buradan da anlaşılacağı gibi 😆
Kitaba gelirsek...Gençlik zamanalarında ufak bir kaçamak yaşadıkları dönemde çiftimiz bir söz verir. Addison bunu şakalaşarak söylerken Dax ciddiye alır.Otuzumuza kadar evlenmezsek, birbirimizle evleniriz.E yaş da gelmişken bu anlaşmayı onurlandırma zamanı diyerek kızımızın kapısında biter Dax...
Dax aile geçmişi sebebiyle biraz karanlık tarafa yatkın bir adam.Adalete inancı sıfır.Babası sağ olsun Addison da bu konuya alışık.Bu yüzden aralarını açan bir unsur değil.Aralarında sorun olan şey...Bağlanmayacağız dedikleri halde Dax'e dair şeyleri önemsemeye başlaması.Hakkında her şeyi bilmek, birlikte zaman geçirmek istemesi...
Dax ise...Kimseye güvenmiyor.Kendini paylaşmıyor.Bunu yaptığı zamanlar exleri hemen magazine koşup atıp tutuyor.Eh ailedeki seri katil meselesi de var tabi.
Ben sevdim hikayeyi.Aşırı sinir bozucu karakterler vardı.Sahnelerinde gözlerim seğirdi resmen.Dünyada böyle salak insanların varlığı beni korkutuyor.Sen uzak tut ya Rabbim 😁
Dax'in önüne ölü hayvanlar seren kedi aklımı karıştırdı.Ben arkasından biri çıkacak diye çok bekledim ama pek bir şey olmadı 😅
Yazarın günümüz kitaplarını okumayı düşünenlere sırayla Shiver, The Favor ve son olarak The Pact öneririm.kişileri anlamak adına daha sağlıklı bir okuma sıralaması olur.
Ve umarım çiftin kardeşlerinin de hikayesi gelir.Yazar arka planda onların da hikayesi olacağının sinyalini vermiş...
October 22, 2023
Quickish Review
Usually I’m all about Ms. wright’s Alpha MMC and her FMCs, so I was a little disappointed that this felt a bit…stale. There’s no female friendships for the FMC that aren’t related by blood or marriage, it felt so insular and so much of their internal dialogue did the heavy lifting instead of actually talking to each other. I mean, there’s a lot of the usual bits that I do enjoy, some hot love scenes, jealousy/possessive that doesn’t go over the line to railroading their partner which I appreciate. It’s the next generation of the main characters from her book, The Favor, and perhaps is felt too familiar in that respect. Idk, at the end of the day, it was fine just not a fave.
Usually I’m all about Ms. wright’s Alpha MMC and her FMCs, so I was a little disappointed that this felt a bit…stale. There’s no female friendships for the FMC that aren’t related by blood or marriage, it felt so insular and so much of their internal dialogue did the heavy lifting instead of actually talking to each other. I mean, there’s a lot of the usual bits that I do enjoy, some hot love scenes, jealousy/possessive that doesn’t go over the line to railroading their partner which I appreciate. It’s the next generation of the main characters from her book, The Favor, and perhaps is felt too familiar in that respect. Idk, at the end of the day, it was fine just not a fave.
October 24, 2023
This is probably a low 3 for me. The prologue made the beginning of this so much more confusing than necessary. The book has too many characters and intersecting relationships to begin with, but to introduce them in that way (an excerpt from the climax of the book) was needlessly more confusing.
This was also practically a redo of The Favor, just with a different motivation for the marriage of convenience. But you have a marriage of convenience with a dominant, protective, possessive, alpha MMC who doesn't show his emotions and the MC's falling in love slowly despite interfering exes. I also got a bit of a The Wall of Winnipeg and Me vibe in there as well in terms of the bubbly FMC's love of holidays and the stoic MMC's reluctantly joining in.
This was also practically a redo of The Favor, just with a different motivation for the marriage of convenience. But you have a marriage of convenience with a dominant, protective, possessive, alpha MMC who doesn't show his emotions and the MC's falling in love slowly despite interfering exes. I also got a bit of a The Wall of Winnipeg and Me vibe in there as well in terms of the bubbly FMC's love of holidays and the stoic MMC's reluctantly joining in.
October 19, 2023
Not gonna lie.. i am upset about cat roaming free outside and killing wildlife for fun, leaving corpses everywhere.. and that it is made to be large part of the plot. Like how she is this cute little serial killer who kills little bird babies, how H always tells to h that there is another dead rodent in the house and h just throws it in the trash - because the damn cat does not eat it! Just kills it for fun. Heee-Hee. So cute.
House cats who do NOT need food and kill for fun are huge problem for wildlife.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomm...
When i told author that, she blocked me :D No discussion there.
House cats who do NOT need food and kill for fun are huge problem for wildlife.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomm...
When i told author that, she blocked me :D No discussion there.
February 13, 2025
3.75*
Well, I'm kinda disappointed with this book. The favor is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to read this one,but we didn't vibe like I expected. First 30-40% was hard to get into it.
Found it a bit awkard to think about Dane & Vienna having adult children,but it bothered me more that they we're more often called by their names and not "mom and dad". It felt like they we're just distant relatives...
I tried to overlook the dead partner trope, but honestly is just hard to get into it. And dunno... I didn't felt like the H&h had much chemistry, even when they had sex.
Not saying the book is bad, but I didn't loved it as much I thought I will.
Well, I'm kinda disappointed with this book. The favor is one of my favorite books, so I was excited to read this one,but we didn't vibe like I expected. First 30-40% was hard to get into it.
Found it a bit awkard to think about Dane & Vienna having adult children,but it bothered me more that they we're more often called by their names and not "mom and dad". It felt like they we're just distant relatives...
I tried to overlook the dead partner trope, but honestly is just hard to get into it. And dunno... I didn't felt like the H&h had much chemistry, even when they had sex.
Not saying the book is bad, but I didn't loved it as much I thought I will.
Want to read
October 13, 2023Omg this is about Dane and Vienna's daughter sold🥹❤️
May 18, 2024
The bad copy past of the Favor💔
October 20, 2023
So fucking boring
Too much useless information
We gotta meet everyone in the town apparently and everybody's cousin and everybody's first grade teacher and then we get full body description just so we know they're hot
(The grandma is banging and don't you forget it)
What are they eating, what shoes they're wearing, is she putting a hairbrush on the left side of the counter
IT'S RIDICULOUS
Are we reading about robots?
I had the same issue with the previous book of hers (The Favor) but it's much amplified here
I feel like I'm losing brain cells trying to figure out who's who, what their name is and how they're related to the main characters!
I understand that the author is most probably trying to set up the story for a series if this turns out to be successful but I felt like I was taking a long painful shit reading this book
Too much useless information
We gotta meet everyone in the town apparently and everybody's cousin and everybody's first grade teacher and then we get full body description just so we know they're hot
(The grandma is banging and don't you forget it)
What are they eating, what shoes they're wearing, is she putting a hairbrush on the left side of the counter
IT'S RIDICULOUS
Are we reading about robots?
I had the same issue with the previous book of hers (The Favor) but it's much amplified here
I feel like I'm losing brain cells trying to figure out who's who, what their name is and how they're related to the main characters!
I understand that the author is most probably trying to set up the story for a series if this turns out to be successful but I felt like I was taking a long painful shit reading this book
October 16, 2023
It’s my fault for expecting this to be on par with The Favor. I was really looking forward to this book but it was nothing like I’d imagined. Maybe if they didn’t have the history they did, it would have worked better.
I can’t believe I’m rating this 2.5 stars 😔
I can’t believe I’m rating this 2.5 stars 😔
October 15, 2023
I’m torn because this had a lot of things that I feel are severely lacking in CR but…..it was bbbbboooorrrrriiiinnnngggg!
I liked that this wasn’t instant love. They liked and respected each other, at one time were FWB, but didn’t immediately fall in love due to the pact. It took months….not days or weeks…..for their relationship to grow AND we saw both of them fall in love. They shared a mutual attraction but as far as love? Nope. They also had equal baggage they brought into the relationship and the OW/OM drama was fairly equal. Due to their past I also enjoyed that they both realized that the last relationships, even the serious ones that they view with rose colored glasses, paled in comparison with what they currently have.
What I didn’t like is that it was boring…and included a lot of mundane everyday life things. Drama was extremely minimal and I just wanted more. I also didn’t like how Addy constantly referred to her parents by their first name. If you read The Favor you know who her parents are and all that was really needed was one reminder in the beginning. Referring to Daxs parents by their name, fine, but instead of saying mom/dad when referring to them herself she called them by their name. It was extremely annoying and took diminished their personal relationship. I honestly don’t know why Wright went that route. The final thing that I wasn’t a fan of was that the epilogue was only a month or so out. We didn’t get to see an extended HEA for them after they said their ILY’s to each other. My bet is that Wright will make this into a series as there are a handful of siblings and other supporting characters and I do look forward to that. If she does I’m hoping for an H/C pairing as I think they friendzoned each other because they don’t think the other views them as a romantic partner.
I liked that this wasn’t instant love. They liked and respected each other, at one time were FWB, but didn’t immediately fall in love due to the pact. It took months….not days or weeks…..for their relationship to grow AND we saw both of them fall in love. They shared a mutual attraction but as far as love? Nope. They also had equal baggage they brought into the relationship and the OW/OM drama was fairly equal. Due to their past I also enjoyed that they both realized that the last relationships, even the serious ones that they view with rose colored glasses, paled in comparison with what they currently have.
What I didn’t like is that it was boring…and included a lot of mundane everyday life things. Drama was extremely minimal and I just wanted more. I also didn’t like how Addy constantly referred to her parents by their first name. If you read The Favor you know who her parents are and all that was really needed was one reminder in the beginning. Referring to Daxs parents by their name, fine, but instead of saying mom/dad when referring to them herself she called them by their name. It was extremely annoying and took diminished their personal relationship. I honestly don’t know why Wright went that route. The final thing that I wasn’t a fan of was that the epilogue was only a month or so out. We didn’t get to see an extended HEA for them after they said their ILY’s to each other. My bet is that Wright will make this into a series as there are a handful of siblings and other supporting characters and I do look forward to that. If she does I’m hoping for an H/C pairing as I think they friendzoned each other because they don’t think the other views them as a romantic partner.
January 13, 2025
I'm a fan of Suzanne Wright, and like always, this one hit the spot for me. It was also fun seeing the kids from what was probably my favorite contemp romance of hers (Shiver, which I'm totally going to re-read right now).
It's a relatively low angst, marriage of convenience trope story - the main characters had a bit of a fling in their college years, but both knew it was short terms so despite the sizzling connection, never took it further. They happily went their separate ways, no hard feelings at all, and now it's about 12 years later (she was 18, and she's turning 30 here). During their fling, they made a silly pact to marry each other if they're both single when she turns 30. At the time, they laughed about it, but now, both of them having loved someone who died, he appears back in her life and wants to do it. She agrees - she'd been considering the sperm donor route, so why not?
I thought it was fun watching their relationship grow. It started with simple respect - both of them wanting to give this arranged marriage a real try, and so respecting that commitment - and then unfolded in a lovely way. Also, loads of delicious steam. :)
It's a relatively low angst, marriage of convenience trope story - the main characters had a bit of a fling in their college years, but both knew it was short terms so despite the sizzling connection, never took it further. They happily went their separate ways, no hard feelings at all, and now it's about 12 years later (she was 18, and she's turning 30 here). During their fling, they made a silly pact to marry each other if they're both single when she turns 30. At the time, they laughed about it, but now, both of them having loved someone who died, he appears back in her life and wants to do it. She agrees - she'd been considering the sperm donor route, so why not?
I thought it was fun watching their relationship grow. It started with simple respect - both of them wanting to give this arranged marriage a real try, and so respecting that commitment - and then unfolded in a lovely way. Also, loads of delicious steam. :)
October 24, 2023
A gracious 3★
I had high hopes for this one, but here we are. A couple of things I liked, both main characters were solid in their decision and they always had each other's back (which is key in this trope for me).
What didn't work:
•dax said some stuff in the spicy scenes that gave me the big ick.
•it was repetitive. the entire thing was just the same drama from the same three toxic characters
•random character info. so many times, there were these little bios about characters that I'm assuming are from other books.
•the typos. I don't change ratings because of typos, but this one had some truly egregious ones like the completely wrong word, name, and missing words.
I had high hopes for this one, but here we are. A couple of things I liked, both main characters were solid in their decision and they always had each other's back (which is key in this trope for me).
What didn't work:
•dax said some stuff in the spicy scenes that gave me the big ick.
•it was repetitive. the entire thing was just the same drama from the same three toxic characters
•random character info. so many times, there were these little bios about characters that I'm assuming are from other books.
•the typos. I don't change ratings because of typos, but this one had some truly egregious ones like the completely wrong word, name, and missing words.
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