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Whitlock Family #4
Forgotten Desires
Brynlee Whitlock had one great love in her life and he left her without a trace after a spring break love affair. She’s learned to let go and put him firmly in her past. Until he shows up at her brother’s wedding ten years later with a proposal. Carson Knight needs her in more ways the one, he is fighting for custody of his daughter, running an empire, and ready to win back the girl he let get away. The two of them agree to marry to help each other, but can they stick to their rules when their desires resurface?
394 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2024
2129 people are currently reading
7129 people want to read
About the author
Corinne Michaels
70 books15k followersCorinne Michaels is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of romance novels. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love, and she enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak before finding a way to heal them through their struggles.
Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
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Corinne is a former Navy wife and happily married to the man of her dreams. She began her writing career after spending months away from her husband while he was deployed—reading and writing were her escapes from the loneliness. Corinne now lives in Virginia with her husband and is the emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun-loving mom of two beautiful children.
Connect with her here:
Newsletter: http://corinnemichaels.com/subscribe/
Website: http://www.corinnemichaels.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CorinneMichaels
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/corinnemich...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCMichaels
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,019 reviews
June 9, 2024
Dnf…
I read the other books in this series and really enjoyed them, but what on god’s green earth is this nonsense? Who falls in love with a vacation fling in college and spends the next ten years pining for someone whose real name they didn’t even know? I don’t buy this at all. It’s so unrealistic.
Brynlee is so annoying. She’s so perfect, so good, so innocent. A doormat with no spine. A weak willed woman who lets everyone walk all over her. Forgives everyone all the time no matter how they hurt her. The guy she “fell in love with” over a weeklong vacation ghosts her, doesn’t say good bye, didn’t even tell her his real name. They meet 10 years later and she immediately forgives him. She isn’t even angry with him. Doesn’t even ask why he left her! Sure. I’ll go ahead and put my entire life on hold to help you when you ditched me without a care. We’re eventually told Crew has kept all these keepsakes of their fling and always loved her, meanwhile, at the time they reunite he had already been divorced for three years. Three years! Can’t have missed her all that much if he’s been single for three years and didn’t even bother looking for her. He only found her again bc her brother happened to mention his sister’s name was Brynlee.
Cherry on top of this absolutely ridiculous absurd bs story?? She’s celibate for 10 fking years! And guess what? He’s not. Of course. 🙄 Why do female authors continue to perpetuate this misogyny in their books??? Why do we continue to require our “heroine” - which is dumb af to begin with, this isn’t a comic book - to be celibate, or nearly celibate, or chaste in some way? STOP perpetuating cliched, misogynistic stereotypes and feeding them to women like it’s ok. STOP IT.
(Edited - 6/8/24)
I read the other books in this series and really enjoyed them, but what on god’s green earth is this nonsense? Who falls in love with a vacation fling in college and spends the next ten years pining for someone whose real name they didn’t even know? I don’t buy this at all. It’s so unrealistic.
Brynlee is so annoying. She’s so perfect, so good, so innocent. A doormat with no spine. A weak willed woman who lets everyone walk all over her. Forgives everyone all the time no matter how they hurt her. The guy she “fell in love with” over a weeklong vacation ghosts her, doesn’t say good bye, didn’t even tell her his real name. They meet 10 years later and she immediately forgives him. She isn’t even angry with him. Doesn’t even ask why he left her! Sure. I’ll go ahead and put my entire life on hold to help you when you ditched me without a care. We’re eventually told Crew has kept all these keepsakes of their fling and always loved her, meanwhile, at the time they reunite he had already been divorced for three years. Three years! Can’t have missed her all that much if he’s been single for three years and didn’t even bother looking for her. He only found her again bc her brother happened to mention his sister’s name was Brynlee.
Cherry on top of this absolutely ridiculous absurd bs story?? She’s celibate for 10 fking years! And guess what? He’s not. Of course. 🙄 Why do female authors continue to perpetuate this misogyny in their books??? Why do we continue to require our “heroine” - which is dumb af to begin with, this isn’t a comic book - to be celibate, or nearly celibate, or chaste in some way? STOP perpetuating cliched, misogynistic stereotypes and feeding them to women like it’s ok. STOP IT.
(Edited - 6/8/24)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2024
How is this fucking romantic?
The FMC was celibate for 10 fucking years!! After falling in love with a boy in a week long fling and he fucking ghosted her! While this trash MMC had a whole life, a wife AND kid to boot!
WTF is wrong with authors still writing this kind of atrocious shits. Oh because women can’t have a fucking life for 10yrs, right??
Please take a look at your vajayjay and learn to love your own gender!
The FMC was celibate for 10 fucking years!! After falling in love with a boy in a week long fling and he fucking ghosted her! While this trash MMC had a whole life, a wife AND kid to boot!
WTF is wrong with authors still writing this kind of atrocious shits. Oh because women can’t have a fucking life for 10yrs, right??
Please take a look at your vajayjay and learn to love your own gender!
Read
June 8, 2024Available now!
Amazon: https://geni.us/FD_Amazon
Paperback: https://geni.us/FD_PB
Signed Paperback: https://geni.us/FD_Signed
Audible: https://geni.us/FD_Audible
Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton & Stella Hunter
Goodreads: https://geni.us/FD_GR
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Amazon: https://geni.us/FD_Amazon
Paperback: https://geni.us/FD_PB
Signed Paperback: https://geni.us/FD_Signed
Audible: https://geni.us/FD_Audible
Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton & Stella Hunter
Goodreads: https://geni.us/FD_GR
[image error]
not-for-me
August 26, 2024SPOILERS (or maybe not since it’s in the blurb)
The MCs meet. Spend a WHOLE WEEK together. She falls in love. He ghosts her. He gets married and has a son. She…
Can you guess?
She remains celibate for the 10 years they’re apart 🥴🙄🤦🏻♀️
What a waste of time 🤦🏻♀️
And this was written in 2024 🤦🏻♀️😒. Sigh.
The MCs meet. Spend a WHOLE WEEK together. She falls in love. He ghosts her. He gets married and has a son. She…
Can you guess?
She remains celibate for the 10 years they’re apart 🥴🙄🤦🏻♀️
What a waste of time 🤦🏻♀️
And this was written in 2024 🤦🏻♀️😒. Sigh.
May 30, 2024
5 stars
Way to end the series with a bang… Forgotten Desires is by far my favorite book in the ‘Whitlock Family’ series and I honestly didn’t think I would love any book more than the first. But Crew and Brynn… they stole my heart.
This had the best single dad troupe, was a stunning second chance romance, and a marriage of convenience to die for. Once I pushed play on the audiobook I didn’t want to stop listening. I was obsessed with these two and I adored their romance. As well as Crew’s daughter Layla. It was so sweet. This had the best love story with all the emotion I wanted. I highly recommend it!
"I stole you, and now, I plan to try to earn you.”
Way to end the series with a bang… Forgotten Desires is by far my favorite book in the ‘Whitlock Family’ series and I honestly didn’t think I would love any book more than the first. But Crew and Brynn… they stole my heart.
This had the best single dad troupe, was a stunning second chance romance, and a marriage of convenience to die for. Once I pushed play on the audiobook I didn’t want to stop listening. I was obsessed with these two and I adored their romance. As well as Crew’s daughter Layla. It was so sweet. This had the best love story with all the emotion I wanted. I highly recommend it!
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 5 stars
Narrators: Stella Hunter & Teddy Hamilton
Narration Rating: 5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 8h 40m
June 5, 2024
This book made me soooooo mad!
She didn’t move on or date anyone else in the 10 years they’d been apart. He married someone else (but she was a gold digger so that doesn’t count 🙄) and has a kid with his ex-wife. Because of course he does. But god forbid the heroine find any kind of happiness or contentment during the past ten years 🙄🙄
The woman needed therapy. It’s been 10 years ffs! He slept with her for a week (?) and then disappeared. And that somehow constitutes closing yourself off from any kind of relationship? Seriously?? I hate the narrative a lot of romance authors have where the heroine can never move on from the hero while the hero has NO PROBLEM moving on from the heroine.
Fuck those double standards. Ugh!
She didn’t move on or date anyone else in the 10 years they’d been apart. He married someone else (but she was a gold digger so that doesn’t count 🙄) and has a kid with his ex-wife. Because of course he does. But god forbid the heroine find any kind of happiness or contentment during the past ten years 🙄🙄
The woman needed therapy. It’s been 10 years ffs! He slept with her for a week (?) and then disappeared. And that somehow constitutes closing yourself off from any kind of relationship? Seriously?? I hate the narrative a lot of romance authors have where the heroine can never move on from the hero while the hero has NO PROBLEM moving on from the heroine.
Fuck those double standards. Ugh!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 7, 2024Spoilers ahead
One week together
He disappeared
10 years apart
He's now a billionaire single parent 🙄🤢🙄🙄
She of course hasn't been with anyone else in 10 years
Sick of this BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who tf stays celibate for 10 years after a guy GHOSTED them???????
****Published in 2024?????? No ma'am we're not doing this in 2024! My vagina, brain and heart are all capable of moving on thank you very much!!!!
One week together
He disappeared
10 years apart
He's now a billionaire single parent 🙄🤢🙄🙄
She of course hasn't been with anyone else in 10 years
Sick of this BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who tf stays celibate for 10 years after a guy GHOSTED them???????
****Published in 2024?????? No ma'am we're not doing this in 2024! My vagina, brain and heart are all capable of moving on thank you very much!!!!
avoid
June 3, 2024Same old same old, h is celibate while the H gets married and has a child….ffs authors STOP DOING THIS! It’s so misogynistic the idea that a woman cannot move on while the man can! God books like this infuriate me 😡😡
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2024
This might be my new favorite. I was not expecting this one to hit me so hard but wow.. I was hooked.
Brynlee and Crew were absolute fire and even MORE than that, they really tugged at my heart. They were a missed opportunity years ago and now they have a second chance at love. In the form of a Marriage of Convenience that's not fooling anyone, not even them.
Crew is finding that all his billions might not be enough to keep his daughter safely with him and Brynn needs help with medical expenses for an upcoming, life saving surgery for her estranged father. They sign on the marriage licenses and immediately get to work. But it could never just be a business arrangement. Not when their repressed feelings are burning so hotly.
I loved seeing them with Layla and watching them create their own little family. I swooned at all the sweet and extravagant things that Crew did. He has been gone for her since they first met and he's determined to make her never want to leave.
This book was just sweet all the way through. There were some poignant moments too but overall it was a joy to read. I loved seeing where all the Whitlocks have ended up and I look forward to the next series. Bring on Ember Falls!
5 stars
3 on the spice scale
Brynlee and Crew were absolute fire and even MORE than that, they really tugged at my heart. They were a missed opportunity years ago and now they have a second chance at love. In the form of a Marriage of Convenience that's not fooling anyone, not even them.
Crew is finding that all his billions might not be enough to keep his daughter safely with him and Brynn needs help with medical expenses for an upcoming, life saving surgery for her estranged father. They sign on the marriage licenses and immediately get to work. But it could never just be a business arrangement. Not when their repressed feelings are burning so hotly.
I loved seeing them with Layla and watching them create their own little family. I swooned at all the sweet and extravagant things that Crew did. He has been gone for her since they first met and he's determined to make her never want to leave.
This book was just sweet all the way through. There were some poignant moments too but overall it was a joy to read. I loved seeing where all the Whitlocks have ended up and I look forward to the next series. Bring on Ember Falls!
5 stars
3 on the spice scale
June 7, 2024
super cute marriage of convenience + second chance
he was SO swoony and just wanted to love her!
4.5/5
**ARC
he was SO swoony and just wanted to love her!
4.5/5
**ARC
unsafe-not-to-be-read
June 7, 2024self note: h is celibate for ten years and is in love with the H while he had a whole ass wife and kid. double standards incomingggggg🤢 more details in the review written by Capt.
May 29, 2024
4.5 stars! Forgotten Desires is a small town, billionaire, marriage of convenience, with a single dad and second chance! This is also the 4th (and final) standalone book in the Whitlock Family series, which I had such a great time with. This book was such an easy one to get pulled into and I really did love it!
Brynlee is the youngest in the Whitlock family, her older brothers have all had books in the series and we’ve seen her featured throughout. Having read the whole series, I loved the appearances of all her brothers and their partners and growing families: Rowan (Charlotte), Grady (Addison), and Asher (Phoebe).
At the beginning of the story Brynlee is attending one of her brother’s weddings and Brynlee is shocked when his new boss shows up and it is someone she loved in her past (under a different name). Crew (aka Carson) is someone Brynlee fell hard and fast for over a decade ago during a college spring break. They both have thought about one another for years and can’t believe they’re in one another’s lives again. Crew is a billionaire trying to gain custody of his 4-year old daughter. When he’s caught in photos spending time with Brynlee and his lawyer suggests he uphold a more wholesome image for custody hearings, he ends up proposing a marriage of convenience! Help him with winning custody of his daughter and he’ll help Brynlee when she has surgery to give her father a portion of her liver.
I adored Brynlee’s character. She’s someone who loves hard and always wants to save everything she can. On top of helping her father whom she has a complicated past with, she also runs an animal sanctuary in her beloved small town of Sugarloaf, and cares for everyone around her. Crew is equally as amazing, I loved how he wants to support and care for her in all ways: from her surgery care to buying a bigger better chicken coop for her farm, to spoiling her with trips and presents. We also get the micro-trope of him having a tattoo for her! This book was sweet and their second chance was easy to fall in love with, the last kind of conflict for the story wasn’t really my fav, but otherwise a solid addition to the series! I’m real excited for the new series coming next!
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own!
CW: alcoholic parents
Brynlee is the youngest in the Whitlock family, her older brothers have all had books in the series and we’ve seen her featured throughout. Having read the whole series, I loved the appearances of all her brothers and their partners and growing families: Rowan (Charlotte), Grady (Addison), and Asher (Phoebe).
At the beginning of the story Brynlee is attending one of her brother’s weddings and Brynlee is shocked when his new boss shows up and it is someone she loved in her past (under a different name). Crew (aka Carson) is someone Brynlee fell hard and fast for over a decade ago during a college spring break. They both have thought about one another for years and can’t believe they’re in one another’s lives again. Crew is a billionaire trying to gain custody of his 4-year old daughter. When he’s caught in photos spending time with Brynlee and his lawyer suggests he uphold a more wholesome image for custody hearings, he ends up proposing a marriage of convenience! Help him with winning custody of his daughter and he’ll help Brynlee when she has surgery to give her father a portion of her liver.
I adored Brynlee’s character. She’s someone who loves hard and always wants to save everything she can. On top of helping her father whom she has a complicated past with, she also runs an animal sanctuary in her beloved small town of Sugarloaf, and cares for everyone around her. Crew is equally as amazing, I loved how he wants to support and care for her in all ways: from her surgery care to buying a bigger better chicken coop for her farm, to spoiling her with trips and presents. We also get the micro-trope of him having a tattoo for her! This book was sweet and their second chance was easy to fall in love with, the last kind of conflict for the story wasn’t really my fav, but otherwise a solid addition to the series! I’m real excited for the new series coming next!
I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own!
CW: alcoholic parents
June 10, 2024
Corinne Michaels ALWAYS delivers the swoon, and Forgotten Desires is chock full of them. I have really loved the Whitlock Family series- charming characters, heartfelt moments, family dynamics, and so many sweet love stories. I was extra excited for Brynn and Crew's story. I mean those tropes! Second chance, fling to more, single dad/billionaire, and marriage of convenience- so many of my favorite tropes! And there are so many sweet and romantic gestures in this story!
That said, there are parts of this stories set-up that I didn't love quite as much, some I just pushed away mentally LOL and others were more around suspending disbelief, which is to be expected in an marriage of convenience story usually. The first is just how long poor Brynn was pining for Crew. I've seen a lot of others commenting on this, and to me it's not so much about the purported "safety" concept that some desire. I actually dont mind when a heroine waits or a hero has been with other women, etc. To me it just felt inordinately excessive...and that the reason behind it was Crew's doing and while he does so many dreamy things, I'm not sure I felt like I got the true grovel for that I wanted for how long she waited for him and for how he not only was the source of their disconnection but also he, well, didn't. And Brynn didn't even seem that upset when they reconnected.
But setting that aside, I adored the actually romance between them in the present. Crew is ultra swoony, there is so much spoiling, of course the expected "my wife" moments are a plenty. And as a dad?! I melt. And even if he doesn't quite address his choice in the past, he DOES woo so beautifully in the present. He definitely hits my "swoony rich guy swoops in and takes care of you in all the ways" dream. The marriage of convenience part, like they often are in softer contemporary (no dark coercion here), has a bit of a flimsiness to it, but they are so adorable together that it's easy for me to suspend disbelief on it. Brynlee is really over the top sweet and kind- not one but two of the men that mean the most to her have walked away from her, but she forgives easily and takes the higher road. Some my find that to be push over behavior, but I see it as a heroine who loves hard and leads with kindess.
The relationship itself makes this story, and all the swoon grand gestures! Perhaps not my favorite from the series because of some of the set-up, but Corinne always charms in the end, and the audio is amazingly done!
What to expect:
💍Small Town
💍Second Chance
💍Marriage of Convenience
💍Single Dad
💍Billionaire
That said, there are parts of this stories set-up that I didn't love quite as much, some I just pushed away mentally LOL and others were more around suspending disbelief, which is to be expected in an marriage of convenience story usually. The first is just how long poor Brynn was pining for Crew. I've seen a lot of others commenting on this, and to me it's not so much about the purported "safety" concept that some desire. I actually dont mind when a heroine waits or a hero has been with other women, etc. To me it just felt inordinately excessive...and that the reason behind it was Crew's doing and while he does so many dreamy things, I'm not sure I felt like I got the true grovel for that I wanted for how long she waited for him and for how he not only was the source of their disconnection but also he, well, didn't. And Brynn didn't even seem that upset when they reconnected.
But setting that aside, I adored the actually romance between them in the present. Crew is ultra swoony, there is so much spoiling, of course the expected "my wife" moments are a plenty. And as a dad?! I melt. And even if he doesn't quite address his choice in the past, he DOES woo so beautifully in the present. He definitely hits my "swoony rich guy swoops in and takes care of you in all the ways" dream. The marriage of convenience part, like they often are in softer contemporary (no dark coercion here), has a bit of a flimsiness to it, but they are so adorable together that it's easy for me to suspend disbelief on it. Brynlee is really over the top sweet and kind- not one but two of the men that mean the most to her have walked away from her, but she forgives easily and takes the higher road. Some my find that to be push over behavior, but I see it as a heroine who loves hard and leads with kindess.
The relationship itself makes this story, and all the swoon grand gestures! Perhaps not my favorite from the series because of some of the set-up, but Corinne always charms in the end, and the audio is amazingly done!
What to expect:
💍Small Town
💍Second Chance
💍Marriage of Convenience
💍Single Dad
💍Billionaire
June 5, 2024
Please do not read this if you loved this book or if you're the author. While this review isn't intending to come from a place of malice and is no way attacking the author’s work, it is my honest thoughts on what I have read.
Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for the e-arc.
3/5 stars ⭐
This was okay, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.
I liked Crew/Carson; it did take a little while to adjust to the whole two names and the fmc switching between the two, but I love a single dad, and he's a billionaire, too, you really can't go wrong. I thought his daughter was cute, too.
I also liked the banter moments this had, with the rest of the Whitlock siblings, even though I have only read Asher's book, which unfortunately, was not for me. I attempted to read Rowan's, but I couldn't get into it.
I liked Brynlee in the first book, but I found her whiny at times, which got tiresome quite quickly in hers. She's holding onto hurt from ten years ago, when they fell in love, after Crew/Carson suddenly left without so much as a word, or a note to say why. They were together for a week, and now they've been reunited after ten years of not seeing each other.
While I can appreciate that feelings were involved, I just couldn't quite get behind how she hadn't moved on from it; it's been ten years. Brynlee even openly admitted to holding onto that pain, and how she hadn't been with anyone else since, not even dated someone in the past decade. Now, I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with not dating anyone (and I’m aware of the two bad experiences she’s had with men) but wallowing for ten years; I’d have called a crisis intervention if that was my friend/sibling.
To add, the past can't be changed; Crew/Carson has apologised since reuniting for how he hurt Brynlee, and despite knowing that the past can’t be changed, she's still unable to move past that. So, we’ve reached an impasse, because how do you move forward, to the man you’ve just married, to help his custodial battle of his daughter?
I really, for the life of me, didn't vibe with the whole ex-wife being called "Digger" because she's a gold-digger; once, or twice in reference I could get behind, but again, it flitted between ”Digger” and her actual name, which I can't quite remember, because Digger was in place of it. It just felt abit immature as it went on.
I thought that the added drama involving his best friend was rather anticlimactic, and was wrapped up within the same chapter, too. It felt as sudden as it did when it first appeared in the book. Overall, this had all the tropes for it to be an angsty second chance, with a marriage of convenience subplot, but lack in it’s execution.
Thank you to Valentine PR and the author for the e-arc.
3/5 stars ⭐
This was okay, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.
I liked Crew/Carson; it did take a little while to adjust to the whole two names and the fmc switching between the two, but I love a single dad, and he's a billionaire, too, you really can't go wrong. I thought his daughter was cute, too.
I also liked the banter moments this had, with the rest of the Whitlock siblings, even though I have only read Asher's book, which unfortunately, was not for me. I attempted to read Rowan's, but I couldn't get into it.
I liked Brynlee in the first book, but I found her whiny at times, which got tiresome quite quickly in hers. She's holding onto hurt from ten years ago, when they fell in love, after Crew/Carson suddenly left without so much as a word, or a note to say why. They were together for a week, and now they've been reunited after ten years of not seeing each other.
While I can appreciate that feelings were involved, I just couldn't quite get behind how she hadn't moved on from it; it's been ten years. Brynlee even openly admitted to holding onto that pain, and how she hadn't been with anyone else since, not even dated someone in the past decade. Now, I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with not dating anyone (and I’m aware of the two bad experiences she’s had with men) but wallowing for ten years; I’d have called a crisis intervention if that was my friend/sibling.
To add, the past can't be changed; Crew/Carson has apologised since reuniting for how he hurt Brynlee, and despite knowing that the past can’t be changed, she's still unable to move past that. So, we’ve reached an impasse, because how do you move forward, to the man you’ve just married, to help his custodial battle of his daughter?
I really, for the life of me, didn't vibe with the whole ex-wife being called "Digger" because she's a gold-digger; once, or twice in reference I could get behind, but again, it flitted between ”Digger” and her actual name, which I can't quite remember, because Digger was in place of it. It just felt abit immature as it went on.
I thought that the added drama involving his best friend was rather anticlimactic, and was wrapped up within the same chapter, too. It felt as sudden as it did when it first appeared in the book. Overall, this had all the tropes for it to be an angsty second chance, with a marriage of convenience subplot, but lack in it’s execution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2024
Well friends, she's done it again. I left this book absolutely giddy with a huge smile on my fave. I can't get over them and I never will. I think from the very beginning, I was dying for Brynn's book. I mean, she has THREE overbearing brothers and she's just a joy throughout this entire series.
Carson was exactly what I wanted for her. I think the second they saw each other again after all those years....it was kismet. They were meant to be together. This story was just very sweet in the best way possible. I had the warm fuzzies the entire time and it was the perfect ending to this series.
While I'm sad to see the end of an era (remember when Corinne dedicated Tempting Promises to me??? Just making sure) I cannot wait for this next series and I've basically been sitting back for awhile now waiting for everyone to lose their minds. ;)
While she may be my absolute favorite person to troll on the internet, I'll get sappy again for a second and tell you that she absolutely makes me laugh daily and she's one of my favorite people ever. You are beyond talented my friend and I am so thankful for that dinner a few years ago that brought us together and made me force you to be my friend! You're welcome! <3
Carson was exactly what I wanted for her. I think the second they saw each other again after all those years....it was kismet. They were meant to be together. This story was just very sweet in the best way possible. I had the warm fuzzies the entire time and it was the perfect ending to this series.
While I'm sad to see the end of an era (remember when Corinne dedicated Tempting Promises to me??? Just making sure) I cannot wait for this next series and I've basically been sitting back for awhile now waiting for everyone to lose their minds. ;)
While she may be my absolute favorite person to troll on the internet, I'll get sappy again for a second and tell you that she absolutely makes me laugh daily and she's one of my favorite people ever. You are beyond talented my friend and I am so thankful for that dinner a few years ago that brought us together and made me force you to be my friend! You're welcome! <3
November 19, 2025
✨ Second Chance Romance
💍 Marriage of Convenience
👨👧 Single Dad
💔 Reencuentro
🌾 Small town vibes
Ellos tuvieron una semana mágica en la que se enamoraron como si el tiempo no existiera… hasta que él desapareció sin despedirse. 💔
Diez años después, cuando ella ya ha aprendido a vivir con esa herida, él vuelve con su mundo hecho pedazos: una hija adorable, una ex complicada y una pelea legal por la custodia. 👧⚖️
Para salvarlo todo, él le propone algo que suena loco… pero también perfecto: un matrimonio por conveniencia.
Él necesita una familia estable para ganar la custodia, y ella necesita el seguro médico que podría cambiarle la vida. 💍🏥
Lo que ninguno esperaba es que los sentimientos que compartieron una década atrás siguen ahí, intactos, esperando volver a encenderse. Entre rutinas, silencios con historia, risas con la niña y miradas que nunca mienten, este matrimonio empieza a sentirse menos como un trato… y más como un hogar. 🥺✨
Corinne Michaels vuelve a entregar una historia que te aprieta el corazón pero también te lo cura:
🌸 héroes buenos y vulnerables
🌸 heroínas fuertes aunque estén cansadas
🌸 drama emocional sin sentirse pesado
🌸 momentos suaves que te derriten
Si amas los romances donde el amor siempre encuentra su camino —aunque pasen diez años— este libro es para ti. 💗📖
💍 Marriage of Convenience
👨👧 Single Dad
💔 Reencuentro
🌾 Small town vibes
Ellos tuvieron una semana mágica en la que se enamoraron como si el tiempo no existiera… hasta que él desapareció sin despedirse. 💔
Diez años después, cuando ella ya ha aprendido a vivir con esa herida, él vuelve con su mundo hecho pedazos: una hija adorable, una ex complicada y una pelea legal por la custodia. 👧⚖️
Para salvarlo todo, él le propone algo que suena loco… pero también perfecto: un matrimonio por conveniencia.
Él necesita una familia estable para ganar la custodia, y ella necesita el seguro médico que podría cambiarle la vida. 💍🏥
Lo que ninguno esperaba es que los sentimientos que compartieron una década atrás siguen ahí, intactos, esperando volver a encenderse. Entre rutinas, silencios con historia, risas con la niña y miradas que nunca mienten, este matrimonio empieza a sentirse menos como un trato… y más como un hogar. 🥺✨
Corinne Michaels vuelve a entregar una historia que te aprieta el corazón pero también te lo cura:
🌸 héroes buenos y vulnerables
🌸 heroínas fuertes aunque estén cansadas
🌸 drama emocional sin sentirse pesado
🌸 momentos suaves que te derriten
Si amas los romances donde el amor siempre encuentra su camino —aunque pasen diez años— este libro es para ti. 💗📖
May 28, 2024
I loveeee the Whitlock family so much and this was the perfect ending to the series. Brynlee and Crew are perfect for each other their second chance of love was emotional and beautiful. Brynlee is so sweet and has the biggest heart, I absolutely loved her. Crew is everything the way he loves her is so heartwarming he will do anything and everything for her. It was so much fun seeing the Whitlock family together again their banter is so good. I am excited for Corinne’s new series.
May 26, 2024
Such a bittersweet review because I’m sad this in the last book in the series 🥹 I’ve been obsessed with the Whitlock family since book one and Brynlee’s story was well worth the wait. She’s the only girl in her family with three older brothers and if you’ve read this series you know what lovable pain in the asses these men are so damn if she didn’t deserve some happiness. Marriage of convenience is sometimes silly for me, the reasoning behind can be hard to get behind but here it did make sense and the my wife moments were everything. (Especially in the audio version with Teddy Hamilton as Crew, good lord 🫠 Stella Hunter as Bryn was perfection too, she’s always incredible.) Other tropes include second chance, small town, billionaire and single parent. It’s like Corinne took all of my faves and wrote this one just for me. Bryn and Crew’s story was emotional and tender, they just had so much love for each other and the grand gestures made possible by his billionaire status were epic. The ending made me cry because things came so full circle and the bonus epilogue was everything I wanted for this family and more.
June 20, 2024
Aside from the fact that this is astronomically unrealistic, it’s also the tired and used double standards. Who falls in love after a week with a guy and then when said guy left you without any explanations as to why, you proceeded to be a doormat, pathetic, celibate loser.
The FMC is the embodiment of doormat. If you look the definition of doormat in Google, you’ll find Bryn’s name as an example of it.
Other stuff, like the arrange marriage, the conflict with Ford, etc are fine for me, this easily could’ve been a 4 stars but author decided to don her, hey I’m a misogynist hat for this book. So disgusting.
The FMC is the embodiment of doormat. If you look the definition of doormat in Google, you’ll find Bryn’s name as an example of it.
Other stuff, like the arrange marriage, the conflict with Ford, etc are fine for me, this easily could’ve been a 4 stars but author decided to don her, hey I’m a misogynist hat for this book. So disgusting.
June 20, 2024
𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 - 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒
OK, it actually pains me that I cannot rate this book higher, I love Corinne, and the other books in this series. I was so looking forward to this last book, on paper, this should be the perfect book for me. Single dad, billionaire, marriage of convenience, second chance, ARE YOU KIDDING? It’s like you take all my favorite tropes and put them in one book, but did it work? Unfortunately 𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐄.
🅵🅸🆁🆂🆃, I will say that I do love Carson as the MMC, he’s pretty swoonie with all the billionaire spoiling and “𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞” moments, plus he’s such a good dad and I adore him for that. The way that he’s determined to win back Brynlee is really sweet, and how he tries to take care of her in every way. If you like to see a billionaire romance with lots of money being thrown out for the sake of it, this is for you. I love all the cameos of the brothers and partners, also his daughter is so cute. But unfortunately, that’s all.
The issues for me started very early on, I cannot for the life of me accept, that a girl can fall in love within a week and still can’t move on after 10 years. And guess what? She was celibate for those 10 years and the guy went on with his life and got married and had children (though not happily, but that’s beside the point). Then when they reunited, she wasn’t even that mad at him and didn’t even ask why he left her. And then we learn how he left and it was honestly pretty shitty, he could’ve given her a little bit of explaining, but he uses the “I can’t stand to see that I hurt her” excuse, 𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄. If he’s really been pining for her all this time, why didn’t go and find her after the divorce, he’s a billionaire, there’s no excuse for not being able to find her.
🆂🅴🅲🅾🅽🅳 , the reason they get married, really is a stretch and she gives in waaaay too easily, are you for real? One conversation after he hurt you and you agree to marry him, 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆?! I would’ve been ok if she gets money from this deal, but 𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐄, Brynlee is an angel and god forbid she took her "husband” money for her own benefit, even though she 𝐃𝐈𝐃 needs money for her father’s surgery. Don’t even get me started with the whole Brynlee’s dad surgery, because it is purely for the plot. We get very little interaction between Brynlee and her father, so it’s hard to sell that she loves her father and is willing to give her liver after he abandoned her when she was a child.
🅻🅰🆂🆃🅻🆈, the “𝓣𝓸𝓸 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽” heroine, Brynlee is too good to be true, she put Mother Teresa to shame. She forgives every asshole in her life, and always takes the high road. It’s unrealistic!
I wish I could love this more, I truly do, but all these issues keep looming over my head, and I can’t help but feel angry when I read it. I still love the writing, the found family, and the part where they were happy together. But yeah, I was mostly disappointed.
⚠️𝗖𝗪/𝗧𝗪/𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀⚠️
Custody Battle
Alcoholic Parent
Parental Abandonment
Toxic Parent
OK, it actually pains me that I cannot rate this book higher, I love Corinne, and the other books in this series. I was so looking forward to this last book, on paper, this should be the perfect book for me. Single dad, billionaire, marriage of convenience, second chance, ARE YOU KIDDING? It’s like you take all my favorite tropes and put them in one book, but did it work? Unfortunately 𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐄.
🅵🅸🆁🆂🆃, I will say that I do love Carson as the MMC, he’s pretty swoonie with all the billionaire spoiling and “𝐌𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞” moments, plus he’s such a good dad and I adore him for that. The way that he’s determined to win back Brynlee is really sweet, and how he tries to take care of her in every way. If you like to see a billionaire romance with lots of money being thrown out for the sake of it, this is for you. I love all the cameos of the brothers and partners, also his daughter is so cute. But unfortunately, that’s all.
The issues for me started very early on, I cannot for the life of me accept, that a girl can fall in love within a week and still can’t move on after 10 years. And guess what? She was celibate for those 10 years and the guy went on with his life and got married and had children (though not happily, but that’s beside the point). Then when they reunited, she wasn’t even that mad at him and didn’t even ask why he left her. And then we learn how he left and it was honestly pretty shitty, he could’ve given her a little bit of explaining, but he uses the “I can’t stand to see that I hurt her” excuse, 𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄. If he’s really been pining for her all this time, why didn’t go and find her after the divorce, he’s a billionaire, there’s no excuse for not being able to find her.
🆂🅴🅲🅾🅽🅳 , the reason they get married, really is a stretch and she gives in waaaay too easily, are you for real? One conversation after he hurt you and you agree to marry him, 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆?! I would’ve been ok if she gets money from this deal, but 𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐄, Brynlee is an angel and god forbid she took her "husband” money for her own benefit, even though she 𝐃𝐈𝐃 needs money for her father’s surgery. Don’t even get me started with the whole Brynlee’s dad surgery, because it is purely for the plot. We get very little interaction between Brynlee and her father, so it’s hard to sell that she loves her father and is willing to give her liver after he abandoned her when she was a child.
🅻🅰🆂🆃🅻🆈, the “𝓣𝓸𝓸 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽” heroine, Brynlee is too good to be true, she put Mother Teresa to shame. She forgives every asshole in her life, and always takes the high road. It’s unrealistic!
I wish I could love this more, I truly do, but all these issues keep looming over my head, and I can’t help but feel angry when I read it. I still love the writing, the found family, and the part where they were happy together. But yeah, I was mostly disappointed.
⚠️𝗖𝗪/𝗧𝗪/𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀⚠️
Custody Battle
Alcoholic Parent
Parental Abandonment
Toxic Parent
June 9, 2024
[𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆]
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒚: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒔
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️5/5 🌶️3/5
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: Dual POV, Second Chance, Billionaire MMC, Marriage of Convenience, Single Dad, Small Town/Big City, He Falls First, “It’s Always Been You”
𝗧𝗪𝘀: Custody Battle, Mentions of Divorce, Alcoholism, Organ Donor, Complications post surgery Off-Page spousal and child abuse
Ok, wow! This blew me away 🥹 I loved everything about it.😭 There are so many relatable moments that I think everyone can pull from and it would totally just tug at your heartstrings. I am an absolute sucker for single dad and second chance romance and this delivered - my first 5 ⭐️ @corinnemichaels read 🥰
This book was absolutely sweet and swoony. I love how our billionaire MMC wasn’t your typical grumpy, broody character, rather he was a cinnamon roll and I LOVED everything about Crew. He was the perfect dad to his daughter Layla and very protective of those he loves. This man had me grinning ear to ear the entire time. Layla is so adorable and I loved how Brynn just knew how to be with her because of similar experiences. Brynn was such a beautiful character. She was selfless, good-natured, and would take the weight of the world on her shoulders for her family despite their history. The chemistry was absolutely explosive! ❤️🔥 Crew + Brynn, is one of those couple that just felt right and I loved seeing their journey to finding their way back to each other and building a life together.
There was a lot to unpack between custody battles, co-parenting, secrets and truths. But there is also so much to take away from this wonderful story. It’s really about forgiveness, compromise, and learning to lean on each other. This was amazing and I loved seeing Rowan and Charlotte and their amazing banter! I’m definitely going to read the first half of the series because the Whitlock men are very intriguing 😏 also, more single dad tropes? Sign me up! 😋
Thank you so much Valentine PR and Corinne for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝑫𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒚: 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒆𝒍𝒔
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ⭐️5/5 🌶️3/5
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: Dual POV, Second Chance, Billionaire MMC, Marriage of Convenience, Single Dad, Small Town/Big City, He Falls First, “It’s Always Been You”
𝗧𝗪𝘀: Custody Battle, Mentions of Divorce, Alcoholism, Organ Donor, Complications post surgery Off-Page spousal and child abuse
Ok, wow! This blew me away 🥹 I loved everything about it.😭 There are so many relatable moments that I think everyone can pull from and it would totally just tug at your heartstrings. I am an absolute sucker for single dad and second chance romance and this delivered - my first 5 ⭐️ @corinnemichaels read 🥰
This book was absolutely sweet and swoony. I love how our billionaire MMC wasn’t your typical grumpy, broody character, rather he was a cinnamon roll and I LOVED everything about Crew. He was the perfect dad to his daughter Layla and very protective of those he loves. This man had me grinning ear to ear the entire time. Layla is so adorable and I loved how Brynn just knew how to be with her because of similar experiences. Brynn was such a beautiful character. She was selfless, good-natured, and would take the weight of the world on her shoulders for her family despite their history. The chemistry was absolutely explosive! ❤️🔥 Crew + Brynn, is one of those couple that just felt right and I loved seeing their journey to finding their way back to each other and building a life together.
There was a lot to unpack between custody battles, co-parenting, secrets and truths. But there is also so much to take away from this wonderful story. It’s really about forgiveness, compromise, and learning to lean on each other. This was amazing and I loved seeing Rowan and Charlotte and their amazing banter! I’m definitely going to read the first half of the series because the Whitlock men are very intriguing 😏 also, more single dad tropes? Sign me up! 😋
Thank you so much Valentine PR and Corinne for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 10, 2024
The negative things carried too much weight
Whenever I start a book by this author, I know I'm going on an emotional journey. She always gives us some pretty intense and emotional (and steamy) stories. This story had the makings of all things I loved, and brought a lot of the swoon. Unfortunately for me, the negative things carried too much weight and overshadowed things. Ughhhhh.
Brynlee and Carson/Crew had one magical spring break week together ten years ago. They fell in love quickly and she thought it was forever. Unfortunately, he comes from a family of arranged marriages that benefit the family, and he knew his family would eat her alive. So after their last night together he just leaves and ghosts her. Also- he never told her Crew was only his nickname, so she has no way to find him.
A year later he marries Jacqueline/Digger (as in Gold Digger) in what was to benefit the family, only it didn’t. Her family fell into scandal and financial ruin, she cheated often, when he ultimately filed for divorce she somehow got him drunk and managed to “get herself pregnant” 🙄 He still divorced her, only now there was a child involved. And here’s where it devolves.
“It was always you”. Nope. You don’t get to say that when you married someone else. You just don’t.
He is a billionaire. His exwife is not. Her family lost their money and social standing a month after their marriage, yet they stayed married for years anyway. He filed for custody when the baby was born but was denied because 1) he was living in a hotel and 2) she claimed to be breastfeeding - but she lied. The dude is rich, why would he not buy a place so it’s not an issue? And when it’s discovered she’s not breastfeeding but leaving the baby with a nanny so she can go clubbing, why did he not immediately go back to court? Again- he is the billionaire. Nope. He waits until she is 4 and traumatized by her alcoholic abusive mother. So now he’s decided to finally fight for custody, and the evil witch has started a smear campaign to make him look bad…. By taking pics of him taking clients to dinner, claiming that makes him a playboy 🙄 So he needs a fake wife. As you do.
Enter Brynn. This girl is St Brynn. Like birds fly around her and sing, she is so perfect. She’s physically incapable of harboring any anger towards anyone. She runs an animal rescue. She’s going to donate part of her liver to her estranged alcoholic abusive father, even though he fell off the wagon a year ago, just because she can’t be mad at anyone ever and could never live with herself if he died and she didn’t give up everything to try to save him.
She’s been with two guys, both bad experiences. We do not get any specific details on her first relationship, so if you haven’t read Phoebe’s story, you’re SOL on details. You just know she was hurt. And then there’s Crew.
And like all second chance FMC, she has remained completely single and celibate for the past TEN YEARS.
🤬🤬You read that right. Not even a date in all that time. Nope, just pining away. TBH that alone had me ready to DNF. I’m so OVER authors writing women this way. Especially female authors. Do you hate women that much? Even with her initial intimate scenes with Crew, she struggles a bit with intimacy. Clearly, this girl needs therapy. Ten years is entirely too long to be harboring this many unresolved issues, girl. 🤦♀️🙄 Not only has it been ten years (ten years for God’s sake!!) but they were damn near babies at the time and it was a week long “relationship”. Anyone harboring that much residual trauma this much time later needs serious therapy. IJS.
Her brother describes her as “the most unselfish human I know” and everyone goes on about her huge heart and how she will give anything and everything to help others. So her insistence on using this charity really rubbed me the wrong way. Prior to marrying Crew, she needed help funding her portion of the surgery to donate a part of her liver to her estranged father. Applying for the charity assistance made sense. But the moment she married a billionaire, she should have pulled her application. Instead, she doubled down and insisted she had to get approved. She refused to let Crew help fund anything. So a charity- with the intent to help people with no means, and limited funding to help people- is going to waste valuable resources on a person with endless resources. That means she is quite literally stealing funds that could have been used towards someone else that doesn’t have the back up of a billionaire. That makes her the opposite of the most unselfish human ever- it makes her very selfish. She’d rather take money away from a stranger than accept Crew’s money that he’s offering willingly. She can’t be that stupid. Is this fiction ? Yes. Did it still make me mad? Also yes.
Jacqueline/Digger intentionally got pregnant, viciously fought his requests for custody, then just suddenly gives it up completely. Signing away custody and agreeing to go to rehab and have only supervised visits when she is released? Come on. That was tied up way too neatly. As was the weird betrayal - that whole thing should have been cut. It was pointless.
Soo there you have it. It had the elements to be great. It had the swoon, it had the great family, but it had a heap of ICK that just ruined it. Can we stop making women doormats who lose all sense of self and sexuality after a breakup? Damn.
Whenever I start a book by this author, I know I'm going on an emotional journey. She always gives us some pretty intense and emotional (and steamy) stories. This story had the makings of all things I loved, and brought a lot of the swoon. Unfortunately for me, the negative things carried too much weight and overshadowed things. Ughhhhh.
Brynlee and Carson/Crew had one magical spring break week together ten years ago. They fell in love quickly and she thought it was forever. Unfortunately, he comes from a family of arranged marriages that benefit the family, and he knew his family would eat her alive. So after their last night together he just leaves and ghosts her. Also- he never told her Crew was only his nickname, so she has no way to find him.
A year later he marries Jacqueline/Digger (as in Gold Digger) in what was to benefit the family, only it didn’t. Her family fell into scandal and financial ruin, she cheated often, when he ultimately filed for divorce she somehow got him drunk and managed to “get herself pregnant” 🙄 He still divorced her, only now there was a child involved. And here’s where it devolves.
“It was always you”. Nope. You don’t get to say that when you married someone else. You just don’t.
He is a billionaire. His exwife is not. Her family lost their money and social standing a month after their marriage, yet they stayed married for years anyway. He filed for custody when the baby was born but was denied because 1) he was living in a hotel and 2) she claimed to be breastfeeding - but she lied. The dude is rich, why would he not buy a place so it’s not an issue? And when it’s discovered she’s not breastfeeding but leaving the baby with a nanny so she can go clubbing, why did he not immediately go back to court? Again- he is the billionaire. Nope. He waits until she is 4 and traumatized by her alcoholic abusive mother. So now he’s decided to finally fight for custody, and the evil witch has started a smear campaign to make him look bad…. By taking pics of him taking clients to dinner, claiming that makes him a playboy 🙄 So he needs a fake wife. As you do.
Enter Brynn. This girl is St Brynn. Like birds fly around her and sing, she is so perfect. She’s physically incapable of harboring any anger towards anyone. She runs an animal rescue. She’s going to donate part of her liver to her estranged alcoholic abusive father, even though he fell off the wagon a year ago, just because she can’t be mad at anyone ever and could never live with herself if he died and she didn’t give up everything to try to save him.
She’s been with two guys, both bad experiences. We do not get any specific details on her first relationship, so if you haven’t read Phoebe’s story, you’re SOL on details. You just know she was hurt. And then there’s Crew.
And like all second chance FMC, she has remained completely single and celibate for the past TEN YEARS.
🤬🤬You read that right. Not even a date in all that time. Nope, just pining away. TBH that alone had me ready to DNF. I’m so OVER authors writing women this way. Especially female authors. Do you hate women that much? Even with her initial intimate scenes with Crew, she struggles a bit with intimacy. Clearly, this girl needs therapy. Ten years is entirely too long to be harboring this many unresolved issues, girl. 🤦♀️🙄 Not only has it been ten years (ten years for God’s sake!!) but they were damn near babies at the time and it was a week long “relationship”. Anyone harboring that much residual trauma this much time later needs serious therapy. IJS.
Her brother describes her as “the most unselfish human I know” and everyone goes on about her huge heart and how she will give anything and everything to help others. So her insistence on using this charity really rubbed me the wrong way. Prior to marrying Crew, she needed help funding her portion of the surgery to donate a part of her liver to her estranged father. Applying for the charity assistance made sense. But the moment she married a billionaire, she should have pulled her application. Instead, she doubled down and insisted she had to get approved. She refused to let Crew help fund anything. So a charity- with the intent to help people with no means, and limited funding to help people- is going to waste valuable resources on a person with endless resources. That means she is quite literally stealing funds that could have been used towards someone else that doesn’t have the back up of a billionaire. That makes her the opposite of the most unselfish human ever- it makes her very selfish. She’d rather take money away from a stranger than accept Crew’s money that he’s offering willingly. She can’t be that stupid. Is this fiction ? Yes. Did it still make me mad? Also yes.
Jacqueline/Digger intentionally got pregnant, viciously fought his requests for custody, then just suddenly gives it up completely. Signing away custody and agreeing to go to rehab and have only supervised visits when she is released? Come on. That was tied up way too neatly. As was the weird betrayal - that whole thing should have been cut. It was pointless.
Soo there you have it. It had the elements to be great. It had the swoon, it had the great family, but it had a heap of ICK that just ruined it. Can we stop making women doormats who lose all sense of self and sexuality after a breakup? Damn.
May 24, 2024
What a beautiful ending to a fantastic series! I was all in my feelings while reading this book.
He’s a billionaire in need of a wife …
And I’m his ex who can’t say no to him.
Brynn thought she had found the love of her life during spring break, but the boy she spent a week with, who promised her the world, left her alone on his last day. Ten years later, she comes face to face with Carson "Crew" Knight at her brother's wedding, and she's taken back to the heartbreak she went through, never moving on from him. But Crew is back, and a billionaire at that, and he needs her help: marry him so he can get custody over his daughter; in exchange, Brynn gets the medical expenses covered for her father's liver transplant surgery.
"I remember the first time we danced," Crew says with a smile.
"We didn't have music then."
"No, we had just our heartbeats and the ocean."
"Well, we have music now at least."
Crew's blue eyes stay on mine. "I liked our song better."
Brynn and Crew connection was the strongest out of all the Whitlock's. Their history from ten years ago made their romance and their willingness to be there for each other all the more believable. I couldn't stop being giddy and awww'ing! Brynn and Crew are truly made for each other. When they reconnect, it's like no time has passed. Their feelings are there ten-fold, and the chemistry between them is even more electrifying!
"I stole you, and now, I plan to try to earn you."
Crew is just the absolute sweetest! HE'LL HAVE YOU SWOONING SO HARD from beginning to end! He does so many things for Brynn. I'd list them all, but it's better if you experience first-hand how wonderful this man is for Brynn. He really deserves her and does everything in his power to prove he does.
"Bee, steal my heart because ten years ago I gave it to you, and it's only ever been yours."
As for the side characters, Layla (Crew's daughter) was a beautiful addition. I LOVED Crew's relationship with her. He's so gone for that little girl. And Brynn and Layla built a beautiful connection that I couldn't get enough of. I also loved how present the Whitlock family was in this book, which I appreciated so much, since it's the last book of the series. I loved even more how we got to see Asher, Grady, and Rowan act like big brothers' towards Brynn, as well as seeing how much they love and support her.
You will binge this book! I started it and couldn't stop reading! While it was a bittersweet ending, having to say goodbye to a favorite series and family, I'm so excited for the introduction we got for the next series!
- billionaire
- single dad
- he falls first (and oh-so-hard)
- marriage of convenience
- second chance
- small town
- it's always been you
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He’s a billionaire in need of a wife …
And I’m his ex who can’t say no to him.
Brynn thought she had found the love of her life during spring break, but the boy she spent a week with, who promised her the world, left her alone on his last day. Ten years later, she comes face to face with Carson "Crew" Knight at her brother's wedding, and she's taken back to the heartbreak she went through, never moving on from him. But Crew is back, and a billionaire at that, and he needs her help: marry him so he can get custody over his daughter; in exchange, Brynn gets the medical expenses covered for her father's liver transplant surgery.
"I remember the first time we danced," Crew says with a smile.
"We didn't have music then."
"No, we had just our heartbeats and the ocean."
"Well, we have music now at least."
Crew's blue eyes stay on mine. "I liked our song better."
Brynn and Crew connection was the strongest out of all the Whitlock's. Their history from ten years ago made their romance and their willingness to be there for each other all the more believable. I couldn't stop being giddy and awww'ing! Brynn and Crew are truly made for each other. When they reconnect, it's like no time has passed. Their feelings are there ten-fold, and the chemistry between them is even more electrifying!
"I stole you, and now, I plan to try to earn you."
Crew is just the absolute sweetest! HE'LL HAVE YOU SWOONING SO HARD from beginning to end! He does so many things for Brynn. I'd list them all, but it's better if you experience first-hand how wonderful this man is for Brynn. He really deserves her and does everything in his power to prove he does.
"Bee, steal my heart because ten years ago I gave it to you, and it's only ever been yours."
As for the side characters, Layla (Crew's daughter) was a beautiful addition. I LOVED Crew's relationship with her. He's so gone for that little girl. And Brynn and Layla built a beautiful connection that I couldn't get enough of. I also loved how present the Whitlock family was in this book, which I appreciated so much, since it's the last book of the series. I loved even more how we got to see Asher, Grady, and Rowan act like big brothers' towards Brynn, as well as seeing how much they love and support her.
You will binge this book! I started it and couldn't stop reading! While it was a bittersweet ending, having to say goodbye to a favorite series and family, I'm so excited for the introduction we got for the next series!
- billionaire
- single dad
- he falls first (and oh-so-hard)
- marriage of convenience
- second chance
- small town
- it's always been you
FOLLOW ME
Instagram • Newsletter • Podcast • YouTube • Goodreads •
Cozy Chapters Book Club • Salaciously Romantic Book Club
June 11, 2024
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ +♾️
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥
Corinne Michaels can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. Ans this was EVERYTHING. Like I have sworn for months that no one would ever top Rowan in my eyes, and then here comes Crew and OMG I was not ready for this man.
Carson Knight (aka CREW) is top tier husband material in the form of a sexy AF billionaire who is Swoony with a a capital S.
TROPES ⬇️
✨ Second Chance
✨ Billionaire
✨ Small Town
✨ Single Dad
✨ It’s always been you
✨ Marriage of Convenience
This book was like Corinne dug inside my skull and wrote my definition of perfection. Every trope, every line, every moment between Brynlee and Crew… it was a literal dream. This has got to be one of the best second chance/ marriage of convenience books I have ever read.
Crew and Brynlee had so much history and that drove this story so hard. Ten years ago, the two met on vacation and spent one magical week falling in love. Brynlee thought it was their start until she woke up one day to find Crew gone with no explanation. Not until she sees him at her brother’s wedding and realizes he’s Rowan’s billionaire boss.
There are so many feelings between Crew and Bee that swirl around everywhere from the moment they meet again. He’s never forgotten her, but their timing is off… until he needs a wife to help protect his daughter. And then, there is no other choice but the woman he’s always loved.
No amount of words I could write could do this story justice. It’s so deeply emotional and swoony and just has so much heart. Brynlee is probably one of my favorite FMCs of all time because she had the absolute biggest heart. Crew is cynical and jaded, until he gets her back in his life and gets her as his wife. There is nothing fake about their marriage even from the beginning and I cried more than I cared to admit at how emotional this was!
This one is on my top reads of the year list and you absolutely need to read it so it can be on yours too!
SPICE: 🔥🔥🔥
Corinne Michaels can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. Ans this was EVERYTHING. Like I have sworn for months that no one would ever top Rowan in my eyes, and then here comes Crew and OMG I was not ready for this man.
Carson Knight (aka CREW) is top tier husband material in the form of a sexy AF billionaire who is Swoony with a a capital S.
TROPES ⬇️
✨ Second Chance
✨ Billionaire
✨ Small Town
✨ Single Dad
✨ It’s always been you
✨ Marriage of Convenience
This book was like Corinne dug inside my skull and wrote my definition of perfection. Every trope, every line, every moment between Brynlee and Crew… it was a literal dream. This has got to be one of the best second chance/ marriage of convenience books I have ever read.
Crew and Brynlee had so much history and that drove this story so hard. Ten years ago, the two met on vacation and spent one magical week falling in love. Brynlee thought it was their start until she woke up one day to find Crew gone with no explanation. Not until she sees him at her brother’s wedding and realizes he’s Rowan’s billionaire boss.
There are so many feelings between Crew and Bee that swirl around everywhere from the moment they meet again. He’s never forgotten her, but their timing is off… until he needs a wife to help protect his daughter. And then, there is no other choice but the woman he’s always loved.
No amount of words I could write could do this story justice. It’s so deeply emotional and swoony and just has so much heart. Brynlee is probably one of my favorite FMCs of all time because she had the absolute biggest heart. Crew is cynical and jaded, until he gets her back in his life and gets her as his wife. There is nothing fake about their marriage even from the beginning and I cried more than I cared to admit at how emotional this was!
This one is on my top reads of the year list and you absolutely need to read it so it can be on yours too!
June 6, 2024
5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️
This is HANDS DOWN my new favorite book by Corinne. I think because I related to this story in so many different ways, like the reality having a strained relationship with your parent due to alcoholism, while also being their main support system. Corinne did such a beautiful job with all of the delicate subjects talked about in this book. I was fully invested from the very first chapter. Brynlee & Crew’s story was so so beautiful — highly recommend if you love a good second chance romance 🩵
“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌, 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑺𝒐, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒊𝒕’𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
“𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉, 𝑩𝒓𝒚𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑰 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑰 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑰 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆.”
“𝑩𝒆𝒆, 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐 𝑰 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔.”
Thank you so much Corinne for the ARC!
Tropes:
- Small Town
- Marriage of Convenience
- Second Chance
- Single Dad
- Forced Proximity
- Billionaire Romance
- Small Town Girl x City Boy
- He Falls First
- “My wife”
- “It’s Always Been You”
- Tattoo for her
2/5🌶️
This is HANDS DOWN my new favorite book by Corinne. I think because I related to this story in so many different ways, like the reality having a strained relationship with your parent due to alcoholism, while also being their main support system. Corinne did such a beautiful job with all of the delicate subjects talked about in this book. I was fully invested from the very first chapter. Brynlee & Crew’s story was so so beautiful — highly recommend if you love a good second chance romance 🩵
“𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌, 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑺𝒐, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒎 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒊𝒕’𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
“𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉, 𝑩𝒓𝒚𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑰 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒅𝒂𝒚, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑰 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝑰 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆.”
“𝑩𝒆𝒆, 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒐 𝑰 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔.”
Thank you so much Corinne for the ARC!
Tropes:
- Small Town
- Marriage of Convenience
- Second Chance
- Single Dad
- Forced Proximity
- Billionaire Romance
- Small Town Girl x City Boy
- He Falls First
- “My wife”
- “It’s Always Been You”
- Tattoo for her
May 24, 2024
4.5 stars
it’s such a bittersweet feeling reading the last book in a series and it being the final time you’re with these characters you’ve grown close to. the final book in the whitlock family series was everything i could’ve wanted. it was the best ending for these beloved characters.
this audio was just incredible. stella hunter and teddy hamilton did a phenomenal job bringing brynn and carson (crew) to life. my ears were extremely happy.
brynn and carson were the absolute best. they shared one week during their spring break in college that was unforgettable. even after so many years, once they saw each other again it’s as if no time had passed. the connection they once shared was still ever-present
and their chemistry was electrifying. they were so good together and for each other. i loved their easygoing relationship and i absolutely adored carson’s relationship with his daughter and brynn and layla were so cute together too. i couldn’t get enough of all of them, i loved them.
forgotten desires was a delightful marriage of convenience and second chance romance that brought all the feel good moments. i found myself smiling so big and giddy with emotion while reading this wholesome small town romance. i’m sad this series has come to an end but i’m so excited for what’s next, i can’t wait!
*thank you corinne for the alc*
it’s such a bittersweet feeling reading the last book in a series and it being the final time you’re with these characters you’ve grown close to. the final book in the whitlock family series was everything i could’ve wanted. it was the best ending for these beloved characters.
this audio was just incredible. stella hunter and teddy hamilton did a phenomenal job bringing brynn and carson (crew) to life. my ears were extremely happy.
brynn and carson were the absolute best. they shared one week during their spring break in college that was unforgettable. even after so many years, once they saw each other again it’s as if no time had passed. the connection they once shared was still ever-present
and their chemistry was electrifying. they were so good together and for each other. i loved their easygoing relationship and i absolutely adored carson’s relationship with his daughter and brynn and layla were so cute together too. i couldn’t get enough of all of them, i loved them.
forgotten desires was a delightful marriage of convenience and second chance romance that brought all the feel good moments. i found myself smiling so big and giddy with emotion while reading this wholesome small town romance. i’m sad this series has come to an end but i’m so excited for what’s next, i can’t wait!
*thank you corinne for the alc*
June 3, 2024
I haven’t read any of the other books yet, I got the ARC for this one. It is a standalone in an interconnected universe. And I can saw after reading this one I am definitely going back to read the rest. I completely fell in love with this family. Brynlee is the lone sister in a family of three brothers. She’s the last to get a book. This book starts at the wedding of one of her brothers where she gets seating next to his new boss. Come to find out it is her ex from 10 years ago she never got over. This is one of the best second chance books I’ve read. Crew is so completely gone for Brynlee. I won’t give spoilers but Crew is a new top book boyfriend. He spoils her without it being just materialistic. Everything has meaning. He’s just so sweet and considerate. Absolutely loved this book!
June 5, 2024
5/5 ⭐️
OKAY CORINNE, she's written my favorite book couple of her career and i'm not even mad about them replacing Liam & Natalie.
The last story in the Whitlock series follows Brynlee, the youngest Whitlock, and Carson (“Crew”), a billionaire who happened to be her fling on a spring break trip 10 years ago. After reconnecting at her brother’s wedding, she learns he’s currently trying to win custody of his child. After some convincing, they decide getting married is the only option. Will this marriage of convenience end in disaster or love for the two of them?
Hello, yes, I’m literally OBSESSED with these two. Corinne really saved the best for last with this one. Crew really gave off book boyfriend energy from the moment he saw Brynlee again. He was caring, supportive, encouraging, loving, attentive, all of the good qualities you could want in your fictional man. And him and his daughter’s relationship was just the icing on the very delicious cake ;).
Brynlee was an amazing FMC - incredible selfless in all aspects of her life. She was always making sure those around her were happy, helped, loved, and nurtured.
The close knit family vibes in this whole series was so amazing. I love how cozy and easy everything felt between the siblings and even the significant others. Everyone just vibes so well with each other and it truly felt like a family I wanted to sit down to Sunday dinner with.
These two are definitely the definition of an end game couple. Always meant to be, always each others even when they were apart.
🐝Marriage of Convenience
🐞Second Chance
🐝Small Town
🐞Single Dad
🐝No Third Act Breakup
🐞”It’s Always Been You”
🐝Billionaire
OKAY CORINNE, she's written my favorite book couple of her career and i'm not even mad about them replacing Liam & Natalie.
The last story in the Whitlock series follows Brynlee, the youngest Whitlock, and Carson (“Crew”), a billionaire who happened to be her fling on a spring break trip 10 years ago. After reconnecting at her brother’s wedding, she learns he’s currently trying to win custody of his child. After some convincing, they decide getting married is the only option. Will this marriage of convenience end in disaster or love for the two of them?
Hello, yes, I’m literally OBSESSED with these two. Corinne really saved the best for last with this one. Crew really gave off book boyfriend energy from the moment he saw Brynlee again. He was caring, supportive, encouraging, loving, attentive, all of the good qualities you could want in your fictional man. And him and his daughter’s relationship was just the icing on the very delicious cake ;).
Brynlee was an amazing FMC - incredible selfless in all aspects of her life. She was always making sure those around her were happy, helped, loved, and nurtured.
The close knit family vibes in this whole series was so amazing. I love how cozy and easy everything felt between the siblings and even the significant others. Everyone just vibes so well with each other and it truly felt like a family I wanted to sit down to Sunday dinner with.
These two are definitely the definition of an end game couple. Always meant to be, always each others even when they were apart.
🐝Marriage of Convenience
🐞Second Chance
🐝Small Town
🐞Single Dad
🐝No Third Act Breakup
🐞”It’s Always Been You”
🐝Billionaire
June 3, 2024
4.5 swoony stars!
The fourth and final book in the Whitlock Family series, this is a second-chance, fake-marriage-of-convenience romance, and it is the most beautifully romantic and swoony love story. From beginning to end there is so much emotion in in this story, I was completely smitten and swept totally off my feet, and I loved every moment of this one!
Brynlee is the youngest of the Whitlock siblings. We have seen her three older brothers find love in the earlier books in the series, and though her brothers and their families feature heavily in this story, you could read this one as a standalone. But don’t miss the earlier books because this series is amazing!
Brynn and Carson (aka Crew) met on a holiday 10 years ago, and though they only spent a week together, they fell in mad, wild, forever love. It ended badly when Carson left Brynn to return home, and when they suddenly run into each other again, it’s clear that emotions are still running high. Crew is now a billionaire single dad who is desperate to get custody of his daughter. When he’s told that a marriage could help his case, he proposes a fake marriage to Brynn and she, unable to turn down his heartfelt request and desperate to help pay for a medical procedure for her father, agrees. They will marry, make it look real to their friends and family, and as soon as Crew gets custody of his daughter, they will separate. It sounds simple, but from the very beginning, it’s most definitely not.
The chemistry and emotion between Brynn and Crew is epic from the moment they reconnect. There is SO much feeling between them, and neither of them hide anything from each other.
They’re honest about everything! They don’t hide how they’re feeling, the depth of their connection, the pain of their separation or all that they still mean to each other, and oh, I was in swoony heaven!
The fake relationship means there’s lots of close proximity, and it takes very little time for lines to become blurry and for them to effortlessly fall into a sweet, heartfelt and passionate relationship.
It’s all happening in challenging circumstances. First there’s Crew’s custody case, which absolutely pulls at the heartstrings. Ugh, I ached for him and for little Layla, who is so freaking cute; the moments spent her with are just adorable. At the same time, Brynn has her own family challenges going on, secretly reuniting with her estranged father and the intense health issues going on there. And through it all, her three protective brothers and their girls are all up in their business, leading to some laugh-out loud funny banter and bickering, but also heartwrenching scenes where we see just how close this family is and how unquestionably they have each other’s backs.
Though they’re in a difficult position and have some hurdles to face, Crew and Brynn’s story is pretty much angst free. There is drama and emotion, but it works to bring intensity and depth to the story, and I loved how they dealt with it all. There’s no game playing, no stupid behaviour, just two people finding their way back to each other, dealing with their challenges and finding their happy.
I freaking loved this book. It’s a total swoonfest, and had me all wrapped up in my feels. I finished it with a huge grin on my face, and this book firmly cements the Whitlocks as one of my all-time favourite series from Corinne Michaels
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
The fourth and final book in the Whitlock Family series, this is a second-chance, fake-marriage-of-convenience romance, and it is the most beautifully romantic and swoony love story. From beginning to end there is so much emotion in in this story, I was completely smitten and swept totally off my feet, and I loved every moment of this one!
Brynlee is the youngest of the Whitlock siblings. We have seen her three older brothers find love in the earlier books in the series, and though her brothers and their families feature heavily in this story, you could read this one as a standalone. But don’t miss the earlier books because this series is amazing!
Brynn and Carson (aka Crew) met on a holiday 10 years ago, and though they only spent a week together, they fell in mad, wild, forever love. It ended badly when Carson left Brynn to return home, and when they suddenly run into each other again, it’s clear that emotions are still running high. Crew is now a billionaire single dad who is desperate to get custody of his daughter. When he’s told that a marriage could help his case, he proposes a fake marriage to Brynn and she, unable to turn down his heartfelt request and desperate to help pay for a medical procedure for her father, agrees. They will marry, make it look real to their friends and family, and as soon as Crew gets custody of his daughter, they will separate. It sounds simple, but from the very beginning, it’s most definitely not.
“I hate lying.” Brynn’s voice aches and I truly hate myself for asking her to do this.
“Is it all a lie?”
Her lashes flutter and she stars are me. “That’s we’re madly in love and can’t live our lives another day without each other? Yeah, I’d say it’s a lie.”
I shake my head. “It’s a stretch, sure, but it’s not a lie.”
The chemistry and emotion between Brynn and Crew is epic from the moment they reconnect. There is SO much feeling between them, and neither of them hide anything from each other.
Crew brushes his thumb against my lips. “You’re the best decision I’ve ever made, even if it won’t last.”
They’re honest about everything! They don’t hide how they’re feeling, the depth of their connection, the pain of their separation or all that they still mean to each other, and oh, I was in swoony heaven!
“I never stopped wanting you, Brynlee.” Our eyes are locked and I want her to feel how I feel. “Even when I should’ve. Even when I married another woman. Even when I told myself over and over that there was no way I could fall in love with someone in a week, I still loved you. So, while our marriage and all the things you’ve named may seem like enough, it’ll never express how much I care about you.”
“You’re not allowed to say that,” she says with tears in her eyes.
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t let you love me.”
“If I haven’t figured out a way in ten years to stop, what makes you think I’ll be able to now?”
The fake relationship means there’s lots of close proximity, and it takes very little time for lines to become blurry and for them to effortlessly fall into a sweet, heartfelt and passionate relationship.
Crew stole my heart years ago, and I never was the same after. A piece of it always belonged to him, and instead of just letting him keep that piece, he put it back and stole the whole damn thing again.
It’s all happening in challenging circumstances. First there’s Crew’s custody case, which absolutely pulls at the heartstrings. Ugh, I ached for him and for little Layla, who is so freaking cute; the moments spent her with are just adorable. At the same time, Brynn has her own family challenges going on, secretly reuniting with her estranged father and the intense health issues going on there. And through it all, her three protective brothers and their girls are all up in their business, leading to some laugh-out loud funny banter and bickering, but also heartwrenching scenes where we see just how close this family is and how unquestionably they have each other’s backs.
Though they’re in a difficult position and have some hurdles to face, Crew and Brynn’s story is pretty much angst free. There is drama and emotion, but it works to bring intensity and depth to the story, and I loved how they dealt with it all. There’s no game playing, no stupid behaviour, just two people finding their way back to each other, dealing with their challenges and finding their happy.
“I love you so much, Brynlee Knight … I choose you every day, every hour, every minute. I choose you forever.”
I freaking loved this book. It’s a total swoonfest, and had me all wrapped up in my feels. I finished it with a huge grin on my face, and this book firmly cements the Whitlocks as one of my all-time favourite series from Corinne Michaels
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author for an honest review.
June 2, 2024
5 ✨
Thank you Corinne and Valentine PR for the ARC!
The PERFECT finish to an incredible five star book series. Literally all of the four books were just exceptional and I cannot pick a favorite one, since each one of them stole a piece of my heart, but Forgotten Desires which was Brynn’s book just solidified how much love I have Corinne and her books.
This book is second chance, marriage of convenience, single dad and billionaire just to name a few of the main tropes and gosh it was the perfect combination!!! Brynlee and Crew just took my heart and completely stole it with their love story, and I never want it back. The fact that Corinne saved Brynlee’s story for last was just a total power move because I just knew how much I would love her story. It was emotional, the most swooniest book and filled with so much honesty, respect and love.
Brynlee and Crew had a whirlwind romance back in college but then out of nowhere Crew disappears and Brynlee is heartbroken. Now years later, Crew goes by his real name Carson and is her brother’s new boss. Crew is currently in a custody battle with the mother of his child and to gain full custody, he needs a wife. And who’s better than Brynlee, his long lost love of his life, the one that got away? Brynlee agrees to marry Crew because it’s beneficial for both of them in different ways, but old habits die hard, right? And when it comes to these two, this reunion might have something else in a cards for them too.
I LOOOOOVE a man who grovels and Crew certainly does his fair share of groveling in this book (as he should!!!!). But it’s also clear to anyone that the love they shared when they were younger never left and once they’re reunited, those feelings immediately starts coming back to them. And once they get married and live a somewhat “fake” domestic life together then there was no point of even fighting it, because they were obviously meant to be.
💍 What to expect:
— second chance
— single dad
— marriage of convenience
— small town
— billionaire
— he falls first
— “my wife” moments
— small town girl, big city boy
— no third act breakup
Thank you Corinne and Valentine PR for the ARC!
The PERFECT finish to an incredible five star book series. Literally all of the four books were just exceptional and I cannot pick a favorite one, since each one of them stole a piece of my heart, but Forgotten Desires which was Brynn’s book just solidified how much love I have Corinne and her books.
This book is second chance, marriage of convenience, single dad and billionaire just to name a few of the main tropes and gosh it was the perfect combination!!! Brynlee and Crew just took my heart and completely stole it with their love story, and I never want it back. The fact that Corinne saved Brynlee’s story for last was just a total power move because I just knew how much I would love her story. It was emotional, the most swooniest book and filled with so much honesty, respect and love.
Brynlee and Crew had a whirlwind romance back in college but then out of nowhere Crew disappears and Brynlee is heartbroken. Now years later, Crew goes by his real name Carson and is her brother’s new boss. Crew is currently in a custody battle with the mother of his child and to gain full custody, he needs a wife. And who’s better than Brynlee, his long lost love of his life, the one that got away? Brynlee agrees to marry Crew because it’s beneficial for both of them in different ways, but old habits die hard, right? And when it comes to these two, this reunion might have something else in a cards for them too.
I LOOOOOVE a man who grovels and Crew certainly does his fair share of groveling in this book (as he should!!!!). But it’s also clear to anyone that the love they shared when they were younger never left and once they’re reunited, those feelings immediately starts coming back to them. And once they get married and live a somewhat “fake” domestic life together then there was no point of even fighting it, because they were obviously meant to be.
💍 What to expect:
— second chance
— single dad
— marriage of convenience
— small town
— billionaire
— he falls first
— “my wife” moments
— small town girl, big city boy
— no third act breakup
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