The Devious Husband

The Windsors #6

by Catharina Maura

From the author of The Wrong Brides comes a steamy and angsty enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage romance.


He's the business rival she can't stand. She's the woman he's secretly loved for years.

Xavier Kingston’s life is turned upside down when his nemesis and business rival, Sierra Windsor, suddenly begins to show interest in a man that isn’t him.

Certain he’s at risk of losing his chance with her forever, Xavier offers the Windsors a deal they cannot refuse: a merger between his company and Windsor Real Estate.

On one condition: Sierra must marry him.

Genres: Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Billionaire Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity

354 pages, Paperback

First published August 30, 2024

About the author

Catharina Maura is a USA Today and Amazon #1 bestselling author. She writes angsty, fast-paced contemporary romance novels that break your heart before they lead you to a hard-won happily ever after.

Cat lives in Hong Kong with her husband and a dozen houseplants that all have names. When she isn't daydreaming about future characters, she's exploring the world and seeking out new adventures.

You can find Cat's socials and latest updates here: https://hi.catharinamaura.com/bio

Reviews

[Roza]

"Xavier Kingston is madly in love with my sister, and I'm not sure he even realizes it."

HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT FOR THEM NOW 😭

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐️ OH MY GOD!! THEY SAY “THE BEST IS SAVED FOR LAST” and let me tell you, WOW, literally WOW, Xavier?!?! Where tf did this man even come from bc def not this planet. I SOBBED, I laughed and I sobbed some more. One of the best books I’ve read this year and WHAT A WAY TO FINISH THE SERIES

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

–

“Dear Kitten, please know that I wish it were my hands on your skin each time you wear these necklaces.”

Don’t we all deserve someone like Xavier Kingston (or just him), who's been obsessing over Sierra for decades? stealing her projects just to get her attention, naming every one of them after her (including her favorite dishes on the menu), keeping her favorite drinks in his cabinet in case she comes over, gifting her an annotated book to express his feelings, baking her cookies every day because she loves them, and even decorates them with X & S. cashed in on all the favors her brothers owed him to get their support in his plan to marry her, got her a machine that keeps her drinks warm because she forgets about them while reading books, and he even writes a book titled *The Story of Us* 😩

⌞ Sierra Windsor & Xavier Kingston ⌝
ᯓ 26-32 (the wrong bride)

This one was the cutest in the series! The other ones kinda bored me but I KNEW I’d love Xavier and Sierra. They didn’t have any of those uncomfortable moments after getting married—just the cutest scenes together! I LOVED the tension! ngl, the push and pull here was great! 😭

The writing isn't my favorite, and they ALWAYS fall in love after 200 pages, with 100 more pages left for... DRAMA. But I kinda liked it here. I was giving major side-eye at first when Sierra was chasing after Xavier (because he kinda lost her and he didn't want to lose her again so he was distancing himself), but that changed, and I loved the groveling he did (she left him so...) 😭✋🏻😮‍💨

the plot wasn't much, they also had an arranged marriage and quickly decided to give a chance to each other (or sierra did) because Xave was OBSESSED with her! Valeria's (his sister) story was sad, but she's portrayed as ruthless now so 🤷🏻‍♀️ and I want the other Kingstons books! they're way better and HOTTER than the Windsors!

I’m being petty and a bit of a bitch, but I’m SO GLAD the granny died. Never liked her! 🥲✋🏻


⌞ line that made me obsessed w them, from book 1 ⌝

“I’m not crazy enough to offend a psychotic billionaire like Xavier Kingston. Sierra is the only woman alive who continuously gets away with that, and I doubt she even realizes that the only reason that happens is because he lets her.”

⌞ ratings ⌝

The Wrong Bride [AresRaven] - 2.5 stars
The Temporary Wife [LucaValentina]- 3.5 stars
The Unwanted Marriage [DionFaye]- 1 star
The Broken Vows [ZaneCeleste] - tbr
The Secret Fiancée [LexRaya] - tbr

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

i tried my best but the writing is still mediocre

[Wiam Elkassaoui · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just here waiting for their grandma to die already I'm sick of her old ass

[Beau · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I have to write a review for this book in Taylor Swift song it would go something like:

"I loved you but you're ruining real men in my life"~~

It's almost midnight here and I just finished this and I staired at my bedroom ceiling wondering...if there's any Kingston brother honestly available to date... because if I get a chance to jump into this book right now I'll probably try snatching and seducing (i donno how) atleast one single Kingston (probably the Mayor one) before he meets the fl because then it gets all sentimental and I can't imagine calling married men my husbands even if they're fictional because sry I can't do because now the fl is here and they're sm good together...but before that it might just work fine right..?!!

Yeah... I'm dieing single...
And delulu is only solulu 🥹

I'm crying really.... crying at myself because ik I just know no man could be ever come even 🤏 this close to be like xave ....
__________________________________________
“I’ll never want you,” she snaps. “Not in a million years.”

“Then I’ll wait a million years and a day, Kitten. I’ll wait forever if I need to, so long as you understand that you’re mine as much as I’m yours.”
__________________________________________

I love both of my babies xave and Sierra..and tbh I had a Lil gurly crush on Sierra since I first read about her in ravens book and then throughout the series I just came to lover her more and this book was just so overwhelming to read and xave who I was quite excited to know about since the book 1 in this series didn't disappoint...

infact I might even go as far as saying that he's the best man Catherine has written till yet.... because sorry other men written by Catherina (I still love them tho) you can't really compete a guy that builds a home library for you...talks with you about books and discuss them with you and who annotate your favourite books for you (tho messing with special editions is crime but he'll learn) and writes a WHOLE DAMN BOOK ABOUT YOUR STORY FROM THE DAY HE HEARD ABOUT YOU AND MET YOU like....

Who does that 😭 who !! Never been in a relationship and now I don't want one if it isn't like them ....xave literally ruined not only real mens but other fictional mens too

Tbh alot of people hated granny Anne...but if wasn't for her to push these characters we wouldn't have gotten our amazing marriage of convience stories each filled with characters and worlds I'll always remember and wish to be part of..so yeah rip granny Anne

Now the second most imp thing "mine for movement" is coming soon ....and he's Celeste brother and he's helping the fl to fulfill her bucket/freaky list ...and from all the info I gathered about him in zane's book... he's adorable!! And I can't wait for his book!!

And ofcourse Kingston brothers and their lil sis the actual QUEEN 👑 OF SPADES is getting their own books !!!

I loved whatever I read about Enzo and velerina so far and I'm super excited for their book!! 2025 is just too far tbh !

This book was 5 ⭐ for me 💖
______________________________________

It doesn't have a cover or publishing date or the summary is out yet but I just know this is going to be my fav book in this whole series!

[Elyvia (eliv_bookstagram) · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐇𝐔𝐒𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚜 #𝟼
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

💍𝙱𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
🌸𝙰𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚎
💍𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛’𝚜 𝙱𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍
🌸𝙴𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
💍𝙷𝚎 𝙵𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝

💓𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲: 𝗞𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻🐈‍⬛

❝ xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ ᴋɪɴɢꜱᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱɪᴇʀʀᴀ ᴡɪɴꜱᴅᴏʀ'ꜱ ʀɪᴠᴀʟʀʏ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ɢᴏɴᴇ ꜰᴀʀ ʙᴇʏᴏɴᴅ ᴛʏᴘɪᴄᴀʟ ʙᴜꜱɪɴᴇꜱꜱ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴇᴛɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠɪɴɢ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ꜱʟᴀꜱʜɪɴɢ ᴛɪʀᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴀʙᴏᴛᴀɢɪɴɢ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛꜱ. ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴏʀᴀʀʏ ᴛʀᴜᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ꜱɪᴇʀʀᴀ'ꜱ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴀɴ, xᴀᴠɪᴇʀ ɪꜱ ɴᴏᴡ ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴀᴛᴛᴇʀꜱ ɪɴᴛᴏ ʜɪꜱ ᴏᴡɴ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ…❝

💭I've been following this series from the start, and after what felt like the longest wait, I finally got my hands on Sierra's book—the one I've been most excited about.

🕺𝗫𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻, 𝟯𝟳𝘆𝗼, 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲.
Xavier might not be a Windsor man, but his love and devotion to his woman rival those of the Windsor brothers to the T. I absolutely adore his playful nature and the way he constantly teases Sierra, especially when he calls her "Kitten"! Normally, I’m not a fan of animal nicknames, but it fits Sierra so well! I didn't expect him to have such a complicated past or hidden baggage, to be honest. From the start, it was clear he was pining for her—all the signs were there—and when the Mrs. Kingston protocol came into play, I knew I was right. And don’t even get me started on his letter—I was in tears! 😭😭😭

💃🏻𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗼𝗿, 𝟯𝟭𝘆𝗼, 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀.
Sierra is probably my favorite FMC after Valentina—she's so fiery and fiercely loyal, and I absolutely adore her. Her bond with Grams is truly heartwarming, and I know when that moment comes, it completely tears my heart apart. I admire how she fought for what she deserved and made her man grovel because that's exactly what my Queen deserves!

✨The final book in this series was an emotional rollercoaster! The first half had me grinning from ear to ear with Sierra and Xavier's swoon-worthy moments and playful banter. It was everything I loved about their relationship—fun, flirty, and full of heart. But then the story took a darker, more intense turn, filled with angst that had me on the edge of my seat. The bittersweet ending was absolutely perfect, even if it left me a little heartbroken. I'll definitely miss these characters; they’ve left a lasting impression. A fitting, though emotional, end to an unforgettable series.

🅆🄷🅈 🄸 🄻🄾🅅🄴 🅇🄰🅅🄸🄴🅁 🄺🄸🄽🄶🅂🅃🄾🄽
✅𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚛𝚜. 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚘𝚕, 𝙸𝚈𝙺𝚈𝙺😉
✅𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝙷𝚒𝚓𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐
✅𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝙱𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚖𝚊 𝙰𝚗𝚗𝚎
✅𝙷𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙲𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚂𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚊
✅𝙷𝚎 𝙱𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚝 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝙻𝚒𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚢 (𝚂𝚃𝙵𝚄!!!)
✅𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙿𝙾𝚂𝙰𝙻!

⚠️𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤⚠️
- Gun, violence, and gore
- Kidnapping
- Mention of human trafficking
- Loss of loved ones
- OM/OW drama

✨ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 CATHARINA MAURA 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚎-𝙰𝚁𝙲, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✨

[ᥫ᭡. · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Dear Kitten, please know that I wish it were my hands on your skin each time you wear these necklaces.”

“I’ll never want you, not in a million years."
"Then I'll wait a million years and a day, Kitten. I'll wait forever if I need to, so long as you understand that you're mine as much as I'm yours."

“I picked the best diamonds I could find, and yet, they don't shine as brightly as you do.”

“You have good taste.”
“Of course I do, I married you, didn't I?”

“I highlighted all the passages that reminded me of you. I added some notes in the margins to let you know why something made me think of you, when it might not be obvious from the text."
He got her a signed special edition hardback and annotated it for her 😩😩😩😩

I can’t believe this series is over.
This was the best way to end it with Sierra and Xavier. I love them so much I’ve been waiting since the first book.

Sierra talking about how much she hates Xavier in her POV while Xavier talks about how beautiful she is and how much he wants her 😩

When he talks you through it >>>
‘Por Una Cabeza’ being their song >>>>


You’re telling me I have to wait till next year for Valeria and Enzos book 🙄

[Jen ♥]

Idk what to rate this, so I'm not going to. And loooong review...


The first 40%-ish was freaking adorable, loved it, ate that sh*t up, made me giggle like a freaking lunatic, and I'm sure even made me blush with some scenes. Their banter and the dislike-to-love going on between them were just soooo good. And it made me root for them sincerely. 

Then the 43%-92%. A lot and nothing happened during this part. Nothing in the sense that they eventually gave in to the mutual attraction brewing for the last few years, and most of what they did ended up in sex. Everything they do always ends with them screwing each other's brains out. I think I can count with one hand the number of convos that they had that didn't end up with them having sex. It got so repetitive, cringey, and annoying that I skimmed some of those. I'm not ashamed to admit that because, maaaan, they really went at it like bunnies. 😮‍💨

And the start of their fallout happened, then things just went down the drain since that. Sierra was kidnapped by Xavier's enemy, but luckily she got saved quickly. I thought that with her immediate rescue, things would somehow settle down and they'd get back to their lives. Not at 100% because that's traumatic and they'll be needing help, but with her out of harm, I thought they're going to work things through and come out stronger together. 

But nope, Xavier's insecurities, fears, and disappointment in himself made him stay away from Sierra for almost 2 months. He's mad and frustrated that she was taken and that he failed to protect her, and if he didn't find her location, things would've gone bad. This incident gave him nightmares, and in those dreams, Sierra ends up dead every time. So the genius decided to physically and emotionally check out, staying late at work, leaving early in the morning, not initiating any physical contact unless Sierra did, and even moved to an apartment to which she doesn't have access. I do get that it triggered him in a way he didn't expect and for sure didn't know how to handle, but it wasn't just him who went through that ordeal. 

Sierra was the one who got abducted and threatened, but she did seek help and didn't let what happened hinder her life. She gave Xavier so much patience, understanding, and grace that it made her look like a saint in my eyes. This woman was so considerate, and I loved and hated that she accommodated Xavier every goddamn time. Time and time again, she sought him to bring him back to her, and yet all she ever received was either rejection or placating sex. How she lasted for that long I'll never understand. 

Then, when her grandma died and she needed him the most, he wasn't there by her side. Granted, I think he was about to go on a business trip but quickly came back when he finally listened to her voicemail. Had he only not ignored her calls and texts, he would've been able to come sooner and be her shoulder to cry on. But nope, he was still freaking out from her incident months ago and was too stubborn to listen, like actually listen to his wife. 

Then the last 10% is where the tables have turned. She packed her stuff after her grandma's funeral, but before she left, Xavier, the dumbass, realized what a colossal mess he made, then decided to drop on his knees and beg her to stay. But Sierra finally fucking found her backbone and decided that she had enough. She ignored his plea, left, and acted like he didn't exist for the next two months. She also sent him divorce papers. 

He did grovel in his own way. He stood by her house every night in those two months and gave her gifts, letters, cookies, and only leaves when she turns off her lights. Even his family was disappointed in him, and I had so much fun that they still had dinner with Sierra sans Xavier. I'm pretty convinced at this moment that they would pick Sierra over him if given the choice.

He did sign the papers when he thought Sierra was not going to relent. He gave her the papers but asked her to read first the book—their love story that he had written for her. Ngl, this made me tear up. Because even though he fucked up big time, his words still tugged at my heartstrings, and I felt the longing and pain he was feeling. Ugh! Why does CM have to write stupid MMCs that are going to ruin things, but would also give a heartfelt apology? Istg! I wanna deck him so hard for avoiding her, but then I also wanna hug him because, despite being an idiot, he was still an idiot in love. And of course, once again, the FMC gave the nth chance, and they got back together.

Overall, the first 40% was really good, but then the next 50% had a lot of things going on. I almost lost the plot, and the transition from one chapter to the next was choppy AF. Most of them ended so abruptly and made me question if I missed something because some chapters felt open-ended. The time jumps didn't help as well. Aside from the sudden end in chapter, the next one would usually start with a time jump or a different setting and scenario altogether. It honestly had me confused and made me go back numerous times just to check that I didn't skip anything. Then there were parts that felt boring and dragging. Sometimes even the chemistry was nowhere to be found. All these two had for the majority of the story were based on physical aspects. Although there were emotional conversations, they didn't pull me in, and I kept wondering if I'm just not in the mood or they're just really insincere.

Anyhoo, even though I did enjoy the last 10%, it still won't be enough to make me forget how Xavier ruined them. It's just not enough. And as usual, the FMC is waaay better than me, because I don't have that kind of kindness and understanding to spare on someone like Xavier. 🤷‍♀️


Book info:
- Arranged marriage
- Pining for years
- Kidnapping 
- Death of a loved one 
- Disliked to love (is it though??)
- Kidnapping 
- Nightmares 
- No cheating, OWD
- OMD (she has a male friend, interested in her, but it was platonic on her side)
- Separation (2 months (imo, cuz he was pulling away), 2 months (after her grandma's funeral) )
- V FMC 🙄, No info on MMC (but said it has been years, I think since he got interested in her, unsure when it actually started)
- Steaaamy
- Grovel
- HEA (married)
- Epilogue (yrs later, pregnant)


Notes:
- The truth about Valeria needs not to be dragged out for far too long. I wish it was disclosed way earlier. 
- The male friend once again happened, and I'm pissed at it. If the roles were reversed and the MMC has a woman friend who lingers for more than necessary and touches him constantly, this would drive me mad. It's not okay for the MCs not to set boundaries when it comes to the other people that seem interested in more than a friendship. I don't care if it's a friend, they still need boundaries. No one likes to play the jealousy game, it's not freaking cute. 
- Do not read Valeria and Enzo's book, like ever! Even if you're desperate and feeling like you're running out of books to read. Don't. Freaking. Do. It!



PS: Snippets from Valeria and Enzo's book. They dated secretly for two years, but she got abducted by human traffickers. She went missing for five years and eventually got back home but had been a changed person. And I think she's been home for a few years, unsure how long. So maybe in Enzo's POV she's been missing for almost a decade or close enough??? Anyway, she has a freaking best friend, Tiffany, who knew all about Valeria and Enzo's relationship. And surprise freaking surprise is now engaged to Enzo!!! 🤧 Tbf, when Valeria got back, she didn't notify anyone (that includes Enzo) only her family and they hid her for protection. He probably thought that she's dead because it's been years already. But still, why TF would he date the best friend of his dead/missing gf??? And in this book, Valeria finally showed herself at Enzo and Tiff's engagement party to sincerely congratulate them and move on with her life. But guess fucking what?! When Enzo saw her, he came running towards her, held her tight, and left his fiancee standing. I pity Tiff atm, but...🤷‍♀️ Anyhoo, in the story, Enzo bought half of the security company Valeria's working at, so now he's going to be her boss. Sounds messy and OWD! Also, in the epilogue, readers found out that Valeria and Enzo got married. I guess, Tiff got kicked to the curb. How? But then I remember idc and I don't wanna know. 🤔 So yeah, don't read it, Jen! Just don't.

[Mayssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wrote this in anger so most likely this DOENST make sense and I can’t be bothered fixing my pununcuation anyways here’s my review

OMFGGG i DONT think smut has ever fucken annoyed me this much FMD THE ENTIRE BOOK WAS FKN SEX SCENES bro EVERY FKN CHAPTER WAS THEM HAVING SEX
argument = sex
Having a deep conversation = sex
Being Sad = sex
Business meeting = sex
NO MATTER WHAT THE FK WAS HAPPENING THERE WAS SEX
LIKE BRUH
I’ve been waiting for this book for two FKN years looking forward to it so badly and IT WAS JUST THEM HAVING FKN SEX
Like everytime the book started to get intresting THERE WAS A SEX SCENE like they’ll be having a conversation and I’ll be like okay this is getting somewhere and then BAM SEX SCENE LIKE BRUHHH
It’ll be Him upsetting her and u know what they did instead of talking about it and fixing it? Yup you gussed it have FKN sex while she’s upset LIKE BHRUHDHDHDHJSNSMA

do u wanna know what my breaking point was?? Him ignoring her for weeks WEEKS and then he has sex with her and then HE IGNORES HER FOR ANOTHER WEEK AFTER THAT are you fucken kidding me? So you can fuck her you disgusting prick use her body but then ignore her?

AND HIM NOT PICKING UP HER PHONE CALLS she was calling to tell him her grandma passed he hasn’t been answering her messages or phone calls for weeks and the day she needed him the most he could not pick up the fucken phone when he knew she was calling BROO at that point I was actually done nothing made me like him again the grovelling did nothing for me I was over him at that point the only good part about the grovelling was them not having fucken sex I did enjoy the last 10% of the book but it wasn’t enough to put my rating up

[nanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is me being generous 😭 It started so well, but in the middle everything fell apart.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most mediocre book ever☹️ just a bunch of scenes put together with no flow. We must save the Kingston brothers from her 😤

[౨ৎ˖ ࣪⊹ hanah ౨ৎ˖ ࣪⊹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

₊⊹⁀➴ 4 stars
experienced a huge reading slump during this book. besides the things xaiver did for sierra warmed my heart. i love this series and am glad it came to such a wholesome ending, i just think this book made me realize i kinda fell out of love with catharina maura’s writing. i say that as if im not intrigued by valeria and enzo’s love story.

[sasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

can’t believe this is the book y’all literally begged her to write

[Khloe Muca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS DAMN BOOK SINCE THE MOMENT I FIRST READ THE WRONG BRIDE IN 2022. I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW HAPPY I AM RN

[arlyn ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 2 out of 5]

rating: 2.5⭐️

uhhhh this was bad….it reads exactly the same way as the second book which im not a fan of. this is so badly written you can tell the author gave no thought in building her characters or the plot??

this is the kind of instalove stories that i ABSOLUTELY despise. theres absolutely no tension, no restraint, no push and pull. they were full on making out just 10% into the book like god NOOOO. if that doesnt repel you, the mmc also calls her KITTEN which i should have taken that as a sign to dnf the damn book

xavier and sierra are supposedly rivals but you dont actually witness this dynamic of theirs…..there’s a lot of telling, no showing. their relationship feels very superficial bc the author only tells you about their shared history but doesnt let you witness the rivalry between them. I feel like i’ve missed chaptersssss of their relationship bc they instantly transitioned straight into lovers without any development in between.

the jealousy scenes in this book really got on my nerves. I HATE JEALOUSY SCENES WHEN THEY LEAD TO MISUNDERSTANDINGS. pls tell me why the fmc was literally jealous of the mmc’s SISTER for a good 100 pages bc nobody told her that was his sister. the mmc was also always jealous of the fmc’s childhood friend and acted oddly possessive when she wasn’t even with him yet. its not cute, both of them are fucking embarrassing 😭😭

halfway through the book the author then decided to give xavier some depth by making him some sort of killer with a dark past…THAT SO RANDOM..AND THE KIDNAPPING SCENE…like i suddenly found myself reading a mafia romance??? 😭

the only thing i enjoyed was the angst at the end which really set things up for a really amazing second chance romance which the author failed to take advantage of!

[Fahmida · Rating 2 out of 5]

**SKIP THE FIRST PARAGRAPH IF YOU WANT TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE REVIEW**

The Windsor Series will always have a special place in my heart bcs this is what introduced me to contemporary romance. The Temporary Wife by this author is one of my most unforgettable reads yet because I truly enjoyed the story. However, one thing I realised is that early on I was only starting my reading journey and didn't care for corny, cringey or unrealistic stuff but now that I've read so many more books, I've outgrown them. I've read almost all of Cat's books bcs they are predictable and dramatic in a desi tv series kinda way and it didn't bother me back then but now I realise how corny the dialogues are and how unrealistically dramatic her books are.😭

The biggest ick in this book was how Xavier's nickname for Sierra was 'my sweet kitten'😭😭 I thought there was an unspoken rule that you DO NOT call a grownass woman 'kItTeN'. Sierra had no backbone and like most of the author's fmcs, she was also gullible and a pushover. How this woman became a successful business woman - i have no idea. Her character lacked flavour. And as a working woman, we barely saw her managing her company. There was absolutely NO NEED for Xavier to hide the fact that Valeria is his sister from Sierra. That was unnecessarily dragged out. And how come he's so close with the Windsor family but Sierra and her brothers never knew about Valeria LMAO. I thought they were 'like a family' so how on earth do they pose danger upon Valeria's life?🤣 The divorce conflict towards the end was also there for the sake of the 'third act breakup' trope. The book lacked a concrete plot. There were so many corny scenes throughout the book and I could not help but internally cringe everytime I read them. I think I'm officially done with this author. It's too cringeworthy for my liking.

The only reason I finished this book is because I refuse to NOT finish a series and like I said, the Windsor series kinda has a special place in my head so I needed closure. I wasn't expecting anything grand but I was atleast hoping the epilogue would be a few years into the future with all of the Windsor family members and their kids but unfortunately this did not deliver.

P.S - DO NOT TRUST THE ARC REVIEWERS. I BELIEVE EVERYONE IS ENTITILED TO THEIR OPINION BUT THEY ARE OVERHYPING IT. If you want to read it, go ahead with zero expectations.

[sash · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf at 50%
lady, quit writing!

[naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was cute but it got really 🙄🙄 towards the end either way I ate it up rtc



angsty enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage romance. do i need to say anything else?

[Lover of Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

My Review:

This book was one horrible hot mess from beginning to end. I am honestly baffled by the five stars and how any reader could find this even a decent book. This author just keeps getting worse with each book and her cynicism towards the male gender is becoming more and more obvious in her writing. I really gave this up to over 90% of the book and the moment we got to the grovel, which literally made me actually sick, I DNF this one. I just don't understand what the author was doing here with this book. The first half was so angsty and full of conflict and then right when I thought things were going to go smoothly for our couple, then the grovel happens and it literally went from a solid 4 star to a DNF. The way the heroine is with the hero, how she demeans him during the grovel and practically abuses him, and forcing the hero to literally beg on his knees. It was practically a copy cat of the previous book in many respects lol It lacked authenticity, creativity or even original thought. And the grandma scene was not necessary and not what I was looking for in the finale of the series. This author deserves this rating because this book deserves such a rating and I hope she learns to improve her writing and actually write good satisfactory endings like what she wrote in the beginning of the series.

[ames · Rating 3 out of 5]

well

[demett · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's so much potential for Sierra and Xavier, but she pretty much ruined it with miscommunications through the book. This couple cannot communicate, they're worse than 2 year olds.

[ellora · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

the word "kitten" was used 74 times, and i hated it every single time 🥴

this whole book felt like a waste of time bye

[Vintage]

DNF. He steals her architectural plans for a theatre to show he loves her? He couldn't just pull her pigtails?

[iris [updating reviews] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf at 22%
I told myself I'd abandon the book if he called her "kitten" one more time.

[ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS is why I don't trust ARC reviews - if you see a review that says ARC, ignore it immediately!

The book is not bad but it is being extremely overhyped so lower your expectations. This is quite different to the rest of the series and a lot darker I think she is making the transition to dark romance for her next series

The miscommunication is beyond annoying, there is miscommunication in all her books but this one takes it to new extremes and it is highly irritating. My biggest issue is the fact that we are just told the past and not shown it - there are no flashbacks, not one single flashback. Things that were teased i.e their first kiss, her bachelorette party, and her eventually finding out about the poker nights - all of these things are not shown. Granted some will be bonus scenes but still why not just make the book longer to include these things. their first kiss isn't even a bonus scene - HOW DO YOU LEAVE OUT THEIR FIRST KISS I genuinely cannot understand One of the tropes is apparently 'it's always been you' but there are NO flashbacks? Beyond bizarre.

There was a lot I liked. I loved Sierra and Xavier and they were genuinely very cute, I loved how Raven and Dion were there for them every step of the way and I loved seeing the Windsors' again as well as meeting the Kingstons'.

I feel like it would be four stars if I didn't have all these high expectations going in but I think it deserves 2 if I am being honest so I am settling at 3. I need a novella or something to make up for this. Also she only finished the edits for the book this week so I don't even know why I am surprised it was a let down - she should've just pushed the release date. It is a self-published book so....

[taj · Rating 2 out of 5]

the beginning i was like ok this is gonna be good!! and then the middle came about and miss maura laughed, spit in my face, and said bitch you thought!

[Soft Nectarine ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Business rivals. Reluctant spouses. Jealous lovers. 🌃🩵

Xavier loves to provoke Sierra and she rarely backs down. But really he’s been love with her for a decade. He finally asks for her hand and this begins a tumultuous arranged marriage filled will jealous passion, shocking revelations and surprising vulnerability ✨ this arranged marriage comes with SPICE!

My favorite part of the book would definitely have to be Xavier’s SIMP WAYS! This man really went above and beyond to make sure he was always on her mind.

💍 HE LISTENS and hands on her every word!!

💍 when he gifts her a double story secret library with a fireplace

💍 epic jealousy scenes

💍 he bails her out of jail but asks the cops to “leave the cuff on”

💍 FOUND FAMILY! He’s the whole package!

Like with other books in the series, there were significant time jumps between chapters which helped to focus the story on the couple only. I actually enjoyed this as I was in the mood for romance only, without too many side plots.

I didn’t enjoy the ‘miscommunication’ part of their story because it didn’t really make sense but at least it wasn’t dragged out too long.

dislike to love
arranged marriage 💍
jealousy mmc/fmc
independent fmc
he falls first
virgin fmc
brothers best friend
kidnapping
miscommunication (lite!)
grovel 7/10
HEA

[Mo ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/7 🌟
Putting my review BACK on because my first one got taken down, not sure why. Others just want to comment and write spoilers in the comments WHICH IS what I DON'T want. So if anyone wants to know anything, PLS message privately.

I'm actually SOBBING, it's over and it was sooo perfect. I recieved an arc for this and you guys are in FOR A treat.
Catharina Maura did Sierra and Xavier justice. I received an invitation to Sierra and Xaviers wedding. (No but literally) And it was the most beautiful and perfect invitation all the way from Hong Kong. IM not kidding.

Although there was a lot of annoying miscommunication and misunderstandings, I loved both Sierra and Xavier, the absolute 💯 LOVE between them was just insanely perfect.
Xaviers family were the BEST in laws a girl could have. The kind of in laws EVERY woman deserves. I'm also insanely heartbroken (for reasons I cannot divulge, 💔 rip) But other then, that I'm so happy, I could literally combust.

Xavier annoyed me kind of, especially because he was CONVINCED Sierra deserved better. (The Blueprint for Catharina Maura men) BUT otherwise I loved him, all he did was sweet gestures throughout for Sierra, perfect fictional man. So he made up for it ( HE LITERALLY WROTE HER A BOOK and annotated her favourite books)

Also I can't wait to read the series about Xaviers brothers AND Valerie and Enzo (I can't get that little snippet of them out of my mind, I NEEED more) I will still state though, that I am still a Dion stan and cannot be converted. 💖
Anyways if you came to the end of this review, thank you very much and I hope I've convinced you guys to READ this book.

(IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS, DON'T LOOK AT THE COMMENTS, people are just irritating)

[bae 💌🌷 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
THE LAST BOOK IN THE SERIES WAS A SLAY (kind of). Honestly, I was expecting a much better ending. BUT THEIR SEXUAL TENSION WAS A BIT TOO MUCH (🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️🙂‍↔️). I felt like almost 40% of the book was just them having sex. They will be talking and their sexual tension increases to a peak and they just be going (🤌🏻). I AM TRUE HATER OF THE MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE. A TRUE FUCKING HATER. Like I mentioned before, they will be talking to solve their miscommunication and they end up having sex (😍😍😍😍😍).

WE 👏🏻 LOVE 👏🏻 A 👏🏻 MAN 👏🏻 WHO 👏🏻 APPRECIATES 👏🏻 HIS GIRL 👏🏻. We get SO MANY SCENES OF XAVIER JUST ADMIRING SIERRA (her intelligence, her beauty, her EVERYTHING IN GENERAL) 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹. Personally, I LOVE WHEN A MAN JUST FOLLOWS THEIR GIRL AROUND LIKE A PUPPY (🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻💕💕💕😭😭😭💞). I am sorry but the scenes with the Kingstons - I NEED THEIR BOOKS AS WELL (😍😍😍😍). All the funeral scenes of Grnadma Anne broke me (💔💔💔💔). And the way he wins her back is just (🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺💞).

But, I genuinely loved the book. I get it that most of the people did not like it but I was just TOO EMOTIONALLY CONNECTED WITH THESE TWO PROTAGONISTS THAT I DID NOT GIVE A FUCK. The found family trope and the little glimpses of ALL THE PREVIOUS COUPLES was just making me sad that this world has come to an end (😭😭😭😭). I AM NOT READY TO LET GO YET. I LOVE ALL THESE CHARACTERS. They will always be a part of my heart and soul. EACH BOOK IN THIS SERIES IS JUST PERFECT. Nothing SHOULD BE CHANGED.

DO NOT GO BY MY RATING FOR SOME OF THESE BOOKS. I loved each and every character (side characters as well) from the bottom of my heart. The WINDSORS would not be complete without each and every character.

જ⁀➴ fav quotes
- She doesn’t even need to say anything for me to follow her, and she has absolutely no idea how much power she holds over me.
- Then I’ll wait a million years and a day, Kitten. I’ll wait forever if I need to, so long as you understand that you’re mine as much as I’m yours.
- I will never, ever, cheat on you. I am yours, and yours only, Sierra, whether you like it or not.
- For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be the love of my husband’s life, the centre of his universe. I’ve always dreamt of being with someone that could break down my walls, someone that’d stay with me no matter what. (my dream 🥹)
- I picked the best diamonds I could find, and yet, they don’t shine as brightly as you do. I’ll be waiting at the altar; a million years and a day, if that’s what it takes.
- I always wanted to know what it’d be like to have a mom, and the way Gabriela is smiling at me makes me wonder if maybe I’ll have that with her, even if it’s only for a few years. (my dream as well)