Marry a stranger, adopt my nephew. Sounds easy enough...right?
After my brother’s untimely death, I’m left brokenhearted and fighting for a teenage nephew who doesn’t seem to care whether he’s out on the streets or tucked into bed at night.
Maybe I’m not the most responsible person to raise Axel, but I’m all he has left. I would do anything, even sacrifice my future, in order to gain permanent custody of him. Which is why I take Christian Price up on his crazy offer.
But I never could have known that agreeing to a marriage of convenience with my hot billionaire boss would also satisfy my year-long crush on the biker boy of my dreams.
Aside from my online alter ego, all I’ve ever wanted to do was take over the family business. So why, when that goal is finally within reach, does my dad slap me with some manipulative bogus contract?
No loving father in his right mind would tell his overqualified son that he can’t inherit their family’s legacy until he’s settled down with a wife and gives proof that he’s committed to providing an heir to pass the company on to someday.
Then I find the solution herself crying in the supply room at work, and everything falls into place. There’s just one my contractual marriage to Roxy quickly turns into way more than I bargained for…and something I don’t think I can give up.
***The Backpack Bride, a closed-door marriage of convenience novel, is book 1 in the Give a Bookish Girl a Biker multi-author series, a sweet romance collection of overlapping stories set in the picturesque mountains of Colorado. Alongside humor and faith, you’ll find sizzling chemistry between book-obsessed girls and their handsome bikers. Perfect for readers who prefer swoony, no-spice stories that sweep them off their feet.***
Dulcie is a wife and mother who channels her free spirit into the stories she pours onto the page. Her romance writing obsession turned day job is fueled by caffeine, sarcasm, and kisses from her bearded grump. If you love stories with sizzling tension minus the spice, add her books to your never-ending TBRs.
CONTENT -🤬: none -❤️: some innuendo, fade to black between a married couple -⚠️: loss of parent/sibling (past), parental abandonment, toxic parental relationship
Dulcie Dameron kicked off the Give a Bookish Girl a Biker series with a bang! This one is so cute. Christian is the son of a CEO and works at his father's company. He recently was informed that in order to inherit and become CEO, he needs to be married...before he turns thirty. Roxy was just promoted from temp to secretary at Christian's company. After her brother's death, she has guardianship of her 16-year-old nephew, Axel, who is struggling. Roxy is desperately trying to keep them together when a distant uncle decides Axel should come live with him. She'll have better chances of that if she's married and can prove financial stability. Christian, her billionaire boss, has money and needs a wife. Enter: marriage of convenience.
I enjoyed the fun little element of a secret identity that was present. I absolutely loved Roxy's loyalty to Axel and her understanding of his struggles given her own past decisions/mistakes. It was heartwarming to see the way that Christian came to care for and love both of them. It was super fun to see Chantelle and Jude from Switch and Score again and now I will absolutely be rereading that book. The biker gang seems like such a wonderful found family and I'm excited for the rest of their stories!
Favorite Quotes: -"You don't know anything about my wife. And if you ever hope to see your future grandchildren, you'll remember to never speak about her like that again."
-"I'm not a charity case, Christian." A deep furrow mars his brow, but he doesn't back down. "No, you're not. But you are my wife. And like it or not, I take care of what's mine. Even if you won't be mine forever."
-"Life isn't easy," she says solemnly. "Even when you agree to spend it with the person you love most."
-"Roxy, look at me." Dark lashes flutter over stormy eyes. "I'm not going anywhere."
-"Excuse me, sir," I say, planting my hands on my hips. "I love run-of-the-mill billionaires just as much as nineteenth century dukes. As long as they have touch-her-and-die vibes, I'm down."
I have been a Dulcie Dameron super fan girl since she published her first novel. This book only cemented my place there. Christian and Roxy were so lovable and easy to sympathize with. Christian wants to become CEO (something he’s been trained his entire life for) but has been thrown for a loop when the contract states he needs a wife in order to take control of the company and claim his inheritance. Roxy wants to be able to adopt her nephew—but her being single and having a rocky past doesn’t help her chances. Roxy meets Christian when she’s very down on her luck and he springs a plan to help them both achieve what they want…get married. Forged through a path of bike rides, lingering looks, shared smiles, and sizzling chemistry a new friendship develops into…a genuine marriage. There is so much depth with both of these characters and I enjoyed meeting the guys of Christian’s biker crew. This book was a phenomenal kick off to the Give a Bookish Girl a Biker series!
From the moment that I learned about this series (Give a Bookish Girl A Biker), it became one of my most anticipated reads... THIS bookish girl happens to be married to a biker after all. The Backpack Bride not only lived up to my expectations but far exceeded them as well. Right from the start, I was absolutely drawn into Christian and Roxy's story. Christian needed a wife to fulfill contract obligations to become CEO of his family's company and Roxy needed to show the court that despite her past (which is revealed as the story goes on) that she can provide a stable home for her teenage nephew after her brother has passed. So, of course, a marriage of convenience with a near stranger is the perfect solution! The chemistry between these two was absolutely fantastic, I truly could not get enough of them together. His friends and Axel also added so much to the story and I found myself unable to put it down. Definitely a top read for me and one that has me looking forward even more to the rest of the series!
The Backpack Bride is a closed-door romance. It does have a fade to black moment/implied intimacy between a married couple which fades out pretty quickly before anything happens on pages (we know what happened, but no details are given). There is some light faith content as well (mentions of God, prayer and church, etc.).
**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.
This was a cute, closed door romance read. It needed more though as some parts felt incomplete or too quick. The author could have fluffed out, embellished and drawn out the story as a whole. Easily could have had another 100 pages to build up that longing and suspense. It was nice to take a break from spice but I needed more yearning to make up for it. Good premise, could have done with a more dramatic execution.
4.5⭐️ no spice 🫑 wow this surprised me! I had so much fun with this one, like… a Christian man who is kind, loyal, generous, rides motorcycles and is a billionaire? say less 😂 i do wish this would’ve been a little longer since the ending did feel a little rushed but i am 100% continuing the series!
tropes: marriage of convenience, billionaire, spice: clean fade to black/closed door mention between married couple content: mentions of alcohol abuse + grief personal age recommendation: 13+
The Backpack Bride was such a delightful marriage of convenience novel! These two characters, Roxy and Christian, were pretty much strangers when Christian proposed the mutually beneficial idea of a marriage between them to solve both of their problems.
Throughout the story, Roxy dealt with many feelings of not being enough for someone like Christian, who she realized was a very caring individual. I loved the way these two began to fall for each other and the way their feelings were subtly revealed between the two.
Roxy’s nephew, Axel, seemed very realistic to me, with his anger and resentment about many things in life. But it was nice to see him begin to get along with Christian and know that even when he acted out, he still loved Roxy.
I loved the romantic tension between these two and the various situations they encountered, such as their wedding reception kisses and Christian taking care of Roxy when she was sick. There was a secret identity plot, as well, and it was such fun to experience the moment that Roxy realized who Christian was. And the moments where Christian stood up against his dad and chose “his wife” were perfect! I loved this story from start to finish and am excited to read the future books in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Another incredibly sweet read! I read this series all out of order, but I’ve loved every minute of it! The marriage of convenience is such a fun trope and I loved its use in this story. I’m sad to be finishing off this series! I only have the final book left (and the only one I’ll have actually read in the correct order 🤣)
We love a good marriage of convenience book 🤩 really wanted to like this more but there was little depth for the characters and the big turmoil and reconciliation at the end just felt ‘meh’ and very rushed. Still had some silly/happy moments that made me smile and I (surprisingly) loved the 🏍️ 🏍️🏍️
I was not prepared for how much I was going to love this. It is my first book by this author and I am hooked. This was exactly what I expect and hope a marriage of convenience biker romance to be with clean/closed door content. Christian and Roxy are one of my new favorite fictional couples.
I have been reading this interconnected multi-author series out of order and I really wish I didn't shy away from reading this first. It is my favorite in this series so far, at this point in time with the first 3 books being out and read. It really delivered on the whole biker thing. Truly, it checked every trope box it was marketed to have. There were some fun micro-tropes as well. The writing style also worked well for me and I had a smooth reading experience.
In this book; -billionaire boss -single guardian -secret crush -conditional inheritance -he takes care of her -found family -dual-POV -mutual pining -marriage of convenience
Content Guide: -Clean/Closed Door (brief FTB at the very end between a married couple) -Clean language -Clean violence -some very light faith content
CW: -custody battle -off-page/past alcohol abuse -off-page/past mention of an abusive relationship -brief/non-descriptive on-page sexual harassment
My face hurts. I think I grinned the entire time I was reading The Backpack Bride. It’s the kind of cute that makes you internally kick up your heels and squeal. I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited late one night when I couldn’t sleep, finished it in less than 24 hours, and immediately ordered a physical copy. It was an absolute delight from start to finish. This is a closed door romance with just the lightest dusting of faith content, and it is brimming with some truly delicious chemistry.
I’m not usually the biggest fan of romcoms, as they tend to edge into cheesy. I loved everything about The Backpack Bride. It was packed with so many tropes, some of which I don’t generally care for. Every single one of them was superbly handled. I’m not usually all about the billionaires or bikers, but Christian is such a sweetheart that I loved every aspect of him. He is an incredibly kind, giving person. And he falls first, adding in another popular trope that I really didn’t mind here. But my favorite trope inclusion had to be marriage of convenience, which is such a fun trope when done right. And this might be my favorite contemporary example of it I’ve ever read.
I loved Christian and Roxy, and the large supporting cast. I’m excited to read more about Christian’s biker bros in the rest of this series, adorably titled Give a Bookish Girl a Biker. I’m also planning to go back and read Switch and Score, a middle book in a 7 part hockey romance series written by many of the same authors, even though I’ve never had any interest in hockey romances. I just really need to hear Chantelle’s story. She’s the lone female amongst Christian’s biker bros, and her story was the catalyst for this spin-off series. I don’t see myself reading the rest of that larger original series, but I’ll definitely be reading that particular book by this same author.
In fact, I’m off to do that now. I can tell that these are the kind of books you binge, even though you know you’ll be sad when they’re over. On to the next!
This story kicks off a new multi-author series about biker guys and their women; I’ve been beyond excited for months and look forward to reading them all!
Roxy is our FMC and she has been thrown into guardianship of her teenage nephew. Her major escape is going on to social media to see the latest uplifting post from her favorite masked biker! She does her best to take care of her and Axel but sometimes life kicks her around a little too much as she is having to fight to retain guardianship while adjusting to a new job! The new job isn’t one of her problems, it’s the over-the-top intern, who thinks he’s all that and all too happy to lord his position over her since she’s a temp! One day while in the breakroom, he approaches her only he wasn’t expecting the CEO’s son to confront him!
Chris[tian] has served his family’s company to the best of his abilities, so he’s taken aback when his father slaps him with an opportunity to takeover the company but only if he’s gets married first! What?! This won’t do, but Chris is determined to make it work. Chris stumbles into the breakroom to witness some unsavory behavior and leads him to propose, literally! This may not have been the most ideal situation for either one, but it would help them both and Axel out!
This story has additional elements like hidden identity, biker gang, and less than ideal parenting approaches! Even though not all of these are my favorites Dulcie Dameron brings them together seamlessly and helps give you a hug when you need it the most! There are some crossovers from the Denver Dragon series, and it was nice to see them again! All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end makes me excited to see what might lie ahead! Bravo!
4.5 stars This was so cute! I ended up reading this in one day, I just wished that it was longer. The Backpack Bride is written by Dulcie Dameron and it is the first book in the Give a Bookish Girl a Biker series. I loved Roxy and Christian, and they were sweet together. They ended up together because they both needed something from the marriage but it slowly moved to more. Christian needed a wife to gain control of his family’s company and Roxy needed a husband to help her adopt her nephew. It was fun to read about them getting to know each other and letting each other in. The romance was cute. It was a strangers to friends to lovers sort of vibe. I love how they became each other’s families. They had to learn to live together and figure out what their life would look like now that they were married. I did wish that there were more scenes with Axel though since he played a big part of why they were married. The side characters, especially the other bikers, were a lot of fun. I am so excited for the books to come. I also loved seeing some old characters. I really enjoyed this book and would totally recommend it. It did feel a little fast to me but it could just be that I read it quickly. The Backpack Bride is a clean romantic comedy.
Book Highlights: Found family Single mom (aunt) Billionaire Biker Marriage of convenience
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.
I think by now we’ve established that I love marriage of convenience books. And now that I’m in my romcom era, I’m loving modern MOCs.
Chris and Roxy’s story is a sweet one. But throw in a biker 🤭 you know, like the ones you see on TikTok and in reels! Sigh.
I loved the growth that Roxy experienced. Learning to trust someone is not easy. Especially a stranger. And, sigh, Christian was just so dang sweet! I love how he ignored Roxy’s rule to not bond with Axel. Because he was just what Axel needed. And Roxy was what Chris needed in his life.
If you’re in the mood for a biker book, but you want it clean and sweet, with faith elements, and found family… then this is the book for you!
Thank you so much for the early copy, I absolutely loved it!
My Thoughts I am forever a Dulcie Dameron Fan. This is a delightful read with crackling chemistry, swoony moments, and characters that ooze integrity. Basically the perfect formula for my favorite kind of book. Some of my favorite things from this story include: Christian's consistent safety and respect. The reminder that our pasts don't have to dictate our futures. Those bike rides. Dress shopping. Also, the kitchen. iykyk. This may have brought back a little of pre-teen Aubrey with a Vanilla Ice on bike obsession. Cool as Ice, anyone? There are some mentions of faith and how that interacts with Roxy and Christian's decisions as well.
I literally devoured The Backpack Bride as soon as I received it. Roxy and Christian each find themselves in a situation that requires each other's help, and we see how their relationship develops as the story progresses. We also learn about Roxy's backstory and the family dynamics between Christian and his father. I enjoyed the relationship between Roxy and her nephew Axel and the chemistry between Christian and Roxy. The storyline was engaging. The Backpack Bride is a clean, wholesome read with closed door romance, marriage of convenience, a billionaire, and a great cast of characters. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
So I normally do not read marriage of convenience or billionaire romances… but this was a cute, light and wonderful read I needed after a bit of a slump! It is completely clean, no language or explicit content. There’s some implied intimacy and physical attraction. But I loved how the MMC was so gentle with FMC, even with all her baggage. It was just wholesome and cute.
I loved this workplace, marriage of convenience, billionaire romance mash-up! There was so much fun—I mean, biker MMC and a bookish FMC, so obviously—also balanced with depth. With themes of redemption and trust, this story will make you swoon, laugh, want to punch a particular character, and warm your heart!
TW: Past loss of close family members, custody struggles, manipulative parent
It was alright. Not anything really amazing but cute enough. Contemporary marriage of convenience is hard and I don’t feel like this one quite pulled it off. I had some questions still.
Overall, I think my biggest issue was that I just wanted a little more depth from the characters and their relationship. Their relationship develops very quickly and I was just not convinced by the timeline and events that they were actually in love.
This was a perfectly cute marriage of convenience book. I did find myself kind of wondering what they saw in each other aside from the fact that they were attractive and he was rich. It felt very trope heavy, but I wanted a bit more depth.
I was sooo pumped for this book and the start of this awesome series!!! Especially with the MOC troupe being the first one!!! I loved the meeting the guys in Chantelle and Jude’s book and loved seeing more of them and getting to their individual stories. I’m a sucker for protective brotherhood guys!!
I think it was perfect for Christian’s book to be the first one as I feel like he’s the unspoken leader of the group in some ways. Or at least ready with his advice and wisdom and steadiness. He definitely needed someone like Roxy and Axel to take care of as he takes care of all the loved ones in his life. His motivation to keep his Grandfather’s care for the people in the company and not just the fame and money side of it is definitely admirable. I got soo excited when the micro troupe of “caring for them when they’re sick) showed up especially in a MOC book. Even though there were some challenges with Roxy’s nephew and Christian wanting to sort of spoil him/show him he was taken care of in spite of the possibility of the relationship having an expiration date but I loved how he wanted to work through the arguments with Roxy and realized he didn’t want their marriage of convenience to end. He didn’t keep his friends in the dark about his situation and maybe a bit begrudgingly listened to their advice. He was so sweet and swoony and as I read about him recording content for his secret social media page I envisioned all the reels I’ve ever seen of the few christian biker profiles out there and smiled the entire time!
I definitely could relate to Roxy and her secret crush on the hidden identity biker content creator and loved her reaction to finding out it was none other than the guy she married for help in securing custody for her nephew! Also I may be kinda scared of riding a motorcycle but if I could be a backpack to someone like Christian I may change my stance lol! I love watching the swoony reels and such but so far that’s the extent of it. Still I could imagine how it was for Roxy and her excitement at her first ride and everything in between. I loved how she insisted on not wanting to take advantage of Christian’s money in the sense that he was getting more out of their agreement than he was but finally saw that it was just his way of caring for her. She definitely tried to keep things at arms length not wanting to fall for someone and have it all end but guess it ended up better than either could’ve imagined. Her willingness to make it work and finally accept being loved and cherished and not having to worry about Axel not having that father figure in his life.
I loved how Chantelle and the rest of the gang accepted them with open arms and just soo soo much about this book!! Seriously go add this to your collection ASAP!!!
She is struggling to keep herself and nephew above water. Financially and emotionally. Her past is less than stellar. She’s not even sure she can do it. But failure is not an option. Keeping her head down and her nose to the grindstone. Her only indulgence is a small crush on the masked biker. He never responds to anyone’s comments so her heart is safe. Chris has worked his whole life to take over the family company. His education. His time, his effort. He has worked hard to prove that he will succeed at the job..Because he wants to honor his beloved grandfather. The man who stepped up to become the positive male influence in his life. Unfortunately Chris’s dad has other plans…other plans about everything Chris does including, especially, who Chris should marry. His dad is eager to make Chris bend to his will. The master manipulator. His dad underestimated what Chris will do to make his own choices. Even marry an employee he just met a couple days ago, and finds crying in the supply closet.
It’s a cute, well paced, closed door romance. It hits notes on self esteem, grief, trying to be better/change your life, and courage in impossible situation.
Chris makes an excellent book boyfriend. He is pretty much perfect.
A few things I wish: more story with the mom. Would love to see if Chris’s suspicions were true. The author kinda left us dangling on that. And would love to see if/how she wins over Axel.
And if you are going to marry someone and you have a kid (even if he is your nephew you are guardian of) Always see how the person you are about to marry interacts with them BEFORE you say yes. Also, the first time to introduce the two should never be at such a public and high pressure event such as your wedding reception (luckily Axel was smarter than Roxy here)
Also, what does Chris’s tattoo say? Seriously!! And a why would also be appreciated. He obviously has a reason and why it’s well hidden. And how did Roxy see hints of it on his videos?
Overall it’s a pretty enjoyable beach kind of read. Kudos for not having a stupid heroine. She makes some choices that could be better, but over all she tries to communicate. Doesn’t run out the door at the first potential misunderstanding. And, her response to the ex girlfriend at the reception is worthy of applause! 9/10 recommend.
The Backpack Bride is such a sweet and swoony romance. I enjoyed it immensely even though neither of the themes and tropes (billionaire romance, biker boyfriend/husband, marriage of convenience) are my favorites.
The wonderful characters sure made up for my lack of enthusiasm for these specific tropes and if you do love them - all the better!
MOC is a tricky trope for me. I do love a good MOC story if the marriage is entered with the purpose of honoring it, so no loophole or exit strategy. In Chris’s and Roxy’s case I absolutely empathized with them and could more than understand their reasoning to enter this fake marriage. I especially appreciated that Christian acknowledged that a fake marriage wasn’t what he wanted for himself nor for Roxy from the beginning. I still would have preferred if they entered the marriage for only rational reasons but with the intention of staying married no matter what. (I have seen it in historical but also contemporary romances, it can be done even though modern culture is definitely seeing my opinion here as outdated and prudish.) This is just my stance on MOC and other than my personal preference the trope is done immensely well and there is nothing improper happening before they agree to make this marriage real.
I absolutely loved the characters. They are sweet and thoughtful, caring and easy to relate to. They have depth and unique personalities and I loved how they quickly became a family, always putting the other one - and Axel - first. Dulcie recently asked which character should get his or her own story and for me it’s definitely Axel! I haven’t read all her other books but this sweet boy, my heart just broke for him and while we see him healing a little bit at Roxy’s and Christian’s side, I feel he really needs his own happy ending!
Definitely recommend this book if you love sweet and swoony romance with a lot of chemistry and characters that can stand their ground while looking out for their friends and family!
* Thank you to the author for letting me read an advanced copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily and the expressed opinions are my own.
💍🏍️Favorite Quote🏍️💍 “In case I didn’t make myself clear before…” He lowers his voice to a husky whisper. “As long as you’re under my roof, anything you two need—or even want—is on me. Save your paychecks. Roxy. Put them in the bank and let them sit there. From now on, I take care of you.” A shiver races down my spine at the command in his tone. The hopeful romantic living inside me who devours romance on every genre begs to melt into him, while the stubborn, sensible fighter I worked hard to be bristles at his insistence. And wins. “I’m not a charity case, Christian.” “No, you’re not. But you are my wife. And like it or not, I take care of what’s mine. Even if you won’t be mine forever.”
💍🏍️My Thoughts🏍️💍 I went into this book thinking I was gonna get a nice fluffy romcom but, this book surprised me with some much deeper themes which I loved!!
I loved this book so much!! I was in a serious reading slump and this book single-handedly got me out of it! I was seriously giggling and kicking my feet the whole book! The way Christian was there for Roxy and Axel was so sweet and had me swooning!! I loved seeing him bond with Axel over motorcycles and just be that father figure he needed! This was seriously such a sweet sizzling swoony read that I could absolutely not put down!! I just love Dulcie Dameron’s writing she has a way to suck you in from the start of a book and not let you go till you have devoured it!
💍🏍️Disclaimer🏍️💍 Thank you to Dulcie Dameron for sending me this E-ARC book to read and honestly review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.