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Push
Their marriage was perfect . . . until the night he kissed another woman and destroyed everything.
Gwen never imagined her perfect life could fall apart so fast.
She has everything she ever a devoted husband, a beautiful baby boy, and the safe, happy home she never had growing up. But it all comes crashing down the night she sees a photo of her husband’s assistant kissing his cheek. Even worse, his best friend hints there’s more Gwen doesn’t know.
Now, the life she built feels like a lie. Determined to reclaim her independence, she sets her sights on restarting her legal career and finding solid ground again. But just as she begins to move forward, her estranged brother shows up, bringing the chaos of the criminal underworld with him.
Toby never thought he’d be the man who broke his wife’s heart.
He has always been the easy-going one, the only person who made Gwen laugh when she needed it most. But after she lost her job a year ago, something changed. She pulled away, and instead of reaching for her, he gave in to a moment of weakness that destroyed everything.
As their marriage teeters on the edge, the past crashes into the present, dredging up old wounds and long-buried family secrets. But Toby won’t give up. He’ll keep fighting for the woman who captured his heart at sixteen . . . even if she’s already given up on him.
Push explores the long journey of rebuilding a marriage, and while there is a happy ever after, the book covers sensitive themes, including on-page infidelity and dark topics and situations that may be confronting for some readers. Detailed content guidance is available on the author’s website.
Gwen never imagined her perfect life could fall apart so fast.
She has everything she ever a devoted husband, a beautiful baby boy, and the safe, happy home she never had growing up. But it all comes crashing down the night she sees a photo of her husband’s assistant kissing his cheek. Even worse, his best friend hints there’s more Gwen doesn’t know.
Now, the life she built feels like a lie. Determined to reclaim her independence, she sets her sights on restarting her legal career and finding solid ground again. But just as she begins to move forward, her estranged brother shows up, bringing the chaos of the criminal underworld with him.
Toby never thought he’d be the man who broke his wife’s heart.
He has always been the easy-going one, the only person who made Gwen laugh when she needed it most. But after she lost her job a year ago, something changed. She pulled away, and instead of reaching for her, he gave in to a moment of weakness that destroyed everything.
As their marriage teeters on the edge, the past crashes into the present, dredging up old wounds and long-buried family secrets. But Toby won’t give up. He’ll keep fighting for the woman who captured his heart at sixteen . . . even if she’s already given up on him.
Push explores the long journey of rebuilding a marriage, and while there is a happy ever after, the book covers sensitive themes, including on-page infidelity and dark topics and situations that may be confronting for some readers. Detailed content guidance is available on the author’s website.
623 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 12, 2025
399 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Aubrey Whitten
4 books28 followersAubrey Whitten writes contemporary romances with an Australian twist. She has a soft spot for flawed characters searching for second chances—whether in life or love—and crafts heartfelt stories with warmth, humour, and a dash of romantic steam.
Aubrey lives in the sunniest part of Australia and juggles writing around a busy day job and the joyful chaos of her small but mighty family.
Aubrey lives in the sunniest part of Australia and juggles writing around a busy day job and the joyful chaos of her small but mighty family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 20, 2025
Zero stars for the cheating
2.5 for the rest
So I knew what this was when I got into it. I started it on WATTPAD and I enjoyed the comments and all the hate for the H that was happening after he made some horrible choices
⚠️This is a cheating book and cheating is cheating and absolutely not ok.
THIS IS MY GENERAL RULE FOR CHEATING BOOKS… I AM IN NO WAY CONDONING CHEATING OR WANT TO READ A CHEATER GETTING BACK WITH HIS WOMAN ITS SIMPLY THE REASON I PICKED UP THIS BOOK KNOWING IT WAS CHEATING.
Everyone knows I DO NOT DO CHEATING…. But for me a kiss can be redeemable….on rare occasions. TO ME a kiss is where you begin or end an affair.
‼️While your in a FIRST kiss that’s were your conscious is gonna kick in and choices are made. That’s where you know… hey this isn’t the love of my life’s mouth and this feels all wrong.
THIS IS THE FINAL MOMENT YOU HAVE TO STOP AND WALK AWAY AND REPENT AND GROVEL.
OR this is where your u make a choice to
Ignore your conscious and become a selfish irredeemable POS.
‼️NOW THE MOST REDEEMABLE IS IF THE OW KISSES THE H UNEXPECTEDLY AND HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHES THE OW AWAY AND LEAVES!
‼️So having said that I was willing to HATE read this WATTPAD cause I love the comment and stuff and now it’s on KU I can review it.
Ok so … What I got was a very long book about 2 people with ZERO communication skills and a lot of emotional trauma. A lot of therapy and talking and making good choices.
Meh it it was ok just not my thing. IT WAS BORING for the most part
So while I liked some of this I also felt it dragged and was a bit overdone with all the feels.
⚠️So onto the cheating…..just the facts and you can make up your own mind….
H had h have not been on the same page for about a year they have a newborn and pressure at work they pulled apart instead of got stronger. Not an excuse!
These two are each others one and only.
How they ever had a relationship I’m not sure cause these people NEVER talked about thier feelings or felt with big issues.
H has a assistant who he begins to rely on more over a year. Emotionally… he didn’t think he was cheating but he was. He never had feelings for OW but he definitely was in the wrong here.
He ignores his wife’s concerns
Goes to a party OW is having
Gets way to drunk
Ignores his wife’s calls
The OW hits on him as he is trying to leave
He decided… welp my wife doesn’t want me and this OW is making me feel wanted so… ok
He initiated the kiss, grabs OW hips pulls her to him and kisses her for a decent kiss.
At first he likes it
But he realizes he just likes the feeling of being wanted
He decided he only wants to kiss if it’s his wife and kissing someone else is all wrong and he stops the kiss
He declines the OW for anything else
He declines ever having any feelings for OW
Doesn’t even realize how compromised he let himself w OW for the past year.
It’s a huge wake up call
Then comes all the rest..
So to me… by the end I didnt think he would cheat again.
He put in the work,So did she
He did grovel … some but this isn’t a grovel book
They had a totally different marriage by the end
But the kiss was like a small part of a much bigger problem for this couple and this book is about the journey to healing but also just changing what thier behaviors that led them to such a bad place. And even then it still doesn’t condone the cheating. There just is never a good enough reason to cheat.
There is lots of side characters and thier drama
I do think this was way to long and to wordy
The author let this one get away from her. This could have been shorter with the same punch
If you want more deets check out this review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2.5 for the rest
So I knew what this was when I got into it. I started it on WATTPAD and I enjoyed the comments and all the hate for the H that was happening after he made some horrible choices
⚠️This is a cheating book and cheating is cheating and absolutely not ok.
THIS IS MY GENERAL RULE FOR CHEATING BOOKS… I AM IN NO WAY CONDONING CHEATING OR WANT TO READ A CHEATER GETTING BACK WITH HIS WOMAN ITS SIMPLY THE REASON I PICKED UP THIS BOOK KNOWING IT WAS CHEATING.
Everyone knows I DO NOT DO CHEATING…. But for me a kiss can be redeemable….on rare occasions. TO ME a kiss is where you begin or end an affair.
‼️While your in a FIRST kiss that’s were your conscious is gonna kick in and choices are made. That’s where you know… hey this isn’t the love of my life’s mouth and this feels all wrong.
THIS IS THE FINAL MOMENT YOU HAVE TO STOP AND WALK AWAY AND REPENT AND GROVEL.
OR this is where your u make a choice to
Ignore your conscious and become a selfish irredeemable POS.
‼️NOW THE MOST REDEEMABLE IS IF THE OW KISSES THE H UNEXPECTEDLY AND HE IMMEDIATELY PUSHES THE OW AWAY AND LEAVES!
‼️So having said that I was willing to HATE read this WATTPAD cause I love the comment and stuff and now it’s on KU I can review it.
Ok so … What I got was a very long book about 2 people with ZERO communication skills and a lot of emotional trauma. A lot of therapy and talking and making good choices.
Meh it it was ok just not my thing. IT WAS BORING for the most part
So while I liked some of this I also felt it dragged and was a bit overdone with all the feels.
⚠️So onto the cheating…..just the facts and you can make up your own mind….
H had h have not been on the same page for about a year they have a newborn and pressure at work they pulled apart instead of got stronger. Not an excuse!
These two are each others one and only.
How they ever had a relationship I’m not sure cause these people NEVER talked about thier feelings or felt with big issues.
H has a assistant who he begins to rely on more over a year. Emotionally… he didn’t think he was cheating but he was. He never had feelings for OW but he definitely was in the wrong here.
He ignores his wife’s concerns
Goes to a party OW is having
Gets way to drunk
Ignores his wife’s calls
The OW hits on him as he is trying to leave
He decided… welp my wife doesn’t want me and this OW is making me feel wanted so… ok
He initiated the kiss, grabs OW hips pulls her to him and kisses her for a decent kiss.
At first he likes it
But he realizes he just likes the feeling of being wanted
He decided he only wants to kiss if it’s his wife and kissing someone else is all wrong and he stops the kiss
He declines the OW for anything else
He declines ever having any feelings for OW
Doesn’t even realize how compromised he let himself w OW for the past year.
It’s a huge wake up call
Then comes all the rest..
So to me… by the end I didnt think he would cheat again.
He put in the work,So did she
He did grovel … some but this isn’t a grovel book
They had a totally different marriage by the end
But the kiss was like a small part of a much bigger problem for this couple and this book is about the journey to healing but also just changing what thier behaviors that led them to such a bad place. And even then it still doesn’t condone the cheating. There just is never a good enough reason to cheat.
There is lots of side characters and thier drama
I do think this was way to long and to wordy
The author let this one get away from her. This could have been shorter with the same punch
If you want more deets check out this review
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
June 20, 2025Dnf at 86%
“I think we were, technically, in a sort of…” Toby let out a defeated breath. “An emotional affair. I didn’t intend to give her the impression we were having an affair or that I was interested in one, but we spent a lot of time together at work.”
Mate, that’s almost as bad as turning your back on your vows.” I couldn’t slump any lower on the stool. “I know it’s a big deal. I understand what I’ve done. I do. I just…” I dug my fingers into my knees, the denim rough under my fingers. “I hate admitting I became that person, you know? I was a good man. Responsible. I stopped putting Gwen first, but I justified it to myself because I thought I was doing the right things.”
She said you told her it wasn’t anything urgent. She sounded like she was being nice. God, I wish I’d answered the stupid phone myself. I don’t think I called you back, either. I should have called you back. You didn’t talk to me when I came home. You weren’t fine, were you? You needed me, and I wasn’t there.
I read every painful word—all the missed calls, all the times Toby had fobbed me off while Kayleigh had skipped around the treatment room like a breath of fresh air compared to the wife who ignored him at home.
And yet, with me… I’m the person he’s supposed to care about the most, but he just…” Gave up. Forgot about me. Cheated. Hurt me. “Gwen, it sounds like you care about your husband.” “I do. That’s why this hurts so fucking much. Part of me still wants to hate him. I tried to. I chucked all his shit out. I got rid of him. And yet, whenever I look at him, I want to crumble in a heap and ask him why I wasn’t good enough anymore. He says I wasn’t the reason, but then he says he was lonely… Because of me… The way I acted. So, I was at least part of why he cheated.”
“No, it’s not!” I snapped. “Every time I cry, I let his little witch have power over me. She stole nearly a year of my life with Toby. She got to be with him when I wasn’t. He was mine, but he chose her. He kissed her. And he liked it. And why wouldn’t he? She’s rich. She’s fun and still has perky tits and a perfect ass, and she’s not wallowing in self-pity because she’s not a fucking failure.” I ripped a bunch of tissues from the box and dabbed them at my stinging eyes. “I never had anyone. My brother is so fucked up, and loving him was never enough to help him. I was never enough for him to stay. I wasn’t enough for Toby, either.”
Reading update
but I remembered this call. I’d declined it. Gwen can wait. Kayleigh had needed help carrying food out to the balcony. I liked helping out. It had felt good to be useful for once. The message started. “T-Toby… It’s… me.” I stopped dead, all the life sucked from my lungs. Gwen’s voice, but…it wasn’t. There was a waver, an uncertainty I wasn’t used to hearing. Unsettled, I swallowed. She was never uncertain. “There was, um…” Her breath hitched. “We’ve been in an accident. We need you. Call me back as soon as you get this.” My hand caught the cold metal of the bus stop as my knees buckled, and my broken laugh filled the empty street. My wife and son had needed me. And what had I done? Declined Gwen’s call. I hadn’t even bothered to check my phone because I had no idea where it was. I’d never thought to text her back. Never thought to call.
The look he shot at me was dubious. “Look, maybe no one else noticed how close you two were getting, but I sure as shit did.” Gwen had noticed. She’d warned me. Why the hell hadn’t I listened to her?
My rueful laugh barked into the empty living room. I’d done the same thing. I was my father. The clinic had given me an excuse to disappear when jokes and orgasms hadn’t fixed Gwen. The attention I’d craved was easy enough to find elsewhere. Gwen needed proof she could trust me with the secrets eating her up inside, and I’d failed to hand her the receipts.
She had no one else—no family, just me—and I hadn’t protected her like I’d vowed. A night out with Marnie shouldn’t be a one-off. She shouldn’t feel so unsupported that she freaked out about needing to work all night. Those reactions were on my shoulders.
“Man, come on. You wasted every spare second with Kay. Coffee. Lunches. Helping her carry shit from her car. Gwen was struggling, and you ignored her. Did you ever bother sending her a fucking message? No. I did. Did you know that? If Gwen was my girl, I’d treat her like a damn queen.”
“Do you hear yourself right now? You think that makes what you did okay?” Ian barked a laugh. “You wanted Kay’s attention on you. You liked it. You were ready to cast aside an amazing woman…for…who? Some bimbo who posts thirst traps of her tits and laughs at your jokes? You don’t deserve Gwen.”
“You can chuck me out on the street, say every hurtful thing the big dictionary in your head can come up with, and even tell me the way I prune the roses is shit—I’m not going anywhere. And you know how proud I am of those roses, doll.” His lips pressed into my hair. “You’ll never lose me.” “But I already did. You were all I ever had, Toby. You were mine, but you didn’t want me. I wasn’t enough.” The dark void I’d always carefully locked shut had been flung open. Every emotion I’d bottled up flooded out. “You threw me away. For her.” I clung to him, the whimper of each painful sob muffled by the forbidden warmth of his chest. “You threw me away.”
“It’s been a year, hasn’t it?” Oh. She’d done the math, too. “It doesn’t matter.” “Is that why you kissed Kayleigh?” Her voice wavered. “Because…we haven’t…?” “It doesn’t matter if we haven’t slept together for fifty years. Forever, even. The kiss shouldn’t have happened.”
“The answer’s complicated, I guess. I’ve talked about it a few times with Dylan.” Her soft breaths filled the silence while I tried to collect the right words. “The truth is, I kissed Kayleigh because she wanted me to. It was stupid, but I wanted a few seconds to feel like I wasn’t worthless. That I mattered.” Gwen didn’t answer for a long time. “You always mattered to me.” “I know.” I sighed. “It’s just…” “What?”“You floated away from me after you lost your job. We barely talked anymore, and every time I tried, we ended up in a fight. All the little touches, hugs, and kisses we shared were gone, too. I didn’t know how to tell if you still loved me when all that disappeared.” “Of course I loved you. We said it—” “Yeah. We said it. Quick at the end of every call. ‘Bye, I love you.’ It’s great, but it’s not the same for me.” I’d never been so glad for the darkness as I was then. I didn’t want Gwen to see how much it hurt to admit what I was about to. “You were the only person in the whole world who used to hug me, Gwen. My parents never did. Hell, Tanya would’ve punched me in the face if I asked her for a cuddle. Anyone can say a few words, but I knew you meant it because there was more. I liked the extras.”
“I think we were, technically, in a sort of…” Toby let out a defeated breath. “An emotional affair. I didn’t intend to give her the impression we were having an affair or that I was interested in one, but we spent a lot of time together at work.”
Mate, that’s almost as bad as turning your back on your vows.” I couldn’t slump any lower on the stool. “I know it’s a big deal. I understand what I’ve done. I do. I just…” I dug my fingers into my knees, the denim rough under my fingers. “I hate admitting I became that person, you know? I was a good man. Responsible. I stopped putting Gwen first, but I justified it to myself because I thought I was doing the right things.”
She said you told her it wasn’t anything urgent. She sounded like she was being nice. God, I wish I’d answered the stupid phone myself. I don’t think I called you back, either. I should have called you back. You didn’t talk to me when I came home. You weren’t fine, were you? You needed me, and I wasn’t there.
I read every painful word—all the missed calls, all the times Toby had fobbed me off while Kayleigh had skipped around the treatment room like a breath of fresh air compared to the wife who ignored him at home.
And yet, with me… I’m the person he’s supposed to care about the most, but he just…” Gave up. Forgot about me. Cheated. Hurt me. “Gwen, it sounds like you care about your husband.” “I do. That’s why this hurts so fucking much. Part of me still wants to hate him. I tried to. I chucked all his shit out. I got rid of him. And yet, whenever I look at him, I want to crumble in a heap and ask him why I wasn’t good enough anymore. He says I wasn’t the reason, but then he says he was lonely… Because of me… The way I acted. So, I was at least part of why he cheated.”
“No, it’s not!” I snapped. “Every time I cry, I let his little witch have power over me. She stole nearly a year of my life with Toby. She got to be with him when I wasn’t. He was mine, but he chose her. He kissed her. And he liked it. And why wouldn’t he? She’s rich. She’s fun and still has perky tits and a perfect ass, and she’s not wallowing in self-pity because she’s not a fucking failure.” I ripped a bunch of tissues from the box and dabbed them at my stinging eyes. “I never had anyone. My brother is so fucked up, and loving him was never enough to help him. I was never enough for him to stay. I wasn’t enough for Toby, either.”
Reading update
but I remembered this call. I’d declined it. Gwen can wait. Kayleigh had needed help carrying food out to the balcony. I liked helping out. It had felt good to be useful for once. The message started. “T-Toby… It’s… me.” I stopped dead, all the life sucked from my lungs. Gwen’s voice, but…it wasn’t. There was a waver, an uncertainty I wasn’t used to hearing. Unsettled, I swallowed. She was never uncertain. “There was, um…” Her breath hitched. “We’ve been in an accident. We need you. Call me back as soon as you get this.” My hand caught the cold metal of the bus stop as my knees buckled, and my broken laugh filled the empty street. My wife and son had needed me. And what had I done? Declined Gwen’s call. I hadn’t even bothered to check my phone because I had no idea where it was. I’d never thought to text her back. Never thought to call.
The look he shot at me was dubious. “Look, maybe no one else noticed how close you two were getting, but I sure as shit did.” Gwen had noticed. She’d warned me. Why the hell hadn’t I listened to her?
My rueful laugh barked into the empty living room. I’d done the same thing. I was my father. The clinic had given me an excuse to disappear when jokes and orgasms hadn’t fixed Gwen. The attention I’d craved was easy enough to find elsewhere. Gwen needed proof she could trust me with the secrets eating her up inside, and I’d failed to hand her the receipts.
She had no one else—no family, just me—and I hadn’t protected her like I’d vowed. A night out with Marnie shouldn’t be a one-off. She shouldn’t feel so unsupported that she freaked out about needing to work all night. Those reactions were on my shoulders.
“Man, come on. You wasted every spare second with Kay. Coffee. Lunches. Helping her carry shit from her car. Gwen was struggling, and you ignored her. Did you ever bother sending her a fucking message? No. I did. Did you know that? If Gwen was my girl, I’d treat her like a damn queen.”
“Do you hear yourself right now? You think that makes what you did okay?” Ian barked a laugh. “You wanted Kay’s attention on you. You liked it. You were ready to cast aside an amazing woman…for…who? Some bimbo who posts thirst traps of her tits and laughs at your jokes? You don’t deserve Gwen.”
“You can chuck me out on the street, say every hurtful thing the big dictionary in your head can come up with, and even tell me the way I prune the roses is shit—I’m not going anywhere. And you know how proud I am of those roses, doll.” His lips pressed into my hair. “You’ll never lose me.” “But I already did. You were all I ever had, Toby. You were mine, but you didn’t want me. I wasn’t enough.” The dark void I’d always carefully locked shut had been flung open. Every emotion I’d bottled up flooded out. “You threw me away. For her.” I clung to him, the whimper of each painful sob muffled by the forbidden warmth of his chest. “You threw me away.”
“It’s been a year, hasn’t it?” Oh. She’d done the math, too. “It doesn’t matter.” “Is that why you kissed Kayleigh?” Her voice wavered. “Because…we haven’t…?” “It doesn’t matter if we haven’t slept together for fifty years. Forever, even. The kiss shouldn’t have happened.”
“The answer’s complicated, I guess. I’ve talked about it a few times with Dylan.” Her soft breaths filled the silence while I tried to collect the right words. “The truth is, I kissed Kayleigh because she wanted me to. It was stupid, but I wanted a few seconds to feel like I wasn’t worthless. That I mattered.” Gwen didn’t answer for a long time. “You always mattered to me.” “I know.” I sighed. “It’s just…” “What?”“You floated away from me after you lost your job. We barely talked anymore, and every time I tried, we ended up in a fight. All the little touches, hugs, and kisses we shared were gone, too. I didn’t know how to tell if you still loved me when all that disappeared.” “Of course I loved you. We said it—” “Yeah. We said it. Quick at the end of every call. ‘Bye, I love you.’ It’s great, but it’s not the same for me.” I’d never been so glad for the darkness as I was then. I didn’t want Gwen to see how much it hurt to admit what I was about to. “You were the only person in the whole world who used to hug me, Gwen. My parents never did. Hell, Tanya would’ve punched me in the face if I asked her for a cuddle. Anyone can say a few words, but I knew you meant it because there was more. I liked the extras.”
June 25, 2025
I loved this book
I thought it was going to be the normal cheating story and bam it took several.turns and became a trope fest of stories. Multi faceted, genre crossing, funny, feel good, tragic and heartbreaking all in one. From Toby, the cheater, emotional and one kiss, to Gwen, the deceived wife, to Ian, the backstabbing best friend, to Liam, the tragic brother, they were all fascinating . every one of them and this story took.you all over the place from day care to mafia, and criminal justice to childhood abuse. Nothing.was,left out. I hope there is more. I need to see more of this familys life.
I thought it was going to be the normal cheating story and bam it took several.turns and became a trope fest of stories. Multi faceted, genre crossing, funny, feel good, tragic and heartbreaking all in one. From Toby, the cheater, emotional and one kiss, to Gwen, the deceived wife, to Ian, the backstabbing best friend, to Liam, the tragic brother, they were all fascinating . every one of them and this story took.you all over the place from day care to mafia, and criminal justice to childhood abuse. Nothing.was,left out. I hope there is more. I need to see more of this familys life.
June 17, 2025
What was advertised as a romance about a marriage in crisis after the husband has an emotional affair turned into an OTT romantic suspense about buried family secrets, embezzlement and the mafia. The actual emotional affair storyline took up only half of the book and the author couldn’t decide whether to make the rest of the book a drama or a comedy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2025
I was not planning to read this to be honest because I am a safe reader who doesn't like cheating of any kind but my friend Paula, Raffaella & Mikki wrote awesome reviews about the plot which I won't go in detail since they already did.
That being said, everyone has different tastes, likes, dislikes and opinions about something which is everyone's right to do so. However, what is not right is for someone to question someone else why they felt differently then they did or attempt to contradict them. Respect goes both ways people.
- Did Hero cheat here on heroine? Yes, he did. He kissed OW and put his hand on her hip temporarily. He was drunk and thinking of his wife and how emotionally apart they are and how lonely & unwanted he was feeling and for a moment he wanted to be wanted. Stupid, I know and that doesn't excuse his behavior and he AGREES. Not once did he attempt to excuse his behavior or try to lessen the hurt & his actions caused. He did everything to redeem himself and change his ways and that is what I want in my MMC's because at the end of the day, I do believe he learned his lesson and will never again cheat and hurt his wife.
- Does Hero have an attraction and emotional connection to OW? No. Not once do we get anything about him being attracted or turned on by OW. Even when he kissed her, it was not for any other reason other than for just a second he wanted to be wanted by someone and he immediately pushes her away and doesn't like the kiss! Later on, he tells heroine that he liked her kiss better after she had vomited when she was pregnant with their kid than the OW's who didn't know how to kiss! He was comparing the kisses BTW when she asked him....
In terms of the "emotional" aspect, even though he confided in her that he slept on the couch, it was due to OW asking him why he was tired and him unthinkably telling her the reason. When he helped her carry stuff from her car, he was being a gentleman. When they had coffee & lunch breaks together, it was explained that it was because OW was pushing him to take a break and get some fresh air or something. He NEVER saw it as a date or him sending her signals for anything else. In his head, it was him enjoying coffee/lunch with a colleague. So is that an "emotional affair"? To me, it is not. If he had said how attracted he was to OW and how they told each other everything, etc., then I would feel differently about it. However, as we learned throughout the story, he was just a naive idiot who liked to help people & wanted to be liked by everyone because of the way his parents (his Mother mostly) had ruined his self esteem. So for him, he never thought the time he spent with OW at work & outside it (aka party only where he kissed her) was anything improper until he was hit in the head with it when OP pointed it out to him and when he sat down and wrote all his interactions with OW for him to finally get a clue.
Anyway, we can debate if he had an "Emotional Affair" until the cows come home, but what I read did not give me an ounce of that because in his head & heart, it has always been the heroine and no one else for him. So one cannot have an "emotional affair" if you don't give two shits about another person or think of them that way. That's the truth people.
Now as for the actual "cheating" (aka kiss with OW), I was not bothered by it at all because even though it was wrong of him to kiss the OW (briefly as he did), he didn't enjoy it and didn't want her. Plus I felt that Hero was drugged - not drunk - and that was the route author was going but must have forgotten it.....
I will say though that I didn't enjoy heroine being the badass here and hero the needy, pathetic, naive & childish man-child he was portrayed. I wish he was better written but I understand why she did it because if he had not been such a child-man/clueless idiot, his actions would have been a whole other case for me. But that aside, I was intrigued with heroine's brother & his friend. The mystery there of what he did and how/if he would get out of the trouble he is in peeked my interest.
Anyway, opinions about something one reads is just that. An opinion & everyone's right to it. You don't have to agree with it but you DO have to respect it.
✌️Piece people.
That being said, everyone has different tastes, likes, dislikes and opinions about something which is everyone's right to do so. However, what is not right is for someone to question someone else why they felt differently then they did or attempt to contradict them. Respect goes both ways people.
- Did Hero cheat here on heroine? Yes, he did. He kissed OW and put his hand on her hip temporarily. He was drunk and thinking of his wife and how emotionally apart they are and how lonely & unwanted he was feeling and for a moment he wanted to be wanted. Stupid, I know and that doesn't excuse his behavior and he AGREES. Not once did he attempt to excuse his behavior or try to lessen the hurt & his actions caused. He did everything to redeem himself and change his ways and that is what I want in my MMC's because at the end of the day, I do believe he learned his lesson and will never again cheat and hurt his wife.
- Does Hero have an attraction and emotional connection to OW? No. Not once do we get anything about him being attracted or turned on by OW. Even when he kissed her, it was not for any other reason other than for just a second he wanted to be wanted by someone and he immediately pushes her away and doesn't like the kiss! Later on, he tells heroine that he liked her kiss better after she had vomited when she was pregnant with their kid than the OW's who didn't know how to kiss! He was comparing the kisses BTW when she asked him....
In terms of the "emotional" aspect, even though he confided in her that he slept on the couch, it was due to OW asking him why he was tired and him unthinkably telling her the reason. When he helped her carry stuff from her car, he was being a gentleman. When they had coffee & lunch breaks together, it was explained that it was because OW was pushing him to take a break and get some fresh air or something. He NEVER saw it as a date or him sending her signals for anything else. In his head, it was him enjoying coffee/lunch with a colleague. So is that an "emotional affair"? To me, it is not. If he had said how attracted he was to OW and how they told each other everything, etc., then I would feel differently about it. However, as we learned throughout the story, he was just a naive idiot who liked to help people & wanted to be liked by everyone because of the way his parents (his Mother mostly) had ruined his self esteem. So for him, he never thought the time he spent with OW at work & outside it (aka party only where he kissed her) was anything improper until he was hit in the head with it when OP pointed it out to him and when he sat down and wrote all his interactions with OW for him to finally get a clue.
Anyway, we can debate if he had an "Emotional Affair" until the cows come home, but what I read did not give me an ounce of that because in his head & heart, it has always been the heroine and no one else for him. So one cannot have an "emotional affair" if you don't give two shits about another person or think of them that way. That's the truth people.
Now as for the actual "cheating" (aka kiss with OW), I was not bothered by it at all because even though it was wrong of him to kiss the OW (briefly as he did), he didn't enjoy it and didn't want her. Plus I felt that Hero was drugged - not drunk - and that was the route author was going but must have forgotten it.....
I will say though that I didn't enjoy heroine being the badass here and hero the needy, pathetic, naive & childish man-child he was portrayed. I wish he was better written but I understand why she did it because if he had not been such a child-man/clueless idiot, his actions would have been a whole other case for me. But that aside, I was intrigued with heroine's brother & his friend. The mystery there of what he did and how/if he would get out of the trouble he is in peeked my interest.
Anyway, opinions about something one reads is just that. An opinion & everyone's right to it. You don't have to agree with it but you DO have to respect it.
✌️Piece people.
Read
June 20, 2025Yeahh... No way am I supporting cheating being romanticized =.= I want to erase my memory of reading this, in the politest way, bs T_T
November 5, 2025
Whoa, guys… that was an emotional rollercoaster, and I LOVED every single second of it. Like, the kind of love where you’re literally jumping up and down on your bed because you finally stumbled across an actually well-written angsty romance with grade-A groveling. Yeah, that kind of love. LOL.
But seriously — I have this very specific problem: I crave stories that completely rip my heart out (Damon Salvatore, you can do the honors any day of the week) and then somehow, miraculously, piece it back together again. The issue is, I can never find any that truly hit the mark. Most of the ones I get recommended either fall flat in the writing department or just miss the emotional depth entirely.
Then, one random day, this book — Push by Aubrey Whitten — pops up in my Kindle recommendations, and let me tell you… it DELIVERED, besties. Oh my god. From page one, I was hooked. And my very first thought was: how on earth is the author going to make this guy likable — even redeemable — to me? Which, of course, only made me more intrigued.
Because, let’s be real — this man, Toby (our messy yet complex MMC), has an emotional affair. And before anyone freaks out, it’s all off-screen — it’s already happened by the time we enter the story. But as we start piecing things together, we see how Toby began to feel… “neglected,” I guess that’s the right word, in his marriage with Gwen (our absolute badass FMC). And instead of, you know, talking to her about it like a grown man, he does what so many fictional men do best — he avoids it.
Enter Kay — his assistant. She starts paying attention to him, giving him compliments, making him feel needed — which, by the way, taps right into his deep-seated insecurities that stem from his oh-so-charming mother. He starts confiding in Kay, venting about how unhappy he supposedly is in his marriage, how he sleeps on the couch, how disconnected he feels. He starts spending more time with her, helping her carry things to her car, doing little things that should’ve been done for his wife, not another woman.
Now, whether that counts as an emotional affair or not? Everyone’s got opinions. Personally, I’m firmly in the yes camp. What made it interesting, though, is that Toby never once says he finds Kay attractive — not physically, not emotionally — and that, for me, was huge. That detail probably saved him from my eternal hatred because, let’s be honest, I’m as petty as they come. No author has ever managed to make me forgive a character like this so fast, so props to Aubrey for pulling that off.
Then… that kiss happens. The horrible, gut-wrenching, “my-heart-just-flew-out-the-window” kiss between Toby and Kay. And even though Toby doesn’t claim to be attracted to her, he enjoys it — and that’s where my soul kind of split in half. Because yes, he kissed her. He made the move. He put his hand on her stupid hip and went for it — and he liked it. For a second, anyway. But then he shoves her away and realizes it wasn’t Gwen he was kissing — and that right there was both infuriating and, weirdly, believable.
Honestly, this whole situation could’ve been so easily avoided if he’d just listened to his wife — the same wife who literally warned him about Kay and her intentions. Like, my guy, if you love your wife as much as you claim, maybe take her concerns seriously? But no, of course not. And that’s why, even though I could understand his motivations, I still needed him to earn forgiveness. To grovel. To suffer a bit. And oh my god, can we talk about the yard sale Gwen had where she sold all his stuff while publicly calling him a cheating asshole? Absolute queen behavior.
So, let’s talk a little about the main characters — Toby and Gwen. Absolutely adored them. Which, honestly, is rare for me to say, because it’s not often I find both main characters interesting, layered, and full of personality.
Listen, I love my shy, soft, innocent heroines as much as the next person, but sometimes… I need a female main character with bite. And Gwen delivered. This woman is a baddie. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, she doesn’t melt just because of that annoying “my body betraying me” syndrome that some authors love to throw in, and she stands her ground even when it hurts. I adored that about her.
But even the strongest women need a little help sometimes, right? Gwen struggles with that — with asking for help. It’s something that clearly stems from her childhood trauma, and honestly, that hit home for me. I related to her on such a personal level because of it. What made me love her even more, though, was that she acknowledges her flaws and actively works on them. She’s not perfect, and at first, she has a hard time accepting that it’s okay not to be perfect, but she goes to therapy to get help with that. Thumbs up, girl.
Now, speaking of growth — Toby going to therapy? YES. A thousand times yes. At first, he goes because he wants to “fix himself” and figure out how to win Gwen back. But once he’s there, he realizes that what he really needs is to understand himself better — not just for her, but for his own sake. I loved that so much. It’s rare to see a male main character in romance go through that kind of introspection, to actually face his issues and do the hard emotional work. Seeing glimpses of his therapy sessions made me connect with him even more.
And can we talk about how funny he is? I wasn’t expecting that at all. Usually, in grumpy x sunshine pairings, the girl is the sunshine and the guy is the brooding mess. But here, it’s reversed — Gwen’s the tough, take-no-prisoners type, and Toby’s the emotionally open (sometimes clueless) sweetheart. I don’t usually read that dynamic, but I loved loved loved it here. Even though he completely shattered my — and Gwen’s — heart at the start, I have to admit… his charm won me over faster than I’d like to admit.
What I really appreciated, though, was how genuine the road to forgiveness felt. In so many second-chance or betrayal romances, the male lead focuses on pushing the heroine to forgive him — usually through sexual chemistry or manipulation disguised as passion. And sure, sometimes that works, but it’s not my favorite route. It never feels authentic if the guy isn’t actually addressing the why behind his actions.
In Push, that wasn’t the case. There was no “let’s fix this with sex” shortcut. Instead, we saw both of them work through their flaws, their insecurities, and their pain. The emotional growth, the communication, the slow rebuilding of trust — it made the journey back to each other feel so earned. Every small victory, every setback, every moment of vulnerability felt real.
Now that we’ve talked about the main characters, let’s move on to the side characters — because, oh my god, they deserve a shoutout.
First up: Marnie. I absolutely adored that cutie, man-eating mess. Her loyalty to Gwen had me cheering. She was ready to throw hands at anyone who dared to hurt her girl — and honestly, same. She brought so much humor and lightness to the story, and I was dying at her comments about being unfit and hating green smoothies. Girl, I feel you.
Then there’s Liam, the big brother. I was conflicted about him at first — like, should I even like this doofus? But he grew on me. It took me a bit to figure out if he actually cared about Gwen or if he was just there to judge everyone, but eventually, he won me over. Underneath that cold, no-feelings, stone-faced exterior, he’s actually kind of hilarious. Maybe I’m biased because I have a thing for grumpy men, but still — he was such a fun addition.
Now onto the heavy stuff… Ian. Oh man. At first, I genuinely thought we were getting a light “two friends in love with the same woman but still bros” kind of love triangle. But nope. This went downhill fast. Turns out, Ian has been in love with Gwen since high school and has apparently been harboring this weird “I saw her first” complex ever since. He wasn’t really Toby’s friend — more like his silent rival, constantly trying to prove he was the better man. Yuck.
Then comes the real kicker — Ian’s the one who hired Kay as Toby’s assistant. Like, excuse me? Evil mastermind much? It doesn’t excuse Toby’s behavior in the slightest, but it does show how calculated Ian was in trying to mess with their marriage. And when he forces kisses on Gwen? Yeah, no. I thought I was signing up for a love triangle, not a full-blown trauma event.
And speaking of Kay… this chick is unhinged. Like, full-on what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-you crazy. I’ll admit, Toby unintentionally gave her mixed signals at the beginning — that’s undeniable. But once he realized what was happening and set boundaries, she completely lost it. It became clear very quickly that she’s obsessive and unstable.
What I truly appreciate, though, is how much detail Aubrey put into every character. No one felt like a throwaway. Each person had depth, motives, and perspective — you could almost slip into their heads and understand why they did what they did, even if you didn’t agree with them. That kind of thoughtful characterization made the entire story feel alive. I also appreciated that she focused on making the characters work on becoming better for themselves and their marriage. She didn’t simply have the MMC grovel until all was forgiven and the marriage magically returned to normal — no, she made them face every single issue, insecurity, and doubt, and rebuild from the ground up. Because at some point, you have to stop hyper-focusing on the past and start building a future — whether it’s together or not.
And that’s exactly what made Push so powerful for me. It’s messy, emotional, and painfully human. It’s about forgiveness — not the fluffy, instant kind, but the raw, uncomfortable kind that takes time and honesty. It’s about learning that love alone isn’t enough if you don’t do the work, and that healing means growing into someone better — for yourself first, and for the person you love second.
Aubrey Whitten didn’t just write a second-chance romance — she wrote a lesson in self-awareness, vulnerability, and redemption. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to fight fictional people, and by the end, I was just… soft. Completely soft.
Five stars, because anything less would be a crime against emotional readers everywhere.
But seriously — I have this very specific problem: I crave stories that completely rip my heart out (Damon Salvatore, you can do the honors any day of the week) and then somehow, miraculously, piece it back together again. The issue is, I can never find any that truly hit the mark. Most of the ones I get recommended either fall flat in the writing department or just miss the emotional depth entirely.
Then, one random day, this book — Push by Aubrey Whitten — pops up in my Kindle recommendations, and let me tell you… it DELIVERED, besties. Oh my god. From page one, I was hooked. And my very first thought was: how on earth is the author going to make this guy likable — even redeemable — to me? Which, of course, only made me more intrigued.
Because, let’s be real — this man, Toby (our messy yet complex MMC), has an emotional affair. And before anyone freaks out, it’s all off-screen — it’s already happened by the time we enter the story. But as we start piecing things together, we see how Toby began to feel… “neglected,” I guess that’s the right word, in his marriage with Gwen (our absolute badass FMC). And instead of, you know, talking to her about it like a grown man, he does what so many fictional men do best — he avoids it.
Enter Kay — his assistant. She starts paying attention to him, giving him compliments, making him feel needed — which, by the way, taps right into his deep-seated insecurities that stem from his oh-so-charming mother. He starts confiding in Kay, venting about how unhappy he supposedly is in his marriage, how he sleeps on the couch, how disconnected he feels. He starts spending more time with her, helping her carry things to her car, doing little things that should’ve been done for his wife, not another woman.
Now, whether that counts as an emotional affair or not? Everyone’s got opinions. Personally, I’m firmly in the yes camp. What made it interesting, though, is that Toby never once says he finds Kay attractive — not physically, not emotionally — and that, for me, was huge. That detail probably saved him from my eternal hatred because, let’s be honest, I’m as petty as they come. No author has ever managed to make me forgive a character like this so fast, so props to Aubrey for pulling that off.
Then… that kiss happens. The horrible, gut-wrenching, “my-heart-just-flew-out-the-window” kiss between Toby and Kay. And even though Toby doesn’t claim to be attracted to her, he enjoys it — and that’s where my soul kind of split in half. Because yes, he kissed her. He made the move. He put his hand on her stupid hip and went for it — and he liked it. For a second, anyway. But then he shoves her away and realizes it wasn’t Gwen he was kissing — and that right there was both infuriating and, weirdly, believable.
Honestly, this whole situation could’ve been so easily avoided if he’d just listened to his wife — the same wife who literally warned him about Kay and her intentions. Like, my guy, if you love your wife as much as you claim, maybe take her concerns seriously? But no, of course not. And that’s why, even though I could understand his motivations, I still needed him to earn forgiveness. To grovel. To suffer a bit. And oh my god, can we talk about the yard sale Gwen had where she sold all his stuff while publicly calling him a cheating asshole? Absolute queen behavior.
So, let’s talk a little about the main characters — Toby and Gwen. Absolutely adored them. Which, honestly, is rare for me to say, because it’s not often I find both main characters interesting, layered, and full of personality.
Listen, I love my shy, soft, innocent heroines as much as the next person, but sometimes… I need a female main character with bite. And Gwen delivered. This woman is a baddie. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, she doesn’t melt just because of that annoying “my body betraying me” syndrome that some authors love to throw in, and she stands her ground even when it hurts. I adored that about her.
But even the strongest women need a little help sometimes, right? Gwen struggles with that — with asking for help. It’s something that clearly stems from her childhood trauma, and honestly, that hit home for me. I related to her on such a personal level because of it. What made me love her even more, though, was that she acknowledges her flaws and actively works on them. She’s not perfect, and at first, she has a hard time accepting that it’s okay not to be perfect, but she goes to therapy to get help with that. Thumbs up, girl.
Now, speaking of growth — Toby going to therapy? YES. A thousand times yes. At first, he goes because he wants to “fix himself” and figure out how to win Gwen back. But once he’s there, he realizes that what he really needs is to understand himself better — not just for her, but for his own sake. I loved that so much. It’s rare to see a male main character in romance go through that kind of introspection, to actually face his issues and do the hard emotional work. Seeing glimpses of his therapy sessions made me connect with him even more.
And can we talk about how funny he is? I wasn’t expecting that at all. Usually, in grumpy x sunshine pairings, the girl is the sunshine and the guy is the brooding mess. But here, it’s reversed — Gwen’s the tough, take-no-prisoners type, and Toby’s the emotionally open (sometimes clueless) sweetheart. I don’t usually read that dynamic, but I loved loved loved it here. Even though he completely shattered my — and Gwen’s — heart at the start, I have to admit… his charm won me over faster than I’d like to admit.
What I really appreciated, though, was how genuine the road to forgiveness felt. In so many second-chance or betrayal romances, the male lead focuses on pushing the heroine to forgive him — usually through sexual chemistry or manipulation disguised as passion. And sure, sometimes that works, but it’s not my favorite route. It never feels authentic if the guy isn’t actually addressing the why behind his actions.
In Push, that wasn’t the case. There was no “let’s fix this with sex” shortcut. Instead, we saw both of them work through their flaws, their insecurities, and their pain. The emotional growth, the communication, the slow rebuilding of trust — it made the journey back to each other feel so earned. Every small victory, every setback, every moment of vulnerability felt real.
Now that we’ve talked about the main characters, let’s move on to the side characters — because, oh my god, they deserve a shoutout.
First up: Marnie. I absolutely adored that cutie, man-eating mess. Her loyalty to Gwen had me cheering. She was ready to throw hands at anyone who dared to hurt her girl — and honestly, same. She brought so much humor and lightness to the story, and I was dying at her comments about being unfit and hating green smoothies. Girl, I feel you.
Then there’s Liam, the big brother. I was conflicted about him at first — like, should I even like this doofus? But he grew on me. It took me a bit to figure out if he actually cared about Gwen or if he was just there to judge everyone, but eventually, he won me over. Underneath that cold, no-feelings, stone-faced exterior, he’s actually kind of hilarious. Maybe I’m biased because I have a thing for grumpy men, but still — he was such a fun addition.
Now onto the heavy stuff… Ian. Oh man. At first, I genuinely thought we were getting a light “two friends in love with the same woman but still bros” kind of love triangle. But nope. This went downhill fast. Turns out, Ian has been in love with Gwen since high school and has apparently been harboring this weird “I saw her first” complex ever since. He wasn’t really Toby’s friend — more like his silent rival, constantly trying to prove he was the better man. Yuck.
Then comes the real kicker — Ian’s the one who hired Kay as Toby’s assistant. Like, excuse me? Evil mastermind much? It doesn’t excuse Toby’s behavior in the slightest, but it does show how calculated Ian was in trying to mess with their marriage. And when he forces kisses on Gwen? Yeah, no. I thought I was signing up for a love triangle, not a full-blown trauma event.
And speaking of Kay… this chick is unhinged. Like, full-on what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-you crazy. I’ll admit, Toby unintentionally gave her mixed signals at the beginning — that’s undeniable. But once he realized what was happening and set boundaries, she completely lost it. It became clear very quickly that she’s obsessive and unstable.
What I truly appreciate, though, is how much detail Aubrey put into every character. No one felt like a throwaway. Each person had depth, motives, and perspective — you could almost slip into their heads and understand why they did what they did, even if you didn’t agree with them. That kind of thoughtful characterization made the entire story feel alive. I also appreciated that she focused on making the characters work on becoming better for themselves and their marriage. She didn’t simply have the MMC grovel until all was forgiven and the marriage magically returned to normal — no, she made them face every single issue, insecurity, and doubt, and rebuild from the ground up. Because at some point, you have to stop hyper-focusing on the past and start building a future — whether it’s together or not.
And that’s exactly what made Push so powerful for me. It’s messy, emotional, and painfully human. It’s about forgiveness — not the fluffy, instant kind, but the raw, uncomfortable kind that takes time and honesty. It’s about learning that love alone isn’t enough if you don’t do the work, and that healing means growing into someone better — for yourself first, and for the person you love second.
Aubrey Whitten didn’t just write a second-chance romance — she wrote a lesson in self-awareness, vulnerability, and redemption. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to fight fictional people, and by the end, I was just… soft. Completely soft.
Five stars, because anything less would be a crime against emotional readers everywhere.
August 29, 2025
3.75 🌟
I'm ashamed to say that I actually loved this bye. 💀
And I'm ONLY ashamed because this had infidelity, granted it was only a kiss. (I think they made out basically eww) BUT the main cheating was definitely emotional. Which sucked and makes this rating lower then I wanted to give it.
But other then that, I liked the story AND the characters. I also really loved Liam who was the FMCS elusive brother. I hope he gets a book of his own. We love a tortured H with secrets and darkness of his own. 🫶💓
Anyways the MMC was purely a golden retriever PLS and this was definitely a marriage in trouble book. This couple had ISSUES, They just did NOT communicate. They got there in the end BUT he should've grovelled more. And I definitely wouldn't have forgiven him BUT I liked this book. 🤷🏻♀️
I'm ashamed to say that I actually loved this bye. 💀
And I'm ONLY ashamed because this had infidelity, granted it was only a kiss. (I think they made out basically eww) BUT the main cheating was definitely emotional. Which sucked and makes this rating lower then I wanted to give it.
But other then that, I liked the story AND the characters. I also really loved Liam who was the FMCS elusive brother. I hope he gets a book of his own. We love a tortured H with secrets and darkness of his own. 🫶💓
Anyways the MMC was purely a golden retriever PLS and this was definitely a marriage in trouble book. This couple had ISSUES, They just did NOT communicate. They got there in the end BUT he should've grovelled more. And I definitely wouldn't have forgiven him BUT I liked this book. 🤷🏻♀️
December 14, 2025
My husband and his not-so-secret
girlfriend are pleased to invite you
to the yard sale of the century.
Everything must go
—including his cheating ass!
I was a dead man.
August 21, 2025
This book started out interesting for me because it had a “marriage in trouble/possible cheating” vibe, which I usually enjoy. The setup is that the female lead is now a stay-at-home mom after leaving her job due to sexual harassment, while her husband is a dentist who runs a practice with his best friend. He also has a young assistant who has already caused problems in their marriage. The wife has voiced concerns about the assistant’s inappropriate behaviour, but her husband never really takes it seriously.
One night, he finishes work early and ends up going to a house party hosted by this assistant without telling his wife, leaving her home alone to deal with everything with their toddler. He drinks too much, the assistant kisses him, and although nothing else happens, it’s clear that boundaries have been crossed. To make matters worse, his best friend seems to be sabotaging his marriage, and the husband has generally stopped paying attention to his wife or noticing the stress she’s under.
The book then brings in another subplot involving the wife’s brother, but at that point I found the story was dragging. It just felt too long, and I eventually lost interest.
One night, he finishes work early and ends up going to a house party hosted by this assistant without telling his wife, leaving her home alone to deal with everything with their toddler. He drinks too much, the assistant kisses him, and although nothing else happens, it’s clear that boundaries have been crossed. To make matters worse, his best friend seems to be sabotaging his marriage, and the husband has generally stopped paying attention to his wife or noticing the stress she’s under.
The book then brings in another subplot involving the wife’s brother, but at that point I found the story was dragging. It just felt too long, and I eventually lost interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2025
FMC didn’t deserve to MMC
FMC literally HEARS a recording of a man admitting to lying to her but yet she still calls her husband who told her the truth a liar and treats him like garbage.
FMC literally HEARS a recording of a man admitting to lying to her but yet she still calls her husband who told her the truth a liar and treats him like garbage.
June 13, 2025
Great read!
Loved it! If you like angst, this is the book for you! I loved Gwen and Toby! I am a fan of all of Aubrey’s books!
Loved it! If you like angst, this is the book for you! I loved Gwen and Toby! I am a fan of all of Aubrey’s books!
June 19, 2025
🙅🏻❌SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!🙅🏻❌
This is a story about a married couple who have been together for 15 years and are currently having marital problems. MCs met at age 16 and fell in love. At age 19, they got engaged and at 22 they got married. They are now in their 30’s and have a nine-month baby boy. MMC is a Dentist with his own practice and FMC is an Attorney. Both come from a dysfunctional family that plays into the story and how they must face their issues, especially lack of communication, to weather the storm and other family drama.
So story starts with FMC stuck on a highway with her car totaled due to a careless driver and her baby in the backseat. They are both fine but she needs help so makes several calls and texts to hubby but he never answers. So finally, she calls her BFF to come pick her up and we learn that MMC has a 20 something Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs intern assistant whom he shares stuff of his personal life with (like the fact he is sleeping on the coach and that he & his wife are having issues) and lunch dates. While the wife is stuck on the highway and calling for help, he & his partner/BFF, along with some other colleagues, are at the intern/OW’s home attending a party and getting skunk drunk.
OW posts pictures of her & MMC online looking cozy (him kissing her cheek & having his arm around her shoulder). Then after everyone leaves, he is looking for his phone & charger when OW makes her moves on him and starts to get in his space. They end up kissing but he pushes her away and leaves. Then he goes to his Partner/BFF’s home to sober up as he doesn’t want his wife to see him this way (especially as he had lipstick on his jaw & collar). Bff/Partner gives him a pill that puts him to sleep until the next day so he never comes home that night or calls his wife.
By the time he makes it home, he knows how badly he fucked things up and is feeling all sort of disgust & guilt at his actions. But when he arrives home, he finds his wife has packed all his shit and held a garage sale outside his home and kicks him out.
FMC had seen the pictures OW posted online and believes he cheated on her and was having an affair with OW. She had warned him about the OW but he never took her seriously. To him the OW was just a colleague he worked with whom he talked with. He never saw her as anything else because he was in love with his wife. However, we learn that MCs had been having issues and growing apart for over a year. It started when FMC who was a criminal Attorney, was fired from her job a year prior and she felt lost without her career identity. Then she had the baby and was overwhelmed with the amount of work she had to do taking care of the baby and the house and she closed up as she didn’t know who she was anymore without her job.
MMC said he tried to talk to her many times but she kept pushing him away and we also learn that they had not had sex for over a year. This is not to say this was an excuse for MMC to cheat but when he allowed the kiss to happen, he said for a moment he was glad someone wanted him and that he felt lonely. But unlike most of the MMCs with this trope that we often read about, this MMC beats himself up over & over throughout this whole story. He knows he is at fault for breaking his family. He knows his cheating is unforgivable and he has no explanation or excuses for what he did. He didn’t even enjoy the kiss with OW as brief as it was!
Anyway, he spends the entire story making changes to prove that he is not that kind of man. He even goes to therapy to figure out why he did what he did and is constantly doing things for FMC to make things easier for her and it works as they slowly start to get close again and build trust between them.
However, towards the 60% or so, we learn that his BFF/Partner sabotaged his marriage. The OM is psycho too and we later learn a little nugget about him. The pill that I mentioned above that he gave him of the night of his kiss with OW, was so that he never made it home to FMC which gave OM the opportunity to go over to her home and tell her lies of how MMC was having an affair with OW for months. Then he shows up later in the story to FMC’s home and makes his move. He starts to come on to FMC and she is feeling uncomfortable but OM asks her for a kiss and she allows it! Only in her case, it’s more than a kiss because OM is feeling her up! (he had his hands under her dress and touching her butt and whatever else). FMC eventually kicks him in the balls and tells him to leave, except she is apologizing to him immediately for hurting him and even giving him a bag of frozen peas to put on his crotch.
This scene is supposed to show us that she was attacked/sexually harassed because later on that is how MMC interprets it when she tells him of what happened and how she suddenly had “trauma” whenever OM's name came up. Please.
Yet when the OW begins stalking MMC, she has moments of back & forth where she doubts him & pushes him away. She doesn’t see the double standard here and that’s what pissed me off because she had a moment of clarity that she did exactly the same thing that MMC did to her, yet that is forgotten because now she is playing the victim card. Some readers may disagree with me on this but she allowed OM to fill her brain with doubts about MMC. She trusted OM’s word over MMC’s. She said YES to him kissing her. She didn’t immediately end the kiss and shove him away when he started to feel her up. She apologized to OM for hurting his balls AND she gave him the frozen pea bag to help him with the pain when she should have shoved him out the door and given him a black eye! So no, that scene did not play out to me as if she is the injured party here.
Anyway, eventually MCs begin to get close and fix their marriage. FMC’s brother who is a weirdo and maybe not a nice guy comes back into her life after years of abandonment, and she goes to work for him. The antagonists all get their comeuppance and HEA.
Oh, and another little tidbit. While the story held my attention and I liked the fact that author spared us of any actual penetration or BJs here, I didn’t like how wimpy MMC was portrayed or FMC's coldness & unforgiveness. The story is LONGGGGGG. It didn't need to be so lengthy and the MCs are too immature at times - sounding & acting like teens. MMC lacked self confidence and while I understand a lot of it had to do with his family and the way he was brought up, I just like my MMCs to be more of an Alpha male and this one, while sweet, was not. FMC also came of as someone with no personality. I don't even think we ever got a description of what she looked like, much less her personality.
Safety:
For me personally, this falls in the specter of semi-cheating because there is no actual sex or emotional cheating, it's one time and they both regret it for different reasons. There are 2 scenes of which I mentioned above with both MCs kissing OP and BOTH are at fault. That being said, while FMC gets away very easily with her "cheating", the MMC here has to work for forgiveness and redemption throughout the entire thing and let me repeat, he has NO - NONE - feelings or attraction for OW. Even the kiss he had with OW is repulsive to him AND we also get later in the story a timeline of every interaction, conversation and thought MMC had with OW from start to finish which he shares with FMC so that she can feel confident that he had no feelings whatsoever towards OW but was indeed a clueless dork for not seeing how psycho she was. He did also make a mistake prior to the kiss in telling OW about him sleeping on the couch instead with his wife in their bed but that was a mistake he regretted instantly and a thoughtless comment because he only told this to OW after she asked him why he was so tired. And yes, he went on coffee breaks/lunches with OW, but again, to him it was all innocent as 2 colleagues taking a break. Is he a dummy? Absolutely. Is he a Cheater? Maybe? I don't know. It's not so clear cut for me here because typically the cheating occurs when the MC feels an attraction or has an emotional connection or wants revenge against the person they love/loved. Here, none of that applies and one has to read the story in it's entirety to get to this point of view as I did because it shows us who MC is and why he was such a clueless idiot to make the decision he did.
For someone who views cheating as Black & White, his kiss with OW did not bother me as much as it normally would because he is portrayed as a really insecure, friendly and clueless guy who didn't see what was going around him until it was too late. Author developed a story in which makes it very clear that Hero only loves & wants his wife - no one else. He has no physical or emotional connection to OW. But everyone views cheating differently and I will leave it up to the reader to determine if he was redeemable or not. For me, he truly was. Months or years from now if I re-read it, I may feel differently. Lol. 🤫
This is a story about a married couple who have been together for 15 years and are currently having marital problems. MCs met at age 16 and fell in love. At age 19, they got engaged and at 22 they got married. They are now in their 30’s and have a nine-month baby boy. MMC is a Dentist with his own practice and FMC is an Attorney. Both come from a dysfunctional family that plays into the story and how they must face their issues, especially lack of communication, to weather the storm and other family drama.
So story starts with FMC stuck on a highway with her car totaled due to a careless driver and her baby in the backseat. They are both fine but she needs help so makes several calls and texts to hubby but he never answers. So finally, she calls her BFF to come pick her up and we learn that MMC has a 20 something Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs intern assistant whom he shares stuff of his personal life with (like the fact he is sleeping on the coach and that he & his wife are having issues) and lunch dates. While the wife is stuck on the highway and calling for help, he & his partner/BFF, along with some other colleagues, are at the intern/OW’s home attending a party and getting skunk drunk.
OW posts pictures of her & MMC online looking cozy (him kissing her cheek & having his arm around her shoulder). Then after everyone leaves, he is looking for his phone & charger when OW makes her moves on him and starts to get in his space. They end up kissing but he pushes her away and leaves. Then he goes to his Partner/BFF’s home to sober up as he doesn’t want his wife to see him this way (especially as he had lipstick on his jaw & collar). Bff/Partner gives him a pill that puts him to sleep until the next day so he never comes home that night or calls his wife.
By the time he makes it home, he knows how badly he fucked things up and is feeling all sort of disgust & guilt at his actions. But when he arrives home, he finds his wife has packed all his shit and held a garage sale outside his home and kicks him out.
FMC had seen the pictures OW posted online and believes he cheated on her and was having an affair with OW. She had warned him about the OW but he never took her seriously. To him the OW was just a colleague he worked with whom he talked with. He never saw her as anything else because he was in love with his wife. However, we learn that MCs had been having issues and growing apart for over a year. It started when FMC who was a criminal Attorney, was fired from her job a year prior and she felt lost without her career identity. Then she had the baby and was overwhelmed with the amount of work she had to do taking care of the baby and the house and she closed up as she didn’t know who she was anymore without her job.
MMC said he tried to talk to her many times but she kept pushing him away and we also learn that they had not had sex for over a year. This is not to say this was an excuse for MMC to cheat but when he allowed the kiss to happen, he said for a moment he was glad someone wanted him and that he felt lonely. But unlike most of the MMCs with this trope that we often read about, this MMC beats himself up over & over throughout this whole story. He knows he is at fault for breaking his family. He knows his cheating is unforgivable and he has no explanation or excuses for what he did. He didn’t even enjoy the kiss with OW as brief as it was!
Anyway, he spends the entire story making changes to prove that he is not that kind of man. He even goes to therapy to figure out why he did what he did and is constantly doing things for FMC to make things easier for her and it works as they slowly start to get close again and build trust between them.
However, towards the 60% or so, we learn that his BFF/Partner sabotaged his marriage. The OM is psycho too and we later learn a little nugget about him. The pill that I mentioned above that he gave him of the night of his kiss with OW, was so that he never made it home to FMC which gave OM the opportunity to go over to her home and tell her lies of how MMC was having an affair with OW for months. Then he shows up later in the story to FMC’s home and makes his move. He starts to come on to FMC and she is feeling uncomfortable but OM asks her for a kiss and she allows it! Only in her case, it’s more than a kiss because OM is feeling her up! (he had his hands under her dress and touching her butt and whatever else). FMC eventually kicks him in the balls and tells him to leave, except she is apologizing to him immediately for hurting him and even giving him a bag of frozen peas to put on his crotch.
This scene is supposed to show us that she was attacked/sexually harassed because later on that is how MMC interprets it when she tells him of what happened and how she suddenly had “trauma” whenever OM's name came up. Please.
Yet when the OW begins stalking MMC, she has moments of back & forth where she doubts him & pushes him away. She doesn’t see the double standard here and that’s what pissed me off because she had a moment of clarity that she did exactly the same thing that MMC did to her, yet that is forgotten because now she is playing the victim card. Some readers may disagree with me on this but she allowed OM to fill her brain with doubts about MMC. She trusted OM’s word over MMC’s. She said YES to him kissing her. She didn’t immediately end the kiss and shove him away when he started to feel her up. She apologized to OM for hurting his balls AND she gave him the frozen pea bag to help him with the pain when she should have shoved him out the door and given him a black eye! So no, that scene did not play out to me as if she is the injured party here.
Anyway, eventually MCs begin to get close and fix their marriage. FMC’s brother who is a weirdo and maybe not a nice guy comes back into her life after years of abandonment, and she goes to work for him. The antagonists all get their comeuppance and HEA.
Oh, and another little tidbit. While the story held my attention and I liked the fact that author spared us of any actual penetration or BJs here, I didn’t like how wimpy MMC was portrayed or FMC's coldness & unforgiveness. The story is LONGGGGGG. It didn't need to be so lengthy and the MCs are too immature at times - sounding & acting like teens. MMC lacked self confidence and while I understand a lot of it had to do with his family and the way he was brought up, I just like my MMCs to be more of an Alpha male and this one, while sweet, was not. FMC also came of as someone with no personality. I don't even think we ever got a description of what she looked like, much less her personality.
Safety:
For me personally, this falls in the specter of semi-cheating because there is no actual sex or emotional cheating, it's one time and they both regret it for different reasons. There are 2 scenes of which I mentioned above with both MCs kissing OP and BOTH are at fault. That being said, while FMC gets away very easily with her "cheating", the MMC here has to work for forgiveness and redemption throughout the entire thing and let me repeat, he has NO - NONE - feelings or attraction for OW. Even the kiss he had with OW is repulsive to him AND we also get later in the story a timeline of every interaction, conversation and thought MMC had with OW from start to finish which he shares with FMC so that she can feel confident that he had no feelings whatsoever towards OW but was indeed a clueless dork for not seeing how psycho she was. He did also make a mistake prior to the kiss in telling OW about him sleeping on the couch instead with his wife in their bed but that was a mistake he regretted instantly and a thoughtless comment because he only told this to OW after she asked him why he was so tired. And yes, he went on coffee breaks/lunches with OW, but again, to him it was all innocent as 2 colleagues taking a break. Is he a dummy? Absolutely. Is he a Cheater? Maybe? I don't know. It's not so clear cut for me here because typically the cheating occurs when the MC feels an attraction or has an emotional connection or wants revenge against the person they love/loved. Here, none of that applies and one has to read the story in it's entirety to get to this point of view as I did because it shows us who MC is and why he was such a clueless idiot to make the decision he did.
For someone who views cheating as Black & White, his kiss with OW did not bother me as much as it normally would because he is portrayed as a really insecure, friendly and clueless guy who didn't see what was going around him until it was too late. Author developed a story in which makes it very clear that Hero only loves & wants his wife - no one else. He has no physical or emotional connection to OW. But everyone views cheating differently and I will leave it up to the reader to determine if he was redeemable or not. For me, he truly was. Months or years from now if I re-read it, I may feel differently. Lol. 🤫
September 26, 2025
I think it's time to acknowledge that I'm not going to finish this one. DNF at 35%
I love a good grovel and there is a heavy dearth of good ones in the romance book community, especially before the last 5 years or so. This certainly fit the bill, I just didn't feel like Toby's punishment fit his crimes. Was he beyond stupid? Was he on the verge of an emotional affair that could have turned physical? Yes to both. But in the end, he kissed another woman while drunk and made the mistake of trusting people with ulterior motives (his best friend and their dental hygienist) who blew things up. That's it. He compounded the issues by not calling and/or coming home in a reasonable amount of time (I get that his phone was dead but does Australia not have cabs?) and I'm not saying he's blameless, but listening to his inner thoughts was heartbreaking, and a spur of the moment kiss does not make it fun for me to read a genuinely nice guy (not to be confused with a Nice Guy TM) who thinks he is stupid and his only good point is his cheerful personality.
And as for Gwen, c'mon babe, use your big words. I can get into a plot about someone used to be a kick-ass career woman who lost herself when she became a stay-at-home-mom, but the book really made it seem like she was taking out her frustrations on Toby without telling him why. She wouldn't even tell him why she'd been fired from her job, or why she wasn't fighting it -- and I mean I get it, but there wasn't really a good reason why she kept it close to the vest. It made me really frustrated with her, when I'd rather be frustrated with the golden retriever hero who got too close to his assistant. And then there's Gwen's reaction to Toby's "best friend", Ian, very clearly putting the moves on her just a few days after she's kicked out Toby. That's his move and she doesn't at any point question what he's told her about Toby? She was too smart for that. She's an attorney -- ask yourself qui bono!
I really liked how the story was shaping up with Gwen and her mysterious brother, and really enjoyed their byplay, even if I didn't quite know the full story. After a while though, I just felt like Toby's grovel was too much for what had happened, and rather than explain himself, he just kept taking the shit everyone kept shoveling because he thought he deserved it (and yes, okay, to some extent he did, but after a while I just wanted to give the guy a hug and tell him to lighten up on himself; the emotional punishment he went through was more like something a 90s HP MMC should have gone through -- or maybe even the MMC in Smokey). (Just kidding, no grovel in the world was enough for that douchebag.)
The writing was excellent and really at the end of the day, my DNF was a case of "It's not you, it's me." I will absolutely be picking up more books by this author.
I love a good grovel and there is a heavy dearth of good ones in the romance book community, especially before the last 5 years or so. This certainly fit the bill, I just didn't feel like Toby's punishment fit his crimes. Was he beyond stupid? Was he on the verge of an emotional affair that could have turned physical? Yes to both. But in the end, he kissed another woman while drunk and made the mistake of trusting people with ulterior motives (his best friend and their dental hygienist) who blew things up. That's it. He compounded the issues by not calling and/or coming home in a reasonable amount of time (I get that his phone was dead but does Australia not have cabs?) and I'm not saying he's blameless, but listening to his inner thoughts was heartbreaking, and a spur of the moment kiss does not make it fun for me to read a genuinely nice guy (not to be confused with a Nice Guy TM) who thinks he is stupid and his only good point is his cheerful personality.
And as for Gwen, c'mon babe, use your big words. I can get into a plot about someone used to be a kick-ass career woman who lost herself when she became a stay-at-home-mom, but the book really made it seem like she was taking out her frustrations on Toby without telling him why. She wouldn't even tell him why she'd been fired from her job, or why she wasn't fighting it -- and I mean I get it, but there wasn't really a good reason why she kept it close to the vest. It made me really frustrated with her, when I'd rather be frustrated with the golden retriever hero who got too close to his assistant. And then there's Gwen's reaction to Toby's "best friend", Ian, very clearly putting the moves on her just a few days after she's kicked out Toby. That's his move and she doesn't at any point question what he's told her about Toby? She was too smart for that. She's an attorney -- ask yourself qui bono!
I really liked how the story was shaping up with Gwen and her mysterious brother, and really enjoyed their byplay, even if I didn't quite know the full story. After a while though, I just felt like Toby's grovel was too much for what had happened, and rather than explain himself, he just kept taking the shit everyone kept shoveling because he thought he deserved it (and yes, okay, to some extent he did, but after a while I just wanted to give the guy a hug and tell him to lighten up on himself; the emotional punishment he went through was more like something a 90s HP MMC should have gone through -- or maybe even the MMC in Smokey). (Just kidding, no grovel in the world was enough for that douchebag.)
The writing was excellent and really at the end of the day, my DNF was a case of "It's not you, it's me." I will absolutely be picking up more books by this author.
June 22, 2025
DNF
There is no reason for this book to be as long as it is.
The characters are dopey and stupid. Also, why is Marnie in almost every scene with FMC? I get it that they're best friends but they started to feel like a throuple at some point ffs. She was wayyyy too overbearing. Girl, give your friend some space so she can process sh!t.
There is no reason for this book to be as long as it is.
The characters are dopey and stupid. Also, why is Marnie in almost every scene with FMC? I get it that they're best friends but they started to feel like a throuple at some point ffs. She was wayyyy too overbearing. Girl, give your friend some space so she can process sh!t.
August 31, 2025
push
A lot of surprise twists that you don’t see coming. Though Toby’s character was a little too corny for me but didn’t stop me from hating him, no man could be so dumb not to know that he close attachment to Kay & her flirting with him was NOT okay. Especially going her party.
A lot of surprise twists that you don’t see coming. Though Toby’s character was a little too corny for me but didn’t stop me from hating him, no man could be so dumb not to know that he close attachment to Kay & her flirting with him was NOT okay. Especially going her party.
December 8, 2025
This could have been an easy 4 star +, if the 2nd half hadn't dragged, it's a 600 + page book, well written and I enjoyed the story...it needs to be trimmed since I had to skim quite a bit of the 2nd half to get the conclusion I do desperately needed.
I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author, she's in very talented.
I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author, she's in very talented.
June 20, 2025
Very good and entertaining.
Hero and heroine have been married for years and basically they were each other one and only.
Hero is a dentist, heroine a successful layer, but now she’s at home with their newborn baby.
She actually lost her job, so now she’s is not exactly faring well emotionally.
They both are coping with their careers, the newborn baby and the situation is tense between them.
One night the hero decides to go to his young assistant party at her home, the young woman has a crush on him but he’s dumb and he didn’t realize it.
The same night his wife and child have a car accident, thankfully without serious consequences but he never answers her calls for help.
During the party he drinks a lot and is quite drunk, so when the assistant come on to him he kisses her.
Realizing his mistake he leaves immediately and drives back home but it’s basically morning when he reaches his house.
The heroine wants to know exactly what he did and when he admits he kissed ow she throws him out.
The heroine changes dramatically his lifestyle, distances himself from his assistant and tries to be a worthy father for his child and to win her back his wife.
There is also a mystery going on, or better, more than one mystery, and some other funny and interesting characters like the heroine bff, and her childhood friend, a man who is powerful and dangerous and makes the hero very jealous.
Safety. The heroine changes kisses ow, but he was never attracted to her, he was just flattered by her attentions. When he kissed her it was more because he was very drunk than because he liked her.
He never flirted with her not before nor after, he was just dumb and clueless.
The heroine is the smart one, the strong one, and he knew it.
He knew she was much more than him so for some time he thought she would leave him.
A friend who is not a friend is behind all the drama though. This person betrays both the hero and the heroines, lies and tries in every way to separate them. I won’t reveal more, because it’s worth reading.
There is also childhood trauma, depression, sa, mention of suicidal thoughts, violence, even if it’s not a gory or violent book at all.
So, be warned.
I liked it, it was pleasant and flowing very well, the hero’s evolution is very good, and I admit they both had issues. It was more a situational issue than one’s fault, they both didn’t cope well so I don’t feel like it was a one sided thing.
He paid for his mistake very much.
In the end the book is good and I enjoyed it, even the side mystery and characters.
Hero and heroine have been married for years and basically they were each other one and only.
Hero is a dentist, heroine a successful layer, but now she’s at home with their newborn baby.
She actually lost her job, so now she’s is not exactly faring well emotionally.
They both are coping with their careers, the newborn baby and the situation is tense between them.
One night the hero decides to go to his young assistant party at her home, the young woman has a crush on him but he’s dumb and he didn’t realize it.
The same night his wife and child have a car accident, thankfully without serious consequences but he never answers her calls for help.
During the party he drinks a lot and is quite drunk, so when the assistant come on to him he kisses her.
Realizing his mistake he leaves immediately and drives back home but it’s basically morning when he reaches his house.
The heroine wants to know exactly what he did and when he admits he kissed ow she throws him out.
The heroine changes dramatically his lifestyle, distances himself from his assistant and tries to be a worthy father for his child and to win her back his wife.
There is also a mystery going on, or better, more than one mystery, and some other funny and interesting characters like the heroine bff, and her childhood friend, a man who is powerful and dangerous and makes the hero very jealous.
Safety. The heroine changes kisses ow, but he was never attracted to her, he was just flattered by her attentions. When he kissed her it was more because he was very drunk than because he liked her.
He never flirted with her not before nor after, he was just dumb and clueless.
The heroine is the smart one, the strong one, and he knew it.
He knew she was much more than him so for some time he thought she would leave him.
A friend who is not a friend is behind all the drama though. This person betrays both the hero and the heroines, lies and tries in every way to separate them. I won’t reveal more, because it’s worth reading.
There is also childhood trauma, depression, sa, mention of suicidal thoughts, violence, even if it’s not a gory or violent book at all.
So, be warned.
I liked it, it was pleasant and flowing very well, the hero’s evolution is very good, and I admit they both had issues. It was more a situational issue than one’s fault, they both didn’t cope well so I don’t feel like it was a one sided thing.
He paid for his mistake very much.
In the end the book is good and I enjoyed it, even the side mystery and characters.
August 10, 2025
the premise was marriage in crisis but it turned out to be more than that aka a cheating MMC, on page
safety :
unsafe/ cheating mmc
mmc made out with his assistant during a party and grabbed her ass i'd say the betrayal was emotional as well since he often ignored his wife to grabs coffees and lunches with his assistant and also shared intimate details about his marriage with her. but there were no feelings he never loved her or thought about her like that untill they kissed.
he also admitted to having an emotional affaire with his assistant, obviously it wasn't intentional but it happened...unless there is another word for ignoring his wife's texts and calls because another woman needs him, and again excusing it with " his need to be wanted" doesn't make it okay it just shows how weak he was to temptation ( quoted provided below)
ow : his assistant who his wife warned him about, she was actually batshit crazy .
om: mmc's friend/ colleague is in love with the wife and kissed her
so the mmc kissed his assistant during a party that he was in without his wife and without telling her he was going to. his assistant came on to him and he kissed her:
"She whispered in my ear, “I’ll make you feel like you matter.”
My pulse hammered. “Will you…?” My voice was thick. It didn’t sound like me.
“In every way.”
It was an invitation for more, and I took it. I ignored every ounce of sense to chase the forgotten feeling of warm and willing lips.
I palmed Kayleigh’s hip. When her breath hitched, a possessive look flashing up at me, I liked it. And when her fingers slid into my hair, her mouth drifting up my neck and along my jaw, I didn’t tell her to stop.
“I’ve dreamed about this,” she whispered.
My nose grazed her cheek, and an old, broken part of me woke up and demanded more. So, I kissed her. And I didn’t stop. I let myself feel it—enjoy it—because convinced myself I needed it."
dk what further context that is needed to see that HE initiated the kiss, HE grabbed her hips, HE liked it and it's literally in the scene. him pushing her away after a good make out session doesn't make him a good man
the other half my review won't update 😐😐
safety :
unsafe/ cheating mmc
mmc made out with his assistant during a party and grabbed her ass i'd say the betrayal was emotional as well since he often ignored his wife to grabs coffees and lunches with his assistant and also shared intimate details about his marriage with her. but there were no feelings he never loved her or thought about her like that untill they kissed.
he also admitted to having an emotional affaire with his assistant, obviously it wasn't intentional but it happened...unless there is another word for ignoring his wife's texts and calls because another woman needs him, and again excusing it with " his need to be wanted" doesn't make it okay it just shows how weak he was to temptation ( quoted provided below)
ow : his assistant who his wife warned him about, she was actually batshit crazy .
om: mmc's friend/ colleague is in love with the wife and kissed her
so the mmc kissed his assistant during a party that he was in without his wife and without telling her he was going to. his assistant came on to him and he kissed her:
"She whispered in my ear, “I’ll make you feel like you matter.”
My pulse hammered. “Will you…?” My voice was thick. It didn’t sound like me.
“In every way.”
It was an invitation for more, and I took it. I ignored every ounce of sense to chase the forgotten feeling of warm and willing lips.
I palmed Kayleigh’s hip. When her breath hitched, a possessive look flashing up at me, I liked it. And when her fingers slid into my hair, her mouth drifting up my neck and along my jaw, I didn’t tell her to stop.
“I’ve dreamed about this,” she whispered.
My nose grazed her cheek, and an old, broken part of me woke up and demanded more. So, I kissed her. And I didn’t stop. I let myself feel it—enjoy it—because convinced myself I needed it."
dk what further context that is needed to see that HE initiated the kiss, HE grabbed her hips, HE liked it and it's literally in the scene. him pushing her away after a good make out session doesn't make him a good man
the other half my review won't update 😐😐
September 8, 2025
I hate cheating but…
This book had two completely separate plots so it seemed like two books pushed together. There was cheating and dealing with the aftermath and then there was a mafia assassin plot. I think this would have been better as two books.
Let’s break down the cheating. Yes he cheated. As unintentional as it was. Was he drunk? Yes, but that’s never an excuse. However, his inappropriate behavior towards the OW for an entire year made her feel like he wanted her. He really just wanted to be wanted and useful which doesn’t really make sense since he was ignoring his wife’s calls and messaged but I digress. He really works on himself and being better for his family. The cheating was a kiss. It’s debatable how long or how much it was. He did initiate. He says at some point he enjoyed it but then later says he hated it. I dunno.
The thing that upset me most about him was that Gwen told him Kay bothered her and he ignored it. Even if he was oblivious and didn’t see it why would you brush your wife off about it. If your wife, the mother of your newborn child, felt uncomfortable by your coworkers actions then you should have fixed it.
Now Gwen’s kiss with Ian. She was sad and depressed after Toby cheated. Ian came over and preyed on her vulnerability and kissed her. She did consent but after he messed with her head. When he tries to grope her she panicked and knees him. I personally feel that this is not worse than a year of what Toby was doing. At all.
Now the second part of the book (if we ignore the cheating) was actually interesting. I had no idea where it was going. The secret baby. The mafia running brother. It all worked well. They could have made this into a whole book minus the cheating and I would have ate it up.
This book had two completely separate plots so it seemed like two books pushed together. There was cheating and dealing with the aftermath and then there was a mafia assassin plot. I think this would have been better as two books.
Let’s break down the cheating. Yes he cheated. As unintentional as it was. Was he drunk? Yes, but that’s never an excuse. However, his inappropriate behavior towards the OW for an entire year made her feel like he wanted her. He really just wanted to be wanted and useful which doesn’t really make sense since he was ignoring his wife’s calls and messaged but I digress. He really works on himself and being better for his family. The cheating was a kiss. It’s debatable how long or how much it was. He did initiate. He says at some point he enjoyed it but then later says he hated it. I dunno.
The thing that upset me most about him was that Gwen told him Kay bothered her and he ignored it. Even if he was oblivious and didn’t see it why would you brush your wife off about it. If your wife, the mother of your newborn child, felt uncomfortable by your coworkers actions then you should have fixed it.
Now Gwen’s kiss with Ian. She was sad and depressed after Toby cheated. Ian came over and preyed on her vulnerability and kissed her. She did consent but after he messed with her head. When he tries to grope her she panicked and knees him. I personally feel that this is not worse than a year of what Toby was doing. At all.
Now the second part of the book (if we ignore the cheating) was actually interesting. I had no idea where it was going. The secret baby. The mafia running brother. It all worked well. They could have made this into a whole book minus the cheating and I would have ate it up.
December 8, 2025
I will start by saying, yes this story does include cheating. The MMC does kiss another woman, it’s not sex, but cheating is cheating so if you’re a person triggered by this then definitely skip this one.
On the other hand, if you are person that loves a story with a marriage in crisis, OW drama, groveling, and redemption then this is for you.
On the surface this story is about a couple who lost their way. A wife who is drowning after losing her job and becoming a stay at home mom. The husband who looses sight of his relationship and his family obligations and crosses the line with his assistant. I felt like this part of the story was so relatable. I think many people who have been in a long term relationship can understand how easy it is to lose sight of each other especially after adding in children and work stress. Lack of communication is common and is an easy way to get through the day without ruffling feathers. I totally get that.
Beyond the relationship between our MCs there was so much more going on. There was of course OW drama, family drama, workplace drama, loads of secrets to be discovered.
The character growth for both MCs was great. I loved the people they became in the end of the story. I also loved the found family they created.
Overall, I enjoyed all the drama and can’t wait to read more from this author.
On the other hand, if you are person that loves a story with a marriage in crisis, OW drama, groveling, and redemption then this is for you.
On the surface this story is about a couple who lost their way. A wife who is drowning after losing her job and becoming a stay at home mom. The husband who looses sight of his relationship and his family obligations and crosses the line with his assistant. I felt like this part of the story was so relatable. I think many people who have been in a long term relationship can understand how easy it is to lose sight of each other especially after adding in children and work stress. Lack of communication is common and is an easy way to get through the day without ruffling feathers. I totally get that.
Beyond the relationship between our MCs there was so much more going on. There was of course OW drama, family drama, workplace drama, loads of secrets to be discovered.
The character growth for both MCs was great. I loved the people they became in the end of the story. I also loved the found family they created.
Overall, I enjoyed all the drama and can’t wait to read more from this author.
July 19, 2025
Complicated romance
What starts out as a cheating husband/second chance romance ends up a organized crime related to the cheating romance. That means, at times, the story was just too complicated and twisted.
Spoilers ahead:
First there is the cheating. Gwen, a former lawyer now stay at home mom, finds pics of her husband, Toby, at a party being groped and kissed by his assistant. It doesn’t help Toby’s situation that his wife and son were just involved in a major car accident and she can’t reach him. As this part of the story evolves, the crazy assistant is assisted in her craziness by Toby’s best friend, Ian.
Speaking of Ian, he’s a crook, would be rapist of Gwen and hidden half brother to Toby. He’s also indebted to the mob because of a gambling addition.
Gwen has her own problems with her brother, Liam, who left her family many years before as he also has ties to organized crime.
The twists and turns in this story just seemed too much. Any one of the above mentioned story lines would have been enough to fill a story. I just felt that I was always trying to keep up to understand the plot.
What starts out as a cheating husband/second chance romance ends up a organized crime related to the cheating romance. That means, at times, the story was just too complicated and twisted.
Spoilers ahead:
First there is the cheating. Gwen, a former lawyer now stay at home mom, finds pics of her husband, Toby, at a party being groped and kissed by his assistant. It doesn’t help Toby’s situation that his wife and son were just involved in a major car accident and she can’t reach him. As this part of the story evolves, the crazy assistant is assisted in her craziness by Toby’s best friend, Ian.
Speaking of Ian, he’s a crook, would be rapist of Gwen and hidden half brother to Toby. He’s also indebted to the mob because of a gambling addition.
Gwen has her own problems with her brother, Liam, who left her family many years before as he also has ties to organized crime.
The twists and turns in this story just seemed too much. Any one of the above mentioned story lines would have been enough to fill a story. I just felt that I was always trying to keep up to understand the plot.
October 10, 2025
This is the third book by Aubrey Whitten, that I have read so far. I did not like the first two but I always give an author three chances and then I am out. After this book...I AM IN!!! I am so in! I guess the first two were warm up for this one. Character development and growth: chefs kiss! This is so much more than a book about an emotional affair, this is a love story. I enjoyed it VERY much and i can not wait for Liam!! And OH, IF YOU DO NOT LIKE BOOKS ABOUT CHEATING, DO NOT READ BOOKS ABOUT CHEATING!!! See, as simple as that! You do not like it, do NOT do it - but guess what, STOP whining and complaining in the reviews because your poor, poor eyes HAD to read about cheating. READ the BOOK DESCRIPTION, it is there for a REASON! Soory mates, but I really enjoy the angst from time to time but there are always those few cry reviews that really annoy me and I ask myself WHY they always review cheating books if they hate them so much....
June 18, 2025
This story was uber perfection for me. It started out a little angsty. I'm not sure I'd categorize it as an "emotional cheating" story, but rather an "Idiot husband can't see what his skanky, manipulative assistant is doing right before his eyes" type of story. The feels were very real in the beginning of this story. Then it turned into more of a husband grovelling his ass off to get his wife back, type of story. The heroine in this story was hilarious though. She was devastated, but she pushed through her devastation and moved on without her husband, and boy did he have to work his ass off to get her back. I enjoyed the entire story.
August 17, 2025
Oh my word!
This would definitely be one of my most favourite novels I have read. I loved everything about it. The characters, give me a Toby and Liam any day. I loved how all the characters interacted together, the plots were on point and fantastic. It was so we'll written. I laughed, cried, fell in love, got angry. It had the feels as if it was happening right before my eyes. I loved Liam's POV at the end also. It really opened my eyes to Liam I think, and I am so excited for his novel when it comes out. I honestly cannot recommend this novel enough. Hit the nail on the head Aubrey. Just fantastic.
This would definitely be one of my most favourite novels I have read. I loved everything about it. The characters, give me a Toby and Liam any day. I loved how all the characters interacted together, the plots were on point and fantastic. It was so we'll written. I laughed, cried, fell in love, got angry. It had the feels as if it was happening right before my eyes. I loved Liam's POV at the end also. It really opened my eyes to Liam I think, and I am so excited for his novel when it comes out. I honestly cannot recommend this novel enough. Hit the nail on the head Aubrey. Just fantastic.
October 27, 2025
DNF melodramatic
I did couldn't get past the FMC she was honestly so selfish and self centered. No excuse to cheat but the poor dude was set up to fail by his uncaring wife and his devious BF. Beginning kept talking about him being on couch because she kicked him out but there was never any reason. She also complained about running the house and baby by herself while he worked. Yeah that's what Sahm does. She kept secrets lied and treated him terribly. I've never rooted for the cheater to leave and get a new wife more.
I did couldn't get past the FMC she was honestly so selfish and self centered. No excuse to cheat but the poor dude was set up to fail by his uncaring wife and his devious BF. Beginning kept talking about him being on couch because she kicked him out but there was never any reason. She also complained about running the house and baby by herself while he worked. Yeah that's what Sahm does. She kept secrets lied and treated him terribly. I've never rooted for the cheater to leave and get a new wife more.
June 21, 2025
I enjoyed this story. The first half had some decent angst to it, but the second half drug on for freaking ever. I enjoyed this story despite the Hero being a gigantic beta. I think the story could have been shortened by a third, and it would have made the story way better. I had to skim the last dozen chapters to get through it. Despite this, the author is a heck of a storyteller, and I enjoyed the elements of humor that she put into her story. I will absolutely read her future works.
June 23, 2025
A delightful surprise!
I would love to write in every detail, how, this story unfolded and the journey it took me on, however, that would spoil the surprise of the twists and turns.
The story was superbly executed and not your usual drivel. It was brilliant!
Well worth the time and look forward to reading future books by this author.
One last thing to the author…….please, write Liam’s story.
I would love to write in every detail, how, this story unfolded and the journey it took me on, however, that would spoil the surprise of the twists and turns.
The story was superbly executed and not your usual drivel. It was brilliant!
Well worth the time and look forward to reading future books by this author.
One last thing to the author…….please, write Liam’s story.
June 27, 2025
devoured it!
At first I thought this was just gonna be a marriage in trouble romance which it was, but it was more than that. I loved how strong Gwen was, and how Tobes groveled and got his family back. I felt sorry for Ian in a way, but it was never Tobes fault for what happened.
I loved the book, and can’t wait for Romeo, & Liam’s book! Hopefully the author makes it into a series.
At first I thought this was just gonna be a marriage in trouble romance which it was, but it was more than that. I loved how strong Gwen was, and how Tobes groveled and got his family back. I felt sorry for Ian in a way, but it was never Tobes fault for what happened.
I loved the book, and can’t wait for Romeo, & Liam’s book! Hopefully the author makes it into a series.
July 1, 2025
Originally read on Wattpad.
Cheating = H emotionally and physically cheated on the h
Grovel = H had a lot to make up for and a lot to grovel for. h did not let it go easy on him either; H had to really battle and change himself to get back to where the h would even talk to him beyond childcare.
OW/OM drama = lots of OW drama that was fueled by the OM who did his part to annihilate the H's career and marriage
Really well written and fantastic read.
Cheating = H emotionally and physically cheated on the h
Grovel = H had a lot to make up for and a lot to grovel for. h did not let it go easy on him either; H had to really battle and change himself to get back to where the h would even talk to him beyond childcare.
OW/OM drama = lots of OW drama that was fueled by the OM who did his part to annihilate the H's career and marriage
Really well written and fantastic read.
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