Vows We Never Made

The Blackthorn Inheritance #1

by Nicole Snow

A sunshiney bookworm's life explodes when her best friend's atrocious brother proposes in this steamy and electrifying romance by Wall Street Journal Nicole Snow.

Big dreams come with bigger catches.
Mine came wrapped in a merciless suit—Ethan Blackthorn.
Billionaire tyrant. My bestie's older brother. Bane of my childhood and jackwagon of the century.

Now he's my flipping fiancé. All thanks to a brutal six-month marriage clause in his grandfather's will.

He promised me everything to play along.
An eye-popping payout.
The bookstore of my dreams.
Plus, a nice glittery Cinderella break from reality.
But that's not what steals my breath away.

He's taking this too seriously.
He's kissing me like it means something.
He's ready to declare war when other men dare look at me.

I don't understand. The conceited, incurable monster who used to make me cry now lives for my smiles and he's making this so hard.

Between his secrets and obsession, do I even stand a chance?
How do I forget the vows we never made if they start feeling sacred?

A deliciously sweet and stormy standalone romance with a heart-pounding fight to ever after. Irresistible tropes grumpy x sunshine, best friend's brother, marriage of convenience.

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

456 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2025

About the author

Nicole Snow is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. She found her love of writing by hashing out love scenes on lunch breaks and plotting her great escape from boardrooms. Her work roared onto the indie romance scene in 2014 with her Grizzlies MC series.

Since then Snow aims for the very best in growly, heart-of-gold alpha heroes, unbelievable suspense, and swoon storms aplenty.

Current fan favorites include her Enguard Protectors series, accidental love novels, plus long beloved MC romance thrillers like the Grizzlies and Deadly Pistols.

Find more about Nicole here:

Website: http://nicolesnowbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesnowbo...

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nicol...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicoleSnowBooks

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Snow/e/...

Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou]

Flat mcs, absent chemistry, extensive inner thoughts.

Dnf @ 56%

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m rating this one a 2.5 ⭐️ and I’ll keep it simple as of the why of that rating. I couldn’t like Hattie or Ethan until about 85% into the book.

Both Hattie and Ethan have a lot of issues as individuals and besides being forced into a marriage in order for Ethan to get his inheritance, there is literally nothing else that should tie these two together.

The rest is filled with spoilers so read at your own risk

Hattie lacks identity as a person so throughout the entire book, her character was extremely flat and very stereotypical in the sense that because she loves reading, that’s all she is? A reader? She has nothing else going for her. She unfortunately is a victim to a lot of insecurities caused by her mom hyper focusing on her body image and those insecurities keep on showing throughout the entire book, which to be frank, gets old really fast because she does self sabotage.

And Ethan himself is the king of self sabotage. He is a man who ran from his emotional problems as a kid and never stopped so he never grew up in that way. He is quick to anger, prone to impulsive decisions (not a great look for the heir to this massive billion dollar company) and for someone who dislikes his parents so much, he sure picked up their bad habits. His reliance on alcohol is quite a red flag as well as his anger issues. We’re supposed to believe is all magically goes away because the girl you suddenly realized you loved accepted your terrible actions and took you back?

What bothered me about their “journey” to bettering themselves was the lack of responsibility on how little action they both took regarding their own lives. Hattie accomplished nothing except reading and collecting books (which is every reader’s love language, okay) but what else? Even her nickname was unoriginal. Give the girl something else besides that as a character trait! Well, being harsh I guess, her other character trait is her inability to stand up for herself. She doesn’t stand up for her dreams, her aspirations, to her own mom and least of all, to Ethan even when he treats her terribly in his own rage. I wish she respected herself more and stood her ground on more occasions rather than the very end. And not even then considering he barely groveled after the third act breakup.

This book frustrated me and I forced myself to finish it, hoping it got better. It did but it was past 85% of the book when it became bearable and very much rushed into a HEA ending. Truthfully, this is one of the couples that stayed together because in Ethan’s case, there was a minimum of intimacy felt while having sex which was new for him and also a comfort in knowing Hattie since childhood whilst Hattie basically folded for a man who gave her the bare minimum when it came to affection. I don’t think they should have stayed together nor that they have what it takes to work in the long run.

I, by no means, am actively trying to hate with his review. It’s an honest opinion born from higher expectations on character depth mostly. I enjoyed a lot of the other books written by this author but some are a hit and some are a miss, and this one was a big miss for me.

[Jetscarbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was a little boring because it had way too much inner dialogue. (Possible spoilers ahead)
I had to skim so much of this book.

Just to give you an example- you’d have a MC ask the other a question. You wouldn’t get the answer right away, you’d get endless paragraphs of the MC thinking. Even during the smex scenes it would happen. H would take her shirt off, then it would be 3 or 4 pages of her arguing with herself. It was so repetitive. Since she was so insecure, he’d have to spend a lot of time convincing her that he thought she was pretty. (I was over it)

Then H has a dark secret that he endlessly stresses over
BIG SPOILER 🚩🚩🚩
Why he suddenly joined the military and took off? He knocked up a girl (he didn’t even like her) she came to tell him about the baby. He was a complete a-hole to her. The next day he finally decides to “do the right thing” but he’s too late. She drove her car off a cliff. Gramps was the only one who knew so he encouraged H to leave.

h has the personality of a damp rag. Seriously, she LOVES books. And she’s overweight and insecure. She’s BFF with H’s sister. Her POVs made my brain hurt.
H bullied her while they were growing up.
H was also a playboy (but OW were not a main issue in this book)

Now Gramps made up some dumb will that said H had to marry h for 6 months to get the company. 🤪 They “hate” each other but they shag by 30% in.

Naturally, there is some slimy dude in the background also wanting the company.

Then H’s parents have some secret about H’s dad not being his bio dad……….which then causes H to rage and take it out on h. Kaboom- the 3rd act breakup.
Very little grovel.

Sorry I just didn’t feel any chemistry between MCs. I spent most of the time thinking H really needed some anger therapy.

[Beyza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5⭐️

Beklentisiz başlamıştım, kitap ilk yarı çok iyiydi baya da beğendim dedim ama son yarısı hiç benlik değildi maalesef...


Erhan'ın büyükbabası mirası alabilmesi için şart koşuyor o şart da Hattıe ile evlenmesi. Hattie de Ethan'ın kız kardeşinin arkadaşı.


Sonra anlaşıyorlar, olaylar gelişiyor, etrafta görüşmeler falan falan...

Ethan'ın aile dramaları çoktu. Ve öğrendiğimiz gerçekler o kadar tahmin edilebilirdi ki. Dediğim gibi son 150 sayfa falan sıkıcı ve saçmaydı.

Hattie de biraz kilolu bir kızımız ve annesi ona sürekli zorbalık yapıyor zayıfla ,güzel giyin, diyet yap. Kadını boğmak istedim.
Ama sonlara doğru ilişkilerini düzelttiler.

Yani ortalama bir kitap. Okunmasa da olur😅

Ben şimdi gidip çok sevdiğim bir seriye devam edeceğim. O kitaptan çok umutluyum çok.

[Southern Lady Reads]

Wasn't a huge fan of Snow's writing - I didn't connect to the characters, and it felt a little forced, so I DNFed after 20%.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicole Snow has done it again ❤️

Beautiful, heart wrenching, well written, and fabulous. This author never fails to hit me in the feels. Every. Single. Time. Thank you again.

❤️ Best friends brother
❤️ marriage of convenience
❤️ grumpy sunshine
❤️ billionaire
❤️ fake marriage
❤️ favorites

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this via NetGalley. This is the story of Hattisha and Ethan. Ethan is set to inherit his grandfather’s legacy after his passing. Only Ethan finds out his grandfather has set conditions in his will. Ethan finds out he has to get married, but not only that but he has to marry Hattie, his sister’s best friend. While Ethan already demons from his past he hasn’t dealt with, he is later thrown another curve ball that throws him over the edge and he pushes Hattie away. But there is a HEA.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the worst book I have read in ages. I rarely write reviews but this book made me angry.

Unremarkable FMC that is obsessed with books but has zero personality. The no personality thing was mind boggling because they described her as “plus sized” everyone knows if you can’t be skinny you better be funny. Alas, we got a boring bagel who falls in insta love with her best friend’s brother. Also we as the reader are supposed to gloss over the mom bullying her entire life about her weight and just be like well she apologized by bringing a pie?? Be serious. Don’t forget in the third act breakup they have been broken up for a week and a half and she has lost soooooo much weight.

The MMC is not as bland but pathetic. He is supposed to be her childhood bully but literally the extent of his crimes is referring to her as “Pages.” Childish. He is also supposed to be a billionaire but is debating selling his grandpas yacht??? Not likely. Also, had zero business experience but takes over the company. Also buying a bride for less than a million seems like he IS NOT a billionaire. The author literally writes about how he keeps fucking up deals and we as the reader are supposed to swoon? No. The allusion to his alcohol addiction were laughable. He blacked out one night and grandpa was like off to war? Cmon now.

Other things that’s made me mad.
He buys her a bookshop and she has no idea what to do with it or the theme so thinks she is a genius by dedicating her shop to viral TikTok books. LAME.

OH and the fact that the author keeps bringing up how AI is evil despite her character using it all the time for her “business plans.” This book reads like it was written by ChatGPT.

Lastly, the FMC keeps talking about how everyone should buy physical books and yada yada yada. Meanwhile THIS godforsaken book is on kindle unlimited and I am so THANKFUL I spent $0 on this trash.

[Jayde · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was a rough read.

there is not enough interaction between the two MCs and there is way too much internal monologue - this takes up 95% of the book.

the FMC and her best friend (MMC’s sister) talk about how “close” their family’s are, but there is no closeness in any of their *forced* conversations. this storyline (or lack thereof) didn’t make sense to me. if anything, the FMC was only close with the MMC’s sister and grandfather.

the MMC’s sister is annoying and talks way too much. i don’t like how she inserts herself in e v e r y t h i n g.

there is no chemistry between the two main characters. i skipped the sex scenes from the 65% mark.

the self-deprecation from the FMC gets old and tired after the 10th chapter.

overall, not a good book. the storyline was interesting (at first,) but the characters were lackluster.

[Lianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept reading this one hoping it would get better but the characters felt so flat and I didn’t really understand the romance because I didn’t feel any of the chemistry or yearning or tension between the two MCs. She likes books and he’s gruff. She’s fat and insecure so she self-sabotages, he’s cold and walled off because of his past so he self-sabotages. That’s pretty much it. They both have baggage and they both take it upon themselves to heal each other instead of like being grown ups and working on themselves at any points in their life or relationship together. There’s literally like no groveling after the break up moment. She just like immediately forgives him and takes him back after a single monologue. But she’s supposedly fiery now that she’s grown up and has a backbone? Was the backbone in the room with us? Because she was giving doormat energy in all of her relationships, especially with her mom.

[Bel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book delivered every trope a romance lover could want—and then some! From billionaire romance vibes to the classic grumpy-sunshine dynamic, plus the irresistible sister’s best friend/older brother tension and a fake marriage twist—it had it all before things even started heating up. There’s a steady undercurrent of mystery, intrigue, and suspense that keeps the pages turning, and let's not forget the true scene-stealer: Ares, the utterly charming Basset Hound.
Ethan and Hattie are the definition of opposites attract. On paper, they shouldn't work—but their chemistry is undeniable and jumps right off the page. This was another fantastic, addictive read that I simply couldn’t put down!

[Danielle Amann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do not like women to have the “need” to fix a man. A man who is borderline abusive in actions. Forgives him way too easily.

Too easy of a transition from broken man to make things right. All the sudden, he’s an alcoholic. All of the sudden, he’s better.

Not worth your time.

[Stacey Reads It All · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vows We Never Made by Nicole Snow was a solid, enjoyable start to The Blackthorn Inheritance series. As book one, it did a good job setting up the characters, the emotional stakes, and the family dynamics, and it worked well as a light, easy listen. The romance was engaging enough, and I liked the overall concept, but I always felt just a little removed from the story instead of fully immersed in it.

The narration definitely helped elevate the audiobook. Tor Thom delivered a strong, steady performance that fit the male lead well, though at times his pacing felt a bit restrained during more emotional moments. Carly Robins was expressive and clear, and she brought warmth and personality to her chapters, even if some scenes could have used a bit more intensity. Overall, the audio quality was very good—clean, balanced, and easy to listen to.

In the end, this was a good, light read that I enjoyed, but it didn’t completely grab me or linger after it ended. I’d rate this 3.5 stars if the half option existed.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Stephanie Villere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vows We Never Made is written by Nicole Snow. When Ethan loses his grandfather, the will forces him to marry his sister’s childhood bestie Hattie for 6 months. Although you may think that you can guess everything that will happen in the wonderful story, you are so far off! Ms Snow weaves a delightful tale full of silly and sexy times, topped by a few of the cringiest times and all hidden behind the plot twist of a lifetime! You will totally love Hattie and maybe, eventually start cheering for Ethan. I love to read a good long juicy story that isn’t a cookie cutter copy of every other romance novel out there. This one definitely qualifies! It’s a don’t miss!

[Lisa Menor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hattie met the Blackthorn family through her best friend Margot. Treated as family, the Blackthorn's became her refuge, especially Margot's grandfather Leonidas and when she hears of his passing, she is shocked to find that she is in his will. She'd never expected to receive anything upon his death, but apparently Leonidas's sense of humor has followed him to his grave or he knew something Hattie and his now betrothed grandson Ethan didn't. Ethan Blackthorn, heir apparent to Blackthorn Holdings-if Hattie agrees, has always been her arch nemesis. Since day one he's mercilessly tormented her. The distaste was mutual, kind of...Hattie is strong, capable but also a realist, she knows there's a time limit on the task at hand. Ethan is angry, given the circumstances, but he's also out of his comfort zone with the feelings he's having for Hattie.
How would this work, and does Ethan even deserve her kindness after all the childhood bullying she'd endured at his hands? Maybe Hattie could put aside the past and help Ethan gain control of Blackthorn Holdings, it's only six months, and move on with her life and begin her future without him. But to Ethan, six months might not be long enough.

Compelling and intense with hidden family secrets, I could not put it down!!! Amazing story! Fantastic characters! Great read!

[Hanife]

DNF @ 47@

[Maye · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical

The writing was nice, but the story was very typical to trope. So much so that I did find myself bored and just going through the motions of reading just to get to the end.

Hattie is your common mousy and introverted heroine with self-esteem issues and episodic moments of snappy confidence. Ethan is the grumpy foil who has to constantly reassureHattie of her allure and beauty, much to his dismay due to his need to keep a distance from her since theirs is an unwanted and contractual marriage/relationship brought upon by a will from Ethan’s recently deceased grandfather. From there, both parties develop an attraction to the other that leads to a frenemies-with-benefits situation blurring lines and feelings. Predictably, Hattie begins to expect more from Ethan emotionally to which he responds with detached coldness in an attempt to keep things clean and contractual. Hattie’s feelings get hurt thinking she could change him blahblahblah…Ethan realizes his feelings and they live HEA.

I understand it’s a trope, I just wish that authors would bring a new and fresh take to it rather than the same old formula. Maybe, an easily indifferent heroine than can go toe-to-to with an emotionally detached hero just for variety. I don’t know, just something to break the monotony of the telling same story.

[Courtney Kahl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Smut is cringe and I couldn’t get through it so do with that what you will

[Shannon Donahue · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 52% holy shit this book is so bad but the line that made me close it was “im marrying a flipping billionaire hottie”. Entire book was about how insecure this girl is w her weight to the point it was every other sentence was about it. I don’t care that you’re fat!!!! can we please develop an actual plot

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/3 ⭐️
TPAM-BR

I found myself constantly hoping for a turning point, but it never came. The characters, regrettably, are as thin as paper, lacking the depth and nuance required to feel like genuine people. Hattie  is defined solely by her love of books, while Ethan's "grumpy" persona simply translates to him being unlikeable.
​The central relationship lacked chemistry and emotional tension. Their connection feels unearned and frankly, baffling. While both MC's carry the weight of past traumas, their resolution is both predictable and uninspired. The narrative's reliance on the obligatory third-act breakup feels like a tired and unoriginal plot device, and without a satisfying emotional follow-through, this moment lands with a thud.
​Ultimately, the story's emotional impact is minimal. The journey from beginning to end left me feeling more bored than invested, as the lack of character development and believable romance made it difficult to care about their eventual fate.

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Nicole Snow. She writes it, I read it! So I happily situated myself in my favourite reading spot and got ready for the rollercoaster ride I was anticipating. And Nicole did not disappoint. This is a story of friendships, secrets, betrayals, self-doubts, redemption, and of course, the power of love.
The main characters Hattie and Ethan have known each other from childhood but it is a clause in PopPop’s will that throws them together in a fake relationship and engagement. This not what either of them want but both agree to the terms.
Ethan is the quintessential grump to Hattie’s sunshine. He is a complicated, tortured soul whose cynicism hides a heart desperately in need of love. And he has a cringeworthy knack for telling the truth in absolutely the wrong way. Luckily, he gets better with his comments and compliments as time goes on.
Hattie is the girl we all want for a bestie. A kind, thoughtful, funny bookworm. Yet she is plagued with insecurities about herself that I often found as difficult to read as they were for her to deal with.

As Hattie and Ethan spend more time together their chemistry ignites and their fake relationship begins to evolve into something stronger. But not strong enough to weather Ethan’s major breakdown when secret betrayals are brought to light. Luckily, with some help from his stubborn, truth telling sister Ethan is able to find his way back to Hattie and she is willing to accept his apology. (If you like a good grovel, you’ll be pleased with this one).

As always Nicole has a host of secondary characters who add depth to the story, not the least of which is Ares the Bassett Hound. And her ability to create characters who look innocent but cause the hair at the back of your neck to stand on end is top tier.
So, if you are a fan of billionaire, grumpy/sunshine, fake relationship tropes you definitely need to read this book.
I received a free advanced review copy from the author and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vows We Never Made — Nicole Snow
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)

This book delivers all the small-town emotion, second-chance tension, and slow-burn chemistry you expect — with a heartfelt edge that keeps you invested.

The story centers on two people bound by a past they never fully dealt with. Years later, they’re forced back into each other’s orbit, bringing unresolved feelings, old wounds, and the kind of attraction that never really faded. The push-and-pull between what they want and what they’re afraid to risk makes the romance feel raw and real.

The vibes:
💍 Marriage-of-convenience / second-chance energy
🏡 Small-town setting
💔 Past heartbreak and unresolved feelings
🔥 Slow-burn tension with emotional payoff
🫶 Healing, forgiveness, and growth

What I enjoyed most was the emotional build. The story takes its time unpacking the past, letting the characters grow individually before fully coming back together. It’s angsty without being overwhelming, and the payoff feels earned.

If you love small-town romances with depth, second chances, and characters who have to work through their baggage to get their happily-ever-after, Vows We Never Made is a satisfying, emotional read I’d recommend.

[lacie.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

True rating 2.5 rounded up because this is a new to me author.

The premise of this story was what initially captured my attention. There were moments when the story just fell flat making me not want to pick it back up. For whatever reason the characters in this story, although adults, read as if they were much younger. Neither particularly knew what they wanted from life, let alone from one another. Further, I didn’t particularly care for the MFC, she didn’t have a glowing personality and was a bit boring. Additionally, she was plus-sized with so little confidence in herself outside of the MMC - a combo that always sends me into a tailspin of frustration. There were some twists and turns that kept me engaged but overall just didn’t feel connected to the characters.

[Alexis Salinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hattie and Ethan were absolute perfection. My goodness, this book had a chokehold on me and did not want to let go. I am such a sucker for grumpy/sunshine, and my goodness did Nicole deliver with this one. Hattie's character really spoke to my soul. I connected with her so much, and saw so much of myself in her. I absolutely loved how Nicole wrote her. I felt seen, I felt loved. And then there was Ethan. My gosh that man. I didn't know how Hattie was going to break through that impenetrable ice wall he had around his heart, but she did, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Because he deserved to be loved, and so did she. And they just worked so well together. I adored their love story. It was the perfect balance of everything you'd want to read. I did not want to let these characters go! I will definitely be doing a reread soon!

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ethan is Hattie’s best friends’ older brother, and the bane of her existence. Hattie is a bookworm, and Ethan’s fiancé. Ethan needed a wife for 6-months, as stated in his grandfather’s will, to claim his inheritance.
This is a well written story, with family, friendships, emotions, grumpy / sunshine, opposites attract, secrets, obsession, surprises, tension, marriage of convenience, undeniable chemistry, and love, which leads to an entertaining, sweet, and heartfelt, compelling page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Sarah P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read that delivers all the emotional payoff of a grumpy-sunshine romance done right. Ethan is the quintessential grump - guarded, brooding, and quietly aching for connection. And Hattie? She’s pure sunshine: warm, witty, and impossible not to love. Together, they light up the page with tension, tenderness, and slow-burn magic. Nicole Snow weaves their story with heart and humor, balancing emotional depth with swoony moments that linger. It’s a romance that reminds you how love can soften the hardest edges and bring light to the darkest corners.

[Stefanie Simeone · Rating 4 out of 5]

fake engagement

This is a traditional fake engagement romance, however, I enjoyed it. The only con is I wish the author would stop mentioning her size. Chunky, chubby, soft, heavy, loose flesh, rolls…. I get it, she is not shaped like a model.

[Caitlyn Millet · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the back cover preview I was ready for this to be the usual rom com, which it was in a sense but I wouldn’t recommend it. The plot was all over the place and tried too many things. This book was also way over the top in its spicy descriptions.

[Romance Book Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 predictable ⭐